Rosie
Sullivan
Aspiring Art Editor
About Me
My name is Rosetta, I'm 19 and study Media. I'm easy- going, hardworking and an utter perfectionist longing for a career within the editorial landscape, preferably somewhere within the world of celebrity gossip, fashion and beauty. This website summaries how I plan to transition form college to the world of work, and what direction I may follow. Ultimately, I wish to achieve a Distinction, which I'm hoping will help me to secure an apprenticeship at a renwown media company such as Hearst. Although art editing is my preferred career choice, I would love to try anything ranging from working on a style desk to PR and event management.
Usually most media students progress to university following their life at college. However, I have never been sure on this and have been open to apprentiships and alternative ways of recieving higher qualifications.
I did apply for university just as an option and am also currently studying part time at Pitman as becoming an Executive Assistant or even working within the PR landscape.
Life After College
My Main Career Interests
From a young age I've always been fascinated with magazines and am a regular reader of weekly gossip publications. My main aspiration is to become an editorial art editor which involves designing the placement of a magazine layout to the brand's speicifation with the aim of making the page look as eye- catching yet clear to read. Although having a degree would be sensible, university has never interested me and I've always wanted to dive into the world of work as soon as possible to start working my way up and learning on the job.
Other career interests include advertisting and working with social media and something quite the opposite and suprisingly not related to media- visual merchandising.
I have been in contact with my cousin Ben who fortunately works within the advertising landscape and this could hopefully be a way to get my foot in the door.
Below are specfications of each job I am interested in.
Art Editor
Art editors are responsible for the way a magazine looks. They present the words and images in a way that is easy for the reader to digest, with high visual impact.
The job covers all aspects of layout, design and photography and may include:
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laying out pages for the magazine, often to tight deadlines
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discussing design and layout ideas with the editor and other colleagues
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commissioning photographers and illustrators
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sketching out and designing the cover - which must always look distinctive to attract buyers
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anticipating trends and setting the magazine's overall visual style
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controlling the art budget.
Day-to-day tasks may include:
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laying out pages for the magazine, often to tight deadlines
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discussing design and layout ideas with the editor and other colleagues
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commissioning and briefing photographers on the style and format of shots required
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commissioning illustrators to produce any graphics needed
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choosing the best images to use, either from commissioned pictures or stock library photography
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drafting rough sketches of the cover design for discussion, then producing the final layout
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ensuring that the art elements of the magazine are delivered on time and within budget.
These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary, depending on the employer and where people live.
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Salaries for trainee art editors may start at around £22,000 a year.
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After five years' experience, salaries may reach £37,000.
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Top art directors, working for major publications, can earn up to £70,000.
Creative Personal Assistant
Personal assistants support the work of managers and company directors for whom they are employed to undertake a variety of administrative, clerical and managerial tasks. Ultimately, personal assistants are often a manager's first point of contact. This isn't exactly my dream job, however having a Pitman qualification proves you have self dedication and are higly saught of. This is a way of keeping my options for my future open.
Typical responsibilities of the job include:
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answering telephone calls
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maintaining diaries
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arranging appointments
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taking messages
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typing/word processing
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filing
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organising meetings
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using a variety of software packages
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booking transport and accommodation
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managing databases
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implementing and maintaining procedures/administrative systems
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liaising with staff, suppliers and clients
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preparing letters, presentations and reports
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The range of typical starting salaries falls between £17,000 and £25,000. In central London, starting salaries can range from £22,000 to around £30,000.
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Salaries at senior level or with experience are around £25,000 to £33,000. Salaries in central London can range from £30,000 to £50,000, depending on the level of experience and the type of business.
Media Account Director
I feel as a adolescent always on social media, this would be a suitable job for me. As work experience, I run a music event's Instagram page called DoubleDrop. This includes selecting exciting images and videos to grab the attention of followers and in the hope of getting new followers. I would prefer to work for a fashion company such as 'Oh Polly' as this is much more me. Media account directors are...
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Responsible for the client-agency relationship, ensuring they are profitable and growing
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Planing and buying media and assets for a client’s needs
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Directing the strategic planning for a brief alongside planners and strategists
For this role, I will need to:
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Be capable of working within and leading a team
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Be highly numerate and commercially aware
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Be an effective negotiator
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Have a keen interest in trends in media research, technological developments and how these translate into new opportunities for clients
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Be knowledgeable about their client’s business and market, and how media strategy contributes to success
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Have strong management abilities, knowing when to delegate a task and who to
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Be focused on the personal and professional development of their team
Visual Merchandiser
Visual merchandisers develop, deliver and communicate visual concepts and strategies to promote retail brands, products and services in-store, in catalogues or online. They may also work with museums and galleries or create visual concepts for events.
The majority of visual merchandising personnel are employed in retail stores, the lowest level being assistant visual merchandiser up to visual merchandising/image controller, employing a staff of fifty plus in a large organisation. It is their job to create eye-catching displays and they are sometimes known as window dressers.
In general, activities for this role inculde:
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liaising with teams such as buying, design and marketing to create design themes and plans, often months in advance, including window and in-store displays, signage and pricing concepts;
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conducting research on current and future trends in design and lifestyle, and associated target market features;
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meeting with business, sales managers and retail managers to discuss sales strategies;
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identifying and sourcing props, fabrics, hardware and lighting;
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maintaining a budget and negotiating with suppliers of visual materials;
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working with architectural features of stores to maximise the available space;
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using artistic skills or computer-aided design (CAD) packages, such as AutoCAD, Mockshop or Adobe Creative Suite, to create visuals and plans;
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creating visual merchandising packs to communicate visual guidelines including layout principles, visual dressings and signage - usually applies to those based in a head office;
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Assistant visual merchandiser salaries will typically start at around £12,000 to £18,000 depending on experience and in-store or field function.
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Experienced or management roles can attract starting salaries of £20,000 to £27,000 with senior levels starting on around £30,000. Those working at director or international levels can earn between £45,000 and £60,000 per annum.