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Nowadays, more and more teenagers and young adults want to work in media. And it makes sense. The internet has changed the way we live – can you imagine waking up without checking your social networking sites, or drift off on an evening without browsing through YouTube?
But to land a successful job in media, you need to work hard. Everyone knows how to write a tweet and take a good photo today, so you need to do more to stand out and make a good impression when it comes to applying for internships and job opportunities. To give you a helping hand and get you started on your journey, we’ve rounded up five things you need to do if you want to work in media.
1. Sign up for LinkedIn
LinkedIn is one of the most powerful social networks in the world, and with more than 500 million users, there’s no excuse not to sign up for an account and start posting. Add your college and University friends, join groups that are relevant to your niche (like journalism communities) and always be on the lookout for new opportunities. Employers are increasingly turning to the social network to post their vacancies and work experience placements, so keep your eyes peeled.
Oh, and one more thing: don’t be afraid of reaching out to someone direct. You don’t need to know somebody personally to add them as a LinkedIn connection. In fact, the majority of the people on your LinkedIn feed should be people you don’t know. How else will you grow your network?
2. Start blogging regularly
Blogging is one of the most important things for any budding journalist, TV presenter, writer, videographer or PR professional. It doesn’t matter what sort of job in media you’d like – having good writing skills will never hurt you. The best way to practice is to write on a regular basis, not just when you have an assignment at college or you want to update your friends on your personal website.
Reach out to news outlets that accept guest contributors, and ask whether they’d take you on as a volunteer writer. Yes, you’ll be working for free, but you’ll be broadening your horizons and writing for someone other than yourself. And that experience can be valuable. Not only will it challenge you to become a better writer and write for different audiences, but it’ll look awesome on your CV.
P.s. we’re currently accepting contributors at Fuzzable, so get in touch.
3. Experiment with new media
Nothing stands still in the world of media for long; even social networking-related roles are evolving to become more marketing-based. If you want to stand out and secure a future working in media, then you should experiment with new media formats and get as much experience as you can. VR, for example, is one of the biggest media trends of the moment, so having an understanding of VR technologies could help you stand out when you go for a job interview. Another string to your bow.
If you really don’t know where to start, take a look at job descriptions for roles you’d like to apply for when you graduate. Identify any skills gaps that you may have, and start working on building experience in that area. Read often, allow influencers and innovators in your chosen field, and always be on the lookout for new ideas and themes that you can explore. Trust us, they’ll help!
4. Network… like, properly
Networking in 2018 is a very different concept to networking in 2008. But the basic premise remains in place; you want to put yourself in front of as many people as possible. Of course, you should have an active presence on LinkedIn and Twitter, engaging in Twitter chats and posting in forums and groups, but you should also be prepared to get involved in the real world. Attend local networking events in your area, volunteer for local businesses by offering them social media assistance or web design, and keep your name at the forefront of people’s minds. The more you know, the more likely you are to be put forward for new opportunities as and when they become available.
5. Get interning
The unfortunate truth about work in media is that you’re gonna have to put in some legwork if you want to find success. Media and journalism-related jobs are few and far between, especially if you don’t live in a big city like London or New York City, so the more work experience you have in your field, the more of an asset you’ll be to companies looking to hire in the world of media. So intern.
There you have it – five things you MUST do if you want to work in the world of media. Do you have experience in media-related jobs? Let us know your advice in the comments section below!
