Career opportunities in the arts and media industries can involve high profile roles in front of television and film cameras, on a theatre stage or on the radio, but the vast majority of jobs are behind the scenes.

Think about careers in the arts and media and jobs in television, film or the theatre come to mind. But the industry has much more to offer - look at jobs like script writing, production, or lighting and sound engineering. Digital and interactive media play an important part in the arts these days, as do print and online publishing and photography. Routes into careers in the arts and media are varied - some jobs require a university degree but many do not.

Careers in the arts and media are some of the most highly-contested around, with entry-level jobs like being a runner on a television or film set attracting hundreds of applications.

From make-up artist to music producer, costume designer to camera operator, you could be working in television, film, theatre, the music industry or any other area in the arts and media. Some jobs require specific skills and qualifications but enthusiasm and hard work are just as important as expertise when you’re starting out.

Other jobs and careers in the arts and media include painter, sculptor, engraver, printmaker, illustrator, graphic designer, fashion and textile designer. Generally, you will need a degree in your chosen specialism in order to gain an arts and media related job unless you are very talented and highly motivated, in which case you can succeed without gaining any formal qualifications. As a fine artist you will need to be very self-disciplined, especially if you work alone and you’ll need business and marketing skills in order to promote your own work and make a decent living.

There are a variety of ways to get into the arts and media industry including apprenticeships - Not Going to Uni post live opportunities in this sector on their arts and design opportunities page