Careers in the media and creative sector

Emma-Louise The media and creative sector encompasses everything from music, film and TV, radio,

Frankie theatre, journalism, games development, social media, performing arts…

Emma-Louise that's dancing, right?

Frankie Yes, and much more! It also includes magic performance and mimes. Not every job in the creative industry is artistic. Whilst more creative roles include a choreographer, set designer, or sculptor,

Emma-Louise the more technical roles cover jobs like a sound engineer, set builder, spark, or a stagehand.

Frankie Spark?

Emma-Louise Yeah, someone who sets up the electrics and the lights on film and TV sets.

Frankie I see.

Emma-Louise Some of these jobs are specific to the media and creative sector, like boom operator or animator, but there are also job roles that you'll find across other sectors too.

Frankie For instance, you could be a carpenter working in theatre or film and TV building sets, or a carpenter that works in construction.

Emma-Louise Or a carpenter that does both.

Frankie Some of these roles are filled by people with full-time positions, but there are also many self-employed roles.

Emma-Louise Meaning you don't work full-time for one employer; you're hired for each job you do separately and can work for many organisations across the year.

Frankie Examples of these roles include graphic designers, musicians, dancers, and choreographers, artists to name a few.

Emma-Louise Artists can earn a median salary of just under £31,000.

Frankie Musicians earn a median salary of around £45,000.

Emma-Louise And graphic designers earn a median salary of just over £28,000 a year, with a projected job growth, that is the number of new jobs predicted to be available, of 5% by 2025, resulting in the creation of over 1,300 jobs.

Frankie So, there could be more chances coming up for people interested in graphic design then?

Emma-Louise It seems that way. There are lots of ways to break into the creative industry, from work experience to higher education. For some roles you might want to consider specialist schools. The National Film and Television School (or NFTS) can set you up for the film and TV industries, whereas a course at a specialist music college can open up the pathway to becoming a musician. And there are surprising courses like a BA in video game development that could accelerate your path into that role.

Frankie Additionally, there are a whole host of apprenticeship programmes from local to national organisations for paths into all parts of the creative industry. From mentoring programmes to volunteer work. Platforms such as the National College Creative Industries and My First Job in Film are useful places to do some research.

Emma-Louise There are also programmes to nurture talent from groups that are under-represented in the creative industries, such as people from ethnic minority backgrounds or people with disabilities. Platforms such as Creative Access and Pact Diversity Scheme could be helpful to check out.

Frankie Whatever level of qualifications you have or would be interested in studying towards, there's bound to be something that would suit you in the media and creative sector. Paths into creative roles will benefit from qualification levels ranging from GCSEs or equivalent up to an MA Diploma. Starting in junior roles and working your way up is also another viable way into whichever industry you might be interested in. You could start out as a runner in film and TV. This is an on-set assistant that's at hand to help with any basic tasks and you can work your way up from there to becoming a director, for example.

Emma-Louise Of course, practising and honing these skills are things that you can take into your own hands.

Frankie Dancing, music producing, or social influencing are jobs that we can practise in our own time to build experience points.

Emma-Louise Yes, and remember to collate your work to build up your portfolio.

Frankie Developing your passion is beneficial, even if it's not what you end up doing in the long run.

Emma-Louise We mentioned that not all roles in the sector need you to be super creative.

Frankie Right! Think of it as a sliding scale where, at one end, you have jobs that are mostly creative,

Emma-Louise and, at the other, you have jobs that are mostly technical. A lot of jobs combine significant elements of both.

Frankie For instance, if you want to be a blogger or a YouTuber, then it would be useful to be somewhat technically-minded, as well as being a good performer.

Emma-Louise Or being good at coding could get you far in the gaming industry, and being musically creative could yield success as a Foley artist. Now for some insight from people working in the media and creative sector.

Frankie Meghna, a film and TV producer from London, says: "I love the variety of my role. It might be surprising, but the bulk of producing and directing involves a lot of organisation to help support the creative ideas. However, it also requires you to be spontaneous and enjoy solving a problem or incorporating new things that come up."

Emma-Louise Caroline is the chief executive at Creative UK, the independent network for the UK's Creative Industries. "The lines between multiple disciplines across the creative industries are becoming increasingly blurred. To pursue the opportunities this presents, the sector needs an adaptable workforce that is comfortable learning and employing a range of different skills. Technology plays a huge part in this, and it is vital all creative practitioners embrace the latest developments."

Frankie So, whether you want to do make-up, costume, special effects, sound design, or dance,

Emma-Louise there's something for everyone in the media and creative sector.