A career in the media is highly sought after but for those that really want to pursue this competitive career area it has lots to offer: a fast paced and busy working environment, a variety of roles, being surrounded by passionate like minded people and a creative buzz.
For those interested in TV, radio and film, there are a range of jobs from those on screen to those behind the scenes. Some of the main areas include directing/ production, research, editing/ writing and more technical roles like sound engineering and camera operation.
Entry routes
In film and TV many people start as a runner, where you’ll be asked to help with tasks on the set or location to help the progress of the shoot, and run errands including making teas and coffees.
There are a handful of graduate schemes in this area: ITV, BBC, Princess Productions and Shine TV but these are competitive and only one entry route into the industry.
Most people apply for advertised jobs, but don’t underestimate the effectiveness of contacting companies directly. Many jobs aren’t advertised and you have to be pro-active. Networking is also essential. Even after you’ve got your first job, make sure you keep in contact with people in the industry.
Doing vocational postgraduate study could help you develop the specific skills the industry is looking for, but lots of entry level positions focus on experience rather than qualifications.
Read our CVs for Media Careers guide (PDF - 727KB) on how to create a tailored CV for the media industry.
Getting experience
Work experience is crucial if you want to pursue a career in the media. Being at university is the perfect chance for you to get involved in student newspapers, GuildTV and Burn FM.
The majority of employers don’t offer structured internship schemes and it’s up to you to approach them for work experience speculatively. As a large proportion of TV programmes are made by independent production companies they can be a good source of experience.
Facebook can be a really effective platform for getting experience in the media industry. Look for groups/pages as these often advertise opportunities: People looking for TV work: Runners.
Creative Access provides opportunities for paid internships in the creative industries for talented young people from under-represented black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. For funding opportunities visit The Journalism Diversity Fund.
The University of Birmingham offers work experience bursaries for any student in their first, second or penultimate year of study. For more details visit the internship funding pages.
Search for work experience opportunities on Careers Connect and keep an eye out for our bespoke internship opportunities in our careers newsletter.
For more tips on getting into the TV/media industry read our blog posts: ‘Careers in TV and Media: Top Industry Insights’ and ‘Top tips for a TV and media career’.
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