The Dots
Professional networking and hiring for the creative industries
About The Dots
The Dots is a UK-based professional network and job board built for the creative and tech industries, often described as 'LinkedIn for creatives.' It connects over 500,000 designers, freelancers, writers, developers and creative professionals with employers, while championing diversity and inclusive hiring through bias-free candidate browsing, portfolio-led profiles and a curated jobs board.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong, portfolio-led community focused specifically on creative and design talent
- Free to post part-time, freelance, internship and charity roles, plus free membership for talent
- Built-in diversity and bias-free browsing tools for inclusive hiring
- Used by major brands and a large, engaged 500K+ creative membership
- Visual profiles make it easy to assess creative work and portfolios at a glance
Cons
- Primarily focused on the UK market with limited international reach
- No standalone CV/resume database access for recruiters
- Listings are not distributed to external job boards
- Narrow to the creative and tech industries, not general hiring
- Competitive talent pool can make individual visibility difficult
Key Features
Portfolio-Led Profiles
Members showcase their work, past clients, collaborators and project history through visual, portfolio-first profiles rather than text-only CVs.
Creative Jobs Board
Curated listings for full-time, part-time, freelance, remote and internship roles across design, media, advertising, fashion, tech and other creative sectors.
Talent Search & Directory
Employers browse 750,000+ candidate profiles with filters to discover creative talent and view portfolios, teammates and work history.
Applicant Tracking System
Built-in ATS lets hiring teams create candidate lists, collaborate with colleagues, message applicants and manage hiring workflows.
Bias-Free Browsing
Inclusive hiring tools allow recruiters to browse candidates with identifying details hidden to reduce unconscious bias.
Community & Networking
Members join discussions, forums and community posts to expand their network, get peer support and find collaborators.
Events & Workshops
Online and in-person industry talks, meetups, workshops and webinars help members upskill and stay connected.
Diversity-First Network
A community skewed toward under-represented groups (reported 68% female, 31% BAME, 16% LGBT+) with an algorithm built around positivity and kindness.
Pricing
- Portfolio-led profile
- Apply to jobs
- Community, forums and networking
- Access to events and workshops
- One full-time job listing
- Listing extendable up to three months
- Applicant tracking system
- Part-time, freelance and internship posts free
- Proactive candidate sourcing
- Access to talent search and directory
- Bias-free browsing filters
- Collaborative hiring tools
- Bundle of 3–5 full-time job posts
- Discounted per-post pricing
- Applicant tracking system
- Listings extendable up to three months
- Custom hiring volume and pricing
- Employer branding
- Dedicated support
- Tailored diversity recruitment solutions
Best For
Hire Creative Talent
Studios, agencies and brands post creative roles and search portfolio-led profiles to find designers, writers and developers in the UK.
Inclusive & Diverse Recruiting
Teams use bias-free browsing and a diversity-skewed community to build more inclusive creative hiring pipelines.
Showcase Creative Portfolios
Freelancers and creatives present their work, clients and collaborations to attract employers and new projects.
Network in the Creative Industries
Members join discussions, events and workshops to grow their professional network and find collaborators.
Affordable Freelance & Charity Hiring
Organisations post freelance, part-time, internship or charity roles for free to source flexible creative talent.
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