Promote your media talents

Are you a student journalist, reporter, photographer, editor, broadcaster or blogger?  Would you like some work experience at a major newspaper or a music magazine?  Then read on.

The Guardian Student Media Awards 2012 asks students to submit their entries to one or more of the categories below

• Publication of the Year
• Website of the Year (1 June deadline)
• Reporter of the Year
• Feature Writer of the Year
• Columnist of the Year
• Critic of the Year in association with NME
• Photographer of the Year
• Digital Journalist of the Year
• Broadcast Journalist of the Year.

There is an opportunity for every contributor to your publication or  station to win – so make sure you enter as many categories as possible.

However limited your resources, the experienced judging panel will recognise the kind of imagination and energy that will drive a successful career in media. Judges include media representatives from the Guardian, Channel 4 News and NME.

There are two deadlines to enter the competition:

Website of the Year - Friday 1 June 2012
All other categories - Friday 29 June 2012.

Winners will be awarded experience at the Guardian and NME.  The shortlist will be announced in the supplement MediaGuardian in September. The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony in November.

For more information please see the website.

As well as networking, working on projects is a key thing to do to get into media careers.  If you do have such experience come to Careers in WG3 (Queens’ building) for advice about how to market it and if not visit us to gather ideas about getting relevant experience.  For more information about working in media see the Prospects website.

Do you want to work in the media: journalism, TV or radio?

If that is your career ambition then you will be expected to have a good amount of work experience whilst you are still a student.  The great news is that QM offers you loads of ways to get involved. Here are a range of opportunities:

Journalism

• QMessenger, the newspaper (current editor: Caz Parra and next year’s editor: Sean Richardson, people should email editor@qmessenger.co.uk)
• CUB, the magazine (current editor: Tom Stevenson and next year’s editor: Anna Matheson, people should email editor@cubmagazine.co.uk)
• London Student – email editor@london-student.net
• The Angle – email babs.williams@newturn.org.uk
• Elephant – email matthew@teekay.me
• Zine Mary – the guy who does this is called Robert Pritchard but I don’t have an email for him
• QMSci – email editor@qmsci.com
• QMessenger.co.uk, website (current editor: Alex Penn and next year’s editor: not yet decided, people should email editor@qmediaonline.co.uk).

TV/Radio

• Quest, the radio station (current station manager: Maria Sowter and next year’s station manager: Chris Smith, people should email maria@questradio.co.uk)
• QMTV, television station (current station manager: N/A and next year’s station manager: Ozzy Amir, people should email drama@qm-tv.co.uk).

And if nothing here floats your boat then why not set something up! Schools often have retention funds that don’t get spent, there are theWestfieldand Prospect funds as well as other sources of external funding.

Abi Sharma

Getting Work Experience and Making Your Application Stand Out – Tips from the BBC

As you may know from our blog post last week, the BBC has launched its Production Talent Pool scheme for people interested in working in broadcasting and media.

The speaker also gave tips on getting work experience as well as  how to make your application stand out. His excellent advice is useful for applying to media opportunities in general – not just if you are interested in the BBC.

Application Know-How

• Tell your story in a creative and compelling way – the BBC is interested in entertainment, so make yourself a protagonist, not a secondary character
• Read and consider their questions carefully
• Don’t be afraid to think outside the box – avoid dull, standardized answers that don’t reflect who you are, but keep to the point!
• Don’t think about what the BBC wants. As long as you’re creative and original, the BBC wants YOU!
• Be specific – when discussing your past roles and experience, clearly state what your role was and what tasks you accomplished
• Talk about what’s unique about yourself, whether it’s writing essays or film scripts
• Post weblinks to your blog or website to provide samples of your work

Short on Experience?

Getting work experience in the media isn’t just about doing a 3-month internship for a glossy magazine. It’s also about pursuing your interest by making use of all the resources available to you, such as the Internet. Here are some great ways to build a portfolio for yourself and gain valuable new skills:

• Get involved in anything, whether it’s a student newspaper or promoting a local charity, to show your interest in the field
• Start a blog – great for honing your writing skills and showcasing your work
• Create a media presence for yourself – start using such social media platforms as Twitter, LinkedIn or even Tumblr to make your voice heard.
• If you’re politically engaged, join causes and forums and participate in online discussions to support your ideas
• Contact organizations and groups you’re interested in to ask about work experience schemes

Raluca Maria Chereji
2nd year French and politics student at Queen Mary

Working in the creative and cultural industries

Are you looking for a job where you can use your creative skills and ideas? Including industries such as film, TV, publishing, theatre,  advertising and fashion, there are plenty of exciting opportunities available to explore. And as London is  the ‘cultural capital’, there’s a huge number of places where you can get work experience – right on your doorstep.

To find out about how to get started (and much more) visit a website I discovered recently – creative choices.

What you will find:

• jobs and opportunities – such as jobs with the National Theatre and opportunities to attend workshops on breaking in to the film and TV industry at Pinewood Studios
• industry insights with case studies from the likes of  Justin Somper, the best-selling author of the ‘Vampirates’ books
• advice and information to help you develop the skills you need for the career you want
• industry news and views
• training tools and other resources to help develop your skills

In Case You Missed It – The BBC Presentation at QM

Interested in working in media and broadcasting but missed the BBC Production Talent Pool presentation last Wednesday? Don’t fret – our careers team was present and got the scoop on what you need to do to become a part of the BBC’s exciting new scheme.

What is PTP?

This year the BBC launched the Production Talent Pool (PTP), a project combining all its trainee and induction schemes to create a unique recruitment programme offering over 100 paid placements in TV and radio production. After a careful selection process, 12 participants will be offered an 18 month fast-track internship split into 4 month placements. The candidates will travel all across the country to work in various sectors of the BBC performing all sorts of tasks: from providing administration support to the production team to budgeting, or even coming up with creative ideas for upcoming BBC programmes.

Is It for Me?

The BBC is looking for talented final-year students to take part in the PTP project because it wants to offer future graduates the opportunity to build a long-term career within the BBC. The PTP is for creative students who think outside the box and who are bursting with original ideas on how to make the BBC bigger and better.

If you’re not a final year, don’t worry! As of 2012, the PTP will become an annual project, so make the most of this time by getting work experience in the field to make your application stand out when you apply.

How Do I Apply?

The application process opened on the 6^th of February and will close in 2 weeks time, on February 19. Once you pass this first step, you will be required to register for an online verbal reasoning test, for which you can practice at QM Careers. After shortlisting their candidates, the BBC will then hold assessment days across the country to select 112 people to join the PTP team in June. After completing their internship, 12 people will be offered the 18-month placement across the BBC.

A Little Extra

For more information about the PTP, as well as the application page, visit the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/trainee-schemes/ptp/

For more media and broadcasting vacancies and media information, drop by the Careers office in room WG3 in the Queen’s Building to pick up some handouts and have a chat with one of our Information Officers.

Raluca Maria Chereji
2nd year French and politics student at Queen Mary

Script writing opportunities

A good place to start looking for script writing work experience is on campus!

1. Get involved in clubs and societies where you can produce marketing and promotional material or work on the society website where you post about events and activities.

2. Apart from clubs and societies, the Students’ Union has publications such as the weekly newspaper QMessenger and fortnightly arts and culture magazine CUB which you could write for.

3. Some schools and departments publish regular newsletters featuring a student section. You could talk to your department and see if they have any opportunities for you to write for them.

When researching script writing opportunities off-campus, try approaching TV and radio stations, film councils and theatres for example.

Find out from local or regional theatres and arts centres if they run initiatives for new writers.

You could check the credits of TV shows and films and note the writers’ names. You could follow them on LinkedIn which would be a great way to network in the industry. You never know, it may even result in securing a job opportunity.  Other useful resources include:

• In the BBC Writers Room you can send your work, search for opportunities, gain writing tips and much more. You can also follow them on twitter
• Skillset is a website for the creative industries. Here you can find out more about relevant courses, careers, funding and more
• The Scriptwriting in the UK blog contains useful tips on the sector, articles, downloads and services to get scripts checked
• The Arvon Foundation runs short courses on script writing
• ScreenWriters’ Friend is a guide to writing scripts and screenplays for film. It also contains links to useful sites, articles resources and information about agents
• The Script Factory is a filmmakers’ organisation that supports new screenwriting talent. They offer training, events, script feedback and more
• The Writers’ Guild of Great Britian supports writers across media
• The Guardian Careers hosted a question and answer session about routes into screenwriting
• The Prospects ‘Writer’ role profile to find out more about the skills and activities involved in being a writer
• Also try these twitter hashtags which may contain relevant information or networking opportunities: #scriptchat and #writersfestival.

Promote your media talents

Are you a student journalist, reporter, photographer, editor, broadcaster or blogger?  Would you like some work experience at a major newspaper or a music magazine?  Then read on.

The Guardian Student Media Awards 2011 asks students to submit their entries to one or more of the categories below

• Publication of the Year
• Website of the Year (1 June deadline)
• Reporter of the Year
• Feature Writer of the Year
• Columnist of the Year
• Critic of the Year in association with NME
• Photographer of the Year
• Digital Journalist of the Year
• Broadcast Journalist of the Year.

There is an opportunity for every contributor to your publication/ station to win – so make sure you enter as many categories as possible.

However limited your resources, the experienced judging panel will recognise the kind of imagination and energy that will drive a successful career in media. Judges include media representatives from the Guardian, Channel 4 News and NME.

There are two deadlines to enter the competition:

Website of the Year – Wednesday 1 June
All other categories – Friday 1 July.

Winners will be awarded experience at the Guardian and NME.  The shortlist will be announced in the supplement MediaGuardian in September 2011. The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony in November.

For more information please see the website.

As well as networking, working on projects is a key thing to do to get into media careers.  If you do have such experience come to Careers in WG3 (Queens’ Building) for advice about how to market it and if not visit us to gather ideas about getting relevant experience.  For more information about working in media see the Prospects website.

Your first step to working in TV?

Don’t want to be stuck in an office? Think you’d prefer filming to filing?

Sometimes being stuck in an office everyday can be really dull. Imagine having that dream job where you get to work, whilst meeting celebrities and people from your favourite TV shows. Wouldn’t that be amazing!

The Network offers an opportunity to see just how exciting working in TV really is. This thrilling opportunity is the chance for you to  go to Edinburgh this August and attend four days of FREE masterclasses, workshops and career advice sessions to help you start a career in TV. Interested? Then apply for The Network.

The applications will be closing on the 15^thApril 2011 so don’t miss out on this fantastic prospect.

For more information visit: www.mgeitf.co.uk/thenetwork

For top tips on a career in TV, from CV tips to getting your foot in the door, download a fantastic PDF ‘On Success On TV’ produced by the Network and the BBC Academy.

“Testing Testing” – BBC Production Trainee Scheme Presentation

I walked to the station with Hettie from last night’s BBC Presentation and we were talking about how they had over 4,000 applicants for the few places on their Production Trainee Scheme last year, and expect even more this year.

Naturally I asked how you can increase your chances in getting a place, and there were two top tips.

Practise your Verbal Reasoning.

One of the things that catches most people out is they haven’t prepared to be tested in such a way. QM Careers has access to a similar test to the one the BBC use. Come into the Careers Service and we will sign you up with our programme Kenexa.

You can take a full length verbal reasoning test and you can take the test in your own time, using your own computer. The system will time you and give you immediate feedback on your performance. To receive log-in details for this test please book by phone 020 7882 8533 or in person at QM Careers (Room WG3 Queens’ Building).

Think of your narrative.

The BBC aren’t expecting you to have loads of experience of directing, producing etc. Instead they are looking for you to demonstrate that you have comparable skill sets that they can enhance through the 18 month programme.

Think about your experiences both as part of your degree and extra curricular.  Have you organised a concert? Been involved in the student media? Have you organised a sports tour, and got it sponsored? Have you raised money for charity?

Look at everything you have done and start to look at how you emphasise the positives of your experience. Even if something you’ve been involved in hasn’t worked out, perhaps you can look at the learning experiences from that.

Full details of the BBC Production Trainee Scheme can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/pts and applications begin from 1st March 2011 and close 14th March 2011.

James Weaver

Employer Liaison & Events Officer

Do you want to work in the media?

If you are thinking about working in TV or film then the first thing to consider is getting work experience.  Typically, your first full-time job would be as a runner, getting teas and making phone calls, but competition is fierce even for that.  So how do you get ahead of other people?  What you need to show potential employers is that you are committed to working in the industry and that you have the transferable skills that they want e.g. strong communication and people skills, time management and creative ability. You can demonstrate this by producing your own material and getting industry work experience.

Making your own visual material is getting easier and easier, as you can store, edit and publicise work on YouTube or Vimeo.  You can build a portfolio of work this way.  One unemployed graduate made a short film about being unemployed, which he posted on YouTube.  It was original and entertaining and word spread about it, until he actually got a job offer from a media company who saw his work! Another good idea is to find competitions you can enter work into.  If you study English at QM don’t miss the opportunity to enter “You’re Hired”, a competition where you have to make a short advert for employers about why they should hire an English student.  For full info go to www.facebook.com/youarehired

To find work experience in the industry you can search for advertised opportunities or apply speculatively to TV/film production companies. You could start by thinking about your favourite programmes and then contact the companies who make them.  The ‘contacts’ directory  in QMCareers has listings of media companies, to help with your search.  Remember that there are often local opportunities, for example, your local hospital radio or QMTV.  Don’t forget to get your CV and cover letter checked at Careers before you send it off.

Finally, check out www.skillset.org for useful links, advice and opportunities.