Craig Oldham
Money is a dirty thing.Physically and theoretically.
You see, on one side of the fence, if you're good at something then why shouldn't you get paid for it? Where as there's the utopian dream of doing something for the love of it. Placements fall into a grey area in-between the two. No matter how good you are, think you are, or others think you are, when entering the professional workplace for a limited period you're at the bottom of the ladder. But, you're still a valid person who thinks creatively, who's opinion is just as important, and so why shouldn't you get paid? But this wont bring riches beyond your wildest dreams.
As a placement student you're giving a lot of yourself to be educated by the professionals you'll be working under. You're probably travelling a distance, living in relatively expensive accommodation and giving up time out of your studies to professionally learn. Not to mention you're providing help in a manner of ways to the studio employing you. I think it's only fair that you are either paid for these duties or expenses are paid so that financially the placement is not a loss for you. But let's not forget, being a placement should never be about the money, it's about education. In my opinion, and I try to enforce this belief in running Music's placement scheme, the placement is further education. I want people with us that can learn from us and who first and foremost want to learn, not to help make a little money. We pay our placements £150 for every week they're with us, but I feel the education they'll receive far more outweighs this financial incentive.
Sometimes money becomes the conscience settler. Some feel that because they give student the menial jobs that if they pay them that this somehow brings balance to the universe. Whereas I'd rather learn about design and the industry and be paid nothing than earn a shed load and do nothing. Some people feel that a persons pay should reflect their attributes. The great, great advertsiser David Ogilvy said "pay people peanuts and you'll get monkeys". Whereas others feel that money simply is a necessity, but shouldn't be the driving factor. It's one of David Carson's definition of a good job.Take your current situation in your job and factor in all of the variables—the amount you are paid, the project you're working on, the people you work with, where you work, and so on—and then you take out of the equation the money you are paid for doing it. Then ask yourself, without the money, would you still qualify this as a good job?
Answer no then money is important to you. Answer yes and you're close to your ultimate dream job.
