Employers value creativity the most

TLC graduate, Michelle Feary, has just been appointed as a Community Learning Librarian at New Brighton Library in Christchurch. 

“Thank you Rachel, and TLC! Your guidance and enthusiasm has helped me succeed in getting a job I'm sure I will love!”

Michelle Feary

It’s a busy role. Working alongside another community learning librarian at New Brighton on general library management and day-to-day service liaison, Michelle will also be helping to develop community learning programmes for customers (and staff) in three different libraries. This includes facilitating events for children such as storytime and babytime programmes.

What gave her the edge and helped her to secure the job?

When interviewing for the role, Michelle demonstrated how her creativity skills learned at The Learning Connexion could be transferred across – not just to make or to teach art, but to educate people in a variety of fields or disciplines.

She also showed the panel of three The Learning Connexion’s summative assessment (which Rachel Astbury, her tutor, had written) and presented her visual diary illustrating her creative thought processes.

Using the TLC handbook, Michelle explained the creative spiral to the panel, revealing what can be achieved using this method and how she regularly applied it to her work – taking the beginnings of an idea and turning it into something real and tangible.

“Combining creative thinking, using the processes I learnt with TLC, will really enhance the way libraries connect and educate the community. I've always wanted to use art and creativity to enhance other people’s lives and educate, and in this job I can do that.”

The outcome? The next day, Michelle was told she had the job and that they couldn't wait to see her “fabulously creative brain in action”.

Proof that creativity is a valuable skill to cultivate and possess in a competitive job market.