Jobs within the entertainment industry vary greatly; the sectors are diverse and offer prospective employees options through a variety of mediums. Many see jobs in entertainment as limited to acting and presenting, what is often forgotten is the great deal of work that goes into production. Entertainment jobs therefore could fall into a number of categories such as finance, management and technical expertise.
Often when looking for entertainment jobs prospective employees will be forced into beginning their career on the bottom rung. Internships offer applicants the best way for beginning a career in the entertainment industry.
Internships can be found with some major players in the industry, the big movie production houses such as Warner or music industry giants such as Universal all offer internships. These internships however are often poorly paid and in many cases are not paid at all.
The key to entering the entertainment industry and finding reasonably well paid jobs is to build up large amount of contacts. Frequently in entertainment it is not what you know but who you know. That said it is vital when attempting to secure a position, either as an intern or fully fledged employee to have a real desire to work within that industry sector. Enthusiasm is a fundamental part of the entertainment industry and those who hold jobs all have a love for what they do.
The music industry falls under the more general term of entertainment. Jobs within this sector are fiercely sought and being an outstanding candidate is not easy. Whether trying to become a record producer or even a PA, lower level jobs are once again usually poorly paid.
These entry level jobs however are just a means to an end; while working as a junior it is important to impress everyone you meet, the contacts you make during the early stages of your career could be vital in securing future jobs.
The film industry is renowned for employing low level workers who amount to little more than dogsbodies. The term ‘runner’ is often included in jobs within the film industry; the job role is much like it sounds and doing errands makes up a large portion of these types of jobs. They do however offer real chances of career progression and are often seen as a ‘foot in the door’ of the entertainment industry.
Television production is an extremely laborious task and hence the jobs on offer are high in number. Financiers can often find work with television companies while those with artistic flare may be lucky enough to enter the writing or production field. For those who would like to enter the world of journalism, local TV offer the best chance of opportunity as local news offices regularly employ junior reporters.
Many get into the entertainment industry to become famous, or at least appear on TV. This however is rarely an advisable course to follow as numbers of those performing in front of the cameras are small. On the other hand there are success stories of those who have slaved away behind the scenes for years and eventually been allowed to present or act. Competition for acting and presenting positions is high, factors such as your charisma and aesthetic worth will be instrumental in your chances to appear in front of the camera.
There is no doubt that jobs within the entertainment industry are available, however getting into positions is difficult and requires a lot of perseverance. In an industry that is famed for treating its junior employees badly it is a career path that must be stuck to despite the many setbacks. Often success in this industry relies on a lucky break or having the right contacts. While jobs may be sparse the best way to enter the entertainment industry is to take a low paid internship and strive to cement your place before the internship ends.