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Have a look at and to find out what roles in this sector involve and how to get into them. There are additional career profiles listed on the website.

Film and broadcast media - production

For screenwriter, see Journalism and Writing.
For make-up artist, see Creative Arts, Design and Fashion.

Film and broadcast media - technical

The following job profiles include descriptions of typical duties, entry requirements and case studies.

• team working and the ability to work collaboratively
• working under pressure
• initiative, resourcefulness, problem-solving
• interpersonal and communication skills
• flexibility/adaptability
• knowledge of the media industry and the production process

A confident attitude, enthusiasm and motivation are essential qualities in the media sector.

Starting salaries for graduate jobs in this sector can vary depending on the position. 

To get an idea of typical starting salaries use the following resources: 

• our  offers access to The Pay Index. This shows you how salaries vary across different roles, industries and locations 
• job profiles, such as those listed on  or  
• vacancy sites such as  and  

For information about how to negotiate a salary, visit Handling job offers.

• Browse our NCL Graduate Employment and Work Experience directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed.
• Use LinkedIn’s  to find out what Ãå±±½ûµØ graduates are doing now. You could ask to connect with them, to gain advice and insights into their career. See Ãå±±½ûµØ Alumni on LinkedIn to help you get started or watch our quick tutorial on  [3:13±Õ. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
• Attend alumni events, such as Ãå±±½ûµØ Develop, to hear directly from our graduates.  
• Sign up for mentoring support with  a²Ô»å . These aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Register to be connected for a one-hour meeting. 
• Attend events such as recruitment events and  employer and sector insights. Hear about graduate jobs, placement schemes, build your network and ask questions.   

Searching for reviews online can be a useful way to get an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers. Reviews are written by employees with different opinions about what makes a good employer.

Use the following review sites for inspiration and insight into the recruitment process:

• - placement year reviews written by students.
•  – graduate job reviews
•  – company reviews from employees

Media 

• - advice, events and opportunities
• - insights and opportunities into film, TV, radio and new media
• - training resources and profiles for people working in production, technology and broadcast

Film

• - news and information about the UK film industry
• - advice and information on working in the sector

TV and radio

• - information and advice on working in TV

Use online magazines and journals to follow news from your industry. Reading about trends and developments is important for applications and interviews.

• - monthly journal of The Royal Television Society, archive copies are available to view online
• - worldwide film industry news
• - business magazine for the commercial media industry

Attend events to hear directly from professionals in the industry.

North East

• Creative Careers - past sessions have included 'Breaking into broadcasting' and 'Starting out in film'
• – wide range of early career development events in the North East

UK wide

• - events and training
• - features, events and online discussions aimed at young people interested in working in television
• - access video footage of past speakers and sessions

See also our recruitment events and employer & sector insights.

Student media opportunities are a great way to gain really indepth experience

• - student radio at Newcastle University
• - written communication skills are valued, so journalism experience can be important
• - TV branch of Ãå±±½ûµØ student media

Use social media to find industry insights

Join  on LinkedIn to keep up to date. Posts often include news, events and opportunities. You can also find useful insights on careers on Instagram and TikTok. Treat these with caution, as not all content may be accurate.

Find out more about  

Consider joining a relevant professional body/industry network

Professional bodies often:

• run networking events
• have specialist groups you could join
• post vacancies on behalf of their members
• have member directories, useful for speculative applications

Key organisations include:

Technical

• - organisation for film and television sound technicians
• - organisation for sound and audio professionals

Networks and agencies

• - regional screen agency for North East England
• - independent filmmakers network
• - membership organisation for women working in UK creative media
• - UK representative body for the community media sector

Trade union - is the media and entertainment trade union.

Finding professional bodies worldwide

³Ò´Ç¾±²Ô³Ò±ô´Ç²ú²¹±ô’s country guides include details of professional bodies. Find them under ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each individual country guide.

Use our resources to get started: 

•  - search for internships and placements in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts  
• Internships, placements & shadowing - links to vacancy sites 
• Global work experience - for internships or placements abroad 

Search the following external sites for more opportunities in media:

• - offer bootcamps, masterclasses, workshops, careers events, on set open days and shadow placements.
• - placements in film and TV, open to candidates with less than a year’s paid experience in their chosen role or department
• - annual four-day career development scheme with applications open in February each year
• - paid internships for young people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds

Major UK broadcasters and production companies offering work experience include:

• - work experience and placements
• - offer internship and cover runner positions
•  - placement year opportunities

Professional bodies also advertise opportunities, eg the .

Off campus

The Careers Service runs flexible term-time and summer internships with local employers. NCL internships are aimed at all students, from any stage.

You can find these advertised throughout the academic year. Full-time summer opportunities are advertised from around March.

Search for these under Vacancies on . Type in ‘NCL internship’ into the text search box.

On campus

Opportunities for internships on campus may be available. To find out more:

• Check with the school office for your academic school or speak to your academic adviser to see if they are advertising any roles.
• Register with Unitemps to be notified when roles become available.

Access GoinGlobal for internships in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:  

• additional vacancy websites  
• CV, application and interview advice   
• Advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world.  

If you’re looking for inspiration, try searching our directories. You can see where our students have had internships and placements in the last five years. To see all results in a search category, keep the search field blank. 

Graduate schemes are very rare in media. Instead, opportunities are often found speculatively or from networking.

Graduate jobs tend to be immediate start positions which can be available all year round. You are more likely to apply for these towards the end of your studies.

Common entry-level roles are:

• runner
• researcher
• media library assistants (logging tapes etc)

Freelance work is common with professionals changing roles, companies and productions frequently.

Use our resources to get started: 

• MyCareer - search for graduate schemes and graduate jobs in the North East, UK and overseas. Register/log in to access vacancies and sign up for personalised email alerts  
• Graduate Jobs – lists graduate vacancy sites 

Vacancy sites for media

• - NFM Academy
• - includes a list of job sites and live job feeds for working in TV
• - placements in film and TV, open to candidates with less than a year’s paid experience in their chosen role or department

See â€¯for details of overseas vacancy sites. 

Access GoinGlobal for job adverts in over 120 global locations, updated daily. Search for opportunities in the local language, as well as in English. You can also use their country guides to find:  

• additional vacancy websites  
• CV, application and interview advice   
• advice on living and working in different countries and cities around the world

Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities: 

1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in. 
2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company. 
3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated. 
4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying! 

You can use this approach at any point in the year. We recommend that you: 

• start your research as early as possible to gather relevant contacts 
• contact organisations around three months before you want the opportunity to begin 

• find organisations on Select ‘search' then 'organisations’
• use the business directories and databases on our Researching employers page
• search for companies on LinkedIn. The  tool shows you where Ãå±±½ûµØ graduates are currently working
• browse our directories. See where our students and graduates have had work experience, or been employed

Use the resources below to find organisations in the North East, UK and worldwide. 

North East organisations

 - member directory

Film and TV

• - full list of UK television channels
• - directory of UK TV and film production companies and suppliers
• - global directory of film, TV and commercial production services companies
• - film and production companies in Scotland

Hospital, community and independent radio

• - full list of UK radio stations and their owners
• includes a
• - list of UK community radio stations
• - membership directory

Ãå±±½ûµØ Alumni

• - see where Ãå±±½ûµØ graduates are working for inspiration
• What Do Graduates Do? (ncl.ac.uk) see where Ãå±±½ûµØ graduates were working fifteen months after graduation
• use social media to find and connect with employers, particularly through LinkedIn

Search GoinGlobal’s employer directory for company information in 196 countries. Their country guides list professional bodies around the world. 

³Ò´Ç¾±²Ô³Ò±ô´Ç²ú²¹±ô’s country guides include details of recruitment agencies in specific countries. They are listed under the following headings:  

• staffing agencies and temporary help firms  
• executive recruiters and search firms  

Recruitment agencies may not operate in the same way in different countries. In the UK agencies are free for job seekers, but this may not be the case elsewhere. Explore the terms and conditions of an agency before signing up to use them.