6 epic creative jobs you might not have heard of

Ever heard of a beamer? They are people who work in the fashion industry, loading reels of cloth onto weaving machines. Know what a boom operator is? They use a long microphone to record the action on TV shows. Or how about catographers? They’re responsible for making sure actor cats are well looked after on the set of films.

Just kidding, we made that last one up. But there is a massive range of quirky, fascinating, and thrilling jobs in the creative industries – many you might not even have heard of.

Firstly though, what are the creative industries? In a nutshell, it’s the term given to the part of our economy that involves creativity. People in these roles use their key skills and talent to make things they can sell or promote.

They’re pretty important too: the creative industries contribute £84 billion every year to the British economy – that’s nearly £10m an hour!

There’s a huge number of jobs for creative people out there. You could be designing beautiful costumes backstage at a theatre, or filming your latest vlog in an advertising studio. In fact there are different areas of the creative industries: advertising; architecture; music; publishing; fashion and textiles; film and TV; gaming; radio.

And to bag yourself a job in the creative industries, you need to be adaptable and know how to work on your own initiative. When you first start out, your salary might be low and competition is usually fierce – so you need to be hardworking, resilient and ambitious.

When it comes to your skills – you obviously need to have a real passion for creativity. But not all roles in the creative industries will require you to have an artistic flare. There are plenty of opportunities if you’ve got a head for science and an analytical approach.

Here are 6 awesome creative industry jobs you might not have heard of:

1. QA Tester

Does gaming all day sound too good to be true? Then this might be the job for you. A QA tester is someone who tries out video games to check for bugs, make sure they’re working properly, then suggest improvements. QA (Quality Assurance) Testers need to have a great knowledge of games and how they work.

You will need top communication skills for explaining issues to your team, very good attention to detail, and patience. Find a work experience placement to give yourself the edge. And if games are your thing, check out these other jobs in the games industry.

2. Sound designer

Sound designers are the guys who provide TV shows and movies with sound –

everything from explosion and car crash noises to dog barks, clocks and doors. Sound designers love film, have a great knowledge of acoustics, are really imaginative – and unsurprisingly, know how to really listen.

3. Project scientist

Yep, it's true - the creative industries also need scientists! Working in the fashion and textiles area, project scientists develop new textiles and fabrics. They have a very strong knowledge of both textiles and chemistry. Project scientists are always finding out about new materials, and come up with new ways to solve problems.  You’ll usually need a degree to become a project scientist – courses include textile technology or textile science.

4. Digital painter

Jobs for creative people include digital painting. Digital painters work in 2D and 3D animation. They receive drawings and images that have been created by animators, then use software to add colour. Digital painters work as part of a team, and have a great eye for detail and colour. They take a methodical approach and have strong IT skills. You don’t need to do a degree to become a digital painter – it’s a good entry-level position if you’d like to build a career in animation.

5. Podcast producer

Podcast producers work in the radio field. They are responsible for recording, editing and broadcasting a podcast (that’s basically an audio show which can be anything from a journalistic-style story to comedians chatting).

Podcast producers have sound editing and technical skills, communication abilities, know how to fix a problem, and understand their audience.

6. Motion graphics designer

Motion graphics designers create videos that feature animations and visual effects. They can work in the advertising sector. They receive instructions from a client (known as a brief) and they have to carefully create a video that meets those requirements. They use video editing and 3D modelling software.

These guys are really good at working under pressure and they understand how important it is to meet a deadline. Employers will want you to have a great portfolio and showreel. This profession is closely linked to graphic design – you can do a graphic design apprenticeship instead of a degree.

Does a job in the creative industries sound right for you? Use this nifty tool to match your personality type with a creative job role. 

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Image credits

Main image via Pexels; team via Freepik; sound design equipment by Vancouver Film School via Flickr; podcast producer by WOCinTech via Flickr.