Careers Booklet

Task 1: Make a list of the skills you would be able to take to a job at the moment, and think of three examples to support each one. Focus on our strengths and your weaknesses.

• Hardworking: I believe that I am hardworking as I dedicate myself to completing work and making sure that it is done to the best of my ability, although I tend to doubt myself a lot of the time, I still do my best to try making sure that I communicate with the teachers (with coursework) to make sure I have done everything and that I am on track, dedication and hard work will eventually pull me through
• Very Reflective and Thoughtful: I feel that this is something I do naturally as I think into the complexity of a situation and the work involved, then tackling it to make sure that things are done properly and well, I find to reflect on myself and what I have done which can lead to more doubt as I feel that things are that complex I struggle to understand the simpler tasks but still try to make it that I get everything done properly.
• A Good Communicator: I tend to keep the communication well as I make sure that what I am doing is being heard so that I am always on track, I like to make the connections between me and my teachers (with coursework) so that I understand what they want of me and therefore the communication is usually there.
• Good with Teams and Leadership: Although I say this as a point, I am a very independent person and definitely prefer to work alone, but when put into a group I still make sure that everything is done, I tend to be a little bit bossy and make myself a leader because I want to make sure that as a group we all pull our weight in the task and things are done to a standard we'll all be satisfied with, I still take into consideration everyone else thoughts and opinions but I make sure that as a group we are on track.

Task 2: Research, define and explain the following terms by relating them to yourself where necessary.

• Part time, is where within your job you work a few hours during the week, this can be adjustable but is usually common in students as they work evenings or weekends (depending on the work) when a student, you shouldn't have any more hours than twelve in your part time job.
• Full time, is where you are dedicated to that one certain job, it is a lot more hours, a typical 9-5 job is full time work, and there is a contract to obligate you to a set amount of hours a week, usually 35+
• GCSE is a qualification that is gained during school, typically students aged between 14-16. Usually there are typical GCSE's such as in English, Maths and Science which a lot of job companies see if you have a C or above to be considered in that job role.
• A Levels, are a qualification that is taken in a specific subject with students aged 16-18, this stage occurs just after high school (when the right GCSE's have been obtained for you to continue onto a selected A Level course).
• Level 2/Level3/Level 4 are another way of explaining some of the terms above, a Level 2 is the stage of GCSE's gained from C-A*, Level 3 is equal to gaining an A level/ BTEC Nationals and Level 4 qualifications are professional certificates/awards.
• Pass, Merit and Distinctions are then related to BTEC Nationals, like A Levels, you obtain A, B, C etc, with BTEC's you obtain pass, merits and distinctions, these are equivalent to grades too, a pass is E-D a merit is C-B and a distinction is A-A*. BTEC's are handy in the way that they are entirely coursework based and the work you do is marked and the points are added up in the end which are then to see what grade you get as a certain number of points equals that grade but each BTEC various on points and they way that is figured out.
• Vocational is directed at a particular occupation and its skills, such as catering. Great Yarmouth College is well known for its vocational courses and a lot of students go there to learn specifically in that topic, it is also a lot more realistic in the sense that you do what you are aiming for.
• Bachelor of, Master of are two terms that are used in university, a bachelor is a person who holds a first degree from university and is in a specific title, for instance Bachelor of Arts also known as a BA. Then a Master of is an academic degree which takes longer to obtain than a normal degree, a masters is awarded upon graduation from a university and is in a higher or more specific field or a professional practice. Within this areas students are applying the topic more and being more critical about everything.
• Undergraduate is a university student who has no yet taken there first degree, a graduate is then where a student has completed there first degree in a set course/subject. Finally a postgraduate is relating to a course undertaken after completing a first degree.

Looking at all of these and relating them back to myself is something I find quite interesting as I slowly work up that hierarchy of qualifications, at the moment I have a part time job where I am required to actively partake in putting myself to do the best I can in the job, I work on evenings and weekends and find it to be flexible with the fact that I am at college. This means that I have obtained my GCSE's at college and I have got higg enough grades to go on to East Norfolk Sixth Form College to obtain A levels and a BTEC. I am hoping to continue onto university where I can apply myself to a specific area of study.

Task 3: List any jobs mentioned in class or any you may have already been considering. What is the job role? What does it entail? Do you need any specialist training or skills? Is it freelance work or can you be a permanent member of staff?

• Animator: An artist who creates multiple images, known as frames that are pieced together to give an illusion of movement, this then all creates an animation. I've been considering this as the main career role that I'd like to go into and to get into it I'd be studying the course at University, I don't know if you need any specific skills, I guess you have to be good and understand the different concepts of each animation and I also think this can be done freelance and permanent, depending on what you wish to create/animate.
• Graphic Designer: This is someone who specifies in graphic design and it's a combination of typography and visual arts, there are so many variations of graphic design that there are no set skills to wanting to get into this kind of job. The most common framework is usually freelance as a lot work from home and sell there ideas or work. I think this would interesting to get into as I quite enjoy the subject area.
• Director: This is an important role where a specific person directs and supervises the actors and other staff in a set production. I would enjoy this role because studying film studies really got me involved with the media world. This is a permanent member of staff role and not something that can be done freelance, it is a high end tough job to handle and I would thoroughly enjoy it.

Task 4: Research, define and explain methods of recruitment in the creative media industries. Try and find example where relevant.

• National Press: This is nationwide, such as the Newspaper, and any other kind of press related source, such as The Advertiser/Guardian etc.
• Trade Specifics: This is a specialist paper which exists particularly to appeal to people in a particular sector. An example of this is regional film and television or Sight and Sound.
• Internet (for recruitment): This is simply explained as companies and specfic sites set out to recruit people that look upon websites to find a certain job role, such as UCAS, Jobs4U etc.
• Trade Fairs: Conventions that are sector specific, as people gather together to discuss changes.
• Word of mouth: This is quite explanatory as one person talks to another and eventually the word gets around and others can hear of opportunities.
• Personal Contacts & Networking: This is about knowing people and being able to know someone helps you get places, such as twitter and someone replying back to you. Not only that but YouTube is another where comments are posted and you can like or subscribe to peoples channels.
• Internal Promotion: This is moving up in the world but within the same company.

Task 5: In Word, create a curriculum vitae (CV) and a cover letter for a (media) job that you have found on the internet/in a media magazine.

Task 6: Research, define and explain the following and relate them to yourselves and past experiences.

• Portfolio/e-portfolio: This is a collection of work that you have done, but it's mainly your best pieces to show your good standards of what you can do
• Showreel: A Video compilation of the best bits of your work (similar to a portfolio) this could be anything such as a collection of title sequences, the show reels last around ninety seconds to two and a half minutes.
• Personal Website: This is somewhere where you can express your work onto a blog, a prime example of this is blogger.

Task 7: Research the following presentation skills/methods and explain what you believe would be good practice for each.

• Interviewing skills:

+ Dress Smartly

+ Good body language

- Don't fidget too much

- Don't use slang or swear words

+ Be punctual and organised

+ Be confident (not over confident though)

- Don't lie or make excuses

Take it all seriously and be yourself

• Presentation Skills:

+ Be confident

+ Be enthusiastic

+ Remain positive

- Don't ramble

- Don't make silly mistakes (jokes, talking too fast etc.)

+ Keep a good eye contact

+ Relax

• Self Presentation:

-Linguistic codes: Be consistent with your language and make sure you say it politely and understanding
-Dress codes: Be smart, keep yourself well maintained and clean, neat and professional, such as combed hair, tidy nails, limited amount of jewelry, a briefcase, look smart.
-Interpersonal skills:Make sure you communicate well with the personal interviewing you, with verbal and non verbal skills, keep the interaction and communication on going and make sure you listen well.

• References: These are important in the way that you make sure you have people or old companies you worked for able to give positive feedback about you to when you go into an interview, if not teachers tend to be good at giving references as they know how well you could be for a candidate in a new job.

Task 8: Research, define and explain the following terms.

• Training on the job & continuing professional development: This is simple in terms of you learn whilst you work, it is what it says, training on the job, someone is there to help teach you the ways of the new job and this improves your skills to make yourself the best employer from listening to the instructions given when being taught.
• Self-training: Someone who is independent and teaches themselves how to do something, this is done in your own time out of interest or just to better your knowledge.

• Sources of information:

1. Trade unions: This is a organisation, consisting of a group of professionals in a certain trade or sector who originally formed to protect their rights as workers, keeping themselves safe and protected.
2. Sector Skills Councils: Usually a group of people who set out to help improve others, as they work to improve the qualities and skillets of individuals who need the help.
3. Careers services: These are people who help you to find a job or get you into some kind of career, they are most helpful with students to help them find a job. They can also help to change a job or just give you guidance.

Task 9: Identify the opportunities you have had in the courses you are currently studying for developing your functional skills (English, Maths and ICT).

BTEC Film and Television:
- English:  I have had to write analysis's and do pre-production paperwork,
- Maths: Coming in handy with the pre-production paper work to figure out dates and times and also when editing times have been an important feature making sure everything adds up.
-ICT: I have had to use programs such as the Adobe sweet using Premiere Pro to edit things together.

Graphics:
- English: Having to annotate all of my work and write analysis' about various artists
- Maths: Using the awareness of a page well, space and various angles in my work, as I used maths to figure out how well I could do something in a piece with the layout
- ICT: Using Photoshop has been a key feature in the ICT area as I have improved my skills.