Passion Don't Pay The Bills
The last few weeks haven’t been all that interesting, which was why I haven’t been blogging. I spent most of my time job-hunting on the Net, calling up companies or recruiters, crafting applications and attending interviews. Contrary to my earlier belief that I was never going to land a job in London, things actually started falling into place recently. I suppose it has much to do with the following events:
1) Getting married on the 15th of Jan, hence legally being able to apply for a spouse visa
2) Applying for a spouse visa on the 16th of Jan, hence legally being able to apply for work
I had actually been looking and applying for work pretty much around early November last year, purely out of boredom and gradual insanity. Of course, I won’t ever know why most of my applications went unanswered, but it has been theorised that not having rights to work could be one, and the other is a theory that the end of the year is usually a bad time to begin looking for work. Apparently, most companies/employers would be in their Christmas-New Year holiday mood, whilst most unhappy employees are hanging on for just a few more weeks till bonus season.
Whatever the case was, I didn’t actually get invited to many interviews despite my carefully crafted, personalised cover letters. I was seriously beginning to doubt my self-worth and all that jazz, until I started getting calls from recruiters who had seen my CV online. Some of them turned out to be pretty interested in putting me forth for interviews, until they discovered the one tiny glitch, i.e. I didn’t have the right to work (this was back before Tim and I were married).
Fast-forward back to after I was granted my spouse visa though, I started receiving invitations to interviews, and discovered that people were actually looking at my CV. By this time, a number of changes had taken place in my life. For one, the months I spent researching the media industry in London taught me a few things:
1) It’s a massive industry. Yet the number of people trying to get in it outnumbers the jobs.
2) It is the single most competitive industry in England.
3) Most production people work as freelancers.
4) It is quite possibly one of the lowest paid industries in England. Fresh grads in other industries easily earn more than most skilled and experienced production personnel.
5) The work hours are long.
6) Company benefits and bonuses are rare.
7) It takes easily more than 5 years to get to the status I achieved in Channel [V].
In London, you would start from Runner > Junior Researcher > Senior Researcher > Production Assistant > Assistant Producer.
In Channel [V], I was an Intern > Production Assistant > Associate Producer.
(Such are the benefits of a fledgling media industry).
So yes.
Media is not such a massive industry in KL, though it is fairly competitive. The work hours are long and crazy in my experience, but at least you get put on a contract and given some standard benefits like private healthcare, contributory pension schemes and even parking allowance. In London, if you freelance, you get nothing though you still have to pay tax. And tax here is no joke. There are only 3 salary brackets and you pay either 10%, 22% or 40%. Most people will easily fall into the 22% bracket when starting out and eventually hit the 40% bracket in about 3-4 years.
Fortunately/unfortunately, all these factors had to be taken into consideration during my months of job-hunting. And I think on the unfortunate side, I’ve been left feeling rather indifferent about whether I ever land a job in production again. It’s kinda sad because I did love my work, and I was passionate about it. But to sacrifice job security for the freelance life without benefits is tough. Married life does make you think about a few things.. Mainly, job security and a decent pay so you can stop renting and finally put a downpayment for a house of your own. Plus, I worked such long hours and most weekends in my previous job that I feel like I could use a break. And if working in a different industry means 9-5 hours, free weekends, job security, company benefits and work I don’t have to take home nor be too stressed out about, would you honestly blame me for turning my back on production?
Anyways, the good news is.. I received 2 job offers over the last few days and have sort of made my choice. I’m turning around and walking away from production, though I’ll still be working for TV broadcasters in either of the positions. I’m choosing money, job security, regular work hours and company benefits over low pay, job insecurity, irregular work hours and a lack of company benefits. So please..warn me if you think I’m making a mistake.
1) Getting married on the 15th of Jan, hence legally being able to apply for a spouse visa
2) Applying for a spouse visa on the 16th of Jan, hence legally being able to apply for work
I had actually been looking and applying for work pretty much around early November last year, purely out of boredom and gradual insanity. Of course, I won’t ever know why most of my applications went unanswered, but it has been theorised that not having rights to work could be one, and the other is a theory that the end of the year is usually a bad time to begin looking for work. Apparently, most companies/employers would be in their Christmas-New Year holiday mood, whilst most unhappy employees are hanging on for just a few more weeks till bonus season.
Whatever the case was, I didn’t actually get invited to many interviews despite my carefully crafted, personalised cover letters. I was seriously beginning to doubt my self-worth and all that jazz, until I started getting calls from recruiters who had seen my CV online. Some of them turned out to be pretty interested in putting me forth for interviews, until they discovered the one tiny glitch, i.e. I didn’t have the right to work (this was back before Tim and I were married).
Fast-forward back to after I was granted my spouse visa though, I started receiving invitations to interviews, and discovered that people were actually looking at my CV. By this time, a number of changes had taken place in my life. For one, the months I spent researching the media industry in London taught me a few things:
1) It’s a massive industry. Yet the number of people trying to get in it outnumbers the jobs.
2) It is the single most competitive industry in England.
3) Most production people work as freelancers.
4) It is quite possibly one of the lowest paid industries in England. Fresh grads in other industries easily earn more than most skilled and experienced production personnel.
5) The work hours are long.
6) Company benefits and bonuses are rare.
7) It takes easily more than 5 years to get to the status I achieved in Channel [V].
In London, you would start from Runner > Junior Researcher > Senior Researcher > Production Assistant > Assistant Producer.
In Channel [V], I was an Intern > Production Assistant > Associate Producer.
(Such are the benefits of a fledgling media industry).
So yes.
Media is not such a massive industry in KL, though it is fairly competitive. The work hours are long and crazy in my experience, but at least you get put on a contract and given some standard benefits like private healthcare, contributory pension schemes and even parking allowance. In London, if you freelance, you get nothing though you still have to pay tax. And tax here is no joke. There are only 3 salary brackets and you pay either 10%, 22% or 40%. Most people will easily fall into the 22% bracket when starting out and eventually hit the 40% bracket in about 3-4 years.
Fortunately/unfortunately, all these factors had to be taken into consideration during my months of job-hunting. And I think on the unfortunate side, I’ve been left feeling rather indifferent about whether I ever land a job in production again. It’s kinda sad because I did love my work, and I was passionate about it. But to sacrifice job security for the freelance life without benefits is tough. Married life does make you think about a few things.. Mainly, job security and a decent pay so you can stop renting and finally put a downpayment for a house of your own. Plus, I worked such long hours and most weekends in my previous job that I feel like I could use a break. And if working in a different industry means 9-5 hours, free weekends, job security, company benefits and work I don’t have to take home nor be too stressed out about, would you honestly blame me for turning my back on production?
Anyways, the good news is.. I received 2 job offers over the last few days and have sort of made my choice. I’m turning around and walking away from production, though I’ll still be working for TV broadcasters in either of the positions. I’m choosing money, job security, regular work hours and company benefits over low pay, job insecurity, irregular work hours and a lack of company benefits. So please..warn me if you think I’m making a mistake.