Media

Welcome to the media, daaarrlinng. Enter a dizzyingly glamorous world of champagne breakfasts, air kissing and big personalities. Er…no. Not everybody is going to be the next Anna Wintour. There are many exciting and challenging media careers to be found other than in the (supposedly) glamorous frontline.

So what is media? Malcolm X famously once said: “the media is the most powerful entity on earth.” In many ways, he was right and that was said in pre-internet days. Media magnates like Rupert Murdoch, Simon Fuller and… um…Piers Morgan are incredibly powerful. Media careers are hugely influential on our everyday lives and they do more than just entertain us.

It’s a vast, wide-ranging industry, which encompasses (deep breath): film, illustration, publishing (online and print), journalism, music, photography, radio, television, theatre, video games, B2B media and digital media. Within these areas, there are literally thousands of roles to choose from, which aren’t just populated by trendier-than-thou types riding around on their fixie bikes.

Also, digital media is THE big thing. Nearly every single traditional form of media (print publishing, TV, radio) is involved in some form of digital media; and if they aren’t, they should be! TV programmes have their own Twitter accounts, magazines are online, and publishers are producing e-books galore.

What skills do you need to get into this extremely competitive industry? Media is fast-paced, you need to be flexible and quick to adapt to new challenges. You must be confident, enthusiastic and able to network. Most media employers are looking for a wide range of personal and technical skills. It is not all just about having creative flair; the industry relies on individuals with technical know-how. A degree isn’t a must, however, breaking into the world of media is getting tougher and tougher and many applicants are now graduates. Consequently, it may be worth getting a degree under your belt before applying for the most desirable roles.

If you spend more time on iPlayer than is healthy and know your Question Time from The Only Way is Essex, then a career in television might be right for you. From producers to lighting technicians, there are a huge variety of roles in television to suit every skill.

Another area you could explore is radio broadcasting. A role in radio means so much more than being a runner for BBC Radio 1 (although, being a runner for BBC Radio 1 would be a great place to start!). Experience in local or university/college radio is hugely beneficial, as it’s all about understanding the technical side of radio and learning how to communicate effectively.

If you harbour dreams of becoming the next Charlie Brooker, then you’ll need to be thick-skinned as journalism is a tough and incredibly popular career choice. The same goes for print-based publishing. Publishing houses are increasingly digitally focused. Want to get into publishing and don’t have a Kindle or e-reader? Get one. Work experience for both careers is pretty much essential and it’s good to start early: writing for student newspapers, niche magazines and firing off those work experience letters.

A rapidly growing part of the industry is internet media, video games and other forms of new media, and they only look set to get bigger, injecting a fresh stream of new job opportunities into the sector. If you want to make it in these industries, you’ll need to have an understanding of technical processes, in-depth industry knowledge and a head full of innovative ideas.

So there you have it. Better stop practising your air kissing and start applying for work experience!