Unit 1

Unit 1: Awareness of Employment in the Creative Media Sector

1.1: Describe the main types of employment status within the creative media sector

Employed

This is the most common type of employment status. Usually if you are employed you have been set a number of contracted hours in which you will work. The employer takes control of the employees taxes, their holidays and their salary. In exchange the employee is contracted into completing certain jobs and demonstrating skills in a particular area.

Self employed

Self-employment means to work independently and not for a business. This is very different from employment in many respects. You are not entitled to sick pay or paid holidays as you would be if you were employed by a company. A person is self-employed if they run their own business for themselves and take responsibility for its success or failure. You can be both employed and self-employed at the same time. For example, you might work for an employer during the day and run your own business during the evenings.

Worker

A person can be classified as a worker if they have a contract to provide their services however the contract doesn't need to be written. They do this mainly for a reward at the end of it, either by being paid or the promise of their contract being renewed.


Freelance

A freelance employee is a person who peruses a profession without a long term commitment to an employer. As a result they have no contracted hours as such but may not get to choose their hours as it is the clients who tell them when to work. It is the freelancers decision on whether or not to give a client they meet work. 

Usually, a person wanting to have a career in creative media would look at going freelance rather than applying for full time employment. This is because as a freelancer you are selling a product that you supply. Whether that be skills in video and audio editing or professional photography. Some people prefer to work freelance because there aren't many jobs out there that would let you deal with the creative and practical side of the industry as much as a freelance role would.

Another benefit is that freelancers have the freedom to work on other additional projects. Something that being a full time employee doesn't necessarily allow.

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships are a great way of learning new skills, gaining experience and achieving a qualification; all while getting paid! Whilst you are working in a normal job you will be also studying in order to gain a qualification. These are usually government funded schemes if the apprentice is under the age of 19. As an apprentice you will be given an insight into the working world, picking up experience as you go along but getting paid at the same time. They are a great way for young people to enter the creative media sector. 

Voluntary

Unpaid work is very common within the creative media sector as many young aspiring photographers or web developers for example will agree to work unpaid just to get the experience. However, not everyone can have access to this sort of employment. Certain people may be excluded because they don’t have enough money to support themselves with no family members or financial support. Many employers might also use these employees as cheap labour so once they no longer need voluntary employers there is a high chance they will let them go without any further job opportunities. Others however, may say for example, that on successful completion of your web development course we will offer you a permanent position at the BBC. The decision then is "Should I make a substantial investment for a job role that could change my life?"

1.2: Describe the main taxation differences between main types of employment status

Employed/Worker


As a full time/part time employee or worker, you are required to pay income tax if your yearly income is more than £10,000. How much tax that is taken of at the end of each month is dependent on how much you earn. Currently, you can earn up to £149 a week before you contribute any National Insurance Tax. Your employer or agency will help you work out how much tax needs to be deducted, using your HM Revenue and Customs tax code. Additionally, if you work for the council you may be put in a pension scheme in which a set amount of money will be taken from your bank account at the end of each month. This money is then kept until you retire when you can then draw the money out. The employee/worker is also entitled to a set amount of paid annual leave, including sick pay. 

Self-employed/Freelance

Being self-employed is very different to being employed as far as tax is concerned. Unlike an employee, (where the employer would pay it if you won't under £10,000) you have to pay your own tax and national insurance income regardless of what you earn. You also have to calculate and handle this yourself rather than your employer doing this for you.

However, the main difference a self-employed/freelance employee is that instead of paying income tax you would pay corporation tax.

Voluntary
Understandably, because you are not getting paid you don't have to pay any form of tax at all.

Apprentice

As I am currently an apprentice and because I earn under the minimum taxable yearly wage I don’t need to pay any tax/national insurance. 

1.3: Explain the main implications of each employment status, in relation to job security, flexibility and working patterns

Employed

Job Security

Out of all of the different types of employment full time employment has the most job security especially when it comes to contracts. Normally, you would sign 12 month contract and considering the other employment statuses within the creative industries are short term, temporary positions being a full time employee is the best option when it comes to job security. After the 12 month contract is over, legally you no longer work for that company however if they decide to extend your role then a new contract will be drawn up.

Flexibility

When you sign your contract, it will tell you how long you will work during the week. These hours vary but normal employment hours tend to be from 9am to 5pm however, there may be times when you have to stay till 8pm for example. It can depend on your employer, though. Some employees may be a lot more flexible to time off or holidays and so forth, while others may be stricter and require a certain amount of time for you to let them know when you would like to book annual leave, and if you will be able to even get the time off.

Working Patterns

Flexibility and working patterns are similar when it comes to full time employment in creative media. You have to work the required number of hours, stated in your contract though it isn’t common in the creative industry to work over your normal hours on a regular basis. You may need to stay back one night to finish some editing, for example.

Freelance/Self-employed

Job Security

Freelancers and self-employed people work for themselves so job security is not an issue if they have plenty of business and are turning over a profit a month. If they are not then they could find themselves losing their entire business. Employed people worry about job security as much as freelancers but at least they are not responsible for that business. It is the employer’s responsibility to maintain their company. Furthermore, a freelance employee has to cope with the stress of making sure their investment in building their business does not go under.

Flexibility

You have the most flexibility out of all of the employment statuses because you are an independent employee. This can come in handy when an emergency comes up and you have to leave urgently as well as when other commitments come up.

Working Patterns

Work patterns are very scattered and are totally dependent on the clients they have. Ultimately, it is the clients who decide when you work, so managing the rest of your commitments around your work hours can become hard to do. 

Apprenticeship

Job Security

Your job security is closest to being a full time employee as you are initially signed up to a contract of 12 months. After your training has been completed and you have gained your qualification and experience, then you may be out of work. Some apprenticeships might keep you on however, they are not legally obliged to do this. But generally one the apprenticeship has finished you have to find a full time job.

Flexibility

Flexibility wise, as mentioned on full time employee, you will be required to work a number of hours that is listed in your contract, and maybe more if work needs to be completed. Being an apprentice is closer to being a full time employee as you're doing a lot of the same work they would do so you are treated like a full time employee too. My employer is a bit more relaxed with regards to flexible hours. So for example, if he required me to work from 5pm to 8pm one evening, I wouldn’t get overtime but I would keep a record of them and eventually get those hours back without having to use my 26 absent days.

Working Patterns

Working patterns for an apprentice are normally Monday to Friday with some going to college one day a week. This depends on the employer so, for me, the trainer comes to my place of work every Tuesday as appose to me going to college. Regarding the number of hours, as previously explained, they can become flexible in different situations.

Voluntary

Job Security

There isn’t much job security as regards to voluntary because there is rarely a contract involved and you have agreed to work for them to get working experience. The likelihood of staying on full time is very slim and unpractical.

Flexible

Like freelancing, you have a lot of flexibility as a volunteer or someone carrying out work experience as you don’t have a contract that legally asks you to work for a set number of hours.

Working Patterns

Also, previously mentioned above, working patterns will be scattered as it is voluntary work. 

(I found some of the factual information on the www.gov.uk website) 

2.1: Describe a range of prospective employers and the profiles and products of these employers

Many employers look for people who have experience regarding the job description rather than the qualifications they have. This is because the employer knows this person has already had experience in this role, which is proof that they can do what the employer is asking. For example, a graphic designer who has had experience in designing chocolate bar wrappers and as a result has worked for Cadbury’s, one of the biggest chocolate producing companies in the world over a person who has studied graphic design in college at A level. Who do you think the employer will choose? Who would you choose? Obviously, you would choose the graphic designer who has worked for Cadbury’s as you know he has valuable experience and a high profile which is something that this company would be beneficial to have. Another example of a prospective employer would be a television/entertainment broadcaster. Companies such as BBC and ITV offer great career opportunities for aspiring creative media students.They also offer lots of hands on experience such as working with cameras, understanding lighting and sound and also editing.  

Experience or a qualification. Which is more important? In an ideal world, an employer would love to have both, but nowadays many young people either have one or the other. Many job descriptions state that experience is a must, while others are geared toward teaching an employee who is new to the working world and believe that they can achieve so long as they have qualifications in English and mathematics. So keep in mind, depending on your employment history, whether you really do have the experience under your belt to go for a particular job, or whether you need to approach a role that is more tailored to someone looking to gain experience and skills in a particular field.

It can be extremely fulfilling if you have a passion about the job, role or employer that you will be approaching. For instance, I chose the employers above because I have a strong interest in creative media, and therefore I would like to someday have a full time job working within the creative media sector. If I enjoy my work, in theory, it would lead to a good working environment and dedication from people who share the same aspirations as me.

2.2: Explain how to choose an employer in terms of own personal interests, knowledge, skills and job requirements

I like to think of myself as being a very creative individual who has an ambition to pursue a career in the creative media sector. As I am only 16, my future is not set in stone, nor do I want it to be. In the future I might find that a particular industry is not for me which I would then go down a different path. But, for now I have a shown interest in video editing along with film production. My ideal job at the moment would be working for a film production company so it is important that I remember this when choosing a potential employer. I am currently working as a creative media apprentice for TVMS where I will be taught some aspects of film production and learn about the film industry in general. At the end of the apprenticeship I hope to gain a level 3 qualification along with the experience I have picked up. This will be my first real step in achieving a good job that I can be proud of. 

3.1: Create and present a professional standard CV, with examples of own work, relevant to a specific job application

Below is my personal CV from when I was looking for jobs in the IT sector as a Graphic Designer back in Summer 2014; I have not updated it since. As you can see it has some of the aspects you would expect to see on all CV's such as qualifications, work experience, personal interests and contact information. I included key skills and achievements that was relevant to the job description. I explain how I have a practical knowledge of different software packages which an employer of a graphic design company would be most interested in.    

I used Microsoft Word to create this CV.

Skills relevant to job criteria.

Shows my knowledge with using different operating systems.

The font is Times New Roman so that it can be read easily and the size of the text is a comfortable 12.5 so you are not straining when you are reading. The layout of the CV is set out correctly. The contact details and qualifications are all in one place. 

Below is a CV that has been specifically designed just as an example of how I would only include information relative to a specific job requirement. In this scenario I have used the job application of a film director. 

3.2: Discuss strengths and weaknesses in relation to own work and a specific job application

Personally, I believe I have many strengths and weaknesses which can be relevant in different types of job roles. So, if I were to give a specific example to a job role outlining my strengths and weaknesses, it would have to be the job I am in now, working for TVMS. When I was writing my CV I made sure to outline my strengths clearly in my personal statement. The reason I focused on strengths in the personal statement is because I wanted the employer to see what I am good at and why I would make an appropriate candidate for that job role. The first sentence is crucial because many employers won't go beyond that. If you have a first sentence that illustrates your best strengths that would be suitable for the role (punctuation) it more likely they will continue reading. While reflecting on weaknesses is important as no one is perfect, you do not want that to be the first thing the employer reads as that signals self-doubt. Confidence and self-belief are great qualities to have in the eye of the employer.

The specific job requirements stated I needed to have a Level 2 qualification in English and Maths which I do have. As this application was for an apprenticeship I did not need to have much knowledge and skills in this career sector. Furthermore, the reason I think I got the job was because I outlined my strengths and weaknesses clearly during the interview as well as on my CV. I stated that one of my strengths was punctuality and another was attendance. They are closely linked and employers are looking for people with excellent punctuality and outstanding attendance as they need to know they can rely on their employees to turn up to work on time.

One of my weaknesses would be time management (working to deadlines). Usually I spend too much time on a particular project where I could devote some of my time and attention to other projects that needs to be done. Tees Valley Music Service work with deadlines on a daily basis. This includes making sure registers are completed before a specific date etc. I knew that if I was successful with the job application the apprenticeship would help with working to deadlines because this is a skill the staff have adapted to makes sure the company runs efficiently. I am mindful of this now and frequently remind myself of how much time is left on one project so I have an equal amount of time to start and finish others. I also keep a note pad on my desk which includes tasks set by different members of staff and the dates to when those tasks need to be completed.

3.3: Describe and pitch a creative idea to an employer or commissioner

The creative idea that we came up with was to create a video presentation of a film pitch in which we would discuss the premise as well as the legalities and practicalities of the project. The video below shows each member of the team (myself, Lee, Lewis, Ryan) standing in front of a PowerPoint Slideshow discussing our idea. The film idea was revolving around a group of teenagers who have found themselves in detention. Through flashbacks the audience are then shown how and why the students ended up in detention. The duration of the short film would've lasted 15 minutes. We also discussed the issue of consent forms, pre-production planning like creating storyboards, shot list etc.  The video presentation was then sent to Alan, our employer, via email.