Options with your subject
The following information is applicable to both undergraduates and post-graduates of media arts subjects. It contains information on popular career options and vacancy sources, although there are many more options both related and not directly related to your subject that you could consider.
Prospects has a useful overview of the
media sector, which is a useful starting point, including information about jobs relating to your degree, main areas of employment, skills gained on your course, further study opportunities and useful contacts and resources.
The Media community on Prospects provides careers advice, a job search facility and other features.
Media Arts graduates have a wide range of opportunities available to them and the Prospects profiles below indentify the most popular of these. However, the two factors that will be crucial to your success are thoroughly researching your chosen career area, and making contacts through networking.
Job profiles from Prospects
Other options
Self-employment is a popular option, see our Business Start-up pages for more information about going about this and help available from the Formation Zone.
If you are considering moving overseas, then see our Working Abroad pages.
Further study
In order to further develop your skills or knowledge of a particular area you may wish to consider postgraduate study, however, in addition to being hard work, postgraduate study can be very costly, so it is an option that you should consider carefully. Before you make the commitment, make sure that you thoroughly research the occupation that you are considering, try to get as much relevant experience as possible, and look especially for courses that will teach you practical skills and which offer placements.
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for Creative Media. It has a careers advice helpline for specialised media career advice. Its website is a great resource for finding relevant information about qualifications and funding and it includes a searchable database of courses
The BJTC (Broadcast Journalism Training Council) website includes a list of accredited courses , careers information about getting into broadcast journalism, information on funding , and student awards .
You may also wish to look at some of the big media training providers such as:
Cyfle a national training provider for the T.V. Film and Interactive Media Industry in Wales
NFTS (National Film and Television School) offer short-courses, diplomas and MA courses
For more information, including funding advice, please see our Further Study pages.
Work experience
It is a good idea to spend your time at university gaining as much work experience and commercial awareness as you can. This can be done in a variety of ways:
The large broadcasting organisations often have training programmes to help people get into the industry. See their links in the next column.
Think laterally and be proactive about finding opportunities, such as contact film schools and offer to help out with student productions, look for work in a facilities house. You’ll find contact details on yell.com
Try getting involved with the Students Union clubs and societies such as: CamCru, Journalists’ Society
Network with potential employers and others in the industry by making use of careers fairs, such as the Arts Showcase and other employer focussed events.