A podcast that demystifies the creative industries, hosted by Scottish Script Editor Jamie Mackinlay. Each week, Jamie chats with creatives at different stages of their careers about the highs, lows and everything in between. Perfect for anyone interested in working in the arts, Just Get A Real Job celebrates creativity in all its forms and offers insight, humour, and advice for anyone starting out or trying to navigate a career in the arts.
In this week’s episode, Jamie is joined by poet Luke Wright to talk about what it actually means to build a career as a full-time poet.
Luke has been writing and performing poetry for over 25 years, taking his work to theatres, festivals and pubs across the world. He’s created fifteen solo shows, three plays, and published various collections.
Luke opens up about:
🎤 Building a long-term career as a working poet
✍️ His approach to wri...
Jamie is joined by Claire Duffy and Maureen Hascoet live from the HB Film Festival for an honest conversation about the state of Scotland’s screen industry and what it really takes to build work from the ground up right now.
Claire and Maureen open up about:
🎬 Building creative careers outside traditional media pathways🌱 Why grassroots movements and community-led initiatives matter more than ever🧠 The mindset shifts that can hold ...
In the first episode of 2026, Jamie is joined by writer, executive producer and founder of MsMono, Karla Williams Posiuniene, for an honest conversation about taking control of your creative career and what it’s really like being a writer in a changing media landscape.
Karla opened up about:
🎬 Breaking into the industry as a writer
🎭 Why she chose to part ways with her agent and how that decision served her better
🏗️ Building her ow...
In this year’s Christmas and New Year episode, Jamie is joined by returning guest Ashley Dick for a reflective look back on the past year.
Ash opened up about:
🎬 How she has grown her production company and channel, Cinora
💸 The realities of crowdfunding a film
📈 Building an online audience without burning out
🎥 Reflections on some of the best Scottish films of 2025
🌱 The lessons learened this year
🔄 The changing media landscape fo...
This week, Jamie sits down with Hutch.on.Film for a really interesting conversation. Hutch is leading the charge in helping a new generation of indie filmmakers find and build an audience.
Having worked across a number of projects in Hollywood including as an Executive Producer on the Emmy-nominated RZR . Hutch has now built an online community of filmmakers and grown a huge audience through his content.
We chat about everything fro...
This week, Jamie welcomes Ian Murray, the UK’s Minister for Creative Industries, for an open and honest conversation about the state of the creative sector and what the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is doing to help more young people get into creative careers.
Ian shares how his own upbringing shaped his understanding of accessibility in the arts, and why it still feels so difficult for people from working class or under-r...
This week, Jamie sits down once again with comedian and writer Kate Hammer for a funny, honest and wide-ranging chat about navigating life as a freelancer in 2025. Since she was last on the podcast, Kate has gone full-time as a stand-up comic and writer and is now literally a government-approved comedian on a global talent visa.
Kate spoke about:
🎤 Making the jump into stand-up and building a career on your own terms
💸 The financial...
This week, Jamie sits down with Martyn and Christine Armstrong, two of the three founders (alongside Scott Simpson) behind the record label Blackhall Records. Together they explore the ins and outs of running an indie label in today’s ever-changing music landscape, from supporting artists like Dictator, Midnight Ambulance and Waverley, to navigating the challenges of a constantly shifting industry.
They chat about:
🎶 The realiti...
This week, Jamie reconnects with artist and creator Graham Cullis, who returns to the podcast after four years for an open and inspiring chat about art, meditation, and the life-changing path he’s been on since they last spoke.
They chat about:
✨ Graham’s Splat & Splash Tour, travelling around the UK’s beaches and bringing people together through art and community for mental health.
🎨 Spending the day with artist Sophie Tea an...
This week’s episode is a special one, recorded live in Glasgow back in June in collaboration with _and friends.
Jamie was joined by a brilliant panel of filmmakers, including BAFTA Award-winning Michael Lee Richardson, Valerie Andrews, Dylan Blore, and Blade & Bow Films’ Hayley Louise McGuire and Jayme Bartlett.
Together they explore how filmmakers are adapting in an increasingly difficult climate from the challenges of funding and f...
This week, Jamie welcomes back screenwriter Philip Ralph for an honest and thought-provoking conversation about class, creativity, and the ongoing crisis facing the TV industry.
💬 We chatted about everything from:
📺 How class continues to shape opportunity and representation
🎭 What the future of screen might hold for freelancers and working-class creatives
🎬 How shows like adolescence highlight both the strengths and flaws ...
Hello, how are you?
It’s been a wee while since I last put something out, so here’s a short check-in. A quick chat about what’s been happening behind the scenes, the ups and downs of creative work, and some news. New full episodes are back on 15th October! Thanks for sticking with the podcast. Keep your eyes peeled.
Links:
🌍 Visit our website: https://linktr.ee/Justgetarealjobpodcast
💙 Support us on Patreon:...
Ever wondered what it’s like to work at the heart of British television? BBC Commissioner Nick Lambon lifts the curtain on the realities of commissioning, producing and making some of the UK’s biggest shows.
This week, Jamie sits down with Nick Lambon, Commissioning Editor at the BBC, for an honest, behind-the-scenes look at the television industry. From Doctor Who to soap operas, script editing to producing, Nick takes us through h...
This week on Just Get A Real Job, Jamie sits down with actor, playwright, comedian and rising Fringe star Sanjay Lago 💫Sanjay is currently performing his solo show Love Me Like a Chai Tea Latte ☕️ at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025, a heartfelt mix of storytelling, poetry and stand-up exploring love, identity and self-acceptance.
💬 We chatted about:
🎟️ What it’s really like taking a solo show to the Edinburgh Fringe
✊ Why POC and neurodi...
With the UK’s creative industries valued at over £100 billion and growing faster than the national economy, why is it still so hard for young people to break in & have sustainable careers?
In this episode, Jamie chats with Sam Hornsby, co-founder of ERIC, the free career exploration app helping young people discover exciting opportunities in the creative industries.
With both Sam and her co-founder Mae facing barriers to creative...
This week, I’m joined by the brilliant Kate Coulson an actor and writer taking her debut solo show Lioness to the Edinburgh Fringe this August.
We spoke about:
🧠 Growing up creative and finding confidence in your voice
🌀 Living and creating with dyspraxia
⚽ Women’s football and the inspiration behind Lioness
👥 The importance of support from your community
🏟️ Making theatre accessible to wider audiences
💪 The g...
This week, I’m joined by the brilliant Carlo Cavagna Vice President of U.S. Operations at Two Daughters Entertainment and a key force behind the global writing programme PageCraft 🎬🌍
Carlo has worked across the creative industries for over two decades from helping launch Lionsgate’s early VOD platform to leading global trade initiatives for the UK Government. These days, he’s focused on helping stories (and storytellers) reach the...
This week, I’m joined once again by the brilliant Cat MacLeod a returning guest and friend of the podcast for a raw and honest chat about what it takes to be a creative in 2025 ✨
Since we last spoke, Cat’s been selected for the inaugural Sean Connery Talent Lab with NFTS Scotland, where she’s directing a short film (with a real budget this time), and she’s launched _and friends a brilliant new theatre initiative that champions fre...
This week on Just Get A Real Job, Jamie is joined by David Thomas a broadcaster, creative coach and trainer who’s spent the last 20 years helping people in the arts and media build more sustainable freelance careers.
David’s worked across the BBC, the UN and beyond, and now trains 100s of creatives every year. In this episode, he shares practical advice and hard-earned wisdom on everything from money to mindset.
We discuss:
💸 Why so ...
This week on Just Get A Real Job, I’m joined by Lizzy Skrzypiec. She’s an improviser, director, and the artistic director of Bristol’s long-running improv troupe Degrees of Error. Lizzy is also the creative force behind Murder, She Didn’t Write 🕵️♀️ the hit improvised murder mystery show currently touring the UK after seven sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and a recent West End debut at London’s Duchess Theatre. A key figure...
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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