Describe the main types of employment status within the Creative Media sector.
Firstly, you have full-time employees. There are a lot of roles in the creative industry that require permanent employees, some of which are not just office-based. For example, you have full-time employees that work solely on design, while other companies have those based in different parts of the distribution sector. Part-time employees fall under the same category as full-time employees, the major difference being that they don't work five days a week.
Next are the contracted-employees. Contracted employees have a specific amount of time they will work on a project, at a place. This type of employment can be seen when a production of a film is taking place. There are many contracts where a fair few people have been employed for a specific amount of time (usually referred to as weekly contracts). With this type of employment, unlike the one I am going to speak about below, usually, you will only be able to work on one specific project at a time.
Freelancing is another common type of employment in the creative industry. As a freelancer you are selling a product that you supply, whether that be your make-up services, something you have made. Most people, as with contracts, work in this way because there aren't many full-time jobs that let you deal with the creative side of the industry as much. Freelancers also have the freedom to work on other projects, not just one in a way that a contracted employee would.
Unpaid work is very common in the creative industry. As the old saying goes, "The more experience, the better" there are many people that will go without pay when it comes to getting a good job. These people can fall under either being volunteers, where they have signed up for a job under the guise as a volunteer (mostly applied to when it comes to charities) or as interns who are usually taken on when a helping hand is needed, sometimes for a few weeks, in other cases, a few months. Interning is similar to having an extended time of work experience, which is for much shorter type than internships are. In some cases, interns do get paid, but very rarely.
Lastly, the type of employee that I am at the moment (an apprentice) is also another employment status out there - apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships don't fit under contracted work because, while working, you will also be studying for a qualification. Nor does it fall under unpaid work, because there is a pay cheque each month. As an apprentice, you are learning all the on-the-job experience that someone doing an intern-ship would, but you are getting paid for it, too.
There is also room for people to swap and change from these kinds of employment, too. Some people may be volunteering while also working as a freelancer or a contracted employee may be getting in freelancer jobs as well.
These kinds of employment statuses aren't just centred on the creative media industry, either. Lots of other industries outside of the creative sector have different types of employment that fall under the ones that I have covered.
Describe the key legal and taxation differences between main types of employment status.
In employment law a person’s employment status helps determine:
· their rights
· their employer’s responsibilities
A person may have a different employment status in tax law.
The main types of employment status are:
· worker
· employee
· self-employed and contractor
· director
· office holder
With the different type of employment statues that you have when it comes to the legal side of things there are many differences for all those types of employees I spoke about before.
Here are the following descriptions of these differences:
Full-time/ part-time employee: As a full-time or part-time employee, you are required to pay income tax, which is dependent on how much you earn a year. If your yearly income is more than £7745 you will have to pay tax. Your employer will work out how much tax needs to be deducted - dependent on this income - using your HM Revenue and Customs tax code.
Contracted employee/Freelancer: Being self-employed is very different to being a full-time employee. One of the major differences is that you have to pay your own tax and national insurance income, something that your employer would do.
If you set up a limited company, this is another legal and taxation difference from the other types of employments I have spoken about.
As a limited company, you are seen as a person, so, like you would do if you were just freelancing yourself, to get paid, you send out invoices to whoever you worked for.
One of the main differences between a limited company and someone who is working full-time/part-time or is a contracted/freelance employee, is that, instead of paying income tax, you pay corporation tax.
Unpaid worker: If you are working on a voluntary basis you're not getting paid, and therefore won't need to pay tax or national insurance.
Apprentice/Intern (if paid): As an apprentice, because I am earning under the minimum taxable yearly wage, I don't need to pay any tax/national insurance. The same would go for intern-ships that are paid, as most likely, the said intern wouldn't be earning more than £7,745.
1.3 Explain the main implications of each employment status, in relation to job security, flexibility and working patterns.
The main legal rights of an Employee
To the rights of Workers
To a Written Statement – this must be provided within two months of beginning the employment.
(A contract of employment is an agreement between you and your employer.
There is always a contract between you and your employer, even if you do not have anything in writing, because you have agreed to work for your employer in return for them paying you.
The terms of an employment contract set out what you and your employer have agreed and what you can expect of each other; your rights and duties.
Maternity Leave and Pay, Adoption Leave and Pay and Paternity Leave and Pay
Antenatal care and Parental leave
Time off to care for Dependants
The Right to apply to work flexibly
From 6th April 2010 the right to request time off to undertake study or training is introduced for employees working in companies who have an average of 250+ employees.
The right not to be Unfairly Dismissed – from 1st October 2011 certain ‘agency workers’ will also have a limited right to unfair dismissal. Military Reservists also have dismissal rights connected to their military service and more. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act ensures that most people who have received sentences or cautions are not unfairly dismissed.
For your Employer to operate a fair Disciplinary and Dismissal policy
Access to a Grievance Procedure at work
Statutory Redundancy Pay
Time off for Public Duties, e.g. Magistrate duties; for Trade Union activities (where your employer recognises a Trade Union, Union representatives have a statutory right to take paid time off to carry out trade union duties and training, to attend Jury Service
There are also rights for Military Reservists.
A Stakeholder pension – (if your employer has more than 5 employees- however this is changing from October 2012
An itemised pay statement
Plus those rights that a Worker has below
A new type of employment contract – the Employee Shareholder Contract – came to life on 1st September 2013. Under this type of contract employees give away some of their employment rights in exchange for receiving shares between £2,000 – £50,000 in their company (and benefiting from tax advantages on these shares).
Apprentices are also employees but have slightly different.
Understand the Creative Media employment market place
2.1 Describe a range of prospective employers and the profiles and products of these employers.
Describe three of your dream jobs?
What would be your dream Company you would like to work for?
Describe it what would your job look like?
Get examples of job descriptions you might like to apply for.
Explain how to choose an employer in terms of own personal interests, knowledge,skills and job requirements.
When choosing which job to apply for there are a number of things you have to consider:
Job Requirements: Do you have the qualifications and experience necessary to be able to do the job? If not, there is a chance that you won’t be considered for the job even if you send an application.
Personal Interests: Is the job something that you are going to enjoy? You have to make sure that you’re applying for a job that you are going to be happy with, after all if you work 9-5 every day and don’t enjoy it then there isn't much point doing it.
Doing a job that you don’t enjoy also affects the quality of your work, and will leave you spending your working hours bored or unhappy.
Logistics: How easy is it to get to work, and what are the working hours?
Though this should not be the only thing to base your choice of job on, it’s still and important thing to consider. If the job requires long hours, weekend or night shifts and long periods away from home you may find yourself unhappy, which again can affect your work and emotional well-being.
| Create and present a professional standard CV, with examples of own work, relevant to a specific job application Here are some examples of CV that relate to applying for a job in the creative and digital media sector. |
Discuss strengths and weaknesses in relation to own work and a specific job application.
For instance if you are a sales person then you would create a heading
under ‘sales skills’. Then under this you would review all of the sales
jobs you’ve had in your career and the different products or services you
have sold. So if you were employed in Company A selling car insurance,
then you would list ‘car insurance sales’ as one of your strengths.
Identifying the skills a employer wants
Look at the job advert and read it carefully, look for keywords that describe
the skills and capabilities that a employer is expecting from a applicant.
Then build and develop your CV or covering letter around the relevant skills
that are required and highlight them in your CV.
If in your resume you can demonstrate to a employer that you have
the qualities and capabilities they are looking for then you have a good
chance of being successful in your application.
Transferable skills
These are skills in one particular work environment that you can take
with you from one employer to another.
For instance if your are a motor mechanic and work in a garage then
you can get a job in another garage and of course you will take your skills
with you. So you have in effect transferred them from one workplace
to another one.
Below are a list of some transferable skills:
- Reporting information.
- Speaking effectively.
- Providing feedback.
- Defining needs.
- Motivating.
- Decision making.
- Enforcing policies.
"What are your strengths?" is a classic interview question. Ironically, most candidates don't answer it well, often because they are too humble. But this question is a great opportunity to sell yourself and show how you align with the company's requirements. Like its counterpart "What are your weaknesses?", this question is very likely to come up.  There are a number of things that your prospective employer may be looking to uncover. Here are just some of them:
Here are some of its more common guises: What do you feel sets you apart from the competition?
 Interviewers are looking to see how you assess your strengths, and how that fits with the role. How to assess and select your best strengths Remember, your aim is not necessarily to convince the interviewer that you are the world’s best employee but rather that you are the right employee for the job at hand. The key is to try and match the needs and abilities of the role with your skill set and personality. We recommend that you follow these steps: Begin by identifying five key strengths and then match them to the requirements and skills that are needed to carry out the job. Make sure to read through the job description thoroughly and identify the key requirements. If the need is for interaction with multiple departments, say, you can take this to mean excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Think quality not quantity. Focus on a few key strengths and explain these succinctly. This will leave your interviewer better placed to remember you and your credentials. Aim to strike a balance between over-confidence and underselling yourself. If you list too many strengths you risk sounding arrogant, whereas too little implies a lack of confidence or, worse still, skills. Always have an example ready for each strength. For example, if you mention excellent communication skills,you could follow this up with how this helped you when running multiple social media platforms during your work experience. The best way to prepare for questions around your strengths is by doing as much preparation beforehand as possible. Answers you should definitely avoid Some common mistakes include: Giving a list of strengths. Reeling off adjectives without any consideration for the job specification can make your responses forgettable, and risks making you sound arrogant. Don't be scattershot; think of the specific strengths you have which make you a good fit for the role. Irrelevant answers. Any strengths you give should be related to the skills expected of the ideal candidate. For example, if you're applying for a job in accountancy, saying you're a great athlete is unlikely to enhance your application. Irrelevant answers may also suggest to the interviewer that your weaknesses lie in areas crucial to the job. Vague or general answers. You need to demonstrate self-awareness, so it isn't a good idea to say that you're strong in many respects but can't think of anything in particular. Back up your answers with short examples, and make sure you know your strengths in advance, since any hesitation risks undermining your answer. This is not a time to sit on the fence. What skills should you refer to? Don’t let the opportunity to flag up your key achievements pass you by, nor the chance to stand out from other candidates. When planning your answers, it's a good idea to categorise the various strengths that you wish to present and prepare a few from each category. Knowledge-Based Skills. Skills gained through education and experience, such as computer skills, languages, industry knowledge, social media skills, qualifications, training and technical skills. Transferable Skills. These are skills that you carry with you from job to job, such as communication skills, people skills, analytical skills, problem-solving and planning skills. Personal Traits. These are innate qualities that sell you as a person as well as an employee, e.g. dependability, flexibility, adaptability and being a team player. What if you don't know your strengths? If you find yourself struggling to come up with a list of strengths, you might want to try the following techniques: Ask someone else. Getting a fresh, external perspective can help to bring out an accurate reflection of what you're really good at. Try asking someone who knows you well (such as a friend or colleague) what they think your strengths are. Look back on past praise and achievements. Try to recall any praise or feedback you received as a student, or during any internships or work placements. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to keep a personal file of any positive feedback you receive throughout your education and employment. Similarly, review any achievements you have included on your CV, and identify what stands out. Some sample answers: The following answers can be adapted to be made relevant to your experience: 1. “I am highly adaptable to change. During my internship a new payroll system was introduced, and other members of staff were unhappy about it. I taught myself the system in my own personal time and was then able to train others how to use it.” This answer succinctly states what the strength is, before reinforcing it with an anecdotal example from a previous role. The example highlights how the candidate's strength yielded benefits for their employer. 2. “I have excellent interpersonal skills and excel in dealing with clients. In my last job, a customer was very unhappy when a delivery of a sample product was not made on time, which meant that the customer lost out on making a sale. I went out of my way to listen actively to the customer's concerns, apologised, and made sure that I understood everything that was wrong. I then presented a solution by calling other clients to see if they had any spare samples, which I volunteered to deliver to the customer the following day." This answer provides a step-by-step breakdown of a time when the candidate used their interpersonal skills to help a customer. It also gives the impression that the candidate cares about greatly their job. 3. "I’ve always considered myself to have a very strong work ethic. I am committed to doing whatever it takes to meet deadlines. As part of a work placement I was working with a customer who had my team on a strict deadline. For reasons beyond my control, there was some confusion in the delivery of crucial documents, which didn’t get to our office until late on the afternoon before the deadline. Rather than go home, I volunteered to stay late and finish everything, ensuring that the deadline was met, and that the work was of a very good standard.” This answer does not simply make a general statement about being a hard worker, but again backs up its assertion with a clearly explained example. Other strengths you might want to show evidence for
Throughout the interview, try to stay alert for opportunities and openings to communicate the strengths which are most relevant to the role. If you are asked about your previous employment or experience, try to share an example which relates to one of your strengths. If you can't find the opportunity, you may be asked if you have anything to add at the end of the interview, at which point you could offer a summary of your strengths, and emphasise how they make you the best candidate for the position. Perhaps the most important piece of advice to take on board is to always be honest. Blowing your interviewers away with talk of your amazing IT skills only for them to discover one week in that you are a technophobe will not go down well. It may even have you back on your job search, so think before you speak. | ||||||||||||
| Describe and pitch a creative idea to an employer or commissioner http://creativeskillset.org/ Have a look at this website for some ideas about an interview in the creative media sector. | ||||||||||||
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