This module provides a broad overview of key approaches to industry employment and application to funding within the arts and industry sectors. To facilitate your move into the workplace, research or the arts/creative sectors this module aims to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for enhanced employability for postgraduate students. Subjects covered will typically include:

Employability skills and career theory
Personal skills analysis
Management skills development
Insights into Career opportunities relevant to course of study
Navigating the job application process: Psychometric tests, interviews, assessment centres, and presentations
Finding your consultancy project/internship/industrial placement opportunity

You will engage in research, discourse and analysis of this dynamic sector, ensuring that your employer and industry facing content is ready to be deployed when seeking employment, funding, or further education opportunities.

You will work on building skills regarding job application but also developing skills such as self-branding, web presence, video CV, social media for professional applications and much more. The portfolio you build will show your ability to develop and maintain a digital presence, this will be an ongoing space through which you can ensure your work and outward facing brand is up to date and importantly searchable by potential employers, collaborators and funders.

The entrepreneur pitch or business plan presentation is designed to be reflective of industry expectations and approaches. The presentation should focus upon a pitch for a grant proposal (this could be Arts Council, BFI, Crowdfunding pitch etc) or pitch a business plan – this could be for a project, start-up business/company, a short film and pre-production plan etc. The choice is with you as it should be informed by your ambition and interest within the sector. As a part of the presentation, you will submit your CV and integrate your digital brand.

ASSESSMENT 1 - Self-promotion or entrepreneurship presentation: A 10-minute presentation which focusses upon securing a grant via a pitch or a business plan pitch. Indicative content: grant pitch to arts council, BFI or Crowdfunding platform, Entrepreneurship indicative content: project pitch with full budgeting, business start-up. [LO 3, 4]

1. Effectively communicate and articulate your professional film industry knowledge.
2. Articulate a critical awareness of appropriate methodologies and techniques relating to employability resources to enhance and develop your career goals and understand their effectiveness in relation to your intended career plans.
3. Reflect upon your qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment.
4. Develop an independent learning ability to support you continuing professional development.
5 Apply an awareness of how to communicate your future-plans through completion of appropriate proposals and applications.

This module will develop your understanding of the professional requirements and opportunities of the film and creative industries. Real world application of communication, branding and presentation will ready you for the job market.

Workshops will introduce key skill sets and approaches to building your brand and maintaining it. Technical instruction will support your creation of a professional online presence and encourage you to manage your brand through key personal marketing and branding opportunities.

Seminars and discussions will expand your awareness and understanding of the implications and guiding factors around the industry, approaches to maximising visibility in the marketplace and creating funding and financing opportunities.

Linked In
Social Media
Web Site building and management software
Enterprise Team

Cottrell, S. (2015), Skills for success: the personal development planning handbook, 2nd edition, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Hennessy, B. (2018). Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media
Holland, C. (2019) Film Festival Secrets: The Ultimate Handbook for Independent Filmmakers

Niblock, S. (2017) Media Professionalism and Training, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/staffordshire/detail.action?docID=4008547.

Pattison, L. (2013). Professional skills and employability, Harlow: Pearson, Higher Education

Williams, K., Woolliams, M. & Spiro, J. (2012) Reflective writing Pocket studies skills, Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

Yate, M. (2003) The ultimate CV book: write the perfect CV and get that job. London :Kogan Page Ltd

This module will ready you for the myriad of opportunities found in the dynamic film and creative visual sector. You will be encouraged to produce materials which speak directly to your career aspirations and will be supported in creating and maintaining a professional online presence. The project work for this module asks you to look towards industrial contexts when presenting yourself and your ideas or business plans. To this end the project assessment looks towards outward facing products and presentation strategies to ready you for your next steps.