Top 5 Tips for Moving on to a Career in Media

Image by Andrew Neel via Unsplash

By Lucy Podmore

As a student, we often forget the reality of applying for jobs. The media industry is extremely competitive, and you may be at the end of your studies and looking for a job. Applying for jobs in the media can be daunting, so here are some tips to guide you through the endless sea of job applications.

1. Look at jobs listings frequently


I know when you first start studying, you think you have ages until you are actually applying for jobs but trust me, it flies by. It is important to know what skills the job you would like are asking for. The earlier you look into this, the more time you have to build specific skills. 
Looking at job listings all the time is beneficial as you can see what jobs are reoccurring and popular. This means you can adapt your goal to get your foot in the door. Currently, social media jobs are what are saturating the market. This could be easier to get into rather than, for example, a camera operator or a journalism role. However, you can bring the skills that you have for these positions to social media.

2. Contacts

As a student we are told that contacts are key. This is true. The more contacts you have, the better the opportunities may arise for you. So, when you are interviewing that journalist from The Sun for your article, or a presenter comes to speak to your class, be friendly and try to make an impression. These people could be what gets your foot in the door. They could get you work experience or ask if you would like to help on projects. You could even reach out to them. Contacts are important even when you have a job in the media as it is always important to know people even if it is not the field you specifically want to work in, as you never know who they know.

3. Work experience

Work experience is so important as it shows that you are competent and passionate for working in the industry. The more work experience you do the better to be honest. If an opportunity arises, take it, even if it is local - it does not need to be for a massive company. Work experience helps build contacts, it helps you develop your skills in a professional setting and gives you a hands on approach and insight into the working world. It also looks impressive on your CV. 


4. Build on your resources

What I mean by this is work on your portfolio - don't just add college work to it. Do passion projects and work outside of college, have fun with it. Build a professional social media dedicated to your field of choice. You would be amazed at the benefits and the contacts you could gain from a professional social media. Keep an updated CV. If you think it looks a little rusty, change it up. Add colour and links to your portfolio but just remember to keep it professional. Most CV’s an employer gets will be a word document with screeds of writing on it so making it eye catching and engaging could be what makes or breaks your application. 


5. Read the job description

This may seem like an obvious one but sometimes when we are job hunting, we get to a point where we apply for jobs because the title and the first few lines of the job description pull us in, and we don’t really know what we are applying for. Sometimes, we don’t get as far as the job description and the pay decides for us. Thoroughly reading the job description and what is expected of you can give a better idea if the job is for you, whether you have the skillset, or if you could learn anything from the employer. This also allows you to create an eye-catching cover letter using keywords and can make you stand out from other candidates with your knowledge. Cover letters are important to help you stand out as most people don’t write them. If you aren’t sure - research it. It is important to know who you are working for and what you are doing.