Task Two - Job Roles in the Industry

Job Roles in the Industry

A management role in the media industry could include jobs in any field (music, televisions, radio etc) as all areas of work need managers. Manager’s roles would include liaising with company partners, ensuring all business deals are in place and there are no problems. It is also up to the manager to ensure that all employees are happy and being treated fairly. As a manager, you are considered to be a role model to the rest of the workforce, and you should be trustworthy and approachable, to ensure that any queries or problems that arise can be easily sorted. A manager role could also include dealing with clients and client’s requests. The manager of a web design company, for example, will have many clients that they will have to meet expectations for, and it is up to the manager to ensure quality of work is high. A manager for an advertising agency could earn between £35,000 - £65,000 p.a.

Creative roles in the industry could include anything such as a music video producer, script writer, video game creator, magazine designer or web designer. These roles include thinking of ideas and presenting them to a team who are ready to produce and move forward with these ideas. Often, the creative side will not only include the pre production, but also overseeing or participating in the production and post production of a media product, depending on the job title. An example would be a creative media producer for a digital agency, who could earn £35,000 - £40,000 p.a.

A technical role could involve camera operation, special effects work, sound/lighting experts or setting up web pages. These jobs could mean working on a set, working as a business, such as a web based business, or working behind the scenes. Working on the DJ decks at a radio station is a technical job, as there are many controls that have to be carefully worked. Some of these jobs may just be part time, or an employee may be needed for a few days work. For example, a small company wants to employ a professional camera operator for 3 days, and they are paying £300 per day.

Research is vital in all areas of the industry, because without it, producers and creators would not know what the target audience want. Market research could be carried out to find out new information about a new product, by collecting qualitative and quantitative data to use in future developments. Researching what products are on the market is also important, because in the media, you cannot afford to create the same product that has already been made, so it is important to make changes and improvements to what is already out there. For example, there are hundreds of radio stations out there, but to make sure yours stands out, it is important to research what the target audience want to listen to, and Radio 1 do this by taking requests and looking into new artists. For example, a research executive could earn £23,000 – £26,000.

A financial role in the media includes jobs such as accounting, and sorting out funds for the company so they know how much expenditure they have. It is important that the funds are kept close track of, as the company could go into serious debt if they are wrong. Without employees qualified in the financial area, equipment, such as cameras and lighting may not be affordable. These employees may also be responsible for finding the cheapest equipment and taking note of prices and also the wages for the employees. They will sort out the wage packet and decipher how much each employee has earned by the pay day. A part qualified media accountant could earn £28,000 - £35,000.

Organisational roles in the industry could include jobs such as organising events, e.g. awards ceremonies, and organising tickets and entrance passes. This job could also entail the construction of sets and the allowing of staff on sets. For a live TV audience, it is important that there are staff to direct the audience to their seats, and an employee to organise where all the equipment will be places and ordered. This is important, as when it comes to filming, all staff must know where the cameras etc are, as for a smooth shooting and it will take less time. This is just a few examples of what an organisational role could entail. In all aspects of the industry, it is important to be on time and in the right place for the project. A media relations manager could earn £26,610 - £29,566.

An administrative job will include doing all the paperwork for the company, and filling out forms and contracts. For example, if you work for a newspaper company, there will be many legal forms that you must fill out to complete the publishing of certain articles. It may also include confirming the rights to use certain songs, if you work for a television show. Details on actors/staff/crew all must be gathered so there is contact information and contractual agreements printed. It is important that admin is completed before projects start. Admin is integral in the pre production and production stages of a production, as details on locations, equipment, actors etc can be gathered from this. For example, the wage for an Office Manager could range between £25,000 - £30,000 p.a.

Editorial jobs in the media industry are very important, and can vary within each field. This could include jobs such as editing newspapers, magazines, or films. Depending on the media text, the job requirements will be different. To edit a broadsheet newspaper, you must have degrees in English literature and language, but to edit a final cut for a TV show, you must have qualifications in TV production, and often advanced degrees. Editors are highly important in the media, because everything you will come across in the media is edited in some way. For example, a publicist will edit and reshape a story that has leaked into the press. This is not a job in the same field as an editor for a book, yet it is still an editing job. It is important that editing is smooth and does not break continuity, as this is one of the first things a viewer/audience will pick up on. If there is spelling or grammar mistakes in a magazine or newspaper, they will stick out obviously. Editing in the media could include a range of different types of jobs; a smaller job could include editing websites or a podcast for a radio station, however the bigger, more experienced jobs would include film editing or editing music videos and television shows, which reach a wider audience. Editing is a highly skilled job, and will often pay very well depending on experience and qualifications. A production editor could earn £22,000 - £24,500.

There are many jobs in the media that are freelance, or give the opportunity to be. Companies and businesses such as website designers, animators, editors, researchers etc. offer these opportunities. Advantages of working freelance is that you can choose your own workload and working hours, and you make 100% profit rather than paying wages. In the media, you will find a lot of self employed workers, who own successful businesses that have strong links with bigger companies. The bigger companies may want to give their work to small self owned businesses because it could be done quicker, and there is a large chance that it will be cheaper for them too. Building up trust and relations in the media industry is vital, as this is where the work comes from.

Shift work means working in hourly sections, with breaks in between. Jobs with shift work could include Operations Administrators, for example, who would work on a 12 hour shift basis, 4 days a week. As well as the wage, you are paid shift allowance. A typical working day if you are employed in an office is from 9am/930am until 5pm. On average, an employee will work 40 hours a week. These office hours will include breaks and lunch breaks.


Fixed term contracts are fairly easy to find in the industry. Most employers will want to employ you permanently, so they have fixed staff. But, in the media, some have fixed term contracts so that it will end when a certain project is completed, such as filmmakers will have fixed term contracts, so once they have directed/filmed the movie, then their contract with the film studio may terminate. Having a definite start/end date means that the company uses you only for what t hey need you to do and they are not contractually obliged to keep you employed after. This is a good way for employers to use the best staff out there, who are suited for the right jobs. This ties in with piece work – employees are paid only until the project is completed.