Work Book 4

1. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Unit 7: Understanding the Creative
Media Sector
Learning outcome 4:
Know about employment opportunities
and job roles in the media sector
Name: Chris Bailey

2. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Employment opportunities and job roles in the media sector
The purpose of this workbook is to get you to understand different job roles, different
ways of working and opportunities for professional development. You will have to
explain different terms, give opinions and source relevant additional information in
order to help you comprehensively explain employment opportunities and job roles in
the media sector with reference to elucidated examples.
Describe the following different types of employment and some of their advantages and
disadvantages:
Full time:
Full time employment is defined by a person working more than 40 hours per week. This
is the basis for a typically stable income from minimum wage onwards. Apart for the
stable income, there are other advantages to working fulltime, as well as a few
disadvantages. Working full time usually comes with a healthy amount of job security, as
long at the hours are contracted. People that work full time also are usually paid a
salary, meaning that they will make a specified amount of income per month, no less,
although the income can be increased due to bonuses and commission that are often
related to the sales side of working. The downside of working full time is that it can be
stressful working 40+ hours a week, as there is not much downtime, many people work
6 days a week, 9 hours a day, that’s 54 hours per week, not leaving very little time to
relax and shut down from work.
Part time:
Part time jobs are usually defined by working anything under 40 hours per week. Part time
work is usually associated with those who are busy with other personal events/ duties during
the week, for example parenting or partaking in education such as college or university. Part
time jobs are good because they usually offer a lot more flexibility, such as a 16 hour
contract could be spaced between 4 days of the week, 4 hours a day, in a job where people
work a short rotation of shifts. Those who work part time will often work on weekends, where
those who work full time are likely to be taking a day or two off. Another benefit of working
part time are the reduced responsibilities and stress, for example, from my own experience, I
can work 18 hours per week, alongside around 16 hours of college and however many of
socialising/rest. This allows a healthy amount of spacing, I forget about work during the
week and forget about college during the weekend. The downsides include; balancing other
responsibilities such as parenting and education, and the lower job security than those who
work full time. Those working part time are also paid in the form of wage in most cases,
which personally I like, as I am paid for every hour of effort I put in, although that alongside
hours that vary per week means that I can never be sure what next month’s pay will look
like, meaning I can’t make any financial commitments, at least not very securely.
Freelance:
Freelance work involves working on different contracts on a regular basis, usually for
different companies or clients. For example, a popular freelance career is photography,
particularly wedding photography. Wedding photographers obviously photograph
peoples wedding ceremonies, the main event and the after party. The photographer will
provide the client with a contract to be signed by both parties, this contract is usually

3. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
pretty basic, it will include such texts as “POST PRODUCTION AND EDITING: The final post
production and editing styles, effects, and overall look of the images are left to the discretion
of the COMPANY.” The advantage of working in freelance is firstly, if it’s successful, then
the person is obviously very good at whatever they are doing, secondly, the person has
huge flexibility in their work, for example, a wedding photographer could say they are not
available for 2 weeks over summer, a popular time for weddings, and go on holiday, as
many times as they want throughout the year, as long as the finances work out. The
downsides; Those who work freelance, again, such as wedding photographers, have the
critical need for popularity or public knowledge, or else they will make no money, for
example, their skills in summer/spring will probably be in high demand, but in winter,
they may have little or no work going, depending on their popularity. Freelance workers
are paid often in the form of a cheque or direct bank transfer. These payments are
usually split into a deposit, and then a final payment, sometimes one week prior
wedding, as many photographers believe that pre-event payments will ensure that the
couple have no worries after the wedding, meaning they will remember the
photographers great duties at the wedding, not the payment they had to make previous
to the wedding.
Voluntary:
Voluntary work is where someone works for experience or as a moral responsibility.
Voluntary work are basically one step behind apprenticeships, in a career spawning
environment. They are also popular in charity stores such as the British Heart
Foundation store or Cancer Research store, as people like the idea of doing something
good for nothing, the opportunities to work voluntarily are frequent, as shops etc can
only really gain from employing volunteers. The volunteers will include the work on the
CV which can look good in the eyes of an employer, as it shows real commitment to a
job, even if it was just the cause they were committed to if it was a charity shop worked
in.
Describe shift work. What does it entail and what types of media job might require it?
Shift work is often based on a rotation of employees, when one person leaves another
person replaces them. This is common in factory work, where the work places often run
24 hours a day. Shift work is also common in part time work and other work places
where the hours are long. Such as the York designer outlet that is open from 10am until
8pm on Thursday and Friday, although staff are present from 9:30am until 8:30pm.
That’s 11 hours, which a single member of staff rarely endures, most people work
between 5 and 9 hours per day in the York Designer Outlet. The advantages of shift
work are the occasions where the shifts work perfectly around plans that you make,
although there aren’t much more than that. Shift work in 24 hour businesses include
workers that are required to work from 10pm until 6am. This is very unhealthy as it
completely rotates the individual’s body clock, as they have to sleep during the day and
work at night. Shift workers are paid in wage or salary, it totally depends on the contract.
A permanent contract is one where:
The employee has relatively strong job security, and confidence that there will be an
effective pay check at the end of each month. Permanent contracts are worked by part
time and full time employees, although the vast majority of full time workers work on a
permanent contract. Where part time workers are quite frequently on temporary
contracts, but permanent contracts are frequent among part time workers too, such as
myself.

4. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of such a contract?
The advantages of working on a permanent contract is the strong job security. The
employee has confidence that as long as they do their job up to standard, they will have
a pay check at the end of every month. Permanent contracts allow people to stay in a
job for a long period of time, whether than is a year for a part timer who gets bored of
their job or a full time worker who has made a 20year career out of his permanent
contract. The full time worker example especially, and even the part timer example,
show how much more security a person gets in their job compared to a temporary
contract, that often last around 1 to 6 months. The downsides of a permanent contract
are that it can require a lot of notice when one wants to leave their job, for example
personally my part time permanent notice is only 2-3 weeks, where as one in a more
professional role will have to give a lot more notice, such as 1month plus.
A temporary contract is one where:
A temporary contract is one where the employee is paid monthly like most other
employees, except the pay will only go as far as they work. The temporary contracts
usually last up to 6 months, sometimes cover for another employee, or quite frequently
staff employed to work over busy retail parts of the year such as November – January.
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of such a contract?
Working on a temporary contract can be good for particular people as it allows for them
to earn a chunk of money and leave all responsibilities behind. It can also look good on
CVs if that person has worked in many different environments for short periods of time
on temporary contracts, as opposed to short amount of time on a permanent contracts,
as that obviously looks bad. Working in multiple environments, even if in the same field
of work, such as retail, can be useful as it allows for a very large gain in experience.
Such as working with different characters, selling different items or working in different
types off stock room where things are done a lot differently. There are a lot of downsides
to a temporary contract. They allow for very little job security. No matter how hard and
well the employee works, they will eventually come to the end of the contract, as be
forced to leave what is potentially a great team and a job they really enjoy. Although,
sometimes an employer will offer the employee a permanent contract at the end of their
temporary one, if they feel it will be an advantage to the business.
What is multiskilling and which skills could you combine together?
Multiskilling is when a person is trained in multiple skills, in order to cover more than just
one prioritised job. This is seen a lot in journalism, where the prioritised journalist is
trained in photojournalism, this means that the individual can cover a variety of tasks.
There are other examples of multiskilling, in the media sector. For example, a video
games developer may be trained in the creation of game graphics, as well as he
planning for them, whether that be sketches by hand or even computer mock ups.
What is casual work? Who does it benefit the most? What are some of the arguments
against casual work?
Casual work is basically a 0 hour contract, the employer is under no obligation to give
the employee work, and the employee is under no obligation to take on that work. There
is pressure on both parties to create work and to do work, as if there is limited work the
employee may look for another job, and if the employee turns down a lot of work then
the employer may fire them. Casual work has minimal job security, if any at all. Which is

5. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
a huge disadvantage for people. Although one of the advantages of causal work is the
massive flexibility of the work, which allows people to take essentially, as much time off
as they can without being fired. At the cost of not being paid obviously.
Explain hourly paid work. Find a job which pays by the hour to help you with your
explanation.
Hourly rates vary hugely between people of different ages and professions, and I some
cases genders and races are unfortunately factors that contribute to someone’s rate of
pay. Most part time jobs pay hourly, these jobs can include waiting/waitressing, shelf
stacker, stockroom assistant, sales assistant and more. An example of an hourly paid
job in the media industry could be someone in a very unprofessional role that has the
simple job of distributing advertising leaflets in a city centre, these people may be paid
by the hour, or if they are paid per leaflets distributed then it will be in equivalent to the
minimum hourly wage for that person.
What is Piecework? What do employers need to be careful about when employing
someone this way?
Piecework is when someone is paid per piece of work they complete, this could be for
numbers of socks someone makes, or how many portraits someone draws. Piecework
can be done for an employer or out of personal choice in a more freelance style. A
piecework contract requires the employer to be quite careful when employing someone,
as particular people may rush a piece or produce work that is below the needed
standard. The advantage of piecework is that the employee will get more money in
return for the effort they put in.
Why would you use careers guidance? Provide the names of at least 2 organisations
which can help people plan their careers.
The National Careers Service and independent companies such as reed provide
excellent careers guidance for those looking to get into most forms of work, not just
careers but even part time work too. Careers guidance is great as it uses real life
examples and experience to help an individual find there was onto a career path, and
how not to take the wrong turns or make mistakes on their way. The guidance can
include where to start, where to aim, and how to climb the ladder. The guidance can
often include training programs that will jump start someone’s career if they haven’t
already got the skills or degrees necessary for them to start higher up. The national
careers service is a government service for the public, whereas Reed is a much more
friendly site, each service totally depends on personal preference. Personally when it
comes to job hunting, interview tips etc I find sites such as Reed and even LinkedIn
which provides a lot of useful content much better than the official National Careers
Service.
What is a trade fair?

6. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
A trade fair is when people and business’s collaborate to show off their
product/business, and integrate with and with others. The trade fairs always have a
business type and people looking for particular work, so you won’t see a plumber stall at
CES, unless it’s robotic with flashing lights….in which case it would fit in quite nicely.
Which trade fairs could you attend to help you with your career? How could they help
you? Be specific here to help you comprehensively explain.
I could potentially attend a Press Trade fair, such as the Messe Düsseldorf trade fair in
Germany, a couple of hours away from where I lived a couple years ago. Messe
Düsseldorf is a hub for press trade fairs, where many opportunities are available,
whether that is for potential recruitment or even to just get a taste of what particular
press companies and journalism companies have to offer. Although the fair is located in
Germany, there are English and sometimes multilingual representatives for the
companies, as the turn out for the fair includes an international span of people. Attending
a trade fair such as the Messe Düsseldorf trade fair would give me a great advantage
over those simply looking online or in the newspapers for press/journalism job roles. I
know this because I would be able to talk to those who work and represent the industry,
and really show my interest and enthusiasm to enter the industry.
What could some advantages and disadvantages be to using the national press to look
for work?
In my personal opinion, using the National press in search of work is probably the worst
possible way of looking for work. The national press distributes nationally, so the
advertised work will be all over the country, and chances are 60% of all the work
available will be based in London, and 95% of the work available won’t be what you are
looking for anyway. The advantages, there is definitely going to be jobs available, it just
depends on your location and which profession you are looking for.
What trade press publications could you use to help you find work? Would this be a
better option than using the national press? Explain your answer using detailed
examples.
The York Press would be a much more suitable press publication to refer to when
looking for work myself, as it will only include work in the surrounding area that I live in,
advertised job opportunities may include a few in Leeds and elsewhere but will be based
mainly in the York area. Even though the search would be narrowed down to the York
area there are still a very limited number of jobs available. When I searched journalism
in the York Press job search it only returned 1 search result, which is based in Yeadon-
Leeds.
What would be a good way of keeping track of and in touch with your personal contacts?
How could this help you when looking for work?
Keeping in contact with your personal contacts through work is an excellent way of
climbing the career ladder, as it’s known that you will bump into people later in your
career that you may have not expected to see. A the old saying goes, Keep your friends
close, and your enemies even closer, although I am not planning on a career from my
current retail job, I would call my work mates my friends and in essence of the saying I’d

7. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
call my boss the enemy, keep him close and one day it could come in handy when it
comes to referrals or when possibly working for another VF company with the hope of
him giving a good word or two about me. No matter how successful you are, if you keep
your contacts close then maybe you’ll bump into an old work mate, who is now very
successful and as you are both on good terms he could offer you a great role at his
company, it’s possible.
What is networking and how could it be useful to you?
Networking is when an individual hoping to gain contacts integrates socially with those
who are where they wants to be, the individuals they want to be at the same level as
could be their bosses, potential employers, or even role models. Networking would be
useful for me as I could socialise with people who could potentially get me to a good
place career wise, in hope of them giving me the opportunity because of my keen
attitude to the job and the fact that they hopefully like me on a personal and professional
level.
Explain word of mouth as a way of getting work. Is this a reliable method for obtaining
work?
Word of mouth as a way of getting work is when someone relies on people spreading
the knowledge of them as a way of gaining peoples interest in them. For example,
wedding photographers may not have a very big advertising budget, if any at all. The
word of mouth is a much more useful way of getting word out. This is done by making
sure the wedding goers and couple have a good experience with you, and believe your
work to be of great quality. This means that when their friends, family, colleagues etc are
getting married, they will likely recommend the photographer that took the photos at their
wedding.
What job role would you like? Explain your reasons? What kind of job is it (creative,
technical, editorial etc.)?
The job role I would like to be in is
photojournalism. This is my dream job
role as it integrates my keen interest in
photography with huge interest in
world events. Photojournalism is a mix
between creative and technical in my
own opinion. As the technical aspects
include the set rules and regulations
among the role, and the particular
elements I told to cover, the creativity
comes in when I use my own skill and
personal effort to take more than just
shots of an event, but photographs
that really show the story I a more powerful manor, as we have seen in recent images
coming from journalists/photojournalists in Syria and the Ukraine.

8. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
What skills will you need for that job?
To enter this job I will need a detailed knowledge of how to use cameras and how to
produce images of a great standard. I will need to understand journalism ethics, know
how to edit images, be skilled in visual communication and be trained in news reporting
and interview techniques. There are many skills required for this job as photojournalists
are relied on to cover multiple skills, for example interviewing subjects in a zone of
interest, such as eye witnesses of events that will be used as news reporting material.
Summarise what is involved when doing this job.
This job can start off very simple, a photojournalist will often be based in one part of the
country, in my case this could be Yorkshire. As I make my attempt to climb the career
ladder I will hopefully begin having to travel more for events, having a larger area of
coverage. The job will include photographing events, taking notes, editing images and
having them ready to be published or broadcasted as soon as possible. The job can
become much more vigorous as the career ladder is climbed, such as heading into
warzones or other dangerous areas that are in the interest of the media, no matter how
much it is filtered. Working in a constantly dangerous environment can be exhilarating
yet stressful, so it is important to act as safely as possible, like everyone is trying to kill
you…because in many cases photojournalism in a warzone means there are probably a
lot of people that want to do just that.
What qualifications are required for that job?
There are not specific qualifications needed for the job, although from my research it is
widely suggested and stressed that those who want to enter the role create a portfolio of
their own images relating to the job in hand, this will give employers a true taste of what
you’re capable of, the more good images, the better. It can also be useful to have
studied subjects related to it as evidence that you have a real understanding before the
training actually starts.
Find at least 2 courses you could do to help you get in to the industry. You should state
the name of the course, the level of qualification (level 2, level 3, Degree etc.), the
institution that you would attend and their entry requirements)

9. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Although photojournalism doesn’t specifically require a particular degree in any course, it
can help to have the degrees in a subject possibly related to the events you wish to be
covering. For example I could study photography in college, level 3 btec, or could
continue to university and cover a subject that will show my interest in global events
such as history and leave with a degree in the subject once the 3 years is complete.
Where could you find out more information? (Investigate at least 2 other sources of
information and give a brief summary of why this resource is useful)
There is a lot of information regarding the qualifications and qualities needed to become
a photojournalist on a website called education-portal.com. This website includes what
appears to be everything one would need to know about the steps educationally for
getting into the role, as well as tips on how to increase your employability. The National
Council For The Training Of Journalists, or NCTJ, are a very useful source for
information about getting into the role of photojournalism. The NCJT also offer a Level 3
Diploma course in Journalism for trainee photojournalists.
Use at least 2 different sources to find a job that you would like to do.
Job: Press photographers take photographs to record news, current events and lifestyle stories.
Their aim is to capture the best images which document an event, tell a story or convey a message
and support the printed word.
Source: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/press_photographer_job_description.htm
Summarise the skills required:
Handle admin responsibilities such as arranging transport, entry cards, restricted entry
passes. Maintain an up to date knowledge on news and current events. Working to a
deadline is a must, so time management is essential.
Is this job full time/part time/freelance?
Full Time.
What do you need to do to apply?
Applications to a press company, including CV and a personal portfolio is essential. This
is the straightforward way of applying for the particular job, either in person or online.
After the initial application there will be a personal interview and then further steps take
after that.

10. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
Job: This will be an ideal post for someone who has a passion for photography. You will be professional, smart
and personable. You will be creative and be able to think on your feet to ensure that you always represent the
company in the most professional light possible.
Source: http://jobview.monster.co.uk/Property-Photographer-Property-Lister-Job-Leeds-
Yorkshire-UK-146693601.aspx?WT.mc_n=sk_feed_indeed_UK
Summarise the skills required:
Skills with the use of a camera and adobe light room. A full driving license is also
needed.
Is this job full time/part time/freelance?
Fulltime
What do you need to do to apply?
Simply send your CV and optionally a cover letter (Definitely send a cover letter) to the
company via email, and hope for a reply.
Work experience:
What are some of the benefits of work experience?
Work experience is great as it shows future employer that you have the ability to adjust
to new jobs, and have experience in particular work places. If an employer sees that you
have experience in the job you have applied for then they are much more likely to
employ you, as it saves the effort of full training and means you will be a help not a
hindrance from day one.
Where could you look for work experience?
Work experience is available all over, this can be in the form of paid experience, such
as part time work, temporary or permanent. Or in the form of voluntary work, which is
likely to be a lot easier to take part in. Voluntary and contract work are all advertised
online alongside one another, on sites such as reed and monster.
Where would you like to do work experience? How would you go about applying?
I would like to do work experience somewhere that specialises in photography or
photojournalism would be even better. I would like to do this as it would give me a feel of
what it is like doing photography out of the hobby side of things and more work based.
What grades do employers normally like to see people have for GCSE Maths and English?
Employers like to see grade C and above in Maths and English, although some that are specific
to a particular education, such as working as a book publisher would likely require better English

11. BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMediaProduction
GCSE grades.
Why is it important to have good functional skills?
It is important to have good functional skills as it shows an employer, and proves to yourself
personally, that the education you have been given can be put into practice outside of the class
room. Whether that is writing up a cover letter for your CV or working out how much the
customer’s bill will be once the discounts have been applied on the spot to show off your product
knowledge in order to gain the customers trust and respect.
Are there any areas of Maths, English or basic I.T skills that you need to work on?
I believe that all of my Maths and English, and I.T skills are up to scratch and do not need to be
worked on at all.
How reliable, committed and efficient are you? Give examples when you have
demonstrated some of these qualities. Do you need to improve any of these areas?
I believe I am very reliable, efficient and definitely committed. I have shown these skills
as part of a team during the insanely busy sales period at my work in the designer outlet.
Over the course of the sales many of the shops in the outlet became short staffed due to
a rotation of illnesses being passed around staff, due to many factors including the
circulatory air flow between stores, some of those that became ill were my team
members. This required me to cover members of the team at very short notice, proving
my reliability. The short staffing also meant that I and the assistant manager had to run
the shop for an entire Sunday a few times, Sunday being the busiest day of the week,
and even busier during the sales period, this meant working very quickly, and very
efficiently. I did this by making sure I was aware of everything going on, I had to know
where everything was, where everyone was, and also had to very quickly replenish the
store whilst items where quickly and consistently being removed from the shelves and
purchased.
Attendance and punctuality are very important. What was your attendance and
punctuality like at school? If your figures were good, how will you maintain them? If your
figures need to improve, what steps do you need to take to improve those figures? Be
specific in your answers.
My attendance at secondary school was terrible because I had a habit of turning up just
as the bell had rung, obviously I have improved this by 100% when college began and
have done throughout. To maintain this standard of punctuality I will continue to keep
track of public transport availability and use my own forms of transport when they are not
available.
How important do you think self-presentation is during an interview?
Self-presentation is insanely important during an interview, this can stretch from what
you are wearing to how you sit, how you maintain eye contact and how you show you’re
listening carefully. My experience of this only comes from two job interviews, both of
which were successful. The first of which I wore a suit for my interview (my current work
place) and the second (a couple weeks ago) where I wore a shirt, blazer, jeans and
smart/casual boots. I believe that dressing formally for any interview is very important,
although if you are applying for a job that is less formal such as a fashion retail job then
it is possible to dress more casually. The ability to dress casually and wow an employer
is great because they will recognise that you came in and acted perfectly as yourself,
where as in a suit they will be impressed with the effort, but it could be at the back of

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their mind that the suit was making up for lost qualities. By the end of my smart/casual
attire interview I was feeling like the employer was selling the job to me, as though she
had already made her decision, and like than 24hours later I received a phone call with
the job offer which I then turned down. This did prove to me though that my personal
presentation was up to the standard of a woman who seemed very formal and
managerial. So I believe that if you can’t put 100% effort into arriving to an interview in
formal attire, then you better have a very good physical presentation i.e sat up straight,
eye contact, hand gestures etc.
Can you think of a time when you contributed to a group project? What was the project?
What role did you take and how successful do you think you were?
I contributed to a group project in secondary school that was brought to the school by a
company called HETA. HETA are an engineering company that specialise in the creation
of renewable energy sources such as wind turbines. In the group project, we were
placed in teams of 5, and were required to use basic materials to create our own
functioning wind turbine that would reach the target voltage output. This day project
required a lot of teamwork, a lot of team management and a lot of stress management,
due to multiple members of the team I was placed in were only attending the project for
the free trip to see ice-age the day after. The wind turbine we built was successful, and
so was the day, we left with our certificates of achievement and I was happy with it
altogether.
Give an example of when you have had to manage your time carefully and how you
went about it?
I had to manage my time very carefully when I started college, having started work, and
college, and having to balance my social life too, I thought that I was going to have to
give something up eventually. But now I have calibrated my time after around 6 months
it’s finally starting to feel like I have spare time, whereas previously my life felt like a
hectic mush of events. Currently I have had the added task of weekly workbooks that
have to be completed to the high standard that I expect from myself, which has meant I
have had to find time to do those, which has fitted quite comfortably, although a few
months ago I would have really struggled as I had not learned to maintain my time
keeping yet.
Give an example of when you had to take personal responsibility for something. What
was the scenario and what was the outcome?
Personally, the most important responsibility I have been given, that I feel was of great
importance, was the training before my skydive, although the tandem gives the
professional a lot of control, it is required that the secondary party (myself) responds to
the hand an touch signals, as well as remembering particular postures when freefalling,
gliding and then most importantly, landing. It may have been the risks and pressure
involved that made me feel like my responsibilities were huge, but knowing I would be
falling at 120mph from 15,000ft made my responsibilities seem impossible during the 20
minutes of training, not to mention witnessing someone crash land and break their legs
due to landing in the wrong posture, I instantly felt like my responsibilities had
skyrocketed. After the poor man was airlifted to hospital, I was airlifted 15,000ft and
pushed out of a plane with an ex-fighter pilot strapped to my back, and having followed
all the instructions precisely we landed perfectly, I also took control of the parachute for
a short period of time. Feeling the most responsibility I can remember, as it potentially
could have the worst outcome if failed.