The Three Career Stages

What Stage is your Career?

We have created these three career stages to help you plan your career to avoid disappointment and make the process a little smoother:

Stage 1

• You have never had a job in the film industry before!

The first thing you need to know is if you are in Stage One do NOT apply for any jobs - yet. 

We say this with the greatest respect, you are not ready to apply for jobs because this industry is competitive, you must go above and beyond and demonstrate a true passion and knowledge for the area you want to work in to make yourself stand out. Thankfully, most of this can be achieved by buying some books from Amazon, googling and a few online courses!

A classic Stage One person says they want to be a "Director, Writer, Producer and sometimes art department with some camera work too"...that's a sarcastic comment to make the point that the film industry involves so many aspects, all with totally different skillsets and career pathways. Do your research to understand what suits you best. It is impossible to do them all. We recommend you specialise and focus your energies on one or two areas and then once armed with a little more knowledge you can pivot.

How do you know which career is right for you? Typically the questions start with the idea of Production Crew versus Non-Production, for some that means freelance versus employed, on location or office-based.

Most people give up in Stage One due to a combination of a lack of progress and running out of money. Lack of progress is often due to not having enough skills or knowledge which leads to lower chance of landing paid work. This is a long way of saying, take your time in Stage One, go on courses, read some books, learn to drive, understand where the jobs are and who does the recruiting and generally how the industry works.

The best help MFJF can give you is via our virtual Mentoring Program and Career & CV Advice clinic. Book your sessions now to help give you some guidance.

Stage One is simply self-certification, when you can confidently answer these questions you are ready to move to Stage Two:

• I know exactly which career I want and the skills and career pathway involved 
• I know what a good CV looks like for the jobs I intend to apply for
• Understand that this process takes months, not weeks
• You will apply and get rejected by the majority of applications but preserve!
• Most opportunities in your early career are unpaid

Stage 2

• You have done your research and know which career is for you
• You have started getting the skills needed to make your CV stronger

Now it is all about experience. Moving from none to some.

A stage two candidate has a greater knowledge and understanding of the industry, so now it’s time to focus on gaining industry experience and building up your list of professional contacts.

Contacts and experience are the two main currencies for advancing your career.

Internships (or as we call them unpaid Work Experiences) are the traditional means to get your first taste of the industry.

Companies will not expect you to have experience, the whole purpose is to provide ‘work experience’ in your chosen field. What companies will be looking for, however, are candidates that have worked their way through Stage One. That’s correct, they have taken it upon themselves to conduct the research, understand the area of industry to which they are applying and can demonstrate their knowledge in their CV and cover letter.

As an intern you can really get stuck in, you have designated work and become a member of the team for the tenure of your placement. Good interns are often remembered for junior roles that become available, in the meantime, however, one internship is not enough. So expect to be looking at two or three to grow your experience and network.

To repeat, most people get their first paid job from doing an internship at that company. That's the real value.

If you are looking for to work on Set yet do not have a contact to call, then short films are invariably your means to meet people. People from across the film and TV industry use short films to demonstrate their ability to work in drama. Members of the crew use shorts to progress their careers. So when a clapper/loader makes that jump to focus puller, you can be sure they have solid experience on short films to draw from. The people you meet and impress while volunteering on a short film will be those that call you offering you your big break.

Please remember that the film industry is a small place where the most important thing you have is your reputation. First impressions count, turn up early, leave late, be humble...you are not a hot-shot director yet...you are there to learn and pay your dues. When you apply for a job the recruiter will call your previous HODs asking for a reference, so make sure they only have positive things to say...

Stage 3

• You have lots of internships or a few credits
• You have excellent knowledge and the necessary skills
• You have a few key contacts but need a few more to secure regular work

Now it is time to take that final jump to get consistent paid work. 

You are looking for paid assistant roles at companies and jobs on feature films.

Members who have a CV with multiple credits, internships and excellent references fall into the stage 3 category. These candidates will be applying for positions on feature films, high-end drama and permanent positions with companies. They are growing their network of industry contacts, which will begin to provide regular, sustainable, paying work. After that, it’s bye-bye MFJF, hello big world of freelance contacts and nourishing your reputation job by job!

You should be using MFJF to land roles on larger budget productions and permanent positions.

Summary

It’s wise to bear the three stages in mind and not just when you’re confronted with entering the film industry. If you are fresh out of education, for example, consider where you fall in the stages, do you really have all the criteria for stage 3? If you have production assistant credits in broadcast entertainment, do you have the relevant skills to transfer over to drama? Starting out in the industry can be a long game for some and for others involves an annoyingly quick (lucky) progress.

So if you ever have questions come and talk to us, we’re always happy to help.