Multimedia

Multimedia courses give you an understanding of different technical processes and the chance to use them. The more practical work that you can do, in college and outside, the better. This may involve group projects, collaborations with students on other courses (e.g. music, film-making) or related projects with voluntary organisations. Over the course of your degree you develop a wide mix of subject-specific and technical skills, you should consider these skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile.

Working as a Web Developer

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Prospects

2010 HESA destination statistics show that multimedia graduates go into a wide range of IT and media-related positions, with nearly 60% of 2009 graduates entering UK or overseas work within six months of graduation. Recent multimedia graduates have found design-related work, such as games design, and 22% went into IT-focused work within technical support, programming or IT research or administration. Around 18% have also entered employment with media companies, in areas such as sound and website production.

Other destinations for multimedia graduates include sales, marketing and public relations roles, often within IT or media companies or with retailers selling media-related products, as well as teaching.

Where are the jobs?

Jobs are available with a wide range of organisations. Major employers are:

• education and training providers, particularly colleges and universities, who need a constantly changing range of interactive materials;
• publishers producing books, directories and encyclopaedias on CD Rom and similar formats;
• games manufacturers;
• media companies such as TV stations and film studios;
• design consultancies, often small, and offering a range of design functions.

Other potential employers of multimedia students include retail banks, telephone service providers and retailers selling media-related products.

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Multimedia programmer
• Multimedia specialist
• Graphic designer
• Games developer
• Web designer
• Applications developer

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Community arts worker
• Database administrator
• Further education lecturer
• Higher education lecturer
• Medical illustrator
• Software engineer

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

You can find more about the skills you develop during your course, the jobs listed above, plus case studies and where to find these jobs at Prospects.

Included with the permission of AGCAS. For the latest version of this publication, see www.prospects.ac.uk. For permission to reproduce, contact copyright@agcas.org.uk