World Gaming Day🕹
World Gaming Day in the UK – Everything You Need to Know
World Gaming Day, an initiative from the UK Games Industry Association, is almost here, and it’s time to get ready! Check out this blog post for everything you need to know about World Gaming Day in the UK!
What jobs you can get in the Gaming Industry?
The gaming industry has become a huge part of the UK economy and its was shared in TIGA's Making Games in the UK 2022 report that the number of full-time employees working in games went from 16,836 to 20,975 between April 2020 and December 2021! So it’s clear that the industry is ever growing with plenty of roles available! According to an article shared by Games Industry biz, the average salary for a game designer at junior level is £26,000, £44,000 at senior level, and £87,000 at director level. Meanwhile the highest paid roles are in online programming, which pays an average of £30,000 for interns, £70,000 for seniors, and around £90,000 in leadership roles. Other high paid roles include business development, data analysis and production.
Even if you don’t have the skills or experience required for some of the more technical career paths, there are plenty of other careers you can get into within the industry.
Here’s some jobs you could look to get in the UK Gaming Industry: Game developer, Assistant Games Producer, Gameplay Programmer, UI designer, Sales Manager, Social Media Manager, Marketing Executive, Sound Engineer/Programmer and Community Manager.
How is gaming creative?
We all love games, but how creative are they? While your parents may have thought of it as a passive activity, game creation has become a serious business. Some people do it for fun; others, for profit. Many of us do it every day and probably don’t even think about how creative we are being. It is only when you try to explain what you do that your creativity becomes more apparent. But why? And what does game creation involve? The industry needs a wide range of skills, ranging from art to programming. There's also a demand for those with skills in marketing, project management, sales and finance. So while some people will opt for the technical side in programming and development, others may opt for the more creative side working on graphics, visual effects and concept art, and then there’s the business side in which you can be creative, but within the marketing, project management and sales areas!
Tips for getting into the gaming industry?
If you want a career as a game designer, you might want to go into it knowing what’s expected. For example, most companies will ask for a portfolio of your work. There’s also a good chance they’ll want a CV and cover letter. A good CV showcases all of your skills and lets the employer know that your experience and skills match with the open position. A good CV will also put across your personality and achievements, and give the employer a good idea of whether you’ll be a good fit for their team and company. If you have any relevant coursework from school or independent study related to game design, make sure it’s included on your CV —but be aware that some companies may only accept degree level studies, an easy way to find this out is by checking the job advertisement, and then if it’s not specified on there, you can reach out to the company who have the opening.
Finally, if you’re applying to a specific job posting, research everything you can about that company before submitting your application. You should already know their mission statement and vision by heart, but do some research on their history, their products and anything else that makes them unique.
And don’t forget: You can always take courses online in everything surrounding game development!
If you’re interested in finding opportunities in gaming, or finding out more about the video games industry, download the ERIC app, or head to our Schools resource hub.
Creative jobs you can do from home👀
Has the post-covid work from home bug bitten you? Are offices a thing of the past? Do you prefer to put a load on during your lunchbreak than sit in the office canteen? (Us too).
Thankfully, the post-covid work world has adapted to this, with many remote and hybrid roles available in the creative industries. Many jobs have actually adapted to working from home, so there is no specific division between working from home jobs and office jobs, it mostly depends on whether the company hire flexible/work from home roles.
To give you some inspiration, here are some jobs that you can do from home, and some companies that hire flexible workers:
1. Photographer - As a freelance photographer you can be the king/queen of your own schedule and where you edit from.
2. Videographer - As a freelance videographer, again you can organise your own schedule and where you edit from.
3. Social Media Executive - Social Media is easily accessible (In terms of technological needs) and very flexible as a career nowadays, so lots of social media execs work from home completely or do hybrid work.
4. Event Planner - Event Planners (especially those that work self employed) can work from anywhere really! Apart from the event day, they can organise from anywhere in the world (unless they need to have physical meetings).
5. Animator - If you have the setup for work from home, animators can work from home pretty easily.
6. Web Designer - A lot of web designers work freelance, or for companies in-house, but similar to an animator, if you have the setup/tech to be able to work from home, there's no reason why you can't.
7. Stylist - Freelance stylists can do all of their admin from home - the rest of the role is dependent on what services you're offering and how.
8. Illustrator - Illustrators can work in whatever space brings them inspiration and comfort, to ensure that their illustrations hit the brief.
9. Copywriter - You could work freelance or as part of a company as a copywriter, and a lot of companies now allow their copywriters to work from home or hybrid.
10. Author - If you're an author, the chances are you'll be working from home, as you're writing for yourself (and possibly a publisher).
11. Writer - Freelance writers for magazines, websites etc generally tend to work from home, or wherever is convenient for them.
12. Product Designer - A product designer does have the ability to work flexibly or from home, if they have all of the information and resources they need to be able to do their job.
Companies that hire flexible workers/work from home staff:
Jet 2
Unilever
Apple
M&CSaatchi
Sony Music
Christie's Auction House
So what are you waiting for? Go and get yourself that job and spruce up your desk - Or download our app where you can find all of this information and more!🔥
Download on IOS & Android now: https://qrco.de/bd0xog
World Mental Health Day: Resources in the Creative Industries
Today is World Mental Health Day💭
According to the Preventative Care in the Creative Industries report released earlier this year(find the report here) 50% of respondents have had to seek professional mental health support because of working conditions in the Creative Industries, and only of those people, 30% had reported a pre-existing mental health condition.
Another important stat from the report was that 17% of respondents had positive experiences of mental health support at work. They cited a positive engagement with crisis support and preventative measures, such as; flexibility with working hours, culture of openness about mental health and proper breaks. Having reports that show these positive experiences of mental health support at work within the creative industries is great, but, the constant question is, how can we increase this percentage?
The creative industries is a wonderful sector of the UK market, but there are issues (similar to any other industry) that can lead employees, freelancers, self employed and learners to be less than eager to get up in the morning and continue on their creative journeys.
It's super important that employers and educators in the creative industries are aware of how they can support their employees and learners! To ensure the best experience and one that will allow high levels of efficiency and enjoyment, simply creating a positive working and learning environment can let employees and learners know they are in a safe space, where they can be themselves and build on their personal and professional development. These environments can be built and provided through preventative care strategies and supportive management.
To support anyone working or learning in the creative industries who may be feeling like they need some support, we've compiled a list of resources that you can come back to anytime you need a point in the right direction.
Mental Health Support & Guidance Resources - Mental Health Support resources for Creative Industry Workers:
https://bectu.org.uk/article/creative-industries-mental-health-support-and-guidance/
NABS - A support organisation for the advertising and media industry.
https://nabs.org.uk/about-nabs/
The Self Space - The world's first on-demand mental health service on the High Street.
https://theselfspace.com/for-individuals/
The Monday Morning Club - An East London based social enterprise, supporting an on and offline community by providing exercises, courses and digital tools.
https://www.mondaymorningclub.co.uk/
Leapers - A community that supports the mental health of freelancers and the self-employed.
https://www.leapers.co/
The Association of Illustrators - Developed by the AOI, Society of Authors and Association of Photographers, this resource aims to throw a light on some common issues encountered by creative freelancers.
https://theaoi.com/resources/professional-practice/mental-health-for-creative-freelancers/
These resources provide a variety of help in different forms, with some specialising in support for freelancers and self-employed, and others being available to a more generalised population.
Take 5 minutes today to make sure you're looking after yourself✨
Black Creatives & Communities that you NEED to know about
Mentor Black Business - Mentor Black Business centre themselves as a resource for Black Businesses to thrive. With a variety of mentors from multiple industries, businesses get matched with an individual that can help them to learn and build on what they already have. Leaders and changemakers have the chance to volunteer themselves to become these mentors.
Samuel Ross - Samuel Ross is a British artist, designer and multidisciplinary creative director. Ross studied graphic design and illustration at De Montfort University (first-class honours) and was scouted at his degree show, where he progressed into a formal product design career. Through the success of his luxury menswear label, Ross has been able to give back and support the young creative community, through bursaries, grants for black owned businesses and the formation of an advisory board to further integrate talent into dialogues linked to career and opportunity advancement for Black British and POC artists.
Samuel's grant can be found here applications are closed for right now but keep an eye on it for when it reopens!
Sarah Owusu - Sarah was a member of the Forbes Africa 30 under 30 list in 2019. Owusu is a self-taught Ghanaian British artist. She currently works as a full-time artist in London, UK and was featured on the Global Purpose Enterprise TikTok page giving tips to black creators.
Athian Akec - Athian has been quoted as the 'future of British politics', being a 16 year old Youth MP for Camden. Athian inspires everyone around him in talking about his aims for making the UK a better place, stating that one of them is 'To bring resources, wealth and decision making power to Black communities that for too long have faced economic deprivation, insecure housing, youth services, properly funded education, police brutality and other forms of systemic institutional racism'.
He was featured in an i-D magazine TikTok, where he talks about how Black youth can use their art as a tool for the future.
If you want to keep up with these black leaders of the future, then follow them on socials or keep up with their news through their websites and online pages!
Black History Month at ERIC⚡️
October is Black History Month (as many of you will already know). So we're celebrating and supporting in a few ways; on the app and on our social media platforms.
👉 Our lovely content curator Phoebe will be putting together some guides that highlight black creatives and lifestyles of black freelancers. You'll see a few of these spread across the month on the front page of our app.
👉 We'll be doing 'a day in the life' with our black team members on instagram, during which you'll be able to send in questions about creative careers and ask for advice on uni/jobs/general career things! All of this will be taking place on our Instagram every Monday of the month of October apart from the 17th.
👉 We'll also be highlighting as many opportunities as possible that are focused around black creatives during October! These can be found on our app, in our young people's newsletter and on our instagram.
Black History Month month is a super important reminder of the large community of black talent and culture that we have within the creative sector in the UK, and how much of an impact they have on creativity across the country. Lots of companies and individuals will be sharing content and helping to highlight the black creative community within the UK over the next month, so we're so pleased to be joining and helping to support companies who are providing more opportunities for the young BAME community.
If you want to keep up with all of our activities and opportunities during Black History Month, we recommend:
📲 Downloading the app
📩 Subscribing to the newsletter (so you get a double whammy!)
🔔 Turning on your notifications for our instagram page
International Podcast Day🎙
Happy International Podcast Day!👏🎙
International Podcast Day is an annual celebration of freedom of speech, in the form of podcasting. The annual podcast holiday was created by Steve Lee, the founder of Modern Life Network and has been celebrated since 2014. In its first year, more than 300 international events were planned around the world. In 2018 there were over 400 events planned in 70 countries!
The goal of International Podcast Day overall was to create an awareness of podcasts, as well as give listeners an opportunity to discover new podcasts!
According to Forbes, there's currently 4 million podcasts available on Spotify, so you're not too stuck for choice!
To narrow down your choices(slightly) the ERIC team have collated their favourite podcasts - why not check them out?
Mae - Mae actually has her own podcast (cheeky promo) where she is on a mission to redefine the asian stereotype by sharing inspirational stories from those doing exciting things! The podcast is called 'Phenomenal & Asian' and you can have a listen here - https://open.spotify.com/show/207YiC76SS7zvhO8VLQTRA?si=b44f06a768b74a3c
Sam - Sam is obsessed with the New York Times Daily Podcast, she says it's: 'super useful for daily updates on big news stories and interesting cultural themes. I always learn something I can apply to work'.
Check it out here - https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily
Kurt - Kurt also has his own podcast! A fun take on a regular interview by making it an interview game show featuring inspiring black leaders.
You can press play here - https://open.spotify.com/show/3lJ6tG0g5QSpaKO00hVxpa?si=129f450160084691
Phoebe - Phoebe has been enjoying the Creative Lives podcast recently! It profiles lots of interesting creative careers and discusses insightful and educational topics that support individuals wanting to get into creative careers!
Check it out now - https://open.spotify.com/show/10tmUsYZ4ms9e9tgx4Gc40?si=FuePVnMnSRymeeCd774xUQ
Yine - Yine was inspired by the 'Career Queens' podcast by Teti Lekalake, in which one of the recent episodes discusses 'starting and growing a creative side hustle'.
You can check out the episode here - https://open.spotify.com/show/2tmfqx8ssIcdwHiejFfp2C
Lucy - Lucy has recently been enjoying the Openback podcast, started by two of her fellow Leeds Conservatoire graduates, where they discuss surviving the music industry and breaking down the abstract world into understandable anecdotes and stories.
You can have a listen here - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ynUKRAJ5eKQfiORfuN0fA?si=57381cc86aa2499c
If these recommendations get you inspired, carry on the vibe!
Download the ERIC app and check out our playlist-style guides, which include articles, podcasts and videos all about the creative industries, that are all collated into one handy space!
Our New Microsite!
As of the 15th September 2022, we have some very exciting news!
Our new microsite has just launched on the ERIC website!
You may ask, ‘why is this helpful for me?’. WELL, the newly uploaded information includes a clear breakdown of the 16 different sectors that make up the creative industries (pretty cool right?).
All of the industries have been made as clear as possible (we hope!) with some colourful graphics as signposts. Once you click on an industry, you’ll be able to find the following information:
⚡️ A summary of what the industry actually is!
⚡️Labour Market Information
⚡️ Some crazy predictions/industry trends
⚡️ Some handpicked industry-created helpful resources for those of you that want to do more research!
These resources are perfect for schools and universities who want to educate their students about the creative industries, or just for any individuals or companies who may be interested in learning a bit more about the industries and their current and possibly future states.
If you want to go and have a nosey at the website, you can find it here - https://www.meet-eric.com/explore-the-creative-industries
If you like what you see, the team over at ERIC are always eager to chat with people about what we’re doing and how you can get involved! If you’d like to book in a call, please contact sam@meet-eric.com
5 of our favourite creative Linkedin Influencers at the moment
Fiona Bradley - Fiona is Founder and Chief Content Marketer at FB Comms based in Leeds. We love Fiona’s content for a few reasons!
She is badass small business owner who talks honestly about the development of FB Comms and the team
She provides meaningful content that we can ALL learn from, whether it be as an employee, or an employer.
Her branding is spot on!
Ellie Middleton - Ellie is a wonderful Autistic & ADHD Activist / Content Creator, Consultant & Public Speaker! There are so many things we enjoy about Ellie’s content, but mostly:
We love how honest she is, and how supportive she is as a content creator in being transparent about her experiences with autism and adhd, and how you can identify it in your personal and professional spaces.
Her personal branding is top notch (which makes sense as she works for great influence!!)
Her LinkedIn content is spot on, everytime. Ellie’s content is for everyone, and we can all learn something from her stories and experiences!
Her outfits - we will say no more.
Sophie Miller - Sophie is a queen in the universe of freelance social media marketing, having worked with some HUGE brands alongside running her online Pretty Little Marketer community! From Sophie’s content you’ll get:
Honest reactions to current affairs within the marketing world
Fun insights into recent social media trends (we’re loving the corn trend at the minute - check out Sophie’s recent post on how Chipotle created their own spin on the trend)
Updates on the evergrowing Pretty Little Marketer community (if you’re a marketer and you haven’t joined - go and do it now!)
Funny and inspiring short form content that is guaranteed to make you smile.
Nisha Aubeeluck - Nisha is a passionate and badass careers coach, who is on a mission to dismantle outdated beliefs around work! A few reasons why we adore Nisha’s content:
We love hearing about her confidence workshops! Some recent ones feature Pan Macmillan and ASOS.
Her interview and CV hacks are SUPER helpful. If you’re updating your CV or going through the interview process, check out her content!
The transparency and honesty around your career journey and believing in yourself is a welcome addition to our timelines!
Samantha Hornsby - One of our very own, Sam who is co-founder of ERIC! The rest of the team have been LOVING her insightful content on creative careers education. If you’re wanting a rundown on what Sam is passionate about and sharing at the minute…
The transparency (or lack thereof) surrounding creative careers and what they’re all about
What the creative industries are!
The link between the creative industries, the companies working within them and young people in the UK
Issues with entry level hiring systems
How the systems are changing within the creative industries!
My parents say a creative career is a bad option. Are they right?
No! They are absolutely not correct in saying this (sorry parents). Creativity is integral to success. As stated by the Scottish Government, ‘people are most creative in an environment where individual ability is recognised, new approaches are always welcome and leaders set an example, by focusing on the challenges of the future. Creative individuals with initiative bring fresh ideas to business’.
Creative careers are also full of opportunity for a curvy career path, with transferable skills allowing people to switch between careers and try out new roles.
The creative industries is one of the fastest growing and in demand sectors in the UK economy. They’re needing staff now more than ever, and the great news is, there’s more training and learning opportunities available due to the constant growth of the industry and the people in it who are willing to pass on their knowledge and skills.
If you’re looking for 5 reasons to go for it, we can give you some…
You can do a job you love - This one is a big hitter. What makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning? If your passion is currently a hobby and you’re wondering whether it’s worth taking the leap, we’d say do it. There’s the old cliche saying of ‘if you enjoy your job, you’ll never work a day in your life’, and we’d have to say in some cases, this can be true.
It’s a flexible industry, with portfolio careers becoming a regularity - The creative industries are becoming more flexible every year, with more and more entry level roles becoming available, alongside the increase in portfolio careers.
Develop many transferable skills - Some of the industries include transferable careers, which means if you start out in one, the likelihood is that you’ll build skills that can transfer to another, for example, advertising, marketing and PR have similar skills that could be transferable between roles.
There’s lots of emerging careers, and there may be new roles we don’t even have now in a few years - Want to be at the forefront of the creative industries development? There are new technologies and systems that are opening up opportunities within the creative industries, such as the implementation of artificial intelligence enabling artists to break boundaries on what they’re making.
You’re part of a huge community of creatives - The creative industries are like no other when it comes to community. It’s giving us iyk, yk vibes.
Have we convinced you yet? If so, there’s plenty of opportunities available on the ERIC app for you to get started with…
Our top 5 creative career resources
ERIC - Of course, we’re going to back ourselves! ERIC is a one stop shop for exploring careers, upskilling yourself and getting your first job. We have an app full of industry guides, upskilling opportunities and entry-level opportunities that are waiting for you - all for free we might add!
I Like Networking - I Like Networking is a career platform for women and non-binary people who want to thrive in the creative industries. Through their programmes, which include workshops, panels, mentoring and membership, they provide a place for people to connect and meet one another, supporting peer-to-peer mentoring and encouraging a gentle way of networking that fosters collaboration.
Melocompass - Aimed specifically at the music industry, MeloCompass aims to empower women and minorities to start a career in music by demystifying and navigating opportunities in the industry.
If You Could Jobs - If You Could Jobs provides the opportunity to browse roles across the creative industries at all levels. They also have a journal where they explore the current topics and conversations around the creative working world.
Screenskills - ScreenSkills is an industry-led skills body for the screen industries – film, television (including children's, unscripted and high-end), VFX (visual effects), animation and games. On screen skills you can find; careers information, e-learning, skills forecasting, mentoring programmes, bursaries and other helpful careers resources!
Is the creative industries really bigger than STEM?
Would you believe us if we said yes?
In 2019, the Creative Industries contributed £115.9bn to the UK economy, accounting for 5.9% of UK GVA.
There are 3.3 million people working in creative jobs in the UK (STEM has 2.2 million people working in it).
The creative industries contribution to the UK economy has grown twice as fast as the rest of the economy since 2010.
With all of these incredible contributions, the Creative Industries are now bigger than UK Life Sciences, Aerospace and Automotive sectors combined.
A quick recap on the 16 creative industries…
Advertising, Marketing & PR, Architecture, Arts & Crafts, Culture & Heritage, Design, Digital Media, Fashion, Film & TV, Gaming, Music, Podcasts, Radio & Audio, Photography & Videography, Publishing, Theatre & Performing Arts, Writing & Journalism, VFX & Animation.
However, we do need both STEM and the Creative Industries to support our economy. There are millions of individuals across the UK who have skills fit for one of the two, or possibly both!
An interesting fact that we’ve read recently, is that the digital and creative sector will need 1.2 million new workers by 2025 in order to keep up with its growth! Which just proves how big the creative industries really are, and that there are, and will continue to be plenty of jobs available for people of all skill levels, whether it be entry level or executive.
Check out the ERIC App now to search entry level jobs, upskilling resources and networking opportunities.
What freelance work can I do in the creative industries?
So you want to work freelance? Well, the creative industries is a great place to do it, with thousands of freelancers already working in the industries, and supporting each other within the many communities.
You’re probably wondering what jobs you can do freelance. In today’s market, you’ll be happy to hear that you can do the majority of things freelance! Here is a brief list of 10 potential freelance roles to get you inspired…
Social Media Manager
Photographer
Video editor
Copywriter
Events planner
Journalist
SEO analyst
PR executive
Graphic Designer
Audio producer
If you have a rough idea of what kind of role you want to do - amazing! Next up is to think about how you’re going to set yourself up and get work.
Here’s some websites where you can start to advertise yourself as a freelancer and get work:
Don’t forget that social media is a great place to advertise yourself as a freelancer! For example, you could set up a business profile on instagram, which would enable you to let people contact you, book you for work and get an idea of your work, all in one place!
If you’re interested in joining some freelancer communities as well, to meet people, share experiences and get support, take a look at these groups and see if they take your fancy.
So, now you’ve got an idea of the freelance roles available, where you can start to advertise your work and some communities that welcome freelancers of all levels!
Why not get started? Get your hustle on👀
What are the ‘Creative Industries’?
The creative industries is made up of 16 individual industries…
So, you want to know what the creative industries are? You’ve come to the right place.
The unfortunate thing is that the creative world itself hasn’t been great with defining itself and sharing what the industries are all about with the people that want to get into it.
You might think that the creative industries just surrounds jobs like marketing/content creation📱, being a singer🎤, creating visual art🎨, or taking photos📸. It is SO much more than this!
Would you be surprised to find out that the creative industries are defined into 16 different sectors? If you are, you’re welcome, because now you know that there is much more to the creative industries than just the roles that were mentioned in high school.
Ok. So, what are the 16 different industries?
Advertising, Marketing & PR
Architecture
Arts & Crafts
Culture & Heritage
Design
Digital Media
Fashion
Film & TV
Gaming
Music
Podcasts, Radio & Audio
Photography & Videography
Publishing
Theatre & Performing Arts
Writing & Journalism
VFX & Animation
A lot of these industries include roles that can include a lot of transferable skills, which means you could work in quite a few of these different industries - why don’t you check it out?
If you want more of this kind of content, check out the ERIC app for more information!
How big are the Creative Industries?
The creative industries is a huge sector with millions of jobs available…
When you think of big industries, do you think of the creative industries? Or do you think about STEM, Agriculture or Finance. If you think of the latter, you may be underestimating the power of the creative industries, and how much influence it has across the world👀
Fun fact - the Creative Industries is growing 5 times faster than the rest of the UK economy! It also makes more money for the UK economy than life sciences, oil & gas, aerospace and automotive combined.
The Creative Industries are MASSIVE! They contribute so much more to the UK Economy and have a larger level of GVA than is usually estimated/made public.
Here’s some quick facts:
❗️The UK Gaming industry’s annual contribution to the UK’s GDP reached £2.9 billion by December 2021.
❗️The UK Publishing Industry has a turnover of £6 billion
❗️The Theatre industry is worth a whopping £101.5 billion! The sector is also growing at nearly twice the rate of the UK economy.
This is only three different industries, imagine how much the 16 Creative Industries is pumping into the UK economy as a whole!
Now, that’s a lot of talk about the economy… let's look at who’s working in the Creative Industries!
⚡️ According to the DMCS, In the year from October 2019 to September 2020 the Creative Industries accounted for a whopping 2.2 million jobs!
🔥 Theatre & Performing Arts supported 72,000 roles in 2020
🔥 Around 555,000 people are employed in fashion, textiles and fashion retail
🔥The Crafts industry currently has around 150,000 people working in the industry
So now you know how many people work in the Creative Industries in the UK AND the contribution that the industries give to the UK economy.
According to recent news, the digital and creative sector will need 1.2 million new workers by 2022 in order to keep up with its growth…
So, are you going to join the revolution?👀
Can I work in the Creative Industries?
Yes! Of course you can. Here’s why…
The only answer is yes! You can absolutely work in the Creative Industries. There are lots of roles that you might not realise are creative, or part of the creative industries.
No matter whether you’re still in school, college or university, or just finishing any of these - there are opportunities out there for you to upskill yourself, get work experience or get your first paid job!
Here’s a few thoughts about how you can get into the creative industries, no matter what stage you’re at in your career:
Work Experience - There are plenty of companies out there who are open to having people aged 14-18 in for work experience! Usually this is one or two weeks getting to grips with what the company does and how it works from the inside out. If you’re still in school (age 14-16) or in college (age 16-18) we’d suggest looking out for some work experience opportunities!
Internships - Creative Industry Internships are a great way of getting experience, whilst getting paid! If you’re not sure what to do with your summer, christmas or easter break, lots of companies have internships available for between 1 month and 12 months. A good chance if you’re mid-college or mid-university.
Apprenticeships - Apprenticeships are a longer term development opportunity available to individuals of all ages, which usually take place over 1-3 years. Apprenticeships allow you to learn the theory alongside putting into practice, which can be invaluable when applying for jobs in the industry.
Entry-Level Roles - If you’re just starting out in your career, entry-level job roles will probably be what you’re looking for! There are hundreds of creative employers in the UK industries that are looking for ambitious and proactive entry level staff to join their ranks.
You can check out which of the 16 creative industries you could join by having a read of our other article here (link).
A lot of careers within the creative industries require transferable skills, meaning that you could be suited to more than one career within the industry👀 For example, if you’re great at content creation, you could work in many of the industries.
Can you make money in the Creative Industries?
It all begins with an idea.
The short answer is yes, you can! There’s a lot of chat about whether the creative industries is a good industry to get into if you want to earn the dollar bills 💸. The great news is that, an analysis of 2022 starting salaries by recruitment agency Aspire shows that creative roles are all paying at least 15% more than they were in 2021.
But you don’t have to take our word for it…
Check out these salary averages for a large range of creative roles that are available in the UK.
The average salary of someone working in the UK creative industries is around £35,000, however some of the highest salaries you can earn in the creative industries look a little something like this…
💸 The average salary for a Public Relations (PR) Director in the United Kingdom is £67,908.
💸 Total annual pay for an Advertising and Public Relations Director can vary between £34,000 and £128,000
💸 The current average base salary for a Marketing director is £66,519 a year, and the total annual pay can be well over £170,000 starting with £63,000.
💸 UX (user experience) designers are in high demand, earning between £25,000 and £50,000 per year.
💸 The average game designer salary in the United Kingdom is £45,000 per year or £23.08 per hour. Entry level positions start at £34,500 per year while most experienced workers make up to £65,000 per year.
Making money in the creative industries can come in a few different forms, featuring freelance, full-time employment and in-house work.
Freelance workers are in a strong position right now to command higher fees. Ahead of an analysis of freelancer pay rates exclusively for FreelanceUK, it was reported that freelancers in 2021 earned an average of £368 per day – some 5% up on 2020.
Self-employed people emerged as the top earners, commanding an average of £512 a day. Social media freelancers made an average of £307.
But averages can be deceptive. In line with the Aspire data indicating demand for social media managers, one social media manager on Yuno Juno achieved a day rate of £1,120. You can read more about this here.
So, if you’re worried about pay, don’t be! The creative industries have plenty of scope for earning potential.