NOW 106 APPLY FOR EVERY JOB
Did you know that there are more people graduating from media-related courses this year than there are jobs in the whole of the British media?
If this is correct (it’s a quote – can anyone find official confirmation?), then it’s pretty shocking.
Should we be talking about the fact that we have record numbers of young people in record levels of debt rushing into an industry that is on its knees?
Are universities conning them out of their money?
Some other stats (definitely true this time!):
– There were 106 applications for every graduate media role in 2010. That’s a rise of over a fifth (22.6%) compared with 2009.
– We don’t yet have stats for 2010, but in 2008 and 2009 the number of graduate vacancies in media fell by 57%. That’s right – it more than halved.
And yet… the number of journalism and media studies students has never been higher:
In 1999, 7,400 students were on undergraduate media studies courses. Ten years later? There were 25,400. That’s more than triple.
In 1999, 1,970 students were on undergraduate journalism courses. A decade on? There were 8,095. Again, that’s over than three times more.
(When looking at postgraduate students on journalism and media studies course, the numbers are smaller but the sharp, upward trend is the same).
Plus, the financial prospects are pretty bleak:
The latest High Fliers report insists the average graduate starting salary in media is £31,500 – but Graduate Fog would love to know where these well-paid jobs are hiding? The average salary for journalists is £24,500 – but for a junior reporter on a local paper, the salary can be as low as £12,000. And then of course there are those of you who work for absolutely nothing… For months… With no guarantee of paid work, ever…
New research from university guide Push says that the students starting their degree in 2010 will be in an average of £25,000 of debt when they graduate.
If you’re a journalism or media studies graduate, I know I don’t have to tell you how tough it is to break into media is right now.
Two of the most popular pages on Graduate Fog are:
and
How to get a job in journalism
And you probably don’t want to read more ‘downer’ news, when you already feel like you’re walking through treacle.
Most likely, you’re working unpaid (or paid very little), gaining bylines and experience but with zero idea when (or if) your investment will ever lead to a full-time, paid job.
Many of you tell me you’re falling out of love with the industry you used to have enormous passion for.
I don’t meant to be the Angel of Death – really I don’t.
(And, incidentally, I think many of you who don’t ‘make it’ into media ‘proper’ could realise in a few years’ time that you’ve actually dodged a bullet. I fear the road is set to get even rockier in this industry, before things get better. Plus, I actually think media and journalism grads are in big demand in other industries – not because you can work a camera or know shorthand, but because of the sort of person you’re likely to be. On-the-ball, outgoing, motivated, interested…)
But I do think it’s important that we talk about what’s really happening here – to tens of thousands of you every year.
We have huge numbers of young people in enormous levels of debt rushing into an industry that is in big trouble – and showing no signs of recovering any time soon.
Ignoring this situation and telling you to “Follow your heart”, “If you want it badly enough, you’ll get there,” and “Don’t settle for anything less than your dream job” is unrealistic, bad advice.
And Graduate Fog doesn’t give bad advice.
Even if it is what you want to hear.
(Far better advice: Head for areas in this industry that are growing, not declining!)
I think the time has come to stop ignoring the facts.
These figures raise important questions that demand our attention.
So I’m going to ask them:
– Were media / journalism graduates made aware of your odds of ‘making it’, when you signed up? In introducing (and increasing) tuition fees, students have become customers – and universities have become businesses. These institutions now work on a principle of supply and demand. The more popular a course is, the more places they will create. Did you understand this when you enrolled? My instinct is that many students assume that getting a place on a journalism / media studies course means at least a decent shot at a career in these industries. (I know I would have done, aged 18). If when you started your course, you were asked to estimate your chances of landing a job in media once you finished your studies, would you have said “One in 104”? If not, do you think someone should have sat you down and talked you through your decision, before you enrolled on your course? Or would you have gone ahead anyway and hoped for the best?
– Is there any point in learning skills you won’t use? Employers bang on about wanting graduates with ‘skills’ – but surely these must match the kind of jobs available? Is it sensible that we are continuing to usher tens of thousands of students into courses that will equip them for an industry they have only a slim chance of finding paid work in? Surely a course is only ‘vocational’ if its students end up actually using the skills they’ve learned. No?
– If we agree that the mismatch of graduates versus jobs is a problem, should we cap the number of places on extremely popular courses like media studies and journalism? And whose job should this be? I’m not happy at the idea that a universities’ admissions officer might effectively be given the power to decide who gets to have a crack at ‘making it’ in these industries. (Who are they to make that call?) On the other hand, isn’t it borderline-unethical to take your money when they know your chances of finding a job (and then building a career) in media are so slim?
*Thoughts? Questions? Comments?
If you’d known how tough it would be to find paid work in media, would you have done a different degree? Or not bothered with uni at all? Do you think schools and universities should equip students with realistic information about their chances of ‘making it’ when the media industry is in crisis – or is it important that we let students follow their dream at all costs?
If you’re a media or journalism grad struggling to find work, are your career plans changing? Would you like to know more about what career options are open to you now, in related industries where you’d stand a better chance of finding paid work? Or do you just want to throw tomatoes at me for being such a downer when you’re trying to get your career of the ground? ; )
I think this is the sort of discussion that needs to be aired.
From the rooftops.
If the jobs aren’t there, and if the industry has been in slow decline for more than the past year, why are there so many places on these courses? Like you, I can only reach a rather cynical conclusion that these are the courses where unis know they can easily fill places – in fact, more places than the related industries will ever need.
The fact of the matter is the jobs for all the graduates are not there. It is time to look elsewhere or get entrepreneurial. The days of getting a job in marketing, advertising or media based on merit and degrees are dead.
@Clare
Thanks for this – and obviously i share you cynicism somewhat! Have you seen this issue discussed anywhere else?
@Kagem
Thanks for commenting – it sounds like you agree there is a huge mismatch between the number of grads and the number of jobs. You’re right that media grads need to work harder than ever to find (and maintain!) a space for themselves in these industries… but do you think universities have a responsibility to limit the size of courses? Or should schools give students better advice when making decisions about what to study? If you did a media-based degree, would you have done anything differently if you’d known how tough it was going to be once you graduated?
It’s tough because I love media, but financially, it’s just not viable to work in because so many newspapers, magazines are being destroyed and the top dogs haven’t figured out how to integrate graduates properly.
Perhaps it is more about finding alternative roles within media and universities could promote this instead? Seems to me that a lot of media students still love the glossy Conde Nast look (which is great, and I make no bones, I’d love to work there) but many don’t look at where the jobs actually are.
I think students are seduced by how glossy it looks and therefore go to university hoping to be a foreign correspondent on the Times, without realising that Plastics Weekly is probably a better bet because those are the publications that some markets actually need.
Sorry, rambling.
Hi Tanya
No, I haven’t seen it discussed elsewhere, but I’ve certainly heard it discussed informally. A successful company owner telling me he wouldn’t employ a grad with a Business Studies degree; the owner of a media company telling me he wouldn’t employ a grad with a Media Studies degree. (In both cases, if the grad didn’t have any relevant work experience to offer in addition to the degree.)
This is a huge problem. If unis are churning out media / business studies grads, and the industries themselves are not impressed enough with the quality of the degrees to take a punt on the grads, how exactly are these grads supposed to make a start in their chosen career?
My other question would be, are the universities actually talking to these employers to guage the usefulness (or otherwise) of their degree courses? Of course, a straw poll of 2 employers isn’t representative of entire industries, but I’m still worried that these degrees are not perceived as valuable by even a small number of employers.
This is an important topic to discuss.
The market in higher education means that universities must strive to recruit – and they have found that ‘media’, ‘business’ and ‘advertising’ are attractive concepts to school leavers.
Likely employability does arise as a concern, but most lecturers satisfy themselves that they’re teaching transferable graduate skills (like critical thinking) and so avoid tough questions about the future of the media business.
I teach public relations. We’re frowned on by those who teach on, say, media studies courses – for not being as abstract and academic. But the employability of our graduates (even in 2010) is my greatest satisfaction. I’ve visited hundreds of employers who have taken our students on paid placements – and the large majority rate the students very highly.
In Australia, universities are just Degree mills (as it seems they are in the UK). They churn out students in order to become bigger universities. Why? In Perth alone, there are more than 400 PR and journalism graduates a year for a shrinking job market. That’s just in Perth, a medium-sized Aussie city. I despair for students. So few of them will get jobs in their chosen field.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2006/nov/11/graduates.careers
“So, what exactly are employers looking for? Television production coordinator Louisa Hebb says: “If I have a pile of CVs it is rare that I even check the degrees. I am looking for the experience an applicant has gained.
“Media is about graft, you put in the hours, and you will do well. I, personally, would give a person who has had two years’ running experience a job over someone who has just graduated, although it does depend on what that person’s degree entailed,” says Paul Hartley, an experienced studio producer.”
Considering it takes 3 years to do a Media studies degree and with the cost of it, it should be valued more by employers for it to be worth doing this degree. Louisa Hebb is not even interested in whether someone has a media degree.
http://www.davidrowan.com/2001/12/evening-standard-two-days-on-media.html
“Khadijah Moncrieffe recalls that when she was 16, on a work-experience placement at the BBC, “the producers were laughing when applicants’ CVs listed media courses”. Khadijah knows what counts more than the degree: “It’s who you know.”
I am not a media grad (I’m pr) so I don’t know much about the industry but I have a suggestion/question.
If you are in an unpaid placement for a few months and don’t get a job why not just go freelance? If they are publishing your stories surely then they must value it? If media grads go freelance on mass (which probably won’t happen) then the newspapers and other forms of media would then be forced to pay grads a decent wage or start paying the freelancers more money for their work which will hit their profits.
Maybe I don’t know what I am talking about… but I have a friend who has recently finished his first year at uni who is doing a media related course. I persuaded him to join a community radio station with me and now we have our own show. If he keeps the volunteer work up on his own show – by the time he graduates he will have 2 years of experience in the radio industry and a show that would have been running for 2 years. If that doesn’t get him a job I don’t know what will.
Surely there are things like that around the country? Do you really need to get experience on a paper? Why not see if there are any community radio stations in your area? They are probably crying out for volunteers. See if you can get your own show. If it is a news show you can act like a journalist by finding the news and having your own exclusives that your local papers don’t get. If you still want to write set up a blog for your show and write about the topic in the form of a news story. The blog and the radio show will complement each other.
I agree with Wayne, its pointless waiting around expecting your degree to get you into media, get into freelancing because the blunt truth is that if you can get freelance stuff published you will have proved your ability as a journalist. I’ve several projects going at the moment. It doesn’t improve my financial prospects but it does strengthen my journalistic credibility. I have a Psychology & English degree, thats a flexible subject, I can apply it to a variety of sectors. Media studies is a kiss of death degree as far as I’m concerned, and no-one should rely on it to get into media, it ain’t gonna happen.
@ All – wow, great debate here this weekend! Thanks to all who took the trouble to comment.
I was away this weekend so had limited internet access but now i’m back at my desk here are my thoughts…
@ Kagem
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here! It’s not good saying you want to be a coal miner if all the pits are closing… : (
@Clare
I agree 100%!!! All this debate this weekend about students going IN to university drove me nuts… We need to join the dots and link what happens pre-university with what we all know is happening post-university!! Why is this not happening?!?
@Richard Bailey
I hear what you’re saying, but do you think this argument is good enough? If the fact is that employers don’t value a qualification then this changes everything. Spending 23k obtaining a ‘cricital thinking’ degree that nobody values can hardly be considered a wise investment, can it?
@Greg Smith
Interesting to hear that this is happening in Australia too. So is this beginning to look like a GLOBAL failure of governments and university to join the dots and do what’s right for young people..?
@Lydia
I know what she’s saying, but I’m finding this kind of attitude increasingly irritating (as I think you are?!)
“Media is about graft” – but how are grads supposed to get this experience if the media industry is too tight to pay them a fair day’s pay for a day’s work, when they’re starting out? (From what i hear, these unpaid runner jobs are rarely just making the tea…)
And if all employers want is experience, then why bother with uni at all?
I’m moving towards feeling that the media industry is going to get what it deserves. After years of failing to invest in their young staff and foster creativity from all backgrounds, I fear its soul and spark is being sapped already… Where are the new ideas going to come from, if you only hire people from white, middle-class backgrounds who can afford to work unpaid for months/years on end?
@Ian
Thanks – it’s always nice to be used as an example of success! However, I think I should be clear that I’ve had 8 years of (paid) training in order to be able to write and edit as I do (within women’s mags). I also haven’t earned a penny from this website yet, and it’s a HUGE amount of work! I LOVE doing it and am looking at ways of making this pay off financially for me as i think we have something really special here…
But i just feel anxious about being held up as a shining example of innovation within media as an alternative to paid work as an employee. The reality is that as hard as it is to get regular, paid work in print media, it’s very difficult to scratch a living from doing anything online… And don’t forget it’s not just about scratching a living – but media grads need to think how their salary is ever going to GROW, which i know a lot of people struggle with.
If you’re lucky and get a staff job, earning 20k when you’re 22 is fine, but earning 26k when you’re 30 and 30k when you’re 34 starts to get really boring… When your friends (not even in particularly high-flying jobs) are earning at least 35-40k. And that’s in a staff job. If you’re a freelance writer, you’ll bump your head on 30k if times are good and you’re working flat-out – and then what? And what if times aren’t good? Suddenly you’re earning 25k, aged 35… : (
Again, I hear what you’re saying, but would you have paid 23k for this life enrichment?! ; ) (If you have patients, I assume you graduated before tuition fees?)
@Wayne
Nice idea – but from personal experience I can tell you it’s very difficult to make this work financially, esp long-term (see above response to Ian)
@Robin
I love that media grads are getting creative starting blogs and going freelance etc. And on paper, yes, this sounds like the answer. However, once you factor in closing titles (which means fewer publications to write for, but also more freelancers added to the pool every time a mag closes) and in dropping fees, the picture starts to look a bit more gloomy.
This is also a trap lots of young wannabe journalists fall into – and I include myself in this! More and more mags and newspapers are asking people to write for free, even freelance. I’ve been asked to do an online dating blog for a well-known glossy mag, posting three times a week … Paid? NOTHING. But i was told it would be great for my portfolio. I told them to sod off – I can’t pay my rent with bylines!
@Wayne @Robin
Just a quick comment on the freelance debate. I am a graduate of Modern languages and we face a similar conundrum once we graduate. We are educated in a certain way and led to believe by the education system that we will all be snapped up by the diplomatic service/government/EU/UN as soon as we complete our studies. Clearly not the case. Many language graduates end up doing a PGCE and teaching which, of course, there is nothing wrong with, provided of course, that it is what you actually want to do with your life and not a last resort. Personally I set up my own business about a year and a half ago and work freelance for clients across Europe as a translator and proof-reader. In this way I used my degree and the skills I gained through it in my work and I also have a level of flexibility and independence which i really value. The bottom line is, it works for me but it may not be a viable option for everyone in every industry. There are undoubtedly many disadvantages to working freelance as well but I have to say that I would much rather be working for myself, on my own terms and being based where I want, than in an unpaid internship or “junior role” where I am not valued. Entrepreneurship should definitely be promoted and encouraged over unpaid internships!
Just another comment on the “freelance” tag. I find that the term is frequently used in a borderline derogatory way, i.e. it infers not that you would PREFER to run your own (albeit small) business but that you cannot secure “a job”, meaning a contract with one company. In my case, were I to be offered an in-house position at this point I would almost certainly refuse it. Financially, emotionally and professionally I feel that I am better off working for myself, making my own decisions and setting my own working conditions. Have a look at this interesting article about this issue:
“Is the Title “Freelancer” a Turn-Off?” http://tinyurl.com/2aelpjv
“For me personally, there is something liberating about the term “freelancer.” The word includes one of the most important nouns I know: “free.” I am free to decide when I work, where I work, who I work for and how I do business. I celebrate this freedom every time I call myself a freelancer. Freedom is a beautiful and priceless thing that I have learned to not take lightly. Why not enjoy it with a constant reminder in the title that I choose to assume for my business? More than anything, the title is for me, and what others choose to believe about it is their choice, which I cannot be responsible for.”
@Christopher
So glad to hear things are working out for you! And that you’re fortunate enough to be working in an industry that actually PAYS its young people for their contribution… If only every industry worked like this!!
And btw, I don’t hear ‘freelance’ as a negative thing at all. The clue is the ‘free’ part… ; )
But that’s not to say that being an employee is negative either. I’ve been freelance and I’ve been on staff and there are definite pros and cons to both!
@Tanya
I agree! There are also many worrying trends in the translation industry, particularly with regard to rates but thankfully I am being paid for my work and am not expected to work for free!
Obviously Graduate Fog’s blogs (and readers’ comments on them)focus sharply on the wickedness of encouraging vast numbers of students to study for degrees when it’s clear they’ve zilch chances of obtaining relevant (or any) graduate employment.
Think more broadly, though, and you realise decent jobs of any kind (incuding apprenticeships) are in dreadfully short supply globally.
I never thought I’d see posters to a DAILY TELEGRAPH blog explaining why JSA “benefit scroungers” are also the decent, hardworking, previously successful victims of a failed economy and an iniquitous social support system!
As someone who has worked in TV for some time, my sixpence worth is that a media studies degree is of no advantage when it comes to breaking in to the industry and that anyone considering a career in TV would do much better by taking a degree in a traditional subject (English, History, French etc) at as good a University as they can get to (Russell Group if possible).
And if you are considering TV as a career, think very carefully about whether you will be able to tolerate the uncertain employment prospects, the lack of a clear career structure, the (probable) poor average pay, the lack of pension provision and, for women, the strong probability that you will be unable to continue your career if you want to have children at any point. Add to that the likelihood that you will not be able to earn a living wage in the latter years of your life and you can see the very clear downside to what can be, in other respects, a fun way to earn your living. The industry has changed beyond recognition in the last few years for those who work in it and I would guess that you would be hard pressed to find many “old lags” who would recommend a career in TV production to their own children. That should tell you something, and be warned now as you may well regret not going for a “proper job” instead!
If you are intent on getting into TV however, there is a wealth of tips on how to get in and on in this part of the TV freelancers’ site, the Watercooler:
http://www.tvwatercooler.org/viewforum.php?f=33
I would challenge the salary expectations you state Tanya.
As far as I understand, an average salary in the uk is currently at about 23k. According to salary checking websites your average journalist is on about 27k, but that is across all levels. This is comparable to nurses and teachers and other commensurate graduate professions. Obviously there are some jobs in finance and legal that pay far more, but not as many as you may think. A lot of grads would be grateful for 30k at 30, and expecting 40k, which puts someone in the top 10 th percentile may be setting up grads for disappointment.
Perhaps salary expectations could be.a topic for future grad fog posts?
I would be reluctant to lay any blame upon universities for marketing media courses. The demand is there, after all, and it seems so many people entering do not have realistic attitudes about the competitiveness of their chosen path at this point. And surely that is something that needs rectifying before the university admissions process, i.e., via strong careers advice. It seems somewhat analogous with those who took on huge amounts of credit when offered, and then found themselves in financial difficulties come recession. I have every sympathy for those who were given poor advice, but personal responsibility does factor heavily into it.
In my personal experience (I’m a 2007 graduate), the advice wasn’t actually bad a lot of the time. At 17, and then through my university years, I was fully aware that it was an incredibly difficult industry to enter, as were my friends who decided to try to make a career in it (I did not). I appreciate, though, that some people might have been told otherwise by school or college career advisors, or university admissions tutors. But then, if you are entering a career in the media, surely you should be ready to view clearly biased sources with a critical eye? And for anyone seeking to enter the industry, there are plenty of articles about the decline floating about. As I say, I’m not even in this industry and I’ve seen plenty of them.
I don’t mean to come across as horribly judgmental, and I think support should always be available for people who wish to train and find work, and those who are not lucky enough to find jobs. It does seem, though, that often those entering the media are far more blinkered about opportunities than those outside. I did huge amounts of extra-curricular work at university, graduated with a good degree in traditional subjects from a top-ranked university, and I’ve had to be incredibly open-minded about career choices in order to secure employment.
@Christopher
I have also just graduated with a degree in modern languages, having been given the spiel about how in demand language grads are only to find these much-hyped jobs in the FCO, translating and interpreting etc are off limits to me because I only studied a single language. For the vast majority of language-related jobs a minimum of 2 languages are required and this is information I could have used before I chose to study just one. Like you, I don’t want to teach but unlike you I don’t have the knowledge/confidence that setting up my own business would require. So really I’m no better off than a media graduate despite opting for a traditional subject.
@Frankie
Sorry to hear that you’re having difficulties. Unfortunately so many people from humanities degrees end up in a very similar situation to the one you find yourself in when they graduate, including myself. Saying that, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss your ability to set up your own business and you certainly shouldn’t neglect how important the language/cultural knowledge gained through your degree is- a native English speaker knowing another language to fluency (and having been educated in that language) is actually still quite rare and is a very valuable skill. What language did you study, if you don’t mind me asking? If you are even considering a career in the translation industry (which may be more viable than you think) I would recommend looking at proz.com (particularly the forums) which is a website (albeit a commercial one) specifically aimed at translators and also to get a copy of a book published by City University (“Starting Up as a Translator” written by Simon Hackett and Tim Connell) which is probably the single most valuable and useful source I have found for information on beginning to work in the industry.It costs around £6.50 and you can order it from City university directly (contact Lisa.Migo.1@city.ac.uk). Even if you decide not to go down the translation/teaching route, you are still in a better position than most humanities graduates as you have gained the normal knowledge one gains in the arts (ability to write well/analyse information/think for yourself etc) along with a real-life business skill you shouldn’t be afraid to point out to potential employers in your language knowledge and the maturity/cultural insight gained through spending time abroad (I’m assuming you did?). Good luck with everything!
No offence Lauren but if you did not enter the media graduate industry, how can you give a critical eye on the personal responsibility? Media in all its guises of marketing, advertising, journalism etc is just a different industry compared to many others, so I don’t think you can make blanket comments.
“… the average graduate starting salary is £31,500…”
Where the hell did they get that number from?! I’ve NEVER seen any graduate job, either grad scheme or otherwise, advertise that level of salary.
I’d VERY much like to know where they got that figure from.
Cynical grad.
I don’t think experience in the media is required to back up the opinion that personal responsibility factors into career decision; that view is generalisable. Thus, I do have personal experience of that process – it factored into my decision about my own career.
Even though it is not in the media, it is in an arguably similarly competitive industry. I had to research job prospects and decide whether I was prepared to face the level of risk involved, what qualifications to pursue and what back-up plan I had should that career prove unrealistic. I had to do a lot of research and have certainly taken wrong turns. But I fully accepted this going in, and should I fail to find employment in the long-run would certainly not blame my university for excessive marketing of the postgraduate course that I opted to take (the stance that the original comment referred to). I have been lucky enough to reach the next step on my chosen path and not all my coursemates have had the same luck where they sought it at this time. None of them seem to blame the university for marketing the course that they demanded, they generally seem instead to be looking into related fields or working out how to improve their chances for future opportunities.
I’ve also seen my school/undergraduate peers, with their knowledge of the media industry at that time, pursue careers that they knew to be competitive. I fully accept that it’s different to other industries, but that simply means that those factors needed to be accounted for when researching the industry. I also take your point that there are many facets to this industry, and that not all are the same. And that factors in here – I know people who want to work in journalism, and seem unprepared to try and use their skills in these other, perhaps less appealing, areas of the media where prospects might be better, for example, marketing. If anything, that’s the aspect of my comment to take issue with as it is based upon personal experience. I’d quite happily to be corrected there and told that most media graduates, when struggling in their chosen field, have realistic expectations and are open-minded to other fields. But personal responsibility applies across the board and I’d stand by the assertion that universities are not to blame for offering courses that people demand, people are responsible for making that choice.
I agree with Adam, that figure seems madness. I’ve had a look at the report (I’m a geeky statistician) as I can’t comprehend how they have these numbers. It’s a median, so even outlier influence should be excluded. So, even if there are hidden high paid jobs, it wouldn’t matter.
The report offers little information, but this quote confuses me:
“The salaries quoted are generally the average national salaries that have been promoted by employers during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 recruitment rounds. ”
Did they just look at adverts? That’s not exactly a rigorous methodology. How did they reconcile recruitment numbers? It seems just plain wrong. In my experience, starting salaries tend to be c.£18,000, perhaps £24,000 in London. The exception being the fabled Aldi £70,000 +an Audi scheme. These figures look more like average overall graduate salaries, thus I can only imagine they considered not graduate-entry jobs, but graduate-level jobs. A rather crucial difference! Do you have any idea about the methodology, Tanya? I’d rather worry about this work being widely quoted as it does seem hugely unrepresentative. Yet: “Martin Birchall, Managing Director of High Fliers Research was interviewed about the research on Breakfast on BBC1.” Worrying.
In terms of what the average TV worker gets paid in their first year of work (talking about “average salaries” isn’t appropriate in an industry where most people are freelance) I would guess that this would be around £12,000 a year.
Many will earn less than this of course, given that most people who start in TV work several months unpaid, however even if these people are discounted the average pay would be way, way less in TV than the levels being talked about here, which would mean that people in other industries must be earning a lot more to compensate for those in this part of the graduate workforce!
http://www.tvwatercooler.org/viewforum.php?f=33
@AdamHuddum
I agree – £31,500 sounds waaaay off what most entry level media jobs are paying…!
@Lauren and Kagem
Ace debate – am loving it! I actually think the question of personal responsibility is an important one…
Lauren – as you prob know, I’m a big one for personal responsibility for graduates – that’s why I don’t approve of spoon-feeding. At Graduate Fog, I provide the information and advice, but you lot have to take charge and get on with it yourself. At this stage (aged 21/22) your future is your responsibility, not mine, not your mum’s, or even your university’s…
However, the same cannot be said for the people you were 3/4 years ago – I’m not sure when you’re at school that your future IS totally your responsibility. I keep coming back to the fact that when most young people start making big (expensive) decisions about their course / career, they are only 17. This is not old enough to vote in this country, so surely in some ways we are saying these people are not fully responsible adults at this stage, aren’t we?
Given that most 17-year-olds have zero experience of the commercial world (apart from the odd Saturday job perhaps?) I think expecting them to do exhaustive research on the realities of every possible career they might be considering is unrealistic and unfair. Of course they’re going to go for the fun / glamorous sounding careers that they think they know all about… Doesn’t somebody have a responsibility at this stage to talk them through the realities of this?
I would also say that – certainly in media – realistic information and advice on the realities of entering any given industry is extremely difficult to find. if I was looking for this, I literally would not know where to start hunting. In my experience this is particularly true in media – which is often highly glamorised. Until very recently, nobody has talked about the harsh reality of starting off in these careers. you’ll find media grads consoling each other on jobs forums, but that’s about it.
but even then, the message isn’t getting through that they are following a career path that is very unlikely to work out for them as they’d expected. I hear SO many grads coming out with things like ‘if i wanted it badly enough then I know i’ll get there in the end!’ and ‘I know i’ve just got to keep going…’ Frankly, this breaks my heart. NOBODY is talking about the realities of this situation. There aren’t anywhere near enough jobs for everybody – and that’s just a fact.
Even I was hesitant about writing about this on Graduate Fog, because i know it’s not something anybody wants to hear when they’re trying to get established in their career! But I think we HAVE to start talking about it. I know it’s not what media grads want to hear, but i belive that NOT talking about it is even worse.
My point is that there just aren’t lots of places for kids (and they are kids) to find the kind of information that they need in order to make an informed decision about their future. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of places where you can find guff about how media is the best industry in the world etc.
We glamorise these industries and fail to represent the realities to our young. Then we introduce them to universities who will help plunge them into £23,000 of debt without talking them through what on earth they’re doing. Then they come out of uni, find they cant’ get a job and we abandon them, saying ‘Ha! you didn’t think you’d actually get a JOB in this industry, did you?!’ Er, yes actually, they did. Because nobody every said anything other than that…
Thanks for the reply, Tanya! Whilst I would say that at 17/18, I was aware that if I wanted a stable career, the media was certainly not the way to go, I am fully prepared to accept that perhaps this is unusual. It’s perhaps the result of having parents who, themselves, lived the London graduate experience in their 20s. Admittedly, this was in the 70s, but they both came from areas of low unemployment in the North and saw the benefits of stability in careers in banking (at that time!) and accountancy as important over the more glamorous careers in journalism a comparatively rare university education might have opened up. I’m aware that not everybody has that sort of influence, and I think it really did impact upon my choices.
And that leads me to think perhaps future generations will have the benefit of similar experience in making their choices. I’m presuming that people in school now must see a university degree as the golden ticket to the career of their choice, in which case even undergraduate careers information is too late – it needs to start in school, for sure. The government are somewhat to blame for this, of course, but I do see their thinking in developing the UK as a knowledge economy.
As for today’s graduates – I think that taking responsibility (as you advocate) and keeping a broad mind in terms of finding a career is crucial. After all, many non-graduates are currently unable to find any work, full stop. I’d say your readers are the exception, in that they are demonstrating how very much they want graduate work, and so finding some kind of job, even if it isn’t ideal, should at least be within reach. This might sound depressing, but unfortunately these are tough times. I think too many people conflate “the right to earn a living” with “the right to have the kind of career they want/have trained for”.
Great posting.
Can I ask where you get the 106 grad per job and the drop in number of vacancies from?
Cheers,
Gavin
I just want to agree with what Tanya said here:
Ooh, sorry about that blockquote mess!