'What's your rate'?

As a freelancer that one question that drives me a little nuts is "what is your rate?”  Now there are no rules on what to get paid but in general everyone knows the top and low ends of their pay rate, but employers generally want to know how much you know and what they can get away with.

I went for a job interview a month ago and nearly fell off my chair when I was told ‘the rate’.

The story goes like this...

I saw a job add for an AP on an historical documentary for a company commissioned by BBC2.  I always wanted a Beeb credit and love telling stories and this subject was very interesting - it was a no brainier to apply.  Despite it being for a job lower then my experience I knew that I would be great value for money as an AP and it’s for the Beeb.

The call came for an interview and like always the rate question came up, I also wanted to know what “start ASAP” really meant, as there is no point wasting anyone’s time.   I cannot have an interview Tuesday and start Wednesday as I have childcare to work out.  That takes a couple of days.

In spite of my many other questions like contract length, travel, office location etc the runner on the phone had no information. But it’s a doco for the Beeb so ‘hell yes’ I wanted it. 

The producer was nice, laid back and knew what he was talking about. We chatted and then after 15 minutes I was sold as it sound like a great little gig but then it came…

Instead of “what's your rate” he simply said “the rate is £500”.

I must have looked really shocked as he almost went to help me not fall off my chair!

Without drawing breath I said ‘NO’ maybe a little faster than what is polite.

Now I knew I applied for an AP role and rates can be as low as £750 or £950 so even if it had been the lower I would have been happy to take it.  After all it’s a Beeb credit.

With over 23 years’ experience in TV and Media production (on & off in between bringing up children), I have had many roles and rates and I have never been too fussed about money as long as the employer was not taking me for a ride and I like the subject I am happy to work.

But today I'm not in my 20's with no commitments, I have a family, mortgage and I think I'm rather normal.  So money does play a part in my job search, because after childcare costs.  I don’t want to be working for nothing.

I here story after story about rates being cut and it's no wonder Creative Skillset UK stats state around 5000 plus women left the UK TV in the last 3 years, compared to just 750 men.

If companies are trying to pay rates lower than acceptable women will leave the industry and take valuable scripting, directing and many years of experience with them that cannot be taught on a one-day course.

I'm really sad he decided the rate for that role was below the standard and could not find any room to move.  I did really want a BBC credit and I’ll watch the doco once it’s made as the subject did interest me a lot. 

So I too will now join the Creative Skillset UK stats of women leaving the UK TV industry, but this time I’m taking my experience and skills to Australia.

Dealing with rejection. Thanks but NO thanks.

Dealing with rejection

No one likes to be turned down, whether it's a job or a date.  I must admit I'm writing this while watching the "Undateables" and drinking red wine and thinking about how lucky I am.

So how do you move on from rejection without having a Bridget Jones moment?  Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a graduate no one likes or admits to being rejected or turned down for any role.  It's just not British to talk about these things, but then I'm not British and us Aussies say it like we feel, this is the reason for the blog. 

So how do you pick yourself up once you have put yourself 'out there' but the answer is 'on this occasion....'.

Once you have said the 'insert four letter word', pick yourself up, breathe and say 'their loss' and as Jed Bartlet from The West Wing would say "what's next?"  There are many reasons you may not have got the job and sometimes it is not a reflection on you. Usually there was someone else they knew or who had just finished a job doing the exact same thing available for the role.

Ask the question. This is your chance to ask for feedback that will help you.  It's always hard not knowing why you did not get the role when you have the experience.  Don't lose 2 or 3 days playing the pity game, instead ask!.  When you do get feedback try to see what you learn from it – perhaps lots, maybe nothing. If they can’t or won’t give you any advice, best not to chase them. The reality is it’s been passed down the line to someone removed from the process to reply.  No feedback is incredibly frustrating, but that is the way some people roll.

Stay off social media.  All you need is a good cry, maybe a really good cry, a coffee or wine and 24 hours and the world will seem OK again. Times are tough for all of us getting work and with just 1 in maybe 70 people all wanting the same role. It seems crazy but this is the reality now.

How much do you want it? This is a real question with 10+ years’ experience -  what else could you do instead of television?  Now this bit is a work in progress and I’m still wondering if there is anything else that I could do. Perhaps there is a business waiting to happen, an ex-TV producers recruitment agency  (one that returns emails and calls).

Lastly, remember what is important,

Health,

Family,

Friends.

Jobs come and go in the TV world, you win some you lose some but tomorrow it will all seem a little better. Today I said no to what would have been a lovely little Doco job for BBC2. Why turn down such a nice credit? Money well the lack of it for such a role, but that’s another blog. 

Do you have the candidate X-Factor?

We all know how frustrating job hunting is. You send off application after application and receive no responses.  Or worse, your application or CV is not even downloaded from the job site.  Employees don't call after a face-to-face interview to let you know if you have the job or not. This list can go on and on.

It's frustrating on all fronts. With so many people going for the one job, companies are bogged down with candidates.  So if you do get an interview or contact from the 'inside' ask for feedback as this will help you know what you can do better next time or even things that you can change.

So get ready to make some notes as RDF's Entertainment Development Executive, Neale Simpson offers his tips on the how to have the X-Factor and why some candidates did or did not stand out when they applied for his latest role.

Neale says, "In many cases it was genuinely extremely difficult to shortlist people to the final few for interview.  Here are some reasons a few candidates stood out more than others".

The job add

“Question: What makes you a stand out candidate?

This is a horrible question, but if you are going to be any good at convincing other people about your ideas, you need to be able to sell yourself.  Many people put largely pointless paragraphs on their CVs, 'I'm highly motivated, a great team player, really creative...', but this question was an open invitation to really sell yourself and highlight your strengths.  A lot of people dodged the question or talked about why they wanted the job.” 

“Question: List your 3 favourite tv shows?

We didn't say 'entertainment shows', but we are looking for people who are genuinely passionate about entertainment.  It was interesting that so many people put no, or only one, entertainment show down. Good answers demonstrated a real understanding of what made great formats and interesting choices for non-entertainment shows.”

“Questions: Pitch a Game show & Music show for X time slot and Channel

We look for well-written, interesting and original ideas with mechanics or a twist that captured our attention.  Good answers demonstrated clear headline ideas with a well thought through vision for the shows.  These were tough slots to answer for and not all candidates nailed both answers, but a consistency in writing and creativity marked out the better candidates.”

“Question: Who would you have replace Noel as Host on Deal or No Deal

Good answers eloquently debated and discussed the merits of their host, taking into account the slot and audience demographic.  This wasn't really a deal-breaker question and talent is a subjective thing, but it was a useful insight into candidate's knowledge of slots and channel tone as the issue of talent in entertainment is always a tricky one.”

“Spelling and grammar.- It was amazing how many spelling mistakes and typos featured in applications...and even on CV's.  If you're going to be tasked with writing treatments your employer needs to have confidence in your eye for detail.”

“AP CVs

The shortlisted candidates demonstrated a solid mix of development and production, in mainstream entertainment, and able to name examples of programmes they have helped develop to commission.”

“RESEARCHER CVs

We know that the researcher CV's can't compete on experience, but stand-out candidates were able to convey on their CV's a passion and drive for entertainment and creative work, with extra-curricular commitments during Uni and fascinating projects in their spare time.”

I am very grateful to Neale for allowing me to share these tips for improving television job applications and for those of you who need a 'Tips' break down, here it is.

1.  Direct, bold answers that backed up big statements with clear examples.

2.  Read the question and understanding the genre you want to work in, a genuine passion for something will reflect in your answers.

3.  Be clear and concise about what you are saying.

4.  Check and recheck your work before you send it.

5.  Name examples of past experience that back up your claims.

6.  Hobbies and other experience are useful insights for employees when you don’t have much experience.

 It’s only fitting that Neale has the last word on this topic:

"I hope this gives you a sense of how we (RDF) approached this process, good luck with your other applications".

You get the job... now it’s real.

Are you ready to leave your babies?

My lovely friend Sarah is a Production Manager and with a lot of encouragement she applied for what I thought would be her dream role.  Full-time, close to home and in the same genre and role she did pre-kids. She ticked all the boxes for the role and she really is passionate about the subject, it was made for her (in my eyes).

But right from the start she questioned, did she want to do a full time job? In an industry where these roles a rare I thought it was a no brainer.  What I didn't know where her real fears about leaving her kids with another person.

Sarah was offered a second interview and she phoned asking "am I doing the right thing? I don't want to go for the interview if I don't want the job, how will it work with the kids?".  I thought it was just all those normal fears and questions that get raised when a mum leaves the nest on a more permanent base, but this is not my story.

She was offered the job and given a start date.  And then that is when it became very very real for her 'can I do this'?

 3 weeks later I got this email.

 "I have decided not to take the full time job! Just couldn't bring myself to leave the kids day in day out and have someone else look after them on a full time basis.

I wouldn't feel happy about leaving my boys all day with someone I didn't know. I wouldn't be able to do a good job as I would be worrying too much about them. 

I lost my brother at the age of 21 (I was 19). We were very close. So I am a little more paranoid  than others about the safety of my loved ones. So I have a real issue with someone else driving my kids around. 

We live one mile from a main road so driving is an integral part of my daily life.  As I was interviewing various potential au pairs I had this sinking feeling " what if" something happened to them.

Most of the girls I interviewed for the role had never driven in this country and I felt it was asking for trouble.  I'd already freaked myself out about it prior to that. I also thought that if I was honest with the employer, he may offer me ad hoc freelance work which is exactly what happened. So I'm chuffed to bits about that.

Have to mention though the copious amounts of sleepless nights and analysing with various girlfriends ……. Did my head in after a while! "

I'm thankful Sarah has let me share this journey with you, as I'm sure we all have our very own and real fears, that only we can can work out what is right for us.

The other woman aka the nanny

Once you have decided to go back to work what do you do?  Return to what you did, try something new or take anything you can get?  

My little body guard

I'm sure its a combination of all the above but no matter what you decided there is one thing a mother must do before she can change her status from stay-at-home-mum to working professional. Entrust her beloved children to the other woman (or man), aka the nanny.
  
It might be a live in au pair, child-minder, nanny or even granny, but unless someone else looks after your little treasures you're not going to get very far from the home.  With no family in the UK and only one kid in school my husband and I decided a full time live in au pair was our only option.
 
Now it's one thing to say that you're ready to go back to work and trust the kids to another woman's care but the reality is very strange.  You are basically looking for a lady to move into your home, look after the kids, cook for them, help with school work, play with them, make them laugh and well, do all the things mummy does and then pay her for it.
 

Japanese lunch in Soho

Now there are some adjustments in head space and lifestyle that come with the other woman in your home and a lot come as a pleasant surprise.  It's the before kids freedom that I have gained, the last minute mid-week dinners out in London, if I'm running late it's ok, there is always milk and bread in the house and I get the best of both worlds, freedom and family.

And after all I'll always be mummy.

Transportable skills

What do you do when you officially have not worked for a very long time?

First take a look at your skill set and apply them to being a mum.  Why?  Well they tell me skills are very transportable and it's more fun than looking for a real job!

1. Excellent time management. 

Kiddy dinner

Only a mum knows how 1 minute late for dinner can turn into a Dr Suess story gone wrong.

2. Working with on air talent, contributors and creatives.

Amazing training for a mum with toddlers and a five year old going on teenager.

 

3. Budgeting.

Easy when the wallet says "NO more" it means it's gone and it's baked beans for dinner.

4. Manage small and large teams.

Essential skill for anyone going to a playgroup.

 

What you find in my handbag

5. Experience with single camera crews and multi camera shoots, underwater filming, mounted cameras, working with stunt coordinators, government bodies, tourism offices. 

In reality it means I'm the mum who takes all the photos and videos at everyone's parties, books and finds party venues and arranges the girls' night out.

 6. Familiar with all production paper work, movement orders, call sheets extra.

 Training for the never ending piles of paper found in your kids nursery and school book bags.

7. Scripting half and full hour factual programmes and entertainment news.

Very important to be able to tell a story and feed the mummy grapevine that would put any tabloid to shame!

Turn back the calandar

I say I'm a stay at home mum, well kind of, it's not like I haven't worked in five years.

Over the past 5 years I have produced, directed and edited a number of corporate videos, retrained as a skincare consultant, tried my hand at fundraising and I now run a successful gift and craft market in Godalming.

With two children under 6 you might think I have my hands full.  Well "yes" is the answer but none of these other things have lit a spark when it comes to working.  Like most mums who want it all, we want to be there for our kids, work for ourselves and keep up to date with what is going on in the world.  SO we look for anything that may fill this void.

Here are my void fillers.

Temple Spa rewards for sales

1. My corporate video productions. They are great fun and I loved using all my skills, however I'm not a gun and business and hunting down new clients, I just want to be creative, write and edit nice stories and come up with killer ideas for new shows. And for me it's not the same as working in TV.

2. Temple Spa is a luxury skincare company and I fell into the role of consultant after producing a corporate video for them. I even tried my hand at managing a sales team.  It helped that I used the products for years and years and truly love them.  I was very good at it and made some great pocket money, working nights and around the kids. But again I'm no sales person and while its fun it's just, not me.

Godalming Independent Market

4. Godalming Independent Market
Long story short after a few local mums selling their works got together we decided to put on our own Christmas Market.  I put the payment on the hall and next thing you are all too busy to help, but would love a table at the market.

Borough Hall Godalming- Come inside

As a TV Producer I am skilled at 'Making it happen' so I did. But not just another market selling tat, a market I would want to shop at and one that did not charge me to get in.  I wanted all the stalls to make and sell lovely items not found on the High Street and a real discovery.

The next market will be on November 3rd.  You can see for yourself the stalls going to be there on facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Godalming-Independent-Market/212940642098051?ref=hl

One of the free adds for the Fundraiser

4. Fundraising.  I must say The Team Hannah Health, Beauty and Fitness Fair was the biggest event I have put together on my own. It was fun, stressful and took a lot of time.  I met some lovely people, I worked my butt off and in the end it was a great experience.

A simple comment from the hubby has changed everything it was: "if you're going to work that hard you need to be paid for it". 

And so I started the journey.

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