Arts, publishing and media are fields where you don’t have to go to university to have a career. You can if you want to, but you don’t have to. You might find that the better option is to apply for an apprenticeship.
Having an apprenticeship might set you up with the skills that you need to eventually have your own studio. In the arts industry, some people will teach themselves their craft while still in education and then move onto an apprenticeship when they come of age. They won’t have been classically trained, in a school, at all.
Your expectations
It is important that you don’t have elevated expectations about what your experience will be like. Just the title of arts, media and publishing, will have you daydreaming about meeting movie stars or being the new Da Vinci, but you won’t reach these goals on your first day.
However, you can expect to work long hours and sometimes the hours are anti-social. You might only earn the national minimum wage for an apprentice in your first year and if you're older than 19 years old and in your second year, you'll earn the national minimum wage for your age group, despite still being an apprentice.
Industries in this field believe that the work and the experience are rewarding enough because no two days will be the same, and sometimes the work will be glamorous.
What is expected of you?
In this field, it will be expected that you have an interest in music, English or the arts, however, as mentioned above, you do not have to have an educational qualification in these fields. You should have a portfolio of your work so that you can adequately illustrate your interest in the field.
Arts, publishing and media apprenticeships are very competitive and there could be thousands of applicants for each apprenticeship. Therefore, you have to use your imagination and make sure that you stand out amongst all the other applicants. Work experience is a great way to do just that!
Check out the wide range of opportunities available below:
