Media development experts Nick Jones (OW2012) and Max Kehoe (OW2014) came back to School for a lunchtime careers talk, in which they looked back at their time at university and their career trajectories, highlighting the importance of work experience in climbing the ranks within the fast-paced worlds of film and media.

Speaking to an audience of aspiring creatives from Westminster, Harris Westminster Sixth Form and The Grey Coat Hospital, Nick, who works for The Crown producers Left Bank Pictures, and Max, who is at global media giant Amazon Studios, explained that a degree alone does not always shape your professional future and that many other factors contribute, especially so within the creative industries. On the subject of a career in film and media, the drive to build on expertise by being keen to pursue work experience roles such as a floor runner on a film set, can really improve a candidate’s chances of not just getting onto the career ladder, but then moving up it. Students were told there is no one set pathway for career development, and the key is to stand out with experience and knowledge.

Before embarking on their careers, Max studied History, English, Economics and Spanish at A Level before a degree in History at Edinburgh, while Nick studied French, German, History and Philosophy at A Level, then moving to Cambridge for French and Italian. Their impressive academic records could have seen them move in various directions following their education; both chose to pursue their current careers having become runners in their early 20s.

To close their talk, they said: “You should have the ambition to continue learning, be open to new opportunities and be aware of new cultural trends.”

Anjola (Sixth Form, RR) said: “I thoroughly enjoy hearing from Old Westminsters speaking about their experiences in the working world, as you realise how many options are available to you concerning future employment. Seeing as there is no specific route to enter the film industry, I found the talk extremely useful regarding how you can begin a career in film and what a job in that field might mean for you.”