Freelancing:

• Freelancing means working for someone on a short, fixed-term contract, to do a task before moving on to the next

• 91% of people in the film are freelance

• Freelancing fields in media:

  • Film

  • TV

  • Radio

  • Animation

  • Graphic design

  • Web design

Reasons why employers like freelancers:

• 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

Different types of freelancing:

• Freelance paye:

  • 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:

    • Sick pay

    • Holiday pay

• Sole trader:

  • 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

• Limited Company:

  • 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

Media Job Interviews:

• What to bring:

  • CV

  • Showreel

  • Notes

  • Portfolio:

    • Photographs

    • Written work

• Before the Interview:

  • Check:

    • What to wear

    • How will you get there

    • What is the contact name

  • Find out what the interview will consist of:

    • Face-to-face interview

    • Panel interview

    • Group interview

    • Online interview

    • Tests/exam

• Interview Questions:

  • Planning your answers:

    • 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

  • To succeed in interviews you need to demonstrate:

    • You have the skills to perform the job

    • You are passionate about the company

    • You are passionate about the industry

  • Illegal personal questions:

    • Race

    • Sex

    • Religion

    • National origin

    • Age

    • Disability

    • Marital/family status

  • Most questions fall into three categories:

    • Questions about you (+ the job)

    • Questions about the company

    • Questions about the industry

Transferable Skills:

• Transferable skills are general skills you can use in many jobs

• They enable you to be adaptable and flexible in case you need to change your job

• You gain these skills from:

  • Previous jobs

  • Projects

  • Voluntary work

  • Sports

  • Your home life

  • Hobbies

  • Interests

• Transferable skills:

  • Communication Skills

  • Having a good telephone manner

  • Being able to speak clearly and concisely

  • Being able to listen to others and expressing interest in what they’re saying

  • Persuading and negotiating with others

  • Teamwork

  • Delegating tasks to the right people with the right skills

  • Making sure everyone understands their role and responsibilities

  • Giving constructive feedback and support

  • Creating enthusiasm and initiative within a team

  • Self Motivation

  • Work longer and later than others

  • Seek out opportunities to learn new skills

  • Take ownership of problems

  • Go above and beyond a job description

  • Creative Problem-solving

  • Evaluate information or a situation

  • Analyze why things are going wrong

  • Think of different ways to fix the problem

  • Choose the most cost-effective, most time-effective solution

  • Working to deadlines

  • Research skills

  • Writing skills

  • Leadership skills

  • Multi-tasking

Other Career Paths for Media Students:

• Teaching

• Retail

• Marketing

• Charities

• Sales

• Recruitment

• Government / Civil Service

• Publishing

• Post Grad

Types of Virtual Interviews:

• Live Interview:

  • Similar to a face-to-face interview

  • Real-time interview

  • Platforms such as:

    • Skype

    • Zoom

    • Google Hangouts

    • Microsoft Teams

• Pre-recorded:

  • 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

The Interview:

• Step 1: Prepare for interview questions:

  • Do your research

  • Know why you want the position

  • Review the job description and personal specification

  • Familiarise yourself with your application and CV

• Step 2: Prepare your interview space:

  • 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

• On the day:

  • 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