Beyond the four walls: an interview with Charlotte Lord

Leaving the security of higher education is a challenging experience, but mentors such as LCC alumni Charlotte Lord are there to make it less daunting.

Entering the world of work after university is a shock to the system. For as long as you can remember, the security of education – from reception year all the way through to higher education – has provided comfort. However, it all changes once you hand that last paper in. You are on your own. Intuition, experience and luck become a cocktail of hope.

The thing to remember is that there is no right next step, nor strict timeframe for success. The economic and political environment of the world you step into is constantly changing, and if the Covid-19 crisis has taught us anything it’s that you can’t predict the future.

Mirroring our current uncertain times, Charlotte Lord left London College of Communication as the previous global recession began to bite in 2007. Though faced with the harsh reality of traditional entry-level roles being out of reach, she decided to tackle this challenge head on. “I took on internships and freelance work, and at times also part-time jobs unrelated to graphic design,” she recalls.

Taking an alternative route to the one she originally planned paved the route to where she is today. “Doing this added more client work to my portfolio, added a range of professional experience to my CV, and extended my professional network. This enabled me to run my own practice for a few years and, ultimately, led me to my role at Publica, where I started as a freelancer in 2010.”

Today, Charlotte is the director of graphic Design at Publica, a London-based urban design and public realm practice. Rewinding back, she describes that the “complexities” and “grey areas” of graphic design were what initially fuelled her passion.

She was fascinated by how “a complex set of skills are required to communicate ideas and concepts beautifully and elegantly, yet still meet the brief”. This zeal echoes her work life as she spends her days with a diverse range of individuals who come together on projects that make a difference to society.

“I hope that [the mentees] feel confident about entering the world of work, that they can present themselves with conviction and purpose, and convey their personality and ambitions to potential employers” – Charlotte Lord

However, getting to her current position was achieved through years of trial and error – as the saying goes, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’. Charlotte advises, like many, to follow your instincts. However, she emphasises that one of the most important factors when searching for a job is to “find the right people, clients and ideas that inspire and challenge you every day”. This may require working at a multitude of companies until you find the right role in which to grow and evolve.

When asked what she looks for in a team member, Charlotte considers three main characteristics. Those who “are collaborative, supportive of the team and generous with their ideas”, and with these naturally comes the willingness to learn and adapt with feedback.

Consequently, the LCC Industry Mentoring Programme helps postgraduate students to navigate the unexplored territory of the workplace. Advice like Charlotte’s makes all the difference to those all-important first steps after university as students move away from the support and guidance of tutors.

It’s very easy to tell students not to worry, but they naturally do. What they, however, don’t realise is that they are the future of the creative industry and with a little help, can make a real difference. Over three or four years, your degree at UAL equips you with an abundance of skills that can be applied to more than just the focus of your chosen subject.

During unprecedented times, when life as we know it is shaken up by some crisis, it is time to search for and approach opportunities from another perspective. Asking for help and support is a fundamental trait you need to have to create forward momentum. These aspects come together in LCC’s Industry Mentoring Programme, which allows graduates to gain confidence not just in themselves but in what they can achieve.

“I also hope they have the perfect CV and portfolio, a slightly bigger professional network, and most all, the tactics and resilience they need to get themselves their dream role”
– Charlotte Lord

Mentors like Charlotte go beyond offering general career advice, delving into the uncharted corners of what you can offer. Charlotte says benefits of graduates having mentors is they “help you reflect and look at your work and future career goals from an outside perspective”.

Not only can mentees get feedback from the outside in, but they are be able to gain an in-depth knowledge of the creative fields – something you cannot replicate nor seek out in any other way. It is an incredible opportunity to have a professional within the sector you are interested in offering tailored guidance to you and your aspirations.

Charlotte describes the intended outcome of the LCC programme thus: “I hope that [the mentees] feel confident about entering the world of work, that they can present themselves with conviction and purpose, and convey their personality and ambitions to potential employers. I hope they have the perfect CV and portfolio, a slightly bigger professional network, and most all, the tactics and resilience they need to get themselves their dream role.”

The creative industries as a whole are built and thrive upon collaboration, and LCC’s mentoring partnerships offer students an early glimpse of this through the experience and knowledge of people such as Charlotte, who are keen to help those coming up behind them. They are, after all, the future of the creative industries.

Feature image illustration of Charlotte by Octavia Greig.