Kickstart your career with a job in the entertainment industry
BEEN glued to the box over Xmas? Then consider a new career in the entertainment industry.
Encompassing TV, radio, music, films, streaming and even apps, the sector is already worth £85bn to the UK economy annually and is expected to grow to a bumper £100bn by 2027.
Around 734,000 people work in entertainment and job numbers are growing as the sector diversifies and introduces new ways to keep people entertained.
While presenters, pundits and actors are the undoubted stars of the show and the faces of the industry, there are hundreds of other job roles you could do.
Keen to find out more? Let us telly you all you need to know.
What type of job roles are there in the entertainment industry?
The most famous ones are the roles in front of the camera or mic – presenters, actors and show hosts.
However, there are thousands of jobs annually in ‘production’ roles, such as camera person, sound and lighting, scriptwriting, editing and coming up with ideas for new shows.
You may also be surprised to know that the bulk of open vacancies each year are for jobs you’ll find in almost every industry including HR, finance, sales and marketing.
How do I get into the entertainment industry?
This will depend on the job role you want to do.
For standard jobs such as finance and HR, the route in is the same as most firms in that you’ll need relevant school and professional qualifications.
For industry-specific jobs such as presenting and production roles, you’ll need work experience and the willingness to start at the bottom and work your way up.
Many presenters have acting or journalism backgrounds while production staff can start as runners first.
Find out more at https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/tv-or-film-production-runner
What are pay levels like?
This will vary hugely. Top stars can be paid millions but for those trying to break into the sector, competition is fierce so you may be paid the Living Wage and not much more.
Once established, the average wage is £42,500 which is considerably higher than the national average wage.
What else do I need to know?
Entertainment is a 24/7 industry so for frontline roles, you might be expected to work weekends, nights and public holidays.
As it’s a highly sought-after career, you’ll need to be resilient and prepared to work hard to reach your goals. Connections are important so network and build up your personal profile.
Many production jobs are freelance or contract, so be sure that type or role will suit your lifestyle.
Let Sun Jobs entertain you. Here are the top three entertainment firms to work at in the UK – click through for the latest job listings.
BBC
The BBC is one of the world’s leading public broadcasting companies. It is not just TV and radio; they employ people in orchestras, on app design teams, in sports research, software engineering and more.
They offer paid time off; maternity and paternity leave; flexible working; professional learning and development; and a group pension plan.
Right now, the BBC has openings for journalists, business analysts, a cellist, data architects and more.
ITV
ITV is the UK’s leading advertising-funded television business with a strong reputation for brilliant content, via its linear channels or on-demand via its ad-funded streaming proposition, ITVX.
With offices dotted around the UK, staff can take advantage of flexible working options, a generous holiday allowance, an annual bonus opportunity, competitive pension contribution, well-being and volunteering days, plus a wide range of opportunities to help you live a balanced and healthy life.
Current vacancies include a commercial sales assistant, cyber security analyst and content editor.
Netflix
Netflix is the world’s largest streaming entertainment service, and since its establishment in 1997, the company has expanded its reach to offer not just a streaming service but its own original shows and films.
This also means that its scope for work opportunities has expanded vastly, too.
With offices in cities from London to Los Angeles, Amsterdam and Paris, Netflix is currently recruiting to fill a massive variety of roles.
As a Netflix employee, you’ll receive health insurance, stock options, and paid parental leave.
Discover thousands of open vacancies for jobs all across the UK now on The Sun Job Board
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