New Starter Alert: Jen Ghantous
Meet Jen Ghantous, the newest addition to Creative Natives! With a background in design recruitment, she’s now expanding into UI/UX and digital marketing, connecting top talent with the right opportunities. Drawn to our people-first approach, Jen is all about ethical, meaningful recruitment.
We sat down and had a chat with Jen so you can get to know her a little better.
WHAT DO YOU DO AT CREATIVE NATIVES?
I’ve got about a year of experience in recruitment, primarily specialising in graphic design roles. Now, in my role at Creative Natives, and with the ever-evolving job market, I’m expanding my expertise into UI/UX design and digital marketing, connecting innovative businesses with top-tier talent in user experience, digital product design, performance marketing, content strategy, and more.
But me being me, I like to try a bit of everything… so I’m always up for whatever comes my way!
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT RECRUITMENT?
It might sound cliché, but I genuinely love connecting with people. I was looking for a role that combined my people skills with a creative environment, and voilà, specialised recruitment turned out to be the perfect blend of both.
WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RECRUITERS?
Something I took for granted early on in my recruitment career was my background in graphic design. For a while, I was actually a bit bashful about it—like, do I even mention it? I haven’t been a designer in years! But now, I see it as one of my biggest strengths.
I’ve worked in this space, I’ve been a candidate in this space, so I get it. I understand the mindset, the language, the nuances — and that gives me the ability to connect with creative talent on a different level. Not just in graphic design roles, but across adjacent creative and marketing roles too.
There’s also just that human side of me that genuinely wants to help people. And when creatives realise I speak their language — that I’m a “native,” if you will — it builds a kind of trust and rapport that you can’t fake.
Same goes for client convos. When I’m taking a brief for a creative role, I go in with a lot of confidence because I know what good looks like. And now that I’m diving deeper into marketing and digital roles at Creative Natives, I’m really looking forward to becoming a native in those spaces too.
I always joke with designers that I used to work as one, until I realised I’d rather talk for a living than design for a living. But honestly, that background gives me a solid foundation. Pair that with my ability to connect, empathise, and negotiate across both sides of the table, and I’d say that’s what sets me apart… if I do say so myself!
WHY DID YOU WANT TO JOIN CREATIVE NATIVES?
Creative Natives had me at their philosophy of ‘being nice and giving a shit.’
The recruitment industry can get a bad rep and, unfortunately, sometimes for good reason. As a recruiter, I strive to be as ethical and people-focused as possible. Creative Natives’ values and fresh approach to recruitment really resonated with me, so here I am!
IF YOU WEREN’T IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING INSTEAD?
If I had all the money in the world, I’d be travelling all around it, chasing the sun as much as humanly possible.
WHAT ARE YOU READING / WATCHING / LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
I love diving into podcasts that cover everything from true crime (hey, I was into it before it was cool, okay?) to funny Reddit stories, movie reviews, and more.
Music-wise, I’ve been listening to a mix of Sleep Token and my usual pick of ’80s tunes.
Currently, I’m watching Marianne on Netflix because I’m a big horror nerd who loves being scared (in a controlled environment, of course). But I also love watching trashy reality TV too… so, safe to say, my taste is a mixed bag.
CATS OR DOGS?
Both! I am a self-described crazy animal lady.
BEST TRIP YOU’VE BEEN ON?
It’s between Japan and Mexico, specifically Tokyo and Mexico City being my absolute favourites.
WHAT’S YOUR HIDDEN TALENT?
Not exactly a hidden talent, but I’m a mean lip-syncer.
Want to chat about design talent, true crime podcasts, or the best horror shows? Jen’s your person. Reach out at jen@creativenatives.com.au!