Claire S.

Production Manager
Happy to mentor
Happy to be contacted

About me

Claire S.
History
History
Taught Postgraduate
Goodricke
2007
United Kingdom

My employment

Production Manager
ITV
United Kingdom
Broadcasting
Large business (250+ employees)

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A day in the life of a Production Manager in the United Kingdom

Managing productions at ITV.

How I looked for work

I started by applying for work experience whilst I was still studying so that I could build up a CV. During my placements I spoke to as many people as possible and it paid off when someone gave me some contact details which lead to a job opportunity.

How I found out about the job

Already worked there

The recruitment process

Application via email and then interview.

My career goals when I graduated

To work in television.

My career history

I started working at the BBC and applied for a job at ITV. Although I started as a researcher I found a role more suitable for my skills and personality and worked my way up from there.

What has helped my career to progress

Enthusiasm and working hard.

Courses taken since graduation

MA - Cinema, Television and Society in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television at York. I gained lots of transferable skills that I can apply to my job and having the course on my CV showed my enthusiasm for all things TV.

How my studies have helped my career

Both my degree and MA at York gave me a lot of transferrable skills that I can apply to my job - organisation, speaking and presenting to groups, networking.

What surprised me about my career so far

I didn't start out with a role in mind, I didn't even know what a production manager did - but the job is a great fit.

Where I hope to be in 5 years

On my way to becoming a Production Executive.

My advice to students considering work

If you want to work in TV then there are so many great resources online if you do your research. Be enthusiastic and be prepared to start from the bottom of the ladder.

My advice about working in my industry

Get as much experience as possible so that you have a starting point for a CV. Even if you think something is irrelevant to the role you want, there are probably transferable skills that you can highlight to make it relevant.

Other advice

You don't have to know what role you want in Television, get started through work experience and running and talk to as many people as possible about the job that they do.

Contacting me

Happy to answer any questions on any aspect of the TV industry

What I do

I am a Production Manager at ITV. My job is to support and manage editorial staff and work to keep the production on schedule and in budget.

Skills I use and how I developed them

Organisation and people skills are key to my role. The foundation for these skills came from my time at York - I had to be organised with my time and research in order to complete the work for my degree and MA. Being involved with societies helped me gain the confidence I need to network with and manage different people.

What I like most

The variety of programmes I am able to work on and the people I work with. Each day is different and presents new challenges,

What I like least

The occasional long hours.

What surprised me most

How much I love my job.

Next steps...

If you like the look of Claire’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Claire a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Claire to be your mentor.

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