Three creatives on how Adobe mentorship is boosting their careers

Breaking into the creative industry often takes more than hard work and natural talent – it also requires a pinch of good luck and lots of helpful connections. The Adobe Creative Apprenticeship is bridging that gap by providing aspiring talent with an extensive programme that includes support from some of the industry’s biggest names. We spoke to three emerging creatives about the role of mentorship within the programme and how it’s helping them on their career journeys.

Speak to any successful creative and they’ll likely have been guided by someone more experienced along the way. That’s why mentorship is at the heart of the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship. Launched to help aspiring creatives kickstart their careers, the programme prioritises building enduring relationships between emerging talent and established creative leaders. “The programme is changing the way young creatives launch their careers,” says Katherine Chiu, an Adobe programme manager overseeing mentorships, giving them a chance to “learn from a pro who’s been in their shoes.”

Mentorship and the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship

To that end, Adobe has enlisted over 165 seasoned creatives from around the world to provide mentorship throughout the programme. Their specialisms span design, photography, illustration and videography, while their career paths range from in-house to freelance. At each step of the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship, these industry insiders offer support to participants – including one-to-one career mentorship for those completing a commissioned project; conducting portfolio reviews on Discord; and serving as featured guests for virtual and in-person events associated with the programme.

Adobe strives to bring mentees and mentors together based on the mentees’ goals, but what they discuss and how they approach it is up to them – giving them space to ask questions, learn new skills and build rapport with potential employers. “I like to think of mentorship as the ‘glue’ that ties everything together and makes this a more connected experience,” Katherine says.

Here, three emerging creatives at different stages of the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship share their experiences of mentorship on the programme, and their advice on making the best out of the opportunity.

Meet the mentees

Carla Mazzolini
Apprentice at Warriors Studios

Prepping to get the most out of sessions
When Carla joined the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship, she never imagined that her mentor would be Beth Wilson – an award-winning designer and the director of Warriors Studio, who is considered one of the most influential creative leaders in Europe. The experience has proven invaluable. “Beth understands the people and studios, as well as what employers are looking for in a portfolio,” Carla says. “Her advice was direct, honest, and exactly what I needed to hear.”

A crucial part of the learning curve was dedicating time between sessions to research, reflect and apply her mentor’s advice. “Come prepared each week with questions and treat your sessions like an assignment,” Carla suggests. “The more effort you put into showing up for yourself, the more rewarding the experience becomes.”

Cultivating a creative identity
Mentoring has also helped Carla develop a clearer sense of how to define herself as a creative; “[It’s] one of the most important parts of developing as a designer and building confidence in your creative decisions,” she notes.

With Beth’s guidance, she was pushed to regularly reflect on her position as a designer and the direction she wanted to take her career. “That made me more intentional in how I approach my work and professional identity,” Carla says. “It’s a motivating way to stay on track, especially if – like me – you sometimes struggle with holding yourself accountable.”

Carla points out that the relationship goes two ways: as a mentee, it’s important to think carefully about what you want to get out of it and identify the areas you feel you’re lacking in. “Set weekly goals, keep a journal of what you’re learning and follow through on the feedback you receive,” she suggests. “Make a point of showing up for yourself the same way you would for a job, and you’ll get a lot out of it!”

When mentoring leads to a huge opportunity
Carla’s commitment to showing up did indeed help her get a lot out of the experience, as she was eventually offered an apprenticeship at Warriors Studio. “Working in such a fast-paced, high-standard environment has been a baptism of fire, but it’s also been the best way to learn,” she says.

Once an admirer of the creative agency, she is now a graphic design intern there; and having been a guest at their annual design festival, she is now part of the team bringing it to life. That’s the power of great mentorship: it has the potential to lead to new opportunities and open new doors.

“Be strategic,” Carla advises. “If there’s a studio or creative you admire, mentoring is a rare chance to connect with them in a more informal setting than a job interview.” Adobe’s programme is an accessible way to do that and access experienced industry leaders who are more than willing to help talented young creatives succeed.

“Overall, I couldn’t recommend the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship more to recent graduates or students,” says Carla. “The whole process really pushes you to define your goals, build confidence and establish your identity as a creative. It’s given me direction and momentum to embark on the next step in my career.”

Lucas Parfitt Fernández
Visual communication designer

Finding a mentor you want to emulate
When Lucas first signed up to the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship and saw the programme’s list of potential mentors, he was instantly drawn to creative director Mohamed Abdulle, also known as Mabdulle, from Plain White Studio. Even though Lucas’ background was in graphic and motion design, he was keen to move more into creative direction and wanted to learn from an experienced professional whose work inspired him.

As luck would have it, the two ended up being paired for the mentorship – and working with Mabdulle has helped Lucas get a clearer understanding of how to connect the dots between design and creative direction. His advice? “Find mentors who align with your vision and work in the industry you want to be in – not necessarily the one you are in.”

Being proactive and open to tough feedback
After having an introductory call with Mabdulle, Lucas then had the chance to shadow his mentor for a full day of work in the studio. It was an opportunity he didn’t waste. Keen to make himself useful, Lucas set to helping out with all the tasks he could – whether it was drawing up brand guidelines or practising pitching to clients. Getting personal guidance from Mabdulle on all these real-world tasks made his mentoring experience much more hands-on and creative.

An important part of the process was also being open to constructive criticism. “Don’t just look for compliments – ask for critique, because that’s where the real growth happens,” Lucas says. “Having a mentor who isn’t afraid to challenge me has helped me look at my own work more critically.”

Building industry knowledge and genuine friendship
The mentorship didn’t just improve Lucas’s technical know-how. “It has also given me perspective on the industry beyond just making the work – like knowing how to approach collaborators in a personable, deliberate way, or understanding the importance of visibility and networking,” he says. Developing those soft skills has since helped Lucas secure new clients, shoot some of his favourite recording artists and see mentorship as “a genuine long-term friendship, not just a one-off transaction”.

Jason Saffer
Illustrator and Designer

Knowing what you want from mentoring
A self-taught illustrator, Jason joined the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship with a clear goal: he wanted to apply illustration within the field of brand design, an area he had little knowledge of. The programme offered him the chance to develop that new skill set, under the guidance of Barry Darnell, the CEO and founder of brand and motion studio Analogue, who has over a decade of experience in brand design.

To help Jason learn the ropes, Barry gave him a fictional brief and reviewed his progress during weekly sessions. This didn’t just teach Jason new ways of illustrating and designing – it also taught him new ways of thinking about creative problems. His advice to aspiring mentees is to be clear about your objectives: “Your mentors are busy people, and it makes a good impression to know what you want from the get-go.”

Tackling creative career fear with a seasoned pro
Equally impactful to Jason was the confidence he developed from being mentored. “Being an emerging creative these days can be intimidating,” he shares, “and while it’s nice to talk to your parents about what you do, they don’t always get it.” But Barry’s encouragement helped Jason overcome his fears and reinforced his desire to pursue his creative ambitions.

Over the sessions, Jason grew more comfortable being himself and formed a long-lasting connection with Barry that continues today. “Hearing opinions from someone successful and experienced is not only empowering but also incredibly reassuring,” he says. “Through mentorship, I feel more confident that I am heading in the right direction for my career.”

Getting in front of the right people
While Jason has yet to do a placement as part of the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship, the programme’s mentoring scheme alone has already opened doors for him within the creative world. Most notably, he was invited to share his experience of the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship at an event held earlier this year. Speaking alongside creatives from DixonBaxi, Studio Bergini and Squint/Opera, Jason recalls it being a brilliant networking opportunity. “I met a lot of cool people,” he says, “and it’s great to have an option that puts you in front of lots of exciting employers.”

Adobe Creative Apprenticeship placements are available with a wide range of leading creative companies across the UK, US and Canada. Read this article to get started, then get tips on building your Behance profile as the first step in applying. And if you’re interested in exploring some Adobe-commissioned projects led by local mentors, check out the opportunities below:

This article was created in partnership with Adobe. Every year, we partner with like-minded brands and agencies to support our initiative and keep Creative Lives a free resource for emerging creatives. See here to find out more about how you can work with us.