It is very rare to see media jobs advertised in newspapers. This makes it very difficult for media students. They do not know how to find a job. Trying to meet editors or HR heads is not easy. E-mails also produce virtually no response.
So what should media students do? Here are seven simple ways of landing a media job.
Tip 1
You must make full use of media internships, which are organised as part of the study programme. This is not easy. The chances are that you will be treated like a piece of furniture. You must remember that journalists in all newsrooms are struggling to put together the next telecast or the next edition of the newspaper, and have very little time for interns. (Read also: 3 reasons to discontinue media internships)
Most of the time you will be hanging around waiting for work. But this should not deter you from making your presence felt. You must be polite and persevere in your efforts to get work. The interns who are likely to be noticed are those who show drive and determination. Even one well written news report, a news feature or one well edited copy can earn you recognition. This is what you need. You would have opened the door. You can return after finishing your course and make a claim. Who knows you may be lucky.
Tip 2
Today newspapers are struggling to find good hands, especially for the news desk. A few editors even write to well known media schools to get resumes of their better students. You must make use of this. Request your college principal to mail your resume to these media outlets. You can then follow up these letters with personal visits. It is quite possible that you may end up with a media job.
Tip 3
You must visit the offices of the local media, and try to build friendships. This is not going to be easy but it can prove to be very rewarding. Most editors have an informal system of hiring. They ask their colleagues to spread the word among their friends and acquaintances whenever a vacancy arises. You may be the first to know of such a vacancy and get the media job you have been wanting.
Tip 4
Job sites like Naukri.com and Monster.com are now emerging as new destinations to recruit journalists. These sites allow the HR departments of media outlets to scan resumes of media students. You must therefore post your resume on as many job sites as possible. A good practice is to update your resume once a quarter so that your resume remains fresh and current.
Tip 5
The easiest way to get a job is through campus interviews. Unfortunately, only a few media colleges are in a position to hold campus interviews. If you happen to be studying in one of these colleges then you must make full use of the opportunity.
You must find out everything about the media companies that are coming for the campus interviews. You must go through all the recent copies of their publications. In case of TV companies, you must start listening to their telecasts. This will convince the editors that you are passionate about media, and their organisation.
Tip 6
A good policy is to meet the Features or Supplements Editor of newspapers in your city. You will be surprised how hard these editors struggle to find good writers. In fact, they are always on the look-out for fresh faces. Request them to give you some freelance assignments. An even better strategy is to submit a couple samples. You can write news features on monuments, student hang outs, encroachments etc in your city. If your writing is good you will be asked to do more.
Tip 7
You must continue to scan newspaper columns and job sites. You must also keep track of vacancies posted on the careers page of media sites. You never know when a media outlet may decide to advertise its vacancies.
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