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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

Positives

Negatives

Freelancers usually get paid more than permanent staff

You have to take responsibility for your finances (invoicing, tax, etc.)

Freelancers pay less tax

No protection, you don’t get paid when you’re sick

You can ‘be your own boss’

No holiday pay, if you take a break, you make no income

Easy to get out of bad jobs

No maternity pay

Quicker to get promoted

No pension

Freedom to take time off

Difficult to get credit (mortgage)

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

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

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

Other Career Paths for Media Students:

  • Teaching

  • Retail

  • Marketing

  • Charities

  • Sales

  • Recruitment

  • Government / Civil Service

  • Publishing

  • Post Grad

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

Positives

Negatives

Saves time for both organization and the interviewee

You need a computer/ laptop/smartphone

No geographical restrictions

Connection issues

Reduces cost of travel

Some people are not comfortable “on camera”

Interviews could be recorded and compared

Possible interruptions

Can be arranged after hours

Challenging to build rapport

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

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

Positives

Negatives

Freelancers usually get paid more than permanent staff

You have to take responsibility for your finances (invoicing, tax, etc.)

Freelancers pay less tax

No protection, you don’t get paid when you’re sick

You can ‘be your own boss’

No holiday pay, if you take a break, you make no income

Easy to get out of bad jobs

No maternity pay

Quicker to get promoted

No pension

Freedom to take time off

Difficult to get credit (mortgage)

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

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

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

Other Career Paths for Media Students:

  • Teaching

  • Retail

  • Marketing

  • Charities

  • Sales

  • Recruitment

  • Government / Civil Service

  • Publishing

  • Post Grad

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

Positives

Negatives

Saves time for both organization and the interviewee

You need a computer/ laptop/smartphone

No geographical restrictions

Connection issues

Reduces cost of travel

Some people are not comfortable “on camera”

Interviews could be recorded and compared

Possible interruptions

Can be arranged after hours

Challenging to build rapport

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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