Getting media work experience is often only possible through unpaid internships. Jobs in television and film as well as at a newspaper or magazine are extremely popular. Many of the stations and companies involved in these industries receive thousands of job applications yearly or even more often from students and others seeking entry level jobs. It's crucial that you stand out from the others by researching what each media firm seems to want, need and expect in terms of the interns they choose and develop yourself into the best choice. Even with doing this, there is likely to be many rejections, so polite persistence in seeking media work experience is absolutely essential.
Taking steps to get an interview with media hiring managers should be your first goal. To achieve this, you'll have to be sure to follow all of their application directions. If they ask applicants for internships to please reply by a certain date or include certain samples or information in the application and you fail to follow the directions, you're likely to be out of the running right there. After you do apply promptly and properly for the advertised media work experience, be sure to follow up politely. As long as you're polite and communicate well, doing this can show your interest in the opportunity as well as your skills in being able to follow through on something you started.
Once you've managed to get to the interview stage, prepare by considering the possible questions you're likely to be asked. Practice avoiding "er" and "um" in your replies and in keeping what you say brief, yet informative for the interviewer. Communication skills are of course extremely important in media jobs, so honing these can set you apart from other internship candidates who may not be as practiced. Taking, and doing well at, media courses can help show employers that you're passionate and serious about a career in the industry.
To allow yourself to take the media work experience if you're offered an unpaid internship, it's wise to start saving money ahead of time. If you'll have your basic living expenses figured out, you can have more time to devote to doing well in your internship. This can pay off in terms of landing an entry-level job if you're able to network with people at the media company and hopefully receive some references.
