How to get a job in the Media industry

Getting a job in the media industry is a bit different to your usual job search so I'm dedicating a special article to this topic. After speaking to some successful media professionals working in music, radio and film it's clear that the media industry is very different - so your job search needs to be different as well. The media industry is highly competitive which means you to be a very dedicated individual if you want to make it - but the rewards can be spectacular.

It seems that whenever anyone gets a high powered job in media circles, it comes about because of some great contacts. So is that what it's all about? Is there any way to get ahead in media when you don't know anyone?

When Chris Moyles got the job with Radio One, one of the UK's leading radio stations and best known music escapes, he was headhunted from a rival station, Capital Radio. He was given a massive salary, access to more UK radio listeners than just about anyone else and all the glamour that goes with a job like that. Now, whenever you hear the name Chris Moyles, you know exactly who he is and where he works.

But like everyone else, Chris Moyles had to start somewhere at the bottom a long time ago.

When Chris Moyles was a teenager, he moved from his family home in Leeds to head over to a small country in Europe called Luxembourg. There he joined Radio Luxembourg, one of the first commercial radio stations in Europe. From there he forged a career that any aspiring radio presenter would do well to copy.

Chris Moyles' adventure was one that mixed a bit of luck and a whole heap of courage. If Chris Moyles hadn't left home to head towards Luxembourg then he may not be in the position he enjoys today. Now he has the contacts, the fame and the prestige. But the beginning was very different.

Stories like that of Chris Moyles are true in film, music, radio and just about any other section of the media industry. The place to start isn't keeping your eye out for that amazing $100,000 job. It's at the very bottom of the media industry food chain.

Everything to do with the media industry is about the contacts. So if you don't have any - and I'm guessing you don't because you're reading this article - you need to get some whatever the cost.

One of the best ways to start getting to know people is by volunteering. If you want to work in TV then volunteer at your local broadcasting station. For radio, drop by your local station. No matter what it is you're volunteering for, you simply need to get your foot in the door. From there you can meet important people in the coffee lounge or during your normal job. Plus there is every chance that the person organising your volunteering work will introduce you round the office - hello contacts!

For radio, you could volunteer at your local community radio station, hospital station or even an internet station. From there you might be invited to some local radio parties, events or training session. Then you might meet someone at a slighter larger station, who might help you when opportunities arise. And so on until you conquer the world .... sound easy?!?! Well it isn't.

There will be times when you feel like your getting nowhere and it isn't hard to give up when all the time and effort you're putting into that community film or radio station doesn't put money into your bank account. But remember that very very very few people in the media industry got to where they are without hard times. Chris Moyles had to leave home as a teenager and take a chance in another country, for example.

By volunteering you are putting yourself in the industry and that will pay dividends. You may not see the dividends today, tomorrow or next week but that crucial contact is only a meeting away.

The other point to volunteering is that, whilst you are waiting for that elusive contact to pop up and make your career, you are also gaining some invaluable experience. You're getting to know the industry, the language and the places to be. You're getting your name out there and that will be crucial when you've lined up a dream job.

Although Chris Moyles was headhunted for the Radio One job, he still had to go for an interview. He still had to prove himself just like anyone else. His contacts and publicity may have got him the interview but that doesn't automatically mean he had the job. You continually need to keep proving yourself in the media industry, despite your fame and glory. That means experience!

Now this might all seem very difficult and might put you off going into the media industry. I hope it hasn't but it's better you go into media job searching with your eyes open. If you know what you're up against then, hopefully, you will be more likely to go the distance.

The media industry isn't for people looking for an easy ride. It's a continual uphill struggle against the competition and yourself. But that makes the rewards that much sweeter. So be prepared to be volunteering for a while whilst you build up contacts, put your name out there and gain that valuable experience that will eventually set you apart from the wanna-be's. Whatever you can do to get your foot in the door, whether it's basic admin or getting coffee for the staff, will help you in the long run. The media industry is a world full of wonderful creativity, endless possibilities and amazing rewards - a world well worth waiting and working for.