By Tom Eldridge, Placements & Employability Intern
I had the pleasure of attending the Royal Television Society’s Careers Fair back in February and I’m here to share lots of tips and tricks to entering the TV industry.
Jude Winstanley (Freelance TV Line Producer and Managing Director) touched on the mistakes students often make when they finish their degree with regards to applying for jobs. She gave some sound advice and emphasised that knowing what entry-level job/s you can aim for with your set of qualifications is a huge step in the right direction for your post-degree working life.
Here is a list of unscripted TV entry-level positions:
- Runner
- Logger
- Personal assistant
- Paid Intern
- Kit Room technician
And here are some similar options for scripted TV/Film:
- Department trainee
- Production office runner
- Set runner
- Location marshal
- Personal assistance
- Runner
- Receptionist
These aren’t the only options available, but would definitely help you to get in with a production company first and foremost, and from there you can continue your career in any path you see fit.
One of the most popular options is becoming a Runner for a production company as this is a way of getting your foot in the door and working your way up. Some advice to follow whilst working as a Runner would be:
- Do the job! Make sure you’re doing what you’re being told to do to the highest level possible.
- Understand the process. Being able to take in the process of what you’re doing and why you need to be doing it is a simple tip that will take you a long way in the industry as it will make you reliable and trustworthy to the production company.
- Have the confidence to ask what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong and what experiences you are lacking to continue up the ladder. Asking these questions will help you become more confident in your own skills and bag you the opportunities to gather more experience because you’re showing that you’re ready to expand your repertoire of knowledge.
If you’re interested in becoming a Runner, there is a popular Facebook group called People in TV: Runners where you can see opportunities and apply directly as well as ask any questions you may have related to being a Runner in the industry.
Having a good quality CV is key to succeeding in post-degree life. There are many tips out there to make sure your CV is industry ready, but more couldn’t hurt…
Whilst listening to the Sky and BBC representatives talk about graduate level jobs, there was one word that echoed throughout their presentations – passion. They reinforced that employing and working with graduates who are incredibly passionate about the subject is their goal, so make your CV stand out with passion, show that you love the area you’re applying for, and it’ll work in your favour.
To accompany the passion, share what you love about the industry and why you love it. This is also a tool you can use further down the line in any interviews that may arise. Include details of your personal projects to advertise that you’re enthusiastic about the subject – it shows a level of dedication to your craft as well as a plethora of additional skills.
Get ready for a short and simple but extremely important slice of advice that myself and hopefully everyone reading will take with them in the future when applying for jobs…The use of the subject line in an email is crucial to passing the first hurdle the employer has set. If the job vacancy specifically mentions what you should include within the subject line, follow it to the letter as many employers use this as the first test and often don’t open the email if the sender hasn’t followed the instructions set within the job post. If the job listing doesn’t have any specific phrases or text to mention in the subject line, make sure it is relevant and typed correctly. Even a simple typo will show employers that your email might not be worth their time. Other information to include within the body of the email is where you found the job listing or who you heard about the opportunity through as companies love to know their reach.
Don’t be a job snob – any starting role in the industry is a good first step in the right direction. Don’t turn your nose up at opportunities because they may be not what you were expecting, but actually look at it from a different perspective and see what positives are in it for you. This isn’t to say that you should be taken advantage of when getting your foot in the door. Working for free is an absolute no-go and minimum wage is a must in the entry-level options available to post graduates.
Knowing where to look for jobs might be an anxiety-inducing task for you, but a vast portion of that could be done through networking which can be super fun! Networking success often doesn’t happen overnight but remember, your first networking contacts are available to you from your degree! Your classmates are in a similar boat to you but will be on different journeys post-university, so it’s important to keep in contact with them and who knows how your paths may cross and how you may help each other in your future careers.
When you start working at any production company, chat to everybody! Make as many contacts as you can as you’ll never know when they might need someone with your talents – eventually, your network of people and job experiences will build up over time.
If networking isn’t the right option for you, luckily, I have a huge variety of options for you to check out, including skill training options and agents (should they be needed).
Here is a list of places you can find entry-level jobs within the industry:
- theguardianjobs
- grapevinejobs
- Triforce creative network
- People in TV: Runners (As previously mentioned)
- LDJ (Location Department Juniors of Film & TV)
- Talent Bases
- ITV Careers
- BBC Careers
- The Talent Manager
- The Unit List
- Twitter – Industry based accounts promoting jobs
- Facebook – Industry based accounts promoting jobs
Skill Training can be found at the following places:
- SetReady
- FullyFocused
- Talking Point – Training the Film Industry
- NFM Academy
- Creative Sparkworks
- ScreenSkills
- Creative MediaSkills
- Bectu
And finally, Agents – if you become that successful!
With thanks to the Royal Television Society for a fantastic virtual fair. To my readers, best of luck with your journey into the TV industry – maybe we’ll meet at a networking event some day!
