Real stories. Real data. Built for change.
The State of the Junior captures what it’s really like to start a creative career in the UK, told by the people living it.
That’s the question we’re answering.
The State of the Junior is a national survey capturing the lived experiences of junior creatives across the country. This year’s theme, through our lens, is about seeing the industry from the perspective of the people actually living it, without spin, fluff, or filters.
We’re collecting insight on everything from pay and hiring to career progression. Because if we want to fix the creative industry, we need to understand what’s really going on at the entry point.
There’s no shortage of hot takes on what’s wrong with the industry, but not enough real data on what it’s actually like to start out in it.
Junior creatives are being asked to bring fresh thinking into spaces that don’t always support them to grow. Whether it’s underpay, lack of clear progression, postcode privilege or burnout, we need to stop guessing and start listening.
This survey turns lived experience into insight, and insight into action.
Take the survey
This survey is for anyone who identifies as a junior creative working in the UK, whether you’re freelance, full-time, part-time, in-house, agency-side, or somewhere in between. You might be just getting started or a few years into your career—it doesn’t matter how you got here. If you’re early in your creative journey, this is for you.
It takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and your answers are completely anonymous. At the end, there’s the option to leave your email if you’d like to hear when the results are published.
Take the surveyThrough My Lens is all about spotlighting the real experiences of Junior creatives in the UK. We're looking for honest, thoughtful reflections from people early in their careers who want to share what the industry looks like through their lens.
Tell us how you got in. What’s surprised you. What needs to change. And what you want the future to look like.
Whether you’re working full-time, freelancing, or figuring things out — your story matters, and we’d love to hear it.
The creative industry often talks about junior talent, but rarely with them. This is your chance to change that. Take the survey, share your experience, and help us build a clearer, more honest picture of what it’s really like to be junior today. Your voice matters. Your perspective counts. Let’s frame the future, together.
