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Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 
 

If you are wondering how to become a photographer, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of the media industry, as well as job prospects in the UK.

The Job Description
Photographers use film or digital cameras to take still photographs for a huge range of uses. Often working to a client’s brief, they use a combination of technical and artistic skills to capture permanent images of people, products, places and events.

As a photographer you would typically specialise in one area, such as:

general or social (‘high street’ photography), which involves taking mostly wedding photos and portraits
advertising and editorial – images for advertisements, magazines and photo libraries
press and photojournalism – for newspapers and other news-related publications
fashion – photographing models and clothing for magazines and catalogues
corporate (industrial or commercial) – for company promotional material
scientific or medical – recording scientific experiments and research, or medical conditions and treatments.

Typical responsibilities:

discussing the client’s needs
choosing and preparing locations
selecting appropriate cameras, film and accessories
setting up lighting and equipment
composing and taking shots
checking image quality
retouching images, by hand or with digital software such as Photoshop
processing and printing photos
marketing and running their business, if self-employed.
Some photographers employ assistants to help shoots run smoothly. Assistants may set up equipment, prepare sets and props, look after clients, keep records and help with printing and administration.

Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good photographers include:

creativity and a good eye for shape, form and colour
practical and technical photography skills
excellent communication and ‘people skills’
the ability to put people at ease
patience and concentration
reliability, with good organisational and time-management skills
computer skills, for using digital imaging programmes like Photoshop
good business sense and the ability to market yourself
motivation and determination.

How to become a photographer
Experience and contacts are the key to becoming a professional photographer. You do not usually need set qualifications, although most photographers take some form of photography course to develop the necessary technical skills.

Colleges and universities offer a wide variety of full- and part-time photography courses. These range from part-time City and Guilds certificates, to foundation degrees, HNDs or degrees, which usually require A levels/Highers or an equivalent such as an art foundation course.

Courses that offer industry contacts and work placements are especially useful. Some HNDs and degrees include the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE), which is highly regarded by employers. You should check course content and entry requirements carefully. You can find photography courses of all levels on Skillset’s database of media courses – see website for details.

Finding work as an assistant photographer is a good way of gaining experience, building your portfolio and learning on the job. You will need a keen interest in photography and good basic technical skills. To find work, you could contact professional photographers and studios directly, or use a website such as http://www.photoassist.co.uk/.

To become a press photographer, you will usually need a photojournalism qualification approved by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).

Training and Development
In most areas of photography there are no formal training schemes. Instead, you will usually develop your skills and experience on the job, perhaps starting as a studio assistant or photographer's assistant.

You may get the chance to work towards NVQs/SVQs in Photo Imaging at levels 2, 3 and 4.

As a professional photographer, you may find it helpful to join professional associations such as the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) and the Association of Photographers (AOP), which offer useful training and networking opportunities. BIPP also runs a mentoring service for new photographers. To join, you will need to submit your portfolio for approval.

Some areas of photography require specialist training, particularly press photography and medical photography. For example, to become a medical photographer you will need to take either:

a HND or degree in photography, then find a trainee post at a teaching hospital and complete training in clinical photography, or
a BSc or MSc in Medical Illustration.
See the Institute of Medical Illustrators for more information.

You will need to keep up to date with new technology and skills throughout your career. BIPP and AOP offer a range of short courses to help you further your skills.

The Pay (a rough guide)
Assistant photographers may start on around £12,000 a year.
Full-time photographers can earn between £15,000 and £50,000 a year.
Freelance photographers are typically paid a fee for each job, or an hourly or daily rate. Rates can vary widely depending on experience and reputation, the type of shoot and the budget available.

Job Prospects
As a photographer, you could work for a commercial studio, or you could be an in-house (‘staff’) photographer for employers such as:

advertising and public relations agencies
newspapers and magazines
government and Civil Service departments
large companies
hospitals, universities or research institutions
the police or Armed Forces.
Around half of all photographers are freelance or run their own business or studio. Many organisations choose to use freelance photographers as and when they need them.

Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 
 

If you are wondering how to become a radio DJ, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of the media industry, as well as job prospects in the UK.

The Job Description
DJs play recorded music for audiences on the radio or at live venues. They play music on vinyl, CDs or digital MP3s, and use a range of equipment including turntables, mixers, microphones, amplifiers and headphones. This page will concentrate on radio DJs.

Typical responsibilities:

present a programme in your own style
choose some of the music to be played
keep up an entertaining and natural flow of chat
interact with the audience through phone-ins and receiving emails and texts
keep to a very tight timing schedule
interview studio guests
operate studio equipment to play music and pre-recorded news, jingles and advertisements (known as ‘driving the desk’)
plan future shows by discussing ideas with the producer, writing scripts and preparing playlists.

Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good DJs include:

keen interest in and enthusiasm for music
a confident and outgoing personality
a clear speaking voice
a good sense of timing and co-ordination
some understanding of technical equipment
the ability to ad-lib and think on your feet
calmness under pressure and the ability to work to strict deadlines
‘multi-tasking’ ability, for operating equipment.

How to become a radio DJ
You do not need formal qualifications to become a DJ, as your personality, skills and enthusiasm are more important.

To find a job in radio, you will need some practical experience and a lot of enthusiasm and commitment. You can build radio experience through:

community, hospital or student radio – see the Community Media Association website for a list of local stations, and the Hospital Broadcasting Association for a list of hospital stations
work experience placements – contact BBC Recruitment, or the RadioCentre (for commercial radio)
in-store radio – some large retail chains have their own radio stations that you could apply to.
You may find it helpful to take a course in radio or media production, as the most useful courses help you to develop practical skills and may include work placements. Relevant courses include:

ABC Level 3 Awards in Talk Radio Broadcast Skills and Radio Production Skills
City & Guilds (7501) Diploma in Media Techniques
BTEC National Certificate/Diploma in Media Production (Radio).
Courses are available full- and part-time at some local colleges and universities, and community radio stations may also offer training and qualifications. Check with course providers for entry requirements.

For club DJ work, you will need practical experience of using decks, mixers and sampling equipment. You may find it useful to take short courses in DJ skills (which may be available at local colleges and community recording projects), or full- or part-time courses in sound and music technology.

To help you find work, you should ideally make a ‘demo’ CD that shows your DJ-ing style. You can then use this to approach radio stations or clubs and bars for work. If you try this, you should make sure that your demo fits in with the station’s output or the venue’s music policy.

Training and Development
You would mainly learn and build your skills on the job.

In radio, you may receive some in-house training in technical areas like ‘driving the desks’ or using particular recording equipment when you start your job.

You may also find it useful to take part in the networking opportunities and events organised by the Radio Academy and the RadioCentre.

The Pay (a rough guide)
Average earnings are between £50 and £300 a session.
Very experienced club and radio DJs may earn £1,000 or more a session.
Top club DJs can earn over £100,000 a year.

Job Prospects
As a club or mobile DJ you are most likely to be self-employed. You would often work on a part-time or casual basis, although top DJs may work several sessions at different venues in one night or weekend. In radio, you would normally be employed on fixed-term contracts.

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Career job information for job seekers and find good employment job 
 

If you are wondering how to become a screenwriter in film or television, below are tips and advice on training for and beginning careers in this area of the media industry, as well as job prospects in the UK.

The Job Description
Screenwriters create scripts for TV or film productions, such as feature films, TV comedy and drama, animation, children's programmes and computer games. They may develop their own original ideas and try to sell (‘pitch’) them to producers, or they may be commissioned by producers to create a screenplay from an idea or true story, or to adapt an existing work such as a novel, play or comic book.

Typical responsibilities:

coming up with themes and ideas
researching background material
developing believable plots and characters
laying out the screenplay to an agreed format
submitting the ‘first draft’ of your work to producers or development executives
getting feedback about your work from producers or script editors
rewriting the script if necessary – this can happen several times before arriving at the final version.
You would usually be self-employed, so you would also spend time networking with agents and producers, and dealing with your own tax and National Insurance. You might combine writing with other work such as teaching, lecturing or editing.

Person Specification
The key personal attributes of good screenwriters include:

excellent writing ability
creativity and imagination, to produce fresh ideas and bring ideas to life
storytelling skills and an understanding of dramatic structure
self-discipline and motivation
willingness to accept criticism of your work and make any necessary changes
good organisational skills and the ability to meet deadlines
good presentation and networking skills, for marketing and promoting your work.

How to become a screen writer
You do not need qualifications to become a screenwriter, as your talent and ability are more important.

You may find it useful to take a course in creative writing or script writing, to help you develop your technique and understand dramatic structure and script layout. Courses for all levels from beginners to advanced are widely available at colleges, adult education centres and universities. You do usually need any qualifications to start, and even some advanced courses may accept you if you can prove your talent by showing examples of your work.

Some screenwriters are graduates in creative writing, English or journalism, but this is not essential. You may have an advantage if you have writing and storytelling experience from another field, such as journalism, advertising copywriting or acting.

As a new writer, you could enter screenwriting competitions, which are run by broadcasters and regional screen agencies to discover new talent. Contact Skillset Careers for more information, and see the BBC Writers' Room website for advice about submitting your work to the BBC.

Training and Development
There is no standard training path for screenwriters, as your skills will develop as your experience grows.

As a new or experienced screenwriter, you could help your professional development by joining organisations like the Screenwriters Workshop, the Script Factory and TAPS, which offer script feedback, training and networking opportunities.

You could also choose to take an MA in Screenwriting. These are available full-time, part-time and by distance learning from several universities around the country.

The Pay (a rough guide)
Freelance writers usually negotiate and agree a set fee for each piece of work. You may be partly paid in advance for your work. You may also receive a percentage of the profits from a film.
The Writers' Guild of Great Britain has negotiated recommended pay rates for writers in film, TV and theatre.

Job Prospects
Most of your work will be freelance. You could work independently and market your scripts to production companies, or you may be commissioned by production companies. Only a small percentage of screenwriters earn a full-time living from writing, so you may need to do other types of work to supplement your income.