These Creative Skills Can Boost Your Career in 2025

BY LUCY MARINO, executive director of the marketing and creative practice at global talent solutions firm Robert Half  which connects employers with skilled marketing, creative, digital, advertising and public relations professionals to meet their specialized recruiting needs. Marino manages strategy and operations for the company’s marketing and creative talent solutions teams across U.S. locations.

 

***

 

Want to stand out in the competitive creative industry? You can do it by leveling up your skills. According to Robert Half’s 2025 Salary Guide, creative and marketing managers are boosting salaries for professionals who excel in areas like art direction, UX design, content strategy and graphic design. Let’s see how sharpening these skills can take your career — and paycheck — to the next level.

 

Mastering Art Direction In The Age of AI

Art directors must balance two demands: mastering new technologies while maintaining their fundamental responsibility of creating consistent visual aesthetics, whether it’s designing a product’s packaging or developing the look of an international advertising campaign. This ideal combination of technical and creative expertise is highly valued in the market—so much so that 37% of creative and marketing managers surveyed by Robert Half are willing to boost salaries for professionals who excel in creative development and art direction.

To stay competitive in the market, embrace emerging tools like augmented and virtual reality if you’re not already. They’re transforming how concepts are presented. Imagine showcasing a product as if it’s already in a customer’s home or designing an immersive virtual brand experience. Exploring these technologies and integrating them into your work can set you apart.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is another technology revolutionizing the way art directors work. Automating routine tasks like resizing images or tweaking colors frees up your time to focus on storytelling and big-picture concepts. Experimenting with these tools isn’t just helpful—it’s quickly becoming essential. Indeed, 69% of all creative and marketing managers polled by Robert Half said advancements in AI and automation are reshaping needed skill sets.

But it’s not all about tech. Look for opportunities to lead projects and mentor junior team members. Strong presentation skills, emotional intelligence in client relationships, and the ability to clearly articulate creative decisions separate good art directors from great ones.

 

Creating Better Experiences Through UX Design

UX skills are another area where creative and marketing managers are willing to raise salaries—34% of them, in fact. Designers who create intuitive, engaging experiences are highly sought after.

Excelling in UX design starts with understanding your users through usability tests, surveys, and interviews. These research methods help uncover what people truly need from your designs. The more you can align your work with user behavior, the more impactful it will be.

AI-powered personalization is shaking up the field. Creating interfaces that adjust to individual preferences can make digital experiences more intuitive and useful. For example, a website could reorganize its layout based on what users click on most often, ensuring they can find what they need quickly and easily. This thoughtful tailoring helps users feel understood and enhances their overall experience.

Designing with empathy is equally critical. Consider how your choices like color schemes or interaction patterns can evoke positive emotions. Emotional design isn’t just a buzzphrase—it’s a way to connect deeply with your audience.

 

Content Strategy: Engaging Audiences In A Noisy World

Content strategists build bridges between brands and their audiences—and 26% of creative and marketing managers are willing to offer higher salaries for the most skillful bridge builders.

Like UX design, success in content strategy starts with truly knowing your audience. Take the time to research what they care about, what drives them and what challenges they face. Use this understanding to create and design content that feels personal and meaningful—something that speaks to them, not at them. People can tell when content feels generic or overly polished by a machine, and it’s a quick way to lose their interest.

AI can be a great helper for content strategists when they’re brainstorming ideas or fine-tuning SEO, but, as with every role, it’s not the whole story. The real magic happens when you bring empathy and authenticity to your messaging. Think of AI as a tool to make your job easier, not a substitute for the human touch that makes your content connect on a deeper level. Balancing technology with genuine care for your audience turns solid content into something they’ll remember.

Short-form video is everywhere on social media and is one of the best ways to grab attention quickly. The challenge is telling a story that sticks—in just a few seconds. Focus on designing content that matches your brand’s personality, whether a quick tip, a behind-the-scenes moment or something fun and shareable.

 

Graphic Design: Where Creativity Meets Digital Innovation

Graphic design is a fast-evolving discipline that rewards versatility and an appetite for continuous learning. With almost one in five (19%) creative and marketing managers increasing salaries for strong graphic design skills, honing your craft can lead to exciting opportunities.

Start with the basics. Solid typography, smart color choices and thoughtful composition are still the foundation of great design. But don’t stop there. Experiment with trends like bold typefaces or retro-inspired aesthetics to keep your work relevant and eye-catching.

Technology is also transforming how designers work. AI tools can handle tasks like removing backgrounds or generating design variations, freeing designers to focus on creativity. These tools aren’t about replacing creativity but giving designers more room to explore it.

Representation and accessibility are more important than ever. Make sure your designs speak to a diverse audience and meet accessibility standards. This means considering everything from cultural relevance to color contrast and usability.

Finally, think beyond traditional formats. Learning motion graphics or 3D design can help you stand out when working on brands that increasingly look for dynamic and immersive visuals.

 

Staying Ahead of the Curve

The creative skills earning top salaries today could look completely different by year’s end, thanks to the rapid pace of AI and emerging technologies. While technical expertise still matters, the real game-changer in 2025 is adaptability—the ability to learn, unlearn and pivot as new tools and trends emerge. Stay curious, stay flexible and keep leveling up. That agility, combined with your creative chops, will make you the kind of talent employers can’t afford to lose no matter how the industry evolves.