Whether MI5 spy or ‘Silk’ clad QC, we’re being inspired by career TV

It is not uncommon for profession based television programmes to enjoy widespread recognition both here in the UK and overseas, with hospital and police dramas having engaged audiences over the years. Recently, other sectors have been muscling in on the action, even capitalising on society’s thirst for ‘reality’ shows, by portraying industry sectors ranging from fashion to construction. But what do these types of career based programmes have to say about our vocational aspirations, and just how far are we engaged with ‘career TV?’

Rather than following a more disciplined and traditional route into the professional services, UK graduates are today pursuing a far wider range of careers.  This, of course, is no bad thing. Our society is in need of talented individuals in all sectors of industry, but statistics reveal that Spain and Italy sit far ahead of the UK in the proportion of people employed in the professional services of law and medicine. With rising University tuition fees and entrance requirements for the more traditional, heavily academic subjects making increasing demands on candidates, potential students need every incentive to strive for a career in the professional services.

Monitoring interest in the new BBC One legal drama ‘Silk’, it is apparent that interest in the tertiary sector remains strong. The series has engaged thousands on Twitter, with praise heaped upon Maxine Peake’s portrayal of the steely Martha Costello. It is significant that those approving are mostly female, and aspiring to the sleek, chic work-ethic of a top female barrister. It perhaps helps that she drives a sports car. And yet, Martha’s legal lifestyle feels attainable; worth the lengthy law conversion to get us called to the bar.

Legal eagle cynics claim ‘Silk’ is not a realistic portrayal of their profession. But until you too can call London’s Old Bailey your place of work, one can only imagine what it might be like. And where is the harm in fuelling the drive and aspirations of talented young individuals in this way?

Nowhere is aspiration more apparent than in the popularity of BBC’s other hit ‘career TV’ drama, ‘Spooks’. The series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service’s Thames House Headquarters, in a highly secure suite of offices known as The Grid. As far as we know, MI5 may actually be dealing with these types of events every day.

Watchdog officials, who have previously condemned the show’s portrayal of interrogation methods and scenes of violence and murder, imply that the over-the-top nature of ‘Spooks’ is deterring potential candidates. The truth is quite the contrary. ‘Spooks’ has had a noticeable impact on visits to the website of MI5, which is still recruiting staff despite cuts to the overall counter-terrorism budget. Visits tripled on the Monday nights when Spooks was on air, from an average of 500 an hour to 1500. During the programme, seven of the top ten terms used in search engines to access the MI5 website are careers-related, such as ‘MI5 careers/jobs’ and ‘how to join MI5’.

With the days of the tap on the shoulder largely over, jobs at MI5 are now advertised on the internet instead, making a career in the service available to anyone who may wish to apply. A cult TV following has rejuvenated the recruitment process in this sector, which can only serve to benefit the dwindling number of UK graduates entering the professional services.

Intelligent career TV is enjoying a mass-appeal moment. Let’s hope these aspirations prevail and translate into a resurgence in the UK of some European style ‘professionalism’.