Freelancing in the Creative Industries

• Teaching

• Retail

• Marketing

• Charities

• Sales

• Recruitment

• Government / Civil Service

• Publishing

• Post Grad

• Previous jobs

• Projects

• Voluntary work

• Sports

• Your home life

• Hobbies

• Interests

Be adaptable and flexible in case you need to change your job

General skills you can use in many jobs

• Questions about you (+ the job)

• Questions about the company

• Questions about the industry

• Race

• Sex

• Religion

• National origin

• Age

• Disability

• Marital/family status

• You have the skills to perform the job

• You are passionate about the company

• You are passionate about the industry

• Tell them about your skills

• Link your answers to the job spec

• Show them you’ve done your research

• Show them you’re passionate

• Bring in info, not on your CV

• Face-to-face interview

• Panel interview

• Group interview

• Online interview

• Tests/exam

• What to wear

• How will you get there

• What is the contact name

• CV

• Showreel

• Notes

• Portfolio (photographs or written work)

• The most common structure for freelancers

• You register your ‘business’ and have to file company accounts

• You get the credibility of being a registered company

• There is more financial paperwork to deal with

• You have to pay corporation tax

• You register yourself as self-employed with the HMRC

• It’s the easiest system to set up and manage

• If the ‘company’, loses money it comes from your pocket

• You are on a freelance contract but are taxed at the source

• No need to deal with HMR

• You have the insecurity but not the increased pay of other freelancers

• You get some of the benefits, like sick pay or holiday pay

• They can choose how long they pay people

• They can bring in specialist skills their permanent staff don’t have

• They pay for the job ensuring it gets completed on budget

• They are cheaper than staff because they don’t have to pay sick pay, maternity pay, or pension

• You have to take responsibility for your finances (invoicing, tax, etc.)

• No protection, you don’t get paid when you’re sick

• No holiday pay, if you take a break, you make no income

• No maternity pay

• No pension

• Difficult to get credit (mortgage)

• Freelancers usually get paid more than permanent staff

• Freelancers pay less tax

• You can ‘be your own boss’

• Easy to get out of bad jobs

• Quicker to get promoted

• Freedom to take time off

• Film

• TV

• Radio

• Animation

• Graphic design

• Web design

Freelance

Working for someone on a short, fixed-term contract, to do a task before moving on to the next

• Similar to a face-to-face interview

• Real-time interview

• Platforms such as Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts or Microsoft Teams

• You won’t speak to a real person

• You are presented with some pre-recorded or written questions on the screen

• Your answer is recorded

• Do your research

• Know why you want the position

• Review the job description and personal specification

• Familiarise yourself with your application and CV

• Find a quiet space

• Check internet connection

• Check your audio is working

• Check your camera is working and if it’s well positioned, close to eye level

• Face your lighting if possible

• Check your background

• Dress professionally

• Remind members of your household that you have an interview

• Ensure you are positioned correctly, head and shoulders in the camera frame

• Speak to the panel