“Must know Photoshop”: proprietary skills and media jobs in Australia

Abstract

Over the last two decades, media and associated creative disciplines have moved increasingly towards digital and online production. This shift has seen proprietary software companies clamouring for market share by proclaiming their product as ‘industry standard’ ( Keith et al., 2021 ). These discourses of professionalism implicitly suggest that proficiency in particular software leads to improved employment outcomes. In turn, many higher education institutions have co-opted this branding message, embedding specific software in their marketing materials. To this end, this research aims to unpack the notion of proprietary software as ‘industry standard’, by undertaking a quantitative survey of media job advertisements. It also aims more broadly to determine what constitutes a ‘media job’ in today’s labour market.