Freelancing in the Creative Industries

^^Freelancing:^^

• Freelancing means working for someone on a short, fixed-term contract, to do a task before moving on to the next
• 91% of people in the film are freelance
• Freelancing fields in media:
  • Film
  • TV
  • Radio
  • Animation
  • Graphic design
  • Web design

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^^Reasons why employers like freelancers:^^

• They can choose how long they pay people
• They can bring in specialist skills their permanent staff don’t have
• They pay for the job ensuring it gets completed on budget
• They are cheaper than staff because they don’t have to pay sick pay, maternity pay, or pension

^^Different types of freelancing:^^

• Freelance paye:
  • You are on a freelance contract but are taxed at the source
  • No need to deal with HMR
  • You have the insecurity but not the increased pay of other freelancers
  • You get some of the benefits:
  • Sick pay
  • Holiday pay
• Sole trader:
  • You register yourself as self-employed with the HMRC
  • It’s the easiest system to set up and manage
  • If the ‘company’, loses money it comes from your pocket
• Limited Company:
  • The most common structure for freelancers
  • You register your ‘business’ and have to file company accounts
  • You get the credibility of being a registered company
  • There is more financial paperwork to deal with
  • You have to pay corporation tax

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^^Media Job Interviews:^^

• What to bring:
  • CV
  • Showreel
  • Notes
  • Portfolio:
  • Photographs
  • Written work
• Before the Interview:
  • Check:
  • What to wear
  • How will you get there
  • What is the contact name
  • Find out what the interview will consist of:
  • Face-to-face interview
  • Panel interview
  • Group interview
  • Online interview
  • Tests/exam
• Interview Questions:
  • Planning your answers:
  • Tell them about your skills
  • Link your answers to the job spec
  • Show them you’ve done your research
  • Show them you’re passionate
  • Bring in info, not on your CV
  • To succeed in interviews you need to demonstrate:
  • You have the skills to perform the job
  • You are passionate about the company
  • You are passionate about the industry
  • Illegal personal questions:
  • Race
  • Sex
  • Religion
  • National origin
  • Age
  • Disability
  • Marital/family status
  • Most questions fall into three categories:
  • Questions about you (+ the job)
  • Questions about the company
  • Questions about the industry

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^^Transferable Skills:^^

• Transferable skills are general skills you can use in many jobs
• They enable you to be adaptable and flexible in case you need to change your job
• You gain these skills from:
  • Previous jobs
  • Projects
  • Voluntary work
  • Sports
  • Your home life
  • Hobbies
  • Interests
• Transferable skills:
  • Communication Skills
  • Having a good telephone manner
  • Being able to speak clearly and concisely
  • Being able to listen to others and expressing interest in what they’re saying
  • Persuading and negotiating with others
  • Teamwork
  • Delegating tasks to the right people with the right skills
  • Making sure everyone understands their role and responsibilities
  • Giving constructive feedback and support
  • Creating enthusiasm and initiative within a team
  • Self Motivation
  • Work longer and later than others
  • Seek out opportunities to learn new skills
  • Take ownership of problems
  • Go above and beyond a job description
  • Creative Problem-solving
  • Evaluate information or a situation
  • Analyze why things are going wrong
  • Think of different ways to fix the problem
  • Choose the most cost-effective, most time-effective solution
  • Working to deadlines
  • Research skills
  • Writing skills
  • Leadership skills
  • Multi-tasking

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^^Other Career Paths for Media Students:^^

• Teaching
• Retail
• Marketing
• Charities
• Sales
• Recruitment
• Government / Civil Service
• Publishing
• Post Grad

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^^Types of Virtual Interviews:^^

• Live Interview:
  • Similar to a face-to-face interview
  • Real-time interview
  • Platforms such as:
  • Skype
  • Zoom
  • Google Hangouts
  • Microsoft Teams
• Pre-recorded:
  • You won’t speak to a real person
  • You are presented with some pre-recorded or written questions on the screen
  • Your answer is recorded

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^^The Interview:^^

• Step 1: Prepare for interview questions:
  • Do your research
  • Know why you want the position
  • Review the job description and personal specification
  • Familiarise yourself with your application and CV
• Step 2: Prepare your interview space:
  • Find a quiet space
  • Check internet connection
  • Check your audio is working
  • Check your camera is working and if it’s well positioned, close to eye level
  • Face your lighting if possible
  • Check your background
• On the day:
  • Dress professionally
  • Remind members of your household that you have an interview
  • Ensure you are positioned correctly, head and shoulders in the camera frame
  • Speak to the panel

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