How to get a career in the creative industry?

The creative industry is one of the fastest growing parts of the UK economy, which may come as a surprise as some believe it to be a dying art form. So much so, that in 2017, the value of the sector stood at £101.5bn — which was a significant increase from its £94.8bn valuation back in 2016.

It is a worthwhile industry to launch your career in, although some people tend to steer away from jobs in a creative field. There were around 80,000 jobs created in 2017, and that figure doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

There are many jobs which fall within 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.

Regardless of the variation in duties for these specific jobs, they do all still have one thing in common – if you are working within any of these roles you 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.

Do you have the passion?

Whether you enjoy attending exhibitions and galleries across the country, or sketching in your free time, the drive force behind your success will come from your love of the industry. If you love what you do, you’ll welcome mass appreciation from others in the same field.

When it comes to art, there is no denying that you must have talent. 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.

The academic way in

Talent and personality can get you so far, but it is important to stick in with school work and try your best. 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.

It is likely that people looking into a career path in art will take it as a subject for GCSE 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.

It takes two years to complete A-Level and Level 3 courses. During this time, you’ll likely host your own exhibition with other students and showcase your work to the public. This is an amazing thing to include on your CV and personal statement when it comes to the next academic step… university!

People have varied opinions on whether studying art at university is valuable. 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.

The experience needed for an art-focussed course at university differs depending on the type of degree you’re studying for. 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

After the completion of GCSEs you can choose to go into an apprenticeship, university after sixth form or college is not the only option. 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.

The benefit of an apprenticeship in art is that you’ll be learning directly from industry experts, which you wouldn’t necessarily get when studying 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.

Whichever route you go down, we’re looking forward to seeing your own resin art on our walls!

Sources:

https://www.creativeindustriesfederation.com/statistics

https://www.ucas.com/file/213911/download?token=MLJTV7GH

https://www.studying-in-uk.org/top-art-universities-in-uk/

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