What advice would you give to someone wanting to broaden the range of work they are getting?
''Don't go for the easy option. I took a job involving a pay cut and working away from home because it enabled me to learn Lightworks. It also led to my first editing job. Having said that so much of what becomes of you is down to luck and serendipity.''

How do you balance the demands of your professional life and your personal life?
''Being freelance is either feast or famine and it's taken a while to learn to balance the two. Having an understanding wife and bank manager helps! Also a second skill would be invaluable to take you through the lean patches.''

How did you prepare yourself for the additional management responsibilities at this level?
''Having been at the receiving end of good, bad, and indifferent management over the years as an assistant, has been useful. But making the jump from foot soldier to officer can put you at odds with your former colleagues, and I think some formal management training, especially team-management, would definitely help.''

Are there any other points / reality checks you'd like to make?
''Learning on the job is the best way, but hire companies will usually give you some downtime to learn a new machine. After all, they might get a job out of it! The private courses I've seen in the papers look extortionate. Keeping up an interest in computing and the internet is also useful.''