We were delighted to be joined by 3 women in senior positions, spanning, pre-production, production and inclusion & wellbeing in the industry, and post-production, as part of a virtual panel discussion led by Film London’s Skills Team.

Titled ‘Would You Employ Me?’, 27 talented people from the Equal Access Network (EAN) were invited to champion achievements they were most proud of. In response, guest speakers, Sinitta Monero, Valeria Bullo and Jasmin John, were highly impressed by the EAN members’ ambitions, and provided sound advice on how to engage employers to hire them.

As members shared key milestones in their careers, such as writing/producing and directing a show to Camden and Edinburgh Fringe Festival audiences, Sinitta noted how important it was for people to understand how to market their existing skills, which may not always mean starting at entry level, when breaking into development, production, or post.

Other accomplishments amongst members included earning an MA degree in post-colonial studies at SOAS University, to which Valeria recommended following a career in culture consultancy for Film and TV. Meanwhile, another participant, focussed on a film buying career, had previously raised £2,000 per night in theatre ticket sales, to which the Film Distributors' Association and FOCUS, had been signposted.

Jasmin advised a Ravensbourne Graduate Producer about the importance of visibility when showcasing student projects and utilising alumni networks and resources offered by universities. This advice followed them sharing news of attracting nearly 1,000 views on YouTube for their student short, ‘Bad Apples.’

A very pastoral and supportive platform was fostered as part of a 5-day employability skills course. Thank you for the generosity of all who shared, listened, and advised one another.