Creative career lab
A year-long career development program to prepare and help place California young adults (18-28) in dream jobs.
JULY 2024–MAY 2025
applications are now open
Join the Creative Career Lab, Get Lit's year-long professional development program designed to prepare you to thrive in a full-time position in the creative and nonprofit sectors. Graduates of this program will receive support finding–and the skills to excel at–a dream job!
- Learn from weekly workshops and one-on-one mentoring from industry leaders
- Meet top professionals at creative companies, nonprofits, and startups
- Graduate with a professional resume, letters of recommendation, certifications, and support finding full-time employment
Get Lit's Creative Career Lab is funded by the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) through the California Community Reinvestment Grants Program (CalCRG). This program aims to address the impact that the War on Drugs had on marginalized communities, creating a bridge to success for young adults affected by these policies through critical professional training, connections, and paid job placement.
Welcome to Get Lit’s Creative Career Lab. Let’s get to work.
who can apply
If you're 18-28, based in California, and want to have a career in the creative or nonprofit sectors, Get Lit's Creative Career Lab is a FREE program designed for you!
You are eligible for the program if you have graduated from high school or equivalent and fit one of the following criteria:
- You or one of your parents or siblings has been incarcerated
- You have a parent or sibling who has been deported
- You have been in the foster care system
- You qualified for the Free & Reduced Lunch Program or reside in a low-income neighborhood
- You belong to a community that has historically been disproportionately targeted by drug enforcement policies, such as Black, Latinx, or Indigenous
Get Lit’s Creative Career Lab is primarily focused on training you for a career in the creative and non-profit sectors, such as:
1) Social Media/Communications: You'll amplify powerful messages and creative expression via storytelling, art and graphic design, making videos, and growing a following.
2) Development/Fundraising: You'll build relationships and raise money for causes you care about through presentations, events, performances, and more.
3) Nonprofit/Arts Administration: You’ll handle project management, team-building, event production, branding, communications, and office culture while staying true to a creative vision.
The Creative Career Lab is designed to help you develop both “soft skills” (things like communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and professionalism) and “hard skills” (this might include training in digital campaigns or event production or use of tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and Salesforce). You’ll also discover ways to improve your financial literacy and mental health. To showcase who you are and why people should hire you, you’ll receive expert guidance to create professional materials (such as resume/CV, LinkedIn profile, and a portfolio of sample work). In addition, we’ll provide you with a personalized letter of recommendation and life-changing networking opportunities.
Finally, all graduates of the yearlong program will receive a certificate of completion — and support finding an offer of full-time employment. Not only that, but we’ll also check in with you once a month during your first year on the job so we can continue to support you with your career goals and financial stability.
The program is scheduled for July 2024 through June 2025. You’ll come to Get Lit’s office in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for workshops (free breakfast and lunch provided). If getting transportation to the meetings is a problem, let us know and we can help.
You don’t receive a paycheck during the Creative Career Lab—this is a training program rather than a paid internship, which is why it is designed to fit in around other work or study commitments. However, we are prepared to help you out financially as needed to cover expenses related to job interviews — and at the conclusion of the program, you will receive job search and placement assistance.
Since 2006, we’ve served thousands of youth through our creative curricula, and Get Lit participants have gone on to employment and projects with companies such as 3M, Adidas, Ford Motor Company, FOX, FX, Hulu, KCET, Levi’s, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Post-Its, Puma, Rock the Vote, Southwest Airlines, Telemundo, Univision, United Talent Agency, Vans, VICELAND, Warner Brothers, and William Morris Endeavor. We have an extensive alumni network as well as corporate partners who are in a position to support your career journey.
Submit an application by filling out the below form as soon as possible. Admissions are rolling, so apply today for this incredible opportunity to go pro in a creative field!
