1. Getting in to Creative and Digital Technology
Careers and Employability Centre

2. This session will cover
Top tips from Sussex alumni
Careers in Creative and Digital Technologies
Building relevant experience
Growing your network
Finding vacancies
Writing a CV
Your next steps ….

3. What do you know already?
What do you know about the sector?
Did you attend the Make it Happen Event for Creative and Digital Technologies
What did you learn at the ‘Make it happen!’ event?
Discuss in pairs/ groups…….
10 mins- On flip charts- list & discuss

4. Key points from MiH
Importance of skills Employers are very interested in the skills you’ve developed at university. However many people re-train into this sector from non specific degrees, many people learn the relevant technology for the job whilst working. e.g. Specific Software / New Technologies
Work experience/placements/volunteering are important Clubs societies and what you do in you spare time e.g. cultural community and extra coding creative activities are a common stepping stone.– There are many opportunities in the local area
Perseverance To gain experience, can you create you own ideas and opportunities? Don’t give up – use each experience to gain a different perspective and take opportunities as they arise (flexibility!). Be willing to learn the skills you need
Creating and showing your work, eg. examples of things your have produced media or code etc.
Networking With peers, contacts in industry, Sussex alumni etc. Get your LinkedIn profile updated; do you need an online portfolio?

5. A growing Economy
Sometimes a blurring between Creative and Digital Technologies as to what was traditional Media and what some may see as Computing / Informatics / IT
Brighton is one of the second highest density of Digital business’s after Reading & Bracknell

6. Employment in Creative Media
Generally a picture of growth in the Media sector in recent years with some exceptions e.g. Radio

7. Potential Roles in Tradtional Creative
Media Production
Media Support Roles Sales / Business Support
Publishing
Marketing / PR
Television / Radio/ Film / Animation
Find ways to start building your CV – every year counts!
Music
Arts / Community
Teaching via further training (PGCE)

8. Growing Roles in Digital Tech
Media Production
Media Support Roles e.g. VFX / Animation / Web
Digital Marketing
Apps and Mobile
Games Design
Find ways to start building your CV – every year counts!
Data Analytics
SEO / UI
E-Commerce / Sales
Teaching via further training (PGCE)

9. Digital Sector Breakdown
For Detailed national and Local breakdowns on the tech sector see Tech Nation 2016 report
TECH NATION 2016 REPORT

10. Types of Degree in Creative and Digital Tech
Different roles in this sector show differing patterns of First Degree with many employees not having specific Media or Technology Degrees.

11. Skills Needed in Industry
Different sectors within the Creative and Digital Tech Sector may need particular skills. Some of these might include:
-Craft and technical
-Software
-Leadership and management
-Business
-Sales and marketing
So WHAT SKILLS ARE THESE EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR?

12. Skills Wanted in Creative and Digital Tech
Different Tech industries need a variety of Software and the ability and willingness to re-train to use new software and technology is central to these industries.

13. What next?
What could your next steps be?

14. What next for you? -Reflect on your skills and interests
-Research the sector & your options
-Network
-Build your experience
-Search for vacancies
-Write a CV

15. Reflect on your skills and interests
We have tools on our website, hand outs and worksheets in the centre to help with this process
Online careers interests tools can help:
‘Profiling for success’
Prospects Career Planner
What skills do you think you’re gaining through your degree?

16. Skills from your degree
For example:
written communication
research skills
presentation skills
planning and organisation skills
time management skills
IT and technology skills
Use our Using your degree guides to review specific skills from your degree.

17. Researching careers – sector guides
Use the researching part of our website to research the sector of industry that interests you
Here are the resources specifically for neuroscientists

18. Networking – be creative!
Contacts you already have
Contacts from past work experience, vacation work
Friends, family, friends of friends
Academics
Contacts you can find
Vacancies advertised - Use contact details from advert.
Names in journals, magazines, reports, the press, on twitter etc
The web and specialist directories
Linked in – Search facility, Sussex alumni
LinkedIn – social media, good spaces to be

19. Build your experience
Volunteer to gain experience, eg. in Arts / Media / Community / Technology
Get involved while you are at Sussex: societies, student reps, student ambassadors etc
Work shadowing, work experience, internships, placements, junior research associates
Paid work- entry level positions, part time jobs
Create your own experience – blogs etc

20. Apply for vacancies
Check for vacancies on a variety of levels and resources
Wide national focused Careerhub – Guardian Jobs
Specialist e.g.
Specialist / Regional e.g. Wired Sussex
Our Researching Careers pages have many resources and links to vacancy sources
Also
Research companies’ individual websites
Link with them using Social Media
Consider Speculative applications

21. Write your CV Tailor your CV to each specific job you apply for.
What skills is the employer looking for?
Good way to:
reflect on your skills and experiences!
identify what other skills and experience you could gain to help your career development
Some creative sectors may want 1 page skill focused CVs
You may want to highlight the level of technical and software skills that you have

22. Take action! How are you going to move forward now?
Fill in the action plan ……..
10 mins- Fill in individually

23. Get support – Careers and Employability Centre
Workshops – daily events, weekly programme
Short interview with a careers adviser
Mon – Fri from 10 am to 5pm
Vacancies on CareerHub– part time, work experience, internships, graduate jobs
Online information and resources with links to key websites etc
Resources in the Careers and Employability Centre