UCAS & Personal Development Project

Courses/Entry Level Jobs

Development Road Map

BA (Hons) Communication and Media (Bournemouth University)

I won't be able to get onto this course with just my Level 3 Creative Media Diploma however, it could certainly help get a place.

This is a 3 year course which is the case with a lot of university courses.

An issue with this course is that it is a similar course to the one I am already doing and they are both level 3 so if I went onto this course after completing my level 3 diploma in creative media I'm not really sure it would be worth my time doing this course as I could go onto do something else that's more worth while in my opinion such as an apprenticeship.

The year 1 core units are Communication & Marketing, Media & Society, Introduction to Communication Theory, Adaptation, Academic & Writing Skills and Language Matters.

The second year core units are Media & Marketing Research, Media, Web & Mobile Communication, Narrative Structures, Writing for the Media.

The second year also has optional units which are,

Popular Texts & Intertexts and Global Current Affairs.

The final year only has one core unit and this is Dissertation (Creative, Discursive or Social Science), however, you have to pick 4 option units and these include; Celebrity Culture, Advertising, Public Relations, Media, Crisis & Conflict, Media & Trauma, News & Journalism, Writing, Editing & Publishing, Fact & Fiction, New Media Narrative, Community & Digital Engagement, Space, Place & Environment.

A benefit of this course is that I would get a lot of real life situations/subjects to work with which will not only help with media knowledge but it would also help with general knowledge on a lot of real life subjects with what goes on in the world.

Media - Access to Higher Education Diploma (Level 3 at South Thames College)

Entry Requirements

For this course, you should be 19 or over.

English and maths

Most universities ask for GCSE English and maths grade A*-C/9-4.

If you're missing one of these GCSEs at the required grade:

You will need to sit an assessment and depending on your results,

you could study a GCSE course or a Level 2 Functional Skills

course alongside Access. This option is intensive so you'll need to

be committed to studying the extra hours.

A benefit of this course is that it gets you ready for university however a drawback is that by the age of 18 you can go to university so the time you’re spending doing this course you could be at university but going back to the benefits, this course has easier entry requirements so if you can’t get into university, you can probably get onto this course.

The skills I would use during this course would be a wide range of skills as this course is on a range of media subjects.

On the South Thames College website, it says, "This course combines theoretical and practical approaches to the study of modern media technologies. It will also prepare you for university by teaching you study and IT skills. You'll learn how to write features and news articles, make digital films, study and evaluate how media messages are constructed, and the different ways that they shape both the world and how we make sense of it. If you've ever wanted to explore 'what is media?' then this course is ideal for you. Academic and tutorial support is given throughout the course, and you'll get help and advice with your university applications through the UCAS system.

You'll be expected to study extra hours outside of the class in order to manage strict work deadlines and to cope with the workload on this intensive course."

What is an HNC?

An HNC is a Higher National Certificate and takes 1 year to do if you're doing it full time and 2 years if you're doing it part time. An HNC is equivalent to 1 year at University and although a lot of HNC and HND courses are similar, an HNC is a level below an HND.

What is an HND?

An HND is a higher national diploma and it is a work related course. If you are doing it full time then it will take 3-4 years to complete, however, if you're doing it full time it takes 2 years. An HND is usually equivalent to 2 years at University.

The benefits of an HNC and an HND is that they can lead straight into careers. If you want to convert it to a full bachelor's degree you can choose to top-up an HND or an HNC.

HND Media and Communications (Glasgow Clyde College)

Course Contents:

Advertising
Public Relations
Digital video production and editing
Writing for the Media
TV Planning and Production
Pop Music
Journalism
InDesign Graphic Communication
Oral Presentation Skills
Film Theory
Radio Production and Presenting
Media Law
Planning and running campaigns for real clients
Research Skills

Entry requirements:

One Higher, preferably English or Media Studies at C or above
A portfolio of written work may be requested at the interview
An interview is part of the selection process
Relevant experience may also be considered
For those holding a relevant HNC, it may be possible to access Year 2 of the HND. Please contact the Faculty directly.
Foundation Apprenticeship in Creative and Digital Media
If you do not meet the entry criteria for your chosen course, you may be offered an alternative course in the same subject area.

On this course, I will learn about film, television, radio, journalism, and broadcasting, how advertising agencies work, how to organise and manage events, what public relations amount to.

Creative Multimedia with Journalism Higher National Diploma (Chichester College)

Year One

Individual Project

Creative Media Industry
Interview and Presentation Techniques
Radio production
Journalism & Society
Digital page Production
Journalism Practices
Professional Practice

Year Two

Collaborative Project
Narrative
Film Criticism
Scriptwriting for Film & Television
Advanced Editing for TV & Film
Personal, Professional Development
Advanced Journalism Studies

Entry requirements: Successful completion of a Level 4 qualification in the creative arts is the standard entry requirements although those with significant experience of the creative industries are also considered.

The first year of this course looks as though a lot of the work is based on journalism and factual sources meaning I would most likely be working with genuine business's and looking at a lot of real life news and things that are going on in the world.

The second year looks as though it is more based on fictional productions such as film and TV dramas.

Apprenticeships

You can get apprenticeships in many things, such as, journalism, film production, broadcast media production and editing and digital marketing, publishing.

Personally, I would prefer to do an apprentice more focussed on film/cinematography.

A benefit of an apprenticeship is that you can learn and work at the same time meaning while you're learning you're also getting paid, obviously, this wont be the same amount of pay as a professional, however, you'll be paid the minimum wage for your age and it is still a great opportunity and means you don't have to look for a job if you don't need the extra money.

You can get an apprenticeship at many different big UK companies such as the BBC, ITV, Virgin Media, Sky, Channel 4, etc.

Production Runner

A production runner is a good entry level job as from this you can work your way up to higher up roles and you get a decent insight to what goes on with productions.

This can also be a drawback though as you have to start from the bottom and work your way up however, if you start your own thing for example becoming a freelancer you don't have to work your way up but you will have to build your business.

A production runner has to do a lot of basic jobs such as getting coffee, getting paperwork, photocopying, getting stationary. They do these jobs for anyone above them which is most people.

To be a production runner you need to have good listneing skills, communication skills, you need to be reliable, you need to be able to multitask, etc.

By the looks of things, I can't actually get onto many courses with just a Level 3 Diploma in Creative Media so my options are either an apprenticeship, staying at Chichester college to do Creative Multimedia with Journalism Higher National Diploma or I don't continue with education once I have completed this course and do my own thing.

Develpoment Road Map

Year 1 Portfolio link

Skills Checklist

Skills checklist - Skills required to exceed in education/employment

Communication skills
Team work skills
Time managing skills
Listening skills
Planning skills
Organization skills
Reliability
Initiative skills

Cover Letter

Cover Letter for Production Runner

Freelancers

Freelancers are self-employed people, they are not employed by a company and they have their own clients. As freelancers are self-employed they can work on a flexible basis.

Personally, I would like to become a freelance cinematographer or create my own media business.

The Pros

You can work when you want so you get to choose your hours.

You're in control of the business.

You decide what happens with the money the business earns.

You can choose what clients you work with.

You do not have to pay to commute as you can work from home.

No dress code.

You are not competing against colleagues for better pay.

The Cons

Sometimes you just can't get any work meaning your pay may be good sometimes but may also be worryingly low at some points.

Trying to get clients all the time.

Often working alone.

It's a lot of work as you're running a business all alone.

You don't get health benefits like you would if you worked for a company.

You are not eligible for unemployment benefits.

There can be a lack of structure.

If you're unable to work then you have no one to help.

Running the whole business is a pro and a con as having full control of the business is great as you decide what happens with and within the business, however, it can also be very stressful and a lot of work.

The skills you need to be a freelancer are, organization skills, teamwork skills, communication skills, flexibility, ownership skills, time management skills, project management skills, management skills, the ability to accept criticism as this will help you improve your business if you actually take it in.

You need a lot of knowledge for example if you are a freelance cinematographer you need to have a lot of knowledge about cinematography as you are the one creating and in control of your business. You need to know about the subject your business is based around as well as how to run your business because it's all well and good knowing about a subject but you also need to know how to run a business otherwise you will not succeed.