Written by Caitlin Jenkins.
Caitlin is a Production Coordinator at Novel Entertainment when she’s not watching her favourite shows and movies with her too-large lap dog!
On the 25th of May, employees of Novel had the opportunity to take a day to attend DiVA Apprenticeships’ Career Convention, which was a fantastic chance to get to know some industry names and get advice tailored to people starting out in Film, TV and Music. DiVA Apprenticeships’ masterclasses are normally limited to apprentices on the government funded Kickstarter scheme, aimed at people aged 16-24, but for the last few sessions they opened them up to anyone who had an interest in attending.
I’ve worked in TV since November last year after deciding to commit to it full time in September. I had on and off jobs from November to April until I got a spot on an incredible scheme run by thinkBIGGER!, training people to be production coordinators and researchers in children’s TV. thinkBIGGER! is the reason I’m working at Novel Entertainment now! The information I learned in the three months of the scheme has already proved itself to be invaluable, which is why I signed up to DiVA’s convention and do sign up to any other similar events or training days I find – you never know what you might learn.
The day’s talks were structured around the first steps of your career and began with advice on how to pitch yourself to an employer from Arit Eminue, the Director of DiVA Apprenticeships, and Andrew South, the Head of Youth at Media Trust. They covered what you should include on your CV when applying for jobs, how to write a cover letter, and what employers really want to know about you at a glance. It’s quite difficult to find out what the “industry standard” for a CV or cover letter is – I’ve heard some conflicting advice in the last few months, but it’s always interesting to hear different opinions on the same topic. I now have a feel for what different people in different jobs want from a CV, and feel more confident in my ability to tailor it for different roles.
Then we heard from Claire Horseman, a consultant and mentor in the music industry. She spoke about maintaining both a level of honesty and professionalism at work, and how to manage a colleague’s difficult behaviour. The last one hopefully won’t be necessary information, but it’s best to be prepared! The talks also covered how to make and keep connections in the industry, and emphasised establishing an online presence, which has become increasingly relevant to employers.
The shift online has value to employees, too – working remotely is now a real option, and a career in TV is possible even if you don’t live in one of the major cities. There are also more free training opportunities than I can ever remember seeing for TV before, the DiVA Careers Convention being just one. With so many things being transitioned online due to the pandemic, location is no longer a barrier and guests and speakers can attend from all over the world. There’s often no guest limit either, so training or talks that would usually fill up have no upper limit on attendees.
There were above 90 attendees at the Careers Convention, but plenty of space to talk to the speakers and for question-and-answer sessions. There was even a showcase event for new talent in the middle of the day, which was something I’d never seen before but would love to see more of in future.
I felt everybody who spoke at the conference was very honest and practical about their experiences and how they’ve built their careers. There’s a great culture in the industry offering newer talent with less experience a helping hand, which all the speakers and organisers of the convention represented, and I hope that’s a mindset we can all carry into the future.
The conference rounded off with a great speaker, Ged Doherty, talking about his career working as the chairman of the British Phonographic Industry and BRIT Awards, and as the co-founder of Raindog Films. He had a lot to say about developing equality in the industry, and how working in film compares to music, having extensive experience of both industries. To me, though, the most interesting thing he said was that he is telling every young person he knows that now is the time to get a career in TV and Film – according to him, there have never been so many opportunities. I would love to have heard that in September of last year, and it’s encouraging to hear it now!
To anyone who’s beginning in TV like I was, my advice would be to go and find online conferences, workshops or seminars in TV and Film. There’s so often something free being hosted, and you’ll always come away with something useful. Overall, the DiVA Careers Convention was an enlightening day, and it was interesting to hear from so many different voices in the industry, including a few brand-new ones.