Searching for a new graphic designer, copywriter, web designed, front end developer, or other creative in the Brighton and Hove area? Now could be the ideal time to start your recruitment campaign.

Unlike many towns and cities in Britain, Brighton is a real hot bed of creative talent – in fact the creative sector employs over 16,000 people across Brighton and Hove, which is more than 10% of the total workforce here. That’s something that can play to your advantage or disadvantage depending on what side of the market you’re on.

For jobseekers, the level of competition is high – you may be competing with the output of both Brighton University and the University of Sussex, the existing population of more senior creatives, those who are seeking relocation for the great quality of life, and those commuting from around the region. On the other hand, Brighton’s large number of creative employers demands more than elsewhere in the country and the standard of business is generally high and reputable.

I’ve just successfully recruited a Middleweight Artworker and the competition was fierce. Over 90 CV’s & Portfolios were submitted, with a big range of experience and quality of work. It’s part of a recruitment campaign I’ve been running over the past year to develop an outstanding creative team that can take on projects of all sizes and deliver results that really do exceed client expectation. The response to my ads changed quite considerably during that period – starting off with relatively few applications for roles during later 2008, and ending with 90 or so in October 2009. Perhaps the quality or relevance of my ads changed during that time, but there’s clearly plenty of people seeking work at the moment, and the number of job opportunities are few (though have definitely increased a lot in the last month).

If you’re considering recruitment of someone new to join your creative team and looking for the right time, then maybe now is the perfect opportunity – give a current jobseeker an opportunity during this harsh economic climate and benefit from getting perhaps much better talent (and therefore ROI!) and more real commitment than you might otherwise expect.

There are plenty of online resources for jobseekers and employers alike. I recommend Wired Sussex as a first port of call for all your Design, Web, Copy, Management, SEO, PPC, etc recruitment needs. Also try Creative Pool and Chinwag, plus Brand Republic and Media Week‘s job ads. Local recruitment agencies, especially those that have experience of finding excellent creative talent, can help you find the right candidates – for Brighton and Hove I strongly recommend Huntress or Escape Hatch Media. Probably a last resort, but Gumtree can sometimes be useful, though expect the selection process to be compounded by a really large number of CV submissions. Looking to hire a freelancer for fixed projects or ongoing support? Brighton New Media provide a powerful mailing list featuring hundreds of creatives and developers to work with, or try Brighton Farm, an equally useful gathering.

Good luck finding the right candidate or job for you – where possible, try to keep employment local and support Brighton and Hove’s fantastic base of talent.