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Most areas of work have many different routes to getting the job or career that you want. Some people achieve this through luck, hard work, knowing the right people, or a combination of all three.
A more reliable and sustainable way of getting where you want to be is to find a course, do your training and gain the skills and qualifications the industry actually requires.
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Which course?
Throughout the UK there are many institutions and organisations offering media-related technical training programmes and courses. You can study at further and higher education level, as well as combining work with your studies. Courses range from short one-day workshops through to three-year degree programmes, with some being longer. The course you choose will depend on what suits you best in terms of its content, the stage you are at in your training and your personal situation.
Think ahead
Changes in technology can have a huge effect on how a job is done and whether the type of job is still required. So as well as keeping up-to-date with technological developments it's also a good idea to:
research the area of work you are interested in pursuing to make sure there is a need for the skills you are planning to acquire;
assess the value of the qualification in real industry terms and find out if it is a recognised qualification;
check to see if the course providing institution has strong links with industry and offers work placements, which can give you real hands-on experience and potential contacts at the end of your course;
find out if the tutors have industry experience and, more importantly, how recent their experience is;
ask if the institution offers careers advice as part of your training or has a job-tracking system in place to monitor student progress;
find out which areas of work previous students have gone into to see if this matches your career expectations.
Be practical
Prospectuses and marketing information from organisations can be a useful place to start finding out about a course but there is more information you should find out about before you commit your time (and money) to a course:
will you be expected to pay for any equipment over and above the course fees?
is the equipment available up-to-date and in good working order?
is there enough equipment for you to get regular hands-on experience?
what is the ratio of practical work to theory and does this suit your final career goal?
if you are planning to work as a freelancer (very common in some areas), does the course contain any guidance or business studies-related modules?
does the course content cover management training, should you be interested in a management role once you have completed the course?
Remember - you have a right to know all this information, and institutions and organisations should be happy to provide it. If possible, print this page as a checklist and bring it along to your next visit. You will then be able to see for yourself if a certain course is the right course for you.
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