2. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Employment opportunities and job roles in the media sector
The purpose of this workbook is to get you to understand different job roles, different
ways of working and opportunities for professional development. You will have to
explain different terms, give opinions and source relevant additional information in
order to help you comprehensively explain employment opportunities and job roles in
the media sector with reference to elucidated examples.
This first section considers different ways of working. You should use information from
the lecture, your own experiences and further research to help you answer each
question. Wherever possible, you should use specific and detailed examples. This will
help you achieve a higher grade and also give you a deeper understanding of the
subject.
Describe the following different types of employment and some of their advantages and
disadvantages:
Full time is when a person is contracted to work a minimum of 30 hours in a week.
Part time is when a person is to work a less than 30 hours a week
Freelance is someone who doesn’t work for one company full time but is hired by
different companies for certain jobs. For example, a magazine or website will have a
team of editors who hire freelance writers to write articles.
Voluntary is when a person is not getting paid to do work.
Describe shift work. What does it entail and what types of media job might require it?
Shift work is a type of work schedule in which groups of workers rotate through
set periods throughout the day, typically performing the same kind of work. Shift work
is common in production environments where repetitive tasks are performed, and
production takes place throughout the whole of the day and possibly the night.
3. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
A permanent contract is one where: A person is contracted to work for that
company/business until they are to retire.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of such a contract?
For the permanent employee, the biggest advantage to permanent employment is that of
job security and company benefits. These benefits often include a performance based
bonus, medical aid contribution, car allowance and garage card, preferential rates at
financial institutions, training, sick leave, holiday pay, provident fund, and death and
disability benefit. These additional parts of the cost-to-company can dramatically reduce
the employees’ outgoing expenditure and increase their monthly disposable income.
A disadvantage of this is that if the employee wants a promotion to a higher job withing
that company/business it will be a long wait and the pay raise won’t be much larger than
what they were already earning.
A temporary contract is one where: A person is to work for a company/business for a
certain amount of months/years depending on the job or employee.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of such a contract?
One of the biggest advantages of temporary contracts is that the person is in control of
their own career, a person can take career breaks almost whenever they need or want
and can fit this around their own life.
A disadvantage of a temporary contract is a person may not receive all the benefits that
permanent workers receive. Their holiday will be pro-rata and they may find that they are
not entitled to sick pay.
What is multiskilling and which skills could you combine together?
Multiskilling is training employees to do several different things, or of using employees
who can do several different things. A few skills i have found include:
technical understanding; engineering skills; problem solving; analytical skills; maintaining
standards; administration and management and business awareness.
http://hsc.csu.edu.au/ind_tech/ind_study/2530/Multi_answers.html
What is casual work? Who does it benefit the most? What are some of the arguments
against casual work?
Casual workers are hired on an irregular basis for a short period of time (no more than
12 weeks). There is no continuing commitment from the employer to offer work. I’d say
this would benefit the employer more than the employee as they can have these people
working at times such as Christmas when companies become really busy and when
things go quite again the employees can leave. This means no hassle for the employer
as it;s a simple method.
4. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Explain hourly paid work. Find a job which pays by the hour to help you with your
explanation.
Hourly paid work is when a person is paid over the hour and their total wage is how
many hours they’ve worked x how much money they get paid hourly.
As an example for this I get paid hourly in the job i work and on a Sunday i work 6 hours
and each hour i get paid £5.25 so this would be 6 hours x £5.25 which equals £31.50,
this is my total wage for a Sunday.
What is Piecework? What do employers need to be careful about when employing
someone this way?
Piecework is a method of work where a person is paid by how many products they are
to produce. An example of this could be someone working in a shoe factory and for
every pair of shoes they make they will earn £1 so if this person is to make 5 pairs of
shoes in a day they will earn £5. The drawback to this for the employer is that certain
people could lack at this work therefore not making as many products as needed nor up
to the standard that are expected to be at.
On the other hand being paid like this could encourage workers to produce more as they
will earn more money this way
This section is concerned with finding work. You will have an idea of the sort of job you
might like to do in the future. Keeping a specific job role or industry in mind when
completing these questions will help you provide more detailed and focussed answers.
Starting to think about a specific area of employment at this stage will help you in later
sections of the workbook.
Why would you use careers guidance? Provide the names of at least 2 organisations
which can help people plan their careers.
Careers guidance is a good place to get ideas and help from as they break things down
for people and help find jobs that are fitted for people and what they want to do. It helps
people feel more confident when looking for a job as they know career guidance
organisations have a lot of links and opportunities.
Two organisations i found are:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/Pages/default.aspx -
National careers service
http://www.careerguidanceservices.com/
Career guidance services
What is a trade fair?
Trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can
showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and
examine recent market trends and opportunities.
Which trade fairs could you attend to help you with your career? How could they help
you? Be specific here to help you comprehensively explain.
5. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
I would personally attend a film & TV trade fair as this would help me choose and think
of ideas of what i wanted to do with my future and how far i took as i am interested in the
film industry. I have researched in to Bournemouth comic con and film trade fair 2015
which takes place on the 29th – 30th August. They haven’t done a film trade fair before
but they have done many other trade fairs e.g. photography and lots more and they
seem to have done well.
What could some advantages and disadvantages be to using the national press to look
for work?
Some of the advantages here could be that there are lots of adds in the paper therefore
having a wide range of choices to look at and if applied to the ones that a person takes
an interest in then there will be a high chance of at least getting one interview due to the
press having job adds every week and it’s a full spread page.
The disadvantage to this include having a lot of competitors as it is a national newspaper
this means a lot of people are reading it and there will most likely be people going for the
same job as you.
What trade press publications could you use to help you find work? Would this be a
better option than using the national press? Explain your answer using detailed
examples.
A trade press publication such as The York press is a smaller newspaper than
something such as The guardian. This is would be better to look for jobs as there will be
less people going for the same job as you but the only disadvantage to this is that the
jobs will be restricted. What I mean by this is that the job offers/adds will only be based
in or close to York as this is The York press. Whereas in the Guardian there will be
more job adds as this is a national newspaper.
What would be a good way of keeping track of and in touch with your personal contacts?
How could this help you when looking for work?
Keeping in touch with personal contacts is always a good idea as you never know when
someone from a previous job e.g. an old boss, friend who you worked with, a staff
member you vaguely knew etc can ever come in handy. As much as this sounds quite
mean just keeping in touch with someone as they may be able to help in the future it is a
really good idea. Sometimes knowing people and having contacts can help give you a
better chance at getting a job as and example they may know of a job opening that
nobody else yet knows about or they may have family members who run their own
business that need a business partner etc.
What is networking and how could it be useful to you?
Networking is a system of sharing information and services among individuals and
groups having a common interest. This could be useful to me as if i were to be looking
for a job or had an interview at a company and i wanted to find out more i could talk to
individuals through e-mail or some sort of social network.
Explain word of mouth as a way of getting work. Is this a reliable method for obtaining
work?
6. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Word of mouth id a way of hering and telling others that there could be job offers. The
only problem with this that makes it an unreliable source is that in a way it’s like the
game Chinese whispers and things can get confused e.g. the details of the job, where it
as and//or who an individual could be working for. Or people could just simply be lieing
about this therefore it is not good to trust this method.
This next section requires you to do further research in to your chosen career.
Creativeskillset.org is a fantastic resource which will help you learn about the
qualifications, skills and experience you need to gain to work in industry. It also gives
detailed overviews and case studies, to help you understand what each job really
involves.
It will help you find other useful sources of information from details on unions, trade
websites and publications to job adverts. You should investigate your chosen job role
or sector and sum up the skills and qualifications you need to do that job as well as
fully investigating what it involves.
What job role would you like? Explain your reasons? What kind of job is it (creative,
technical, editorial etc.)?
(http://www.creativeskillset.org is a great place to start)
I have used the website above to help me look further in to the specific job role I would
like within the film industry. I would personally like to be a director of film or television.
Looking in to this job made me understand what i would need to do to achieve this so
first of all i would like to be a runner which is basically a helper on the set who gets to
see what happens behind the scene in every aspect as this would help a lot due to the
director of the film having to take part in everything therefore i would have an oversight
on what typically goes on.
After this I would like to go on to be an assistant director or the First assistant director
(First AD) this is the directors right hand person, taking responsibility for a number of
important practicalities so that the Director is free to concentrate on the creative process,
breaking down the script into a shot-by-shot storyboard, working with the Director to
determine the shoot order, and how long each scene will take to film, drawing up the
shooting schedule (a timetable for the filming) and making sure it’s kept to.
I think this would be a fun yet important job as it helps the director be more free and i
would be able to input ideas and keep everything on track but at the same time i would
be learning a lot more about how to direct and what sort of things i would need to know.
Gaining skills, experience and creativity would be so very important in a job like this.
I have always being a really creative person and for as long as i can remember I’ve
always had a love for cameras (but being behind them, therefore never wanting to act)
so i was told that being the backstage type of cast member would suit me quite well as
i’m good with creative ideas as well as being able to make it happen. I had the chance in
primary school to create a film trailer for a place called Robin Wood which is an
adventure trip we went on. Me and my friend’s trailer got picked out over everyone else’s
film by our teacher to enter a competition where we went up against many other schools
and young film makers to win an award. We didn’t win but we came second and this
boosted my confidence and started my journey in film. When i went to secondary school
7. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
I chose a course in creative and media to take this filmmaking further. As we did many
courses i chose the path of photography and film so in my first year of the two I had to
create a trailer for a horror film and not only did I thoroughly enjoy it, to boost my
confidence even further the group I worked with, we won the competition we were in.
What skills will you need for that job?
The skills I would need to finally become a director would be to:
have exceptional artistic vision and creative skills
have unerring commitment
have a deep passion for filmmaking
be a strong and confident leader
make decisions
delegate and collaborate with others
have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
inspire and motivate the team
have an extensive understanding of the entire filmmaking process, from both
technical and creative points of view
work intensively for long hours
pay attention to detail
remain calm and think clearly under great pressure
have great self-belief
be determined to succeed
Summarise what is involved when doing this job.
Directors are responsible for creatively translating the film's written script into actual
images and sounds on the screen. They are ultimately responsible for a film's artistic
and commercial success or failure.
Directors may write the film's script or commission it to be written, or they may be hired
after an early draft of the script is complete. They must then develop a vision for the
finished film and work out how to achieve it.
During pre-production, Directors make crucial decisions, such as selecting the right cast,
crew and locations for the film. They then direct rehearsals and the performances of the
actors once the film is in production.
They also manage the technical aspects of filming including the camera, sound, lighting,
design and special effects departments.
8. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
During post production, Directors work closely with editors through the many technical
processes of editing, to reach the final cut or version of the film.
What qualifications are required for that job?
You don’t need a formal qualification to become a Director. There are numerous training
courses and reference books on directing and studying the art and craft of directing is
important.
Although there is no qualification to be needed there are many courses that are of
availability and this would help a lot as more understanding of how things work and
happen would take place. I have already undertaken 3 years in film study one in A level
and 2 at GCSE. I plan to finish my first year at college and then in the second year start
film again. I would then like to take my knowledge further at university and finally
become a director.
Find at least 2 courses you could do to help you get in to the industry. You should state
the name of the course, the level of qualification (level 2, level 3, Degree etc.), the
institution that you would attend and their entry requirements)
Film and television production – Edge hill university. Entry requirements 300 UCAS
Media production – Sheffield university. Entry requirements 300 UCAS
Where could you find out more information? (Investigate at least 2 other sources of
information and give a brief summary of why this resource is useful)
I could find more information online e.g. websites of the universities or the information
about the job I am looking to work in. I could also go look at the places e.g. looking at
universities.
9. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
This section requires you to do some job hunting, so you can see what is required
from the perspective of employers in the industry. You should think about the
different places you could look for work. It is good to see what jobs are available,
what they pay, and what you need to do to get them.
Use at least 2 different sources to find a job that you would like to do.
Job: Graduate intern, filmmaking for Golfing world.
Golfing World are looking for a Graduate Intern to provide picture research and assist
with the filming and editing of the Golfing World News strand. Key responsibilities
include: - filming, editing and scripting daily news bulletins (using Premiere) -
researching new editorial content for the show - undertaking picture research (on
Nearline and the Nesbit library system) - assisting on shoots The ideal candidate will be
educated to degree level (or equivalent) and be creatively minded.
Source: http://www.4rfv.co.uk/broadcast_jobs.aspx?jobid=159566
Summarise the skills required:
Since filmmakers spend the majority of their time telling others what to do, they need to possess
strong leadership and speaking skills. They must stay organized and multitask as they keep
cameramen, lighting technicians, actors and other professionals on track. Creativity is essential
for developing new and exciting ways to interpret scripts. Critical thinking skills help filmmakers
identify problems and weaknesses, and figure out effective ways to fix them.
Is this job full time/part time/freelance?
Part time
What do you need to do to apply?
Make a CV, contact the employer, interview.
Job: Photographer Fashion Intern
Source: http://www.indeed.co.uk/cmp/Bag-Envy/jobs/Photographer-Fashion-Intern-
3cbb88a870998237
Summarise the skills required:
‘We are looking for someone with a creative flair, who has a keen interest in fashion.
Ideally you will have a positive work ethic’
Is this job full time/part time/freelance?
Unpaid internship – part time
What do you need to do to apply?
10. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Send a CV, phone number and E-mail to the company.
Work experience can be a good way to test out working in industry and can be a way
to get a foot in the door. If you perform well during your work experience or
internship, you will put yourself in a good position if a bigger role becomes available.
There are lots of media organisations that have work experience and intern
programs as well as other companies who specialise in getting placements for their
clients. Be specific when answering the questions below. Give website addresses
and discuss what you have found. The more detail, the better your grade.
Work experience:
What are some of the benefits of work experience?
Gaining experience means a higher chance of getting the job applied for as many
employers like to see experience now. Especially in the media industry.
Where could you look for work experience?
Work placements are a good option. Places can be found online such as websites like:
http://www.studentladder.co.uk/work/media.html
Where would you like to do work experience? How would you go about applying?
I think somewhere such as the BBC or ITV as they’re quite big companies and it will
give me a better reputation.
As well as looking at your industry skills, employers want people who are able to
work efficiently and communicate effectively. In this section, you should evaluate
your own functional skills level and consider what action, if any, you need to take to
improve your skills in this area.
What grades do employers normally like to see people have for GCSE Maths and English?
Employers like to see a grade C at maths and English also further education.
Why is it important to have good functional skills?
All jobs have at least the basic functions of maths and English therefore if we didn’t have these
grades we would struggle at the job.
11. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Are there any areas of Maths, English or basic I.T skills that you need to work on?
I think i would have to improve my English language more than anything, i can struggle with
spelling quite easily.
This final section requires you to think about your own skills for employment. You will
be assessed on this as you progress throughout the course. This helps formalise
your ideas on these key skills. Some questions are very similar to those you might
see on a detailed job application or are questions you may be asked in an interview.
Thinking of examples of when you have used these key skills before an interview is a
good way to prepare.
How reliable, committed and efficient are you? Give examples when you have
demonstrated some of these qualities. Do you need to improve any of these areas?
Depending on what I am doing I can be really committed to work, I am very reliable by
getting it done and efficient with this also. I have used these skills many times within
school and college especially when given deadlines.
Attendance and punctuality are very important. What was your attendance and
punctuality like at school? If your figures were good, how will you maintain them? If your
figures need to improve, what steps do you need to take to improve those figures? Be
specific in your answers.
My attendance can be poor when at school. Although saying this I have never been late
to a job interview or any time within my job and never take days off when ill unless
serious.
How important do you think self presentation is during an interview?
This is crucial, first opinions always matter.
Can you think of a time when you contributed to a group project? What was the project?
What role did you take and how successful do you think you were?
Photography project. A group of three. I helped with ideas and the technology to try and
achieve the best pictures possible. I took the role in being the leader and the group
thought I was very helpful and had a great creative side to myself.
Give an example of when you have had to manage your time carefully and how you
went about it?
A busy scheduled day:
Having to go to school, then an interview, later that day I had a hospital appointment for
an eye test. I had it all written down in my diary and had an alarm on my phone for the
morning, an alarm for when I had to set off for the interview and had my mum ring me
when I had to set off for the hospital so I could meet her there.
