The Project

Do you like having eight hours’ sleep every night? Are you the kind of person who is too shy to tell your classmates that they’re wrong in seminars? Then the media industry probably isn’t for you.

For thousands of graduates each year, a job in the media is the Holy Grail, but only the brave, persistent souls will succeed and, of course, the talented.

Stepping straight from the academic womb onto the news desk of a national newspaper is highly unlikely, no matter how brilliant you may be. There are a lot of people between you and a hundred-word article in The Guardian, and they have been networking like crazy to claw their way up the ladder.

It’s obvious if you think about it – newspapers, magazines, television stations, films, radio shows, and websites all exist to disseminate information and ideas, so to work in this industry you must have the ability to make your opinion heard. We live in a new media age, at the heart of which beats the principal of self-promotion. Anyone can now publish their work for free without having to create their own website or affiliate with someone else’s. With blogging, and sites like MySpace, anyone can be a critic or columnist.

It is from these roots that a career grows. To work in the media you must not be afraid to get your feet wet. Build your own project – like the people who launched this aptly named newspaper – write for as many publications or websites as you can, and do as much work experience as your summer holidays will allow. All of this free work will pay off. The skills, contacts, and knowledge that you gain during these endeavours will differentiate you from the first class graduate with no proven ability to draw a readership or promote a radio show.

Starting at the bottom is the path that most journalists or broadcasters must take and it is an important, if disillusioning, experience. If you intend to work for a national newspaper or television station then expect to have your fingers trodden on and your ideals ignored along the way, particularly during your obligatory service at locally established media outlets. This, again, is where being your own publisher can help (see Media Lens).

However, this is not the only path to the top and, indeed, is not everyone’s Holy Grail. There are many smaller or medium-sized publishing houses, niche magazines, websites, and radio shows that allow your personality, creativity, and career to flourish quickly (see www.gigwise.com). Working for small-to-medium or start-up companies will give you unparalleled experience in all aspects of media – from editorial to production and marketing, not to mention working knowledge of the relevant software. These jobs get you name-checks and move you further up the list on Google!

Choosing your destination is also critical. That is not to say that you can’t change your mind, but the wind in your sails will be wasted if you don’t know where to go. Being energetic and knowing your target audience will help you get there – it is the covering letter displaying research that sticks out from all those that think it’s the best job ever.

Anyone can work in the media, as long as they devote enough time and energy to the task. Being focused on your goal from the beginning can get you a slot on Radio 1, as it did for UEA-graduate Greg James, whose career was launched after he won a student radio award while working at Livewire. It can also get you a job as a Bollywood screen-writer or running your own record label as it has for other recent UEA graduates. Whichever path you take, don’t forget to make friends on the way up: who you know is just as important as talent in the media.