From education to employment

How to get into a career in the creative industry 2019

Although it’s of popular belief that the creative industry is a dying sector, its currently one of the quickest growing parts if the economy in the UK.

In 2017 the sector saw its value rise to £101.5bn from its £94.8bn valuation in 2016, which is a noteworthy increase.

Assumptions have been commonly made that a career in the creative field is something that should be avoided. But its much more lucrative that you’d imagine.

There were around 80,000 jobs created in 2017, and that figure doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

There are a lot of areas of work that are part of the creative sector. This includes: advertising and marketing, architecture, crafts, design (product, graphic and fashion), film, television, video, radio and photography, IT, software and computer services, publishing, museums, galleries and libraries, music, performing and visual arts, animation and visual effects, video games and heritage.

Although these specific jobs have a variation in duties, they all have one thing in common — any person within any of these roles must be creative. However, one area (or talent) that can relate to all of these diversified roles is art.

People are interested in this too, as the phrase ‘art jobs’ has around 40,500 searches per month on Google, which has notably increased over time. This highlights that there is an interest for paid work, and for many, that means transforming their current hobby into an actual income.

An appetite for art

From sketching in your spare time to attending different galleries and exhibitions across the country, your love of the industry will be the driving force behind your success. If you love what you do, you’ll welcome mass appreciation from others in the same field.

It true, that you must have a level of talent and talent is certainly subjective. When it comes to unleashing your creativity, you need to offer a message in everything that you do.

You need to tell a story, sell an experience, and be thought provoking while offering some sort of vulnerability in your work. Art is all about empowering every emotive feeling in your body and is definitely not about getting the perfect shot in the gallery for social media.

Educational training

Although your own character and talent will take you places, it’s always important to try your best in your schoolwork. It wouldn’t be fair to say that grades aren’t important and can open up a lot of doors, but it’s important to understand that they don’t determine your future.

Most people who are considering a career in art will begin taking it as a GCSE subject in secondary school. Following the grade that they receive, this will determine whether they can then continue the subject as an A-Level, or at college where they will likely complete a Level 3. Students may have to sit a Level 2 at college if they failed their GCSE — however, this will be determined by the course leaders and a strong portfolio could push you straight onto Level 3.

Both A-Level and Level 3 courses will take two years to complete. in this time, you’ll likely hold your own exhibition with other students and display your work to the public, this can include pieces such as framed artwork to stunning wall murals. This is an amazing thing to include on your CV and personal statement when it comes to the next academic step… university!

Everyone has an opinion on whether studying art at university is beneficial. In the last five years, there has been an evident decrease in the number of UCAS applications for Creative Arts and Design. The deadline analysis from January 2019 found that only 215,330 applied, in comparison to the 224,630 that applied the same time last year.

Experience on an art-focused university course will differ on the type of degree you’re studying. If you’re studying a history of art degree, your course will be heavily theory-based with a lot of written work. However, if you’re studying a subject such as fine art, expect this to be more practical with workshop-led lessons and tasks that may contribute to your final grade. Most undergraduate art courses last for three years in the UK — however, if you study abroad, this could be up to four years.

Top 10 universities for Art & Design

  1. Royal College of Art
  2. University College London
  3. University of the Arts London
  4. Goldsmiths, London
  5. The Glasgow School of Art
  6. Loughborough University
  7. University of Oxford
  8. University of Brighton
  9. Edinburgh College of Arts
  10. Lancaster University

However, university isn’t the only option once you have completed sixth form or college. Many take the alternative route of an apprenticeship (which can be done after the competition of GCSEs). This is for the artists who know exactly what they want to get into — whether this is costume design, graphics, visual effects, animation, product development or more. The number of apprenticeships available are endless, and the stigma around getting them has finally been removed.

If you are considering an apprenticeship in a creative field, know that you will be gaining your education directly from industry experts — which isn’t necessarily what you’d gain at university. You’ll likely be working full time and 100% be earning a wage too. From this experience, you’ll be able to work on real-life projects and familiarise yourself with the working environment of your respected field.


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