IPP Session Making the Transition

The whole point of this session was to consider a range of options that will be open to me once I leave College. To discuss resources and different ideas in advance so that we have a better understanding and are more prepared for the future. We also discussed some ideas and possibilities that we could implement in the short term.

Challenges

At the moment I am a little worried about life after college. I am concerned that my work is either not good enough, that I have not enough work in my portfolio and that getting into the industry will be difficult as I may not have enough experience. Perhaps I am being too hard on myself. I am producing good work, and I am producing new work that can be included in my portfolio. Although I have some experience in working in the film industry I think getting more work experience would be a good idea as I have heard that it is work experience and the quality of your portfolio that employers are looking for.

Options

There are several options open to me once I leave college. It is important to think about my options early on so that I am little more prepared.

I can either work in the UK or Overseas. Preferably I would like to live and work in the UK however moving to America later in my career may be an option seeing most of the work in the film and games industry takes place in the U.S.

Self employment is an option that is appealing to me because there is more flexibility and you do not necessarily work in the same place. Although financial security is not guaranteed, you have to look for the work and you have to be prepared to move from place to place even overseas.

I could decide to do an extra couple of years of extra study such as a PGCE, MA, PGdip.

Setting up my own business is another appealing option. I have thought about setting up my own company with my brother and my friends so that we can work on a few projects that could get us noticed. This would be a wise choice if we were unable to find a job in the film or games industry in the short term. The economic climate at the moment is still quite unpredictable and may have an effect on the industry in the future.

I imagine that my career will take some turns and there will be peaks and troughs in terms of motivation and available jobs. I will have to stay in contact with my friends as they will be important contacts for potential jobs. I will have to be on the constant look out for job availabilities and vacancies and I will need to be prepared to chase jobs. I realise that in order to maintain my career I will require hard work. I must remember to keep focused and maintain motivation. To begin with I must be prepared to do unpaid work and I must be prepared to work from the bottom. I must be active online and must always be aware of my brand.

There are ways I can increase my chances of employment. The key point is contacts and networking.

• Keep in contact with friends and tutors.
• Placements - Paid or unpaid.
• Develop new relationships
• Job Vacancies
• Recruitment Agencies
• Competition Entries
• And tell people you are looking for a job.
• Trade Fairs and Seminars
• Professional bodies and Trade Associations
• Annual Conferences
• Career and Recruitment Fairs
• Open Studios
• Talking to speakers or guest lecturers in college.