What can I do with a Degree in Drama ?

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What can I do with a Degree in Drama ?

• Careers and Employability Service

Nicola Urquhart Careers Adviser www.kent.ac.u
k/careers/slides.htm
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What we will cover

• The graduate labour market
• What do employers want?
• What skills do Drama graduates have?
• What do Drama graduates do
• the jobs they get
• their typical employers
• the further courses they study
• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

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The graduate labour market in 2013

• Approximately 30 - 40 of vacancies are open to
  graduates with a degree from any discipline
• Employers increasingly focusing on professional
  attributes in addition to transferable skills
• Relevant work experience increasingly important
• Need for students to think earlier about their
  employability
• Employers are expecting to increase their
  graduate recruitment by 2.7 in 2013

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What do employers want?
Commercial Awareness
Work Experience
Extra-Curricular Activities
Professional attributes
Employability skills

• Degree awarded at 2.1 or above

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What skills do Drama students have?

• confidence
• self-presentation
• teamwork and collaboration
• time management and organisational skills
• self-awareness
• self-discipline
• an open mind and the ability to move beyond
  boundaries and experiment with different ideas
• communication skills
• analytical, critical and research skills
• the ability to cope with criticism and learn from
  it
• stamina.

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What is a career?

• Career choice is not an event or occasion
• Career choice is a process

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Jobs directly related to your degree
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Careers related to Drama

• Actor
• Arts administrator
• Community Arts Worker
• Drama teacher
• Dramatherapist
• Journalist
• Librarian, Special/Academic
• Media Planner
• Presenter TV/Radio
• Programme Researcher
• Stage manager
• Teacher
• Television Production Assistant
• University/Further Education Lecturer

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Jobs that are not directly related to your degree

• Many employers value the skills you have gained
  more than the subject

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Many options open to you!

• NHS Management
• Human Resources
• Advertising
• Production Management
• Public Relations
• Publishing
• Purchasing
• Retail
• Social Work
• TEFL
• Teaching

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Researching Careers

• http//www.prospects.ac.uk/dramatherapist_job_desc
  ription.htm http//www.prospects.ac.uk/theatre_man
  ager_vacancy_sources.htm
• Overview of the sector
• Job descriptions
• Salary and conditions
• Entry requirements
• Training
• Career development
• Employers and vacancy sources
• Related jobs

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Graduate Schemes www.kent.ac.uk/careers/graddirec
tories.htm

• www.prospects.ac.uk
• www.get.hobsons.co.uk
• www.targetjobs.co.uk
• www guardianuk300.com
• www.top100graduateemployers.com
• www.kent.ac.uk/ces/vacancies.html

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Example Graduate Schemes

• Accenture
• Aldi
• Arcadia
• BAE Systems
• BBC
• Bloomberg
• British Sugar
• Cancer Research UK
• Deliotte
• DFID
• Diageo

• Ernest Young
• EU Careers
• IBM
• LOreal
• Mars
• McDonalds
• MI5
• National Grid
• Penguin
• TeachFirst
• BBC

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Example Graduate scheme (Bloomberg )

• Finance
• IT
• Media
• Sales

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Princess Productions Shine TV

• To apply to the Graduate Researcher Scheme,
  please email
• or post your CV, a photo, and a clever original
  idea for a new
• television series to
• grads_at_princesstv.com
• Closing Date 28th June 2013

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Example graduate scheme

• Engineering
• Finance
• General Management
• Human Resources
• IT
• Marketing
• Sales

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Postgraduate Study

• Approx 15. of Drama graduates do PG study after
  graduation
• MA taught 1 year Sept to June lectures, June
  to Sept dissertation.
• Research MA 1 to 2 years often part-time
• PhD 3 years. Nearly always a MA first.
• PGCE (teacher training) 1 year
• See www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm

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Postgraduate study
Postgraduate study is not essential but is a
useful way of gaining more skills, experience and
contacts. Entry is competitive and courses are
intensive. A number of institutions offer a
one-year MA/Postgraduate Diploma in Acting, or
there are summer schools or short courses
focusing on a particular element of acting, e.g.
accent and dialogue coaching, stage combat,
Shakespeare. Look for courses accredited by the
National Council for Drama Training (NCDT) and
The Conference of Drama Schools. There is some
funding available via Dance and Drama Awards and
possibly through the Arts and Humanities Research
Council (AHRC), but fees and maintenance costs
during study can be considerable. Contact
individual institutions for details.
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Postgraduate study

• Not much funding available for MA. Fees are about
  5,000. At Kent get 1,000 graduate school
  scholarship reduction
• Many students work for a year to fund it or do it
  part-time whilst working
• Consider vocational MA journalism, publishing,
  HR, Media Production etc.
• Normally apply middle of final year. No UCAS can
  apply to as many course as you wish to 3 or 4
  is normal

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Study Abroad

• Many postgraduate courses are now taught in
  English, especially in the Netherlands and
  Scandinavia
• No course fees in Sweden and about 1,000 in
  Germany and Denmark
• See www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htmPGAbro
  ad

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Being Successful

• Most people find a job in the creative
  industries by word of mouth the more people you
  know in the industry the better your chances
• Market Yourself ! - Its not necessarily who you
  know but who knows you

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Using Social Media to Job Search

• Twitter
• Follow organisations, _at_SkillsetSSC,
  _at_ace_national, _at_dramauk , _at_EdinburghTVFest
• Follow _at_unikentemploy
• Follow _at_unikentces
• Get industry updates
• www.twitjobsearch.com
• Remember everything is public

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Facebook

• Like company pages
• Like https//www.facebook.com/UKCES
• Is your profile professional enough?!

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LinkedIn

• www.linkedin.com
• Search for jobs.
• Use key words in your profile.
• Follow companies.
• Connect with people in the industry.
• Join relevant groups.

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What do Drama graduates do?
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In broad terms (recent destinations)

• Employment 80
• Further Study 15
• Not available 3
• Seeking employment 2

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Typical Employers (a selection)

• Arts Organisations Arts Council England,
  British Film Institute
• Advertising Saatchi_at_Saatchi, WPP
• Broadcasting organisations BBC, Channel 4, ITV
  , SKY,
• Civil Service Departments/Agencies DFID, HR Fast
  Strean
• Media Production Companies, Shine, Time Warner,
  Shedmedia
• Museums Heritage organisations VA
• Publishing Companies Random House, Penguin,
  Conde Naste
• Theatres National Theatre, Traverse
• Schools, Colleges, Universities TeachFirst

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Useful resources

• BBC Academy http//www.bbc.co.uk/academy/
  http//www.bbc.co.uk/academy/collegeofproduction/c
  ollections/job_profiles
• Get into Theatre http//getintotheatre.org/
  http//getintotheatre.org/case-studies
  http//getintotheatre.org/jobs-opportunities/detai
  ls/4396
• Creative Skillset http//www.creativeskillset.org/
  
• Arts Council England http//www.artsjobs.org.uk/

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Useful websites ( a selection)

• www.thestage.co.uk/recruitment/
  http//www.playboxtheatre.com/aboutus/Jobs.html
• www.grapevinejobs.com http//www.grapevinejobs.com
  /mediajobs/40342,Promotions_Internship_Paramount_P
  ictures.html
• www.creative-choices.co.uk http//www.creative-cho
  ices.co.uk/jobs-opportunities/details/4440
• www.artsjobsonline.com/jobseeker/jobseeker_jobs.as
  p

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Employment examples

• THEATRE - RELATED
• Bill Kenright - Assistant Producer
• Creation Theatre Company - Technical Stage
  Manager
• Glyndebourne Productions Ltd - Box Office
  Customer Service Administrator
• Glyndebourne Productions - Education Assistant
• Gulbenkian Theatre - Marketing Assistant
• Hamilton Hodell - Assistant to Actor's Agent
• Lyceum Theatre - Theatre Administrator
• New Wimbledon Theatre - Assistant Stage Manager
• Polka Theatre - Communications Officer
• Roundhouse Studios - Lighting Technician
• Royal Court Theatre - Stage Management Intern
• Royal Shakespeare Company - Dresser
• Symphony Hall - Marketing Assistant
• Tell Me a Tale - Drama Workshop Facilitator
• Theatre Company - Dramaturge
• Theatre Royal - Projects Co-ordinator
• Theatre Royal Brighton - Marketing Officer
• The Barbican - Marketing Assistant

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Employment examples

• MEDIA - RELATED
• AMA Consultancy - Events Co-ordinator
• Avalon TV Productions - Production Runner
• BBC Children in Need -Team Assistant HR
  Assistant Runner Post Production
• Blackwell Publishing - Editorial Assistant
• Chapters Digital TV Ltd - Production Assistant
• Donmar Warehouse Theatre - Office Administrator
• Editworks (TV Post Production) - Runner/Assistant
• Emerald Publishing - Assistant Editor
• Film London - Receptionist
• Flare PR - PR Account Executive
• Fusion Post Production (TV) - Runner
• GE Fabbri - Editorial Assistant
• IPC Media - Advertising Executive
• ITV plc - Compliance Administrator
• National Magazine Co - Editorial Executive
• Oxford University Press - Journals Production
  Editor
• Penguin Publishing - Picture Researcher
• Rod Hall Agency - Assistant Literary Agent

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Employment examples

• EDUCATION
• Briary Primary School - Teaching Assistant
• Capital Education - Recruitment Consultant
• Dept of Education Training N.T. - Tutor
• EFL Teacher
• English Teacher
• Essex County Council - Drama Teacher/GTP
• English Language Teacher
• Great Walstead School - Teaching Assistant
• Halsford Park Primary School - Teaching Assistant
• Hogeschool - Asst English Teacher
• Kent County Council - Teacher
• Language Link Russia - Intern EFL Teacher
• Longhill High School - Teaching Asst
• Maidstone Grammar School for Boys - GTP English
  Teacher
• Oxley Park Primary School - Teaching Assistant
• St. Peter's School - Teaching Assistant
• Student Support Officer - University
• The Chumleigh Community College - Maths
  Technician

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Employment examples

• OTHER
• Achievements - Genealogist
• Amos Dawton - Negotiator/Estate Agent
• Arnold Deacon Greene Co - Archive Manager
• British Airways - Cabin Crew
• Codor Digital - Administration Production
  Assistant
• Confetti Lace - Bridal Consultant/Assistant
  Manager
• Curtis Brown - Talent Intern
• Debenhams - Trainee Buyer
• DMG World Media - Sales Executive
• English Heritage - Events Assistant
• Fandango Heartbeat - Fundraising Director
• Faversham House Group - Production Assistant
• HMP Cookham Wood - Trainee Prison Officer
• KCC Kent Youth Service - Youth Worker
• Kinnleigh Folkard Hayward - Letting Negotiator
• Launch Group PR - Junior Account Executive
• Lionhead Studios - Games Tester
• NHS - Finance Officer

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Further study examples

• Canterbury Christ Church (PGCEs) - Citizenship,
  Post Compulsory English/Drama, Primary (x3),
  Secondary English
• Circamedia, Bristol - Circus Skills course
• Central Lancashire Univ/Radio Lancashire - Pg Dip
  Broadcast
• Central School of Speech Drama (x3) - MA Acting
  for Screen, MA Acting, MA Speech Drama
• Coastal SCITT - PGCE
• College of Law, Guildford - Legal Practice Course
  (LPC)
• International House - TEFL
• Kings College London - MA in Shakespeare Studies
  Playhouse
• London Institute of Education - PGCE Secondary
  English
• Oxford Brookes University - MSc Digital Media
  Production
• RADA - BA Acting
• RADA King's College London - MA Text
  Performance Studies
• Rose Bruford College (x2) - MA Theatre Practice,
  Pg Dip Acting
• Skills Plus - Certificate in Community
  Volunteering
• University of Cumbria - PGCE General Primary
• University of Hertfordshire - PGCE Primary
• UNIVERSITY OF KENT - Certificate in Law
  Society, MA Creative Writing, MA Cultural Study
  of Cosmology Divination, MA English, MA English
  American Literature, MA Theatre Dramaturgy,
  MPhil Drama, MSc Management
• University of Reading (x3) - MSc Marketing
  International Management, PGCE Secondary Drama
  (x2)
• University of Wales Cardiff - Pg Diploma Magazine
  Journalism

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Self-employment/Freelance

• In the creative arts and culture industry 44 of
  people are self-employed compared to 13 in the
  UK as a whole.
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/careers/selfemployment.htm

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Placements and Internships - Definitions

• Internship
• Usually 1-3 months long, during a summer
  vacation.
• The student works on a defined project at a
  graduate level.
• Graduate Internship
• Usually 3-6 months long, after graduation.
• The student works on a defined project at a
  graduate level.

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Placements and Internships - Definitions

• Placement
• Also called sandwich year or year in industry.
• Usually 9-12 months long during the penultimate
  year of study.
• Must be relevant to degree course.
• The student works on a defined project at a
  graduate level.
• Work experience/shadowing
• 1-2 weeks unpaid.
• A taster of the career area.
• Insight day
• Taster days organised by companies.

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Top Tips during your Placement/Internship

• Make an impression
• Use your initiative.
• Get feedback.
• Be professional.
• Network
• Ask to shadow/work in different departments.
• Connect with your colleagues on LinkedIn.
• Keep a log of the skills you have gained with
  examples.

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Searching for placements/internships

• www.kent.ac.uk/ces
• Vacancy database
• I want to work in. section
• www.ratemyplacement.co.uk
• www.prospects.ac.uk
• Vacancy database
• Job sectors
• Graduate directories
• Speculative approach

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Searching for placements/internships

• http//graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk/cms/ShowPa
  ge/Home_page/p!ecaaefg
• www.targetjobs.co.uk
• www.milkround.com
• www.insidecareers.co.uk
• www.thejobcrowd.com
• http//jobs.guardian.co.uk/

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What if Im still stuck?

• Make the most of opportunities (planned
  happenstance)
• Think about it little and often
• Make an appointment to speak to a careers adviser

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How the Careers and Employability Service can
help you.
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What we do

• Careers Talks and Workshops
• Careers Library Employer Directories,
  Occupational Profiles, Books etc
• Comprehensive Web Pages
• Careers Employability Award (CEM) on Moodle
• Vacancy Database
• Alumni Careers Network
• Annual Careers and Recruitment Fair
• Drop In - Quick Query
• Careers Guidance Interviews

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Careers and Employability Service Web Site
www.kent.ac.uk/ces
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Careers and Employability Service Web Pages

• I want to work in . http//www.kent.ac.uk/careers
  /sitesmedia.htm
• What can I do with my degree in
  http//www.kent.ac.uk/careers/drama.htm
• Choosing a Career http//www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Ch
  oosing/ChoosingCareer.htm
• Interviews (includes assessment centres and
  psychometric tests etc.) www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ap
  plicn.htm
• Example CVs Covering Letterswww.kent.ac.uk/care
  ers/cv/cvexamples.htm
• Creative Career Search http//www.kent.ac.uk/caree
  rs/sk/CJ.htm
• Employability Skills http//www.kent.ac.uk/careers
  /sk/skillsmenu.htm

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Careers Employability Award

• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm
• The module takes about 12 hours to complete
• But this can be done at your own pace
• You do this by completing
• 9 quizzes
• 3 short assignments
• 1 feedback form

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Comments from students who have completed the
award.

• I liked the fact that the assignments relate to
  how you would fill in answers on a graduate job
  application step by step and provides examples of
  how to fill it in.
• I really enjoyed the quizzes. They effectively
  highlighted the gaps in my knowledge, as many of
  the answers surprised me. I also found the module
  on creating my own CV very useful, these skills
  will be invaluable for tailoring my CV to
  particular jobs.
• There is a wealth of information about
  everything I especially liked the individual
  information about specific job types and the
  advice given about interview skills.

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Attend Careers Talks and Workshops.

• A Career in Sales
• Champions Life Academy
• The Network
• CRCC (Asia, China Internship Programme )
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/calendar/ (Student Skills
  and Employability)
• http//www.kent.ac.uk/careers/casevents.htm

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Recent talk, the Network
Do you want to work in TV?
http//www.geitf.co.uk/thenetwork/apply-2
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Their advice

• Get work experience
• Watch TV!!!!
• Think how could you improve something?
• Read the credits
• Find out who does what genres
• Get e-mail addresses
• Contact people, knock on doors
• Be persistent!

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Vacancy Database

• All vacancies sent to the Careers and
  Employability Service by employers, whether for
  graduate jobs, sandwich placements or vacation
  work/internships are entered on this database
  which offers
• Email alerts of new vacancies which may interest
  you
• Employers notifying vacancies are often
  specifically targeting Kent graduates, so
  competition for jobs is lower than on other
  vacancy sites www.kent.ac.uk/careers/jobs/index.ht
  m

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Speak to an adviser

• Quick query, drop in and speak to an adviser
  10.30am -12.30pm and 2.00pm-4pm Monday to Friday.
• E mail careerhelp_at_kent.ac.uk and an adviser will
  respond to your query.
• You can also book a longer career guidance
  appointment over the phone or pop in.

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Advice

• Use www.prospects.ac.uk, including Prospects
  Planner, to research options available
• Use www.kent.ac.uk/ces
• Get relevant work experience!
• Think beyond the stereotypes of organisations
  e.g. Bloomberg , e-on
• Find out how the sectors you are interested in
  recruit
• NETWORK !!
• Find out who actually makes the decisions for
  hiring
• Make use of the Careers and Employability Service
  

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Careers and Employability Service

• You can download a copy of this presentation at
  www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm