This report aims to critically evaluate the important academic works on my reading list and discuss the connection between my graduate-level coursework and practical activity in the creative industries. To successfully achieve the described goal, the paper will talk about three primary topics: developing students’ talents while in school, the difficulties of working in the creative industries, and the opportunities available to students who wish to work in those areas.
Skill Development While Studying at University
The significance of developing research skills in undergraduate media education is covered in an article (Ain et al., 2019). The authors contend that research abilities are crucial for media students to generate high-quality work in the sector successfully. Moreover, the authors argue that to guarantee that students are adequately prepared for media industry careers, research skills instruction is recommended and should be included in media education programs.
The article makes a strong case for including the development of research skills in undergraduate media education, and it is beautifully written (Wilson, 2018). However, the essay does not examine the link between higher education and professional practice in the creative industries. This is a big omission since understanding the connection between these two fields is essential for media students who want to work in the creative industries. The paper provides an excellent overview of the significance of developing research skills in undergraduate media education. The study, however, falls short of giving a thorough overview of the subject since it ignores the connection between professional practice and higher education in the creative industries.
Challenges of Working in Creative Industries
In various cultural industries, the experiences and conditions of creative labor are described in the essay “A very convoluted form of freedom.” Kačerauskas (2020) investigates creative employees’ working circumstances and encounters in three distinct cultural industries: the advertising, fashion, and music industries. The author makes the case that the incredibly creative working environments in the described fields frequently provide employees with a sense of freedom and adaptability (Bilan et al., 2019). However, the author points out that the said working circumstances may be highly demanding and competitive and that employees frequently experience pressure to adhere to industry standards.
The requirement to perform effectively under pressure is another problem faced by creative industry workers. The reason is that project completion deadlines are frequently short, and intense competition is frequent (Games and Rendi, 2019). Therefore, to fulfill deadlines, employees in the creative sectors must be able to work swiftly and effectively. Merkel (2019) stated that the general public frequently fails to recognize and honor creative professionals. Moreover, for artists and other employees in the creative sectors, co-working facilities can be essential for navigating the informality of labor markets. The reason is so that workers who might lack access to conventional co-working spaces can feel support and community feeling. Job hunting and receiving just compensation for the labor done might be difficult in the described situation. Moreover, many talented people are paid per task instead of an hour in the creative industry, where remuneration is frequently poor (Community and England, 2020).
But the article made creates awareness of how important it is to be flexible and tolerant when operating in the arts. Moreover, the article demonstrated that it is critical to be flexible because the working environment in these fields can be quick and creative. Moreover, the students need to be conscious of the industries’ intense pressure and competition to adhere to their standards (Glatt, 2021). The general challenges encountered by creative workers include how to design user interfaces that are natural, intuitive, and easy to use, user interfaces that are effective and efficient, user interfaces that are accessible and usable by everyone, and how to design user interfaces that are culturally and linguistically appropriate (Stephanidis et al., 2019). Moreover, how to design user interfaces that are secure and private, user interfaces that are scalable and extensible, and user interfaces that are resilient and adaptive are other challenges encountered in creative industries.
Opportunities for Students Who Want to Work in the Creative Industries
Students can benefit from a variety of options despite the difficulties that arise when working in the creative industry. Students can benefit from a variety of options despite the difficulties that arise when working in the creative industry. The two main categories into which opportunities may be classified are those related to the industry, like the opportunity to be creative, to work with a team, and to work on interesting projects, while workplace-related opportunities include the option to work in different sectors, in different roles, and to work flexibly (Bao et al., 2020). The book outlines that having relevant work experience is valued by many companies and that internships and other work placements are excellent ways to get this experience (Ashton, 2018). The work may be quite satisfying, and creatives frequently get the chance to use their imagination and engage in stimulating and difficult projects. Moreover, many content creators can make a comfortable living from their profession since the remuneration in the creative sectors is frequently high.
Web design, advertising, and graphic design are just a few among many occupations accessible in the creative industries. Higdon and Chapman (2020) stated that students get the opportunity to network with experts in their subject of interest and obtain experience through internships. Moreover, student council abilities may be developed through extracurricular activities like joining student clubs or volunteering, which can assist students to improve their cv. Additionally, the students benefit from pursuing graduate courses in a creative subject because the degree can aid students in developing their expertise and professional knowledge. Various options are available to students, including Full-time positions, freelance work, and internships (Bridgstock, 2022). Moreover, students get advice on how to best prepare for a career in the creative industry. The article provides advice on how to stand out in the competitive world of creative jobs.
Conclusively, three primary topics, namely, developing students’ talents while they’re in school; the difficulties of working in the creative industries; and the opportunities available to students who wish to work in those areas, were used to critically evaluate the important academic works and talk about the connection between my graduate-level coursework and practical activity in the creative industries. Four articles by authors Wilson, Ashton, Glatt, and Bilan were critically evaluated to address the issues described above.
References
Ain, C.T., Sabir, F. and Willison, J., 2019. Research skills that men and women developed at university and then used in workplaces. Studies in Higher Education, 44(12), pp.2346-2358.
Ashton, D., 2018. Creative work careers: pathways and portfolios for the creative economy. In Creative graduate pathways within and beyond the creative industries (pp. 66-84). Routledge.
Bao, S., Howard, N. and Lin, J.H., 2020. Are work-related musculoskeletal disorders claims related to risk factors in workplaces of the manufacturing industry?. Annals of work exposures and health, 64(2), pp.152-164.
Bilan, Y., Vasilyeva, T., Kryklii, O. and Shilimbetova, G., 2019. The creative industry as a factor in the development of the economy: dissemination of European experience in the countries with economies in transition. Creativity Studies, 12(1), pp.75-101.
Bridgstock, R., 2022. Creative entrepreneurship in 2022 and beyond: some implications for higher education. In A Modern Guide to Creative Economies (pp. 125-145). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Comunian, R. and England, L., 2020. Creative and cultural work without filters: Covid-19 and exposed precarity in the creative economy. Cultural Trends, 29(2), pp.112-128.
Games, D. and Rendi, R.P., 2019. The effects of knowledge management and risk taking on SME financial performance in creative industries in an emerging market: the mediating effect of innovation outcomes. Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, 9(1), pp.1-14.
Glatt, Z., 2021. We’re all told not to put our eggs in one basket: Uncertainty, precarity and cross-platform labor in the online video influencer industry. International Journal of Communication, 16, pp.1-19.
Higdon, R.D. and Chapman, K., 2020. A dramatic existence: Undergraduate preparations for a creative life in the performance industries. Industry and Higher Education, 34(4), pp.272-283.
Kačerauskas, T., 2020. Creative economy and the idea of the creative society. Transformations in business & economics, 19(1), pp.43-52.Merkel, J., 2019. ‘Freelance isn’t free.’Co-working as a critical urban practice to cope with informality in creative labour markets. Urban Studies, 56(3), pp.526-547.
Stephanidis, C., Salvendy, G., Antona, M., Chen, J.Y., Dong, J., Duffy, V.G., Fang, X., Fidopiastis, C., Fragomeni, G., Fu, L.P. and Guo, Y., 2019. Seven HCI grand challenges. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 35(14), pp.1229-1269.
Wilson, J.L., 2018. Student Learning in Higher Education: A Halsted Press Book. Routledge.
Woods, O. and Kong, L., 2020. Fractured lives, newfound freedoms? The dialectics of religious seekership among Chinese migrants in Singapore. Asian Studies Review, 44(4), pp.652-670.
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