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Working in the media is one of the most popular choices for graduates, but getting the job you want takes perseverance and patience. Paul Johnson looks at how to get to the top

Ask any group of students what they want to do after leaving university, and you’re guaranteed a significant number will say they want to work in the media. Indeed, the Association of Graduate Recruiters says that 25 per cent of students fancy a media job, the highest figure for any profession. It’s not an easy career choice though – the competition for jobs is so intense that getting a foothold on the career ladder can be difficult.

In 2006, a study by the Higher Education Statistics Agency found that over the previous five years the number of students enrolled in media courses grew from 13,600 to 26,700, and the number of journalism degrees had also doubled. If you want to make it to the top in the profession, you’ve got to be single-minded and determined, says Craig Pickles, Executive Producer at independent TV production company Ginger Productions. Craig has been involved in some of the most talked about shows of recent years and produced and directed all three seasons of Jack Osbourne Adrenaline Junkie.

As an English Language graduate, he first got into television after completing a post-grad newspaper journalism course and then did unpaid work experience for a London production company. After eventually securing a job, he worked his way up, tackling ever bigger projects and taking on more responsibility, before eventually joining Ginger in 2004.

Craig says: “TV work may look glamorous, but behind the scenes it can be immensely hard work and takes absolute dedication and commitment – it’s certainly not an easy ride.

“Unpaid work experience is pretty much the only way in, and even then you’ve got to really prove yourself if you want a paid job. This means doing whatever you’re asked, no matter how hard or onerous it may be. Early on in your career you’ve got to do whatever is needed and still stay smiling, which isn’t always easy.”

Craig adds: “If you go that extra bit further than everyone else you will get noticed and you’ll almost certainly do well. You need talent, but also a lot of perseverance.”

Careers consultant Sherridan Hughes (www.sherridanhughes.com) says: “Media is a fun, dynamic and exciting field, but hours are often long, unpredictable and unsociable, and many people lurch from one contract to another – permanent employment opportunities tend to be few and far between.”

But he warns: “Some people in the industry can be pretentious and backstabbing with very large egos. One needs to be creative, tough, able to think quickly on one’s feet and to remain calm in a crisis. But it can be hugely satisfying to see a programme you have created from scratch go on air and your ideas come to fruition.”

The good news for those who have what it takes is that the media covers an almost limitless variety of different jobs and roles, from the creative to the technical, and production to managerial and everything else in between.

While the media is split into various sectors, there is still movement between them so someone who’s trained in newspapers might be able to move into TV or the internet at a later stage. And there’s increasing demand for multi-skilled media professionals able to work for a variety of outlets as broadcast, print and internet markets converge. Here we take a look at some of the many jobs available in the media, and the best ways of joining the industry.

Television
Production jobs include being a runner (essentially a dogsbody), a researcher, a production assistant and an assistant producer. Those who do well might climb the career ladder to eventually become senior producers or directors, possibly working at smaller, independent production firms or for larger television networks. Beyond that, jobs can include being a commissioning editor or a creative director, responsible for many different programmes and sometimes hundreds of staff.

There are many other job areas within television, often of a specialist or technical nature, including camera operators, sound recorders, film editors, script writers and editors, floor managers, broadcast engineers and vision mixers.

Television news and current affairs also accounts for a huge number of different jobs, with reporters, producers, writers and editors all contributing to the journalistic output. Key employers include the BBC, ITN and Sky, as well as smaller, independent production firms producing current affairs and reportage programmes. Many national TV journalists started in regional television newsrooms or at regional radio stations. Journalists working in front of the camera need clear, distinct and easily understood voices, with excellent delivery – reasonably good looks are a definite plus as well.

Radio
Despite the popularity of TV, and increasingly the internet, radio is still a force to be reckoned with in the media, with many great jobs on both local and national radio stations. Radio can offer careers wholly within the medium, or can be an excellent training ground and springboard to move into television later.

Jobs available mirror those in television – with runners, production assistants, researchers and producers – and about half of all those working in radio are freelance. Radio news and current affairs journalists report, write and often present radio programmes, ranging from news bulletins to longer, in-depth segments or reportage. As in TV journalism, presenters and on-air reporters need to have good voices and strong delivery.

Print journalism
Newspapers and magazines account for most of the jobs in journalism in the UK, with outlets including local weekly papers, evening or daily regional papers, free papers, news agencies, national papers and a bewildering number of magazines across the consumer, specialist interest and trade magazine sectors.

Many cities and towns also have independent news and features agencies writing for a variety of media outlets, while large national and international agencies such as the Press Association or Reuters supply content to global market. The traditional career route is to start on a weekly newspaper as a trainee reporter before moving to a bigger regional daily paper and then, with luck and perseverance, on to a national paper or large news agency. Journalists can also start out as trainees in magazines, or move over into magazines after starting out in newspapers.

Jobs in print include news and sports reporters, feature writers, specialist correspondents, commissioning editors, sub editors, section editors, photographers and senior executives and management. There’s a huge variety of work and jobs in print journalism to cater for virtually any interest or specialism, from healthcare to horses and motoring to makeup.

Starting out in print does offer a degree of flexibility as it’s possible to move into other media forms such as TV or the internet, or even public relations and consultancy. There is also the option of freelancing eventually, although it is usually best to build up experience and contacts with a staff job first.

Internet
The internet revolution over the last 15 years has seen a raft of new jobs, many mirroring existing media roles. Websites require designers, writers, editors, producers and IT support to get them from concept to cyberspace, as well as the staff to maintain them and keep them current.

Online news sites, such as the BBC’s and those of many national papers, employ news journalists, including general reporters, specialist correspondents and senior editors. While internet work is regarded as something of a speciality in its own right, the best form of entry for general and editorial roles is still through solid journalism qualifications and experience.

Marketing and associated industries
Marketing, advertising and PR are all closely linked with the media industry, with constant close liaison and co-operation with researchers, journalists, producers and editors. The key aim of those working within marketing and associated sectors is to ‘sell’ a particular product, service or person to the public or business community, and the most efficient way of doing this is through the media. To achieve this, a keen knowledge of the way the media works is necessary, as well as excellent contacts.

It is difficult however to move from marketing into mainstream media or journalism unless you’re willing to retrain and possibly start at the bottom again.

Pay and benefits
No one goes into the media for the money. Because so many people are chasing relatively few media jobs, employers can pick the very best graduates and pay them relatively little. Unpaid work experience is standard throughout the media, and starting salaries for paid work can be as low as the minimum wage and nearly always well under £20,000 – salaries of £12,000 to £15,000 are the norm. Short-term contracts – three or six months – are common in the media, especially in TV. With a few years of experience, it’s possible to move into the £20,000 to £30,000 band and pay will go on to £50,000 or more in national journalism and television. A few top executives and star columnists or writers can earn £100,000 or more and some national newspaper editors can earn upwards of £250,000.

The work may well involve long, unsociable hours, moments of intense pressure, difficult or unpleasant situations and sometimes even personal danger. However, the upside of media work is the constant variety, challenge and thrill of the job, often with experiences that no other form of work can offer.

Qualifications
A good degree can help, but personal and practical skills and relevant experience count for far more than academic qualifications in the media. The type of degree studied isn’t hugely important either – many journalists and those in the media have studied the arts, humanities or languages, but other degrees won’t be a handicap.

Many media studies graduates are surprised to find their degree doesn’t automatically open up doors – the truth is that employers are looking for practical knowledge and abilities, which aren’t always covered on such courses.

A journalism degree can be more useful, and will usually include the practical elements of news gathering, writing, reporting, editing and production skills, as well as a working knowledge of law and public administration as they apply to the media. For graduates with other degrees, an excellent option is to take a post-graduate journalism course that will give the necessary basic grounding. Such courses usually specialise in one part of the media, such as newspapers, magazines or broadcast, and are widely respected by media recruiters. The National Council for the Training of Journalists has more at www.nctj.com.

Work experience
Unless you’re very well connected, there’s virtually no chance of getting a job in the media unless you have extensive work experience. In fact, it’s unlikely you’ll even get accepted for a post-grad journalism course if you haven’t spent some time in a newspaper, radio or TV production office.

Volunteering for a university student newspaper, radio or TV station is a great way to start, but also try local newspapers, hospital radio, local radio and – if you’re in or near to London – national papers and magazines. Keep knocking on doors until one opens.

Whatever work experience you do, make the most of it by volunteering for anything that crops up, and always try to take the initiative by coming up with ideas. Don’t just sit there – the key is to get noticed in a very busy and often difficult environment.

It’s also important to be realistic. One survey of more than 1,000 young people working in TV found that the average starting salary is just £12,000 and that more than three quarters had worked without pay for up to three months to get a job – 12 per cent had worked for over six months for free. More than half said they had worked over 16 hours a day at times.

Top tips to get a media job
• Know the industry – do your research, including reading relevant trade magazines
• Get as much work experience as you can, and always make the most of it
• When applying for jobs, focus on your practical achievements
• Don’t worry too much about a low salary for your first job – it’s inevitable
• Keep on knocking on doors until they open – don’t take no for an answer
• Be flexible about where you work for your first job – you can always go somewhere else once you’ve got
some experience
• Try to get some mentoring or advice from someone already well established in the media
• Network, network, network – get to know as many people as you can in your chosen field
• Don’t just wait for job adverts – many media jobs are unadvertised so it pays to be proactive
• Cast your net far and wide – apply to every employer you’d be happy working for

Essential personal characteristics for the media
• Top-notch communicator
• Excellent listener
• Enquiring mind
• Confident and strong-minded without being overbearing
• Thick-skinned – able to take sizable knocks and criticism
• Good team player but also happy to work on their own
• Solid ambition and determination
• Excellent knowledge of current affairs
• Quick thinking and logical
• Calm in a crisis
• Able to organise and delegate effectively

Useful practical skills in the media and journalism
• Touch typing – preferably at a speed of 50 words per minute or more
• Shorthand – preferably at a speed of 100 words per minute or more
• Solid working knowledge of word processors, such as Microsoft Word
• Comfortable working with computers and adapting to new technology

Useful contacts
National Council for the Training of Journalists – www.nctj.com

HoldtheFrontPage – resource for journalists and journalism students, including tips and job ads – www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk

National Union of Journalists –
www.nuj.org.uk

Skillset Careers – careers advice for broadcast, film, video, interactive media and photo imaging – www.skillset.org/careers

BBC jobs – www.bbc.co.uk/jobs

Key media publications and sources of job adverts
Media Guardian – www.guardian.co.uk/media

Press Gazette – www.pressgazette.co.uk

Media Week – www.brandrepublic.com/MediaWeek

Broadcast – www.broadcastnow.co.uk

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