Careers Handbook

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.

1. Independence

• Going to a completely different college from my friends.
• Always getting on with work by myself in each of my subjects.
• Being able to be given a task and get on with it straight away, such as media.

2. Time management

• My work is almost always completed on time.
• I make sure that I attend appointments
• I make sure that I attend college on time, if not early.

3. Organisation

• I have folders for each of my subject
• I organize my assignments/computer work into each subject, such as English essays/controlled assessments.

4. I.T.

• I know the basics of Premiere Pro
• I have some knowledge on After Effects
• I also have some knowledge on Photoshop

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

Part time is when an individual attends a workplace or education for only certain days throughout the week. The persons hours of work or education also varies when a person works part time.

Full time is working or attending education each day for the same amount of hours, for usually 5 days a week. I am a full time college student, as I attend college 5 days a week.

GCSE, which stands for general certificate of secondary education, is a basic level of education taught during secondary school. 

AS is a level of education taught after GCSE, which is a part of an A Level qualification in order to achieve a full A Level. An A Level is a more advanced level of education which is usually used as an entry to university. Both AS and A2 are included to achieve a whole A Level, and both involves examinations. I am currently taking 2 AS levels in Psychology and English Literature.

Level 2 is education taught which is equivalent to one GCSE A*-C grade, whereas level 3 education is a more advanced level of education, this can be equivalent to 1-5 A-Levels at A*-C grade depending on the course. Level 4 is known as higher education which could be anything between BTEC Professional Diplomas Certificates and Awards, or NVQs and HNCs.

A BTEC National Award is a grade which is equivalent to 1 or 2 A Levels depending on if the individual complete's the whole course. A pass grade is equivalent to an E grade, a merit is equivalent to a C, and a distinction is equivalent to an A. However, this may vary if the individual is doing a two year course, where their final grade for example may be MD. This grade could overall be equivalent to a B grade. I am currently taking a BTEC Level 3 course in Creative Media.

The term vocational is also known as higher education, which is known as VET. Vocational education provides training in a particular type of an industry, trade, or agriculture.

A bachelor degree, which generally requires 4 to 5 years of study, is sometimes known as a BA or BS. This type of degree is educational given for individuals which are aiming to have carers in the professional side of the industry, such as becoming a doctor. A masters degree is also known as a first graduate degree. This degree only requires 1 to 2 years of study to be awarded a masters degree, where education is taught in university's. 

A graduate could refer to both an undergraduate or postgraduate. The term 'undergraduate' is seen as working towards a bachelor degree etc.. which is also known as an individuals first degree. A postgraduate is after an individual has finished their degree, and is working towards completing a degree which they can only do once they're a graduate.  

Task 3: List any 3 jobs mentions 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?

1. Assistant photographer: This jobs consists of assisting a photographer in all aspects of work, which is a learn on the job experience from a professional photographer. This kind of career requires higher education in photography, such as an a-level. 

2. Editorial assistant: This involves working with books, journals, magazines and websites. To pursue this as a career, this job consists of a degree in English, journalism or media studies. This career earns up to £15,000 to £23,000 a year, usually working full time from Monday to Friday at 9am to 5pm. 

3. Journalism: This job involves attending press launches and other events where contact can be made for interviews. The skills involved for this career are; excellent written English and writing style, able to work under pressure, able to handle rejection etc.. Journalists generally work 40 hours a week, which is usually from 8am to 4:30pm, or occasionally 10am to 6pm. New journalists will usually start around £12,000, however can make their way up and earn over £22,000 a year.

Task 4: Research, define and explain methods of recruitment in the creative media industries. 

National press refers to newspapers which "concern national events of a country collectively" (Collins, 2014). Most newspapers in the UK provide information globally, such as 'The Sun' and 'The Times', however newspapers such as 'The Advertiser' only provide information on that specific area/location. Other examples of national press is Lyonsdown, which is a company which "publish more than 50 supplements and reports a year, which are included within broadsheet national newspapers." (Lyonsdown, 2011). Another example of national press is The Guardian which has its own section including specific media jobs which states the location, salary, and other important information. 

Trade press is a sector of the media which deals with a specific section of a product or service. This type of method allows information to be relevant to specific audiences, for example advertising. Examples of trade press is Women's Wear Daily, Billboard, Publishers Weekly, Beverage Industry, Advertising Age etc.. However an example of media related trade press consists of Marketing Week, Campaign, and Brand Republic. 

Internet recruitment provides services which enables jobs to be found in result to what the individual is looking for, which is done through a search engine. This is an easy method to find jobs through the internet due to being able to find specific jobs in the media industry, also in the persons geographical area. An example of this is 'Indeed' and 'CV Library'. 

Trade fairs is an organisation which allows companies present their services, produces etc.. in a specific industry. This is a helpful way for individuals to create an idea of which direction they want to take, career wise in the media industry. An example of trade fair is Frankfurt Book Fair. An example of trade fair in the media industry is Telecom Network Management, which "will take place in London, UK for a period of two days. In this international trade show all kind of strategies and technologies which are required for networking management will be given supreme importance. The main purpose of this is to make the industry related to telecommunication and networking conscious of the advanced techniques which helps in the improvement of this industry." (Telecom Network Managements, 2014).

Word of mouth is a form of promotion which allows customers to tell others how much they like a service, produce, or business. This form of promotion usually brings new customers and generally makes a business more successful.

Personal Contacts is a method which can help an individual to understand what a job is really like. This is an effective method for an individual to gain what they want from work, where personal contacts can be anything between family, friends, or even previous work placements. 

Networking is known as making contact with other companies/individuals to exchange or share information. This can provide opportunities for collaborations between other businesses, which promotes both companies.

Internal Promotion is known as an advancement, where a company employs someone to take over a job or duty within the business. When this occurs, the worker receives a some kind of promotion on top of the job role they have initially.

Task 5: CV and Covering Letter

CV:

 Covering Letter:

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

Portfolio/e-portfolio's are work which is gathered over a long period of time, which provides evidence of what an individual is able to achieve. When applying for an art and design course, I was asked to create a portfolio of drawings or work which I had created, both recently and previously to bring to the interview. 

Showreel is very similar to a portfolio, however this consists of a short video which demonstrates footage of an actor or directors work etc.. which is shown to an employer when applying for jobs in the media industry.

Personal website is anything which an individual has created themselves, usually used to express their feelings or ideas. This is usually created in the form of a 'blog', a common example of this is Tumblr, a social networking website.

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

Interviewing skills are skills such as good listening skills, the use of appropriate language, taking care with the questions which they're asking the interviewee etc... When an individual is in an interview, they should make that they dress appropriately for the job/role. They should also make sure that they don't talk too much during the interview, but making sure that they ask the interviewer questions.

Presentation skills are skills such as making eye contact with the interviewer, practicing what the individual is going to present., and to make sure the individual is speaking clearly and confidently. The individual during a presentation should not look down at their feet, so that the interviewer knows that they're confident. The presenter should also make sure that they have notes and handouts, to show that they're prepared. 

Self-presentation is also very important. This consists of linguistic codes, dress codes, and interpersonal skills. Linguistic codes are known as in terms of what an individual communicates to the receiver in terms of speech, which can be during interviews/presentations. When asked to go for an interview etc... it is common sense to dress smart to create a good impression. For a male, this usually consists of a suit, or shirt and tailor black trousers. To present good self-presentation for a female, a shirt and black trousers is usually the most appropriate dress code. The interpersonal skills to have to create good self-presentation are; verbal communication and non-verbal communication, listening skills, negotiation, problem solving, and decision making.

Task 8: Research, define and explain the following terms

Training on the job is training which takes place during a normal working situation. This type of training comes with advantages as it does not cost as much as off the job training. However, training on the job can cause the individual to pick up bad habits from observing other workers. Continuing professional development is a process which helps individuals manage their development on their knowledge, skills and experience. This allows an individual to reflect and review what they have learnt during a job, which then can be applied throughout their lives.

Self-training is known as an individual teaching themselves skills without training. For example, many individuals which are interesting in media often train themselves to use programmes such as Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects. 

Sources of information can be anything between trade unions, sector skills councils, and careers services. A trade union has great knowledge and is known as protecting the rights and interests of workers. Sector skills councils specializes in helping people in specific industries, an example of this is Creative England. Careers services are services with great knowledge, which shows guidance for employment opportunities. 

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

Media: Opportunities using English skills during this course is presented through much of the course due to the written work/tasks set for each assignment, such as evaluations. ICT is also a significant part of this course due to the constant use of computers, using Blogger to upload all work and assignments which are given as well as using software such as Premiere Pro and occasionally After Effects when creating a product.

References:
Collins, (2014) [online] available at: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/national-press [accessed on: 21/05/14]
Lyonsdown, (2011) [online] available at: http://www.lyonsdown.co.uk/our-services/national-press [accessed on: 21/05/14]
Telecom Network Management (2014) [online] available at: http://10times.com/totaltelecom-network-management [accessed on: 01/06/14]