By Lekan Otufodunrin
Like in every industry, getting a media job is becoming more difficult with few openings for too many applicants to compete for. If you must really get a media job in 2020 you have to brace up for the stiff competition for the limited spaces available.
Below are my thoughts on what you have to do based on my over thirty years of being in the media industry as a reporter and manager.
I got my first real job in the media in 1987 almost one year after youth service so I know how hard it is to get employed in the industry. If it took me that long then to get one, I can imagine how hard it is nowadays, but you can’t give up trying and hoping that you will one day get your dream media job.
You need evidence of what you can do.
For fresh graduates, beyond your degrees and diplomas, you need enough proof that you can do the required jobs media houses are advertising for when they do or ask for recommendations.
If you are looking for writing jobs, you must not just claim to know how to write, you must have links of publications on various platforms your potential employers can check.
I meet many young graduates who tell me they can write, but even their job application is not good enough. Some can’t write to save their lives like a desk head once noted about some interns in a media house.
Read and produce your own content
Read and view the content of the media houses you want to be employed in and have what it takes for your application to be given a second look.
While waiting to get hired, don’t be tired of churching out content that can recommend you to employers even without applying.
I once asked a young journalist to contribute an article for my website www.mediacareeerng.org about a conference he attended outside the country. Though we had not met before then, he did and I published with minimal editing. When he later told me about trying to get a job, I recommended him to a national newspaper and he was hired based on his performance during the interview.
No platform is too small to start from
Don’t despise writing or contributing content for any platform however small in your estimation. It may be what you need to show the stuff you are made of a journalist or communication professional.
If you can’t find platforms to contribute your content, which I doubt, start a blog and gradually grow your following on social media. Your employer like they say may just be on the timeline.
Know the new skills employers want and have them
You may also need to find out other skills media organizations are looking for especially now when being digital savvy is a big deal. So it’s not only about writing, it could include being able to manage a website or social media platforms, produce videos, data analysis, project management and other emerging ones.
Jobs are being redefined and you need to be abreast of the changes to know what to apply for.
Attend professional conferences and training
Apart from applying for jobs, look out for relevant professional conferences and trainings to attend where you can make good contacts needed to get the kind of jobs you desire. Get additional relevant qualifications, not just anyone that may not enhance your job search.
Let the world know you need a job
Yes, the world, not your family, local and national network. Mention it online if necessary. Spread the word about your job search as someone may just know someone or organization that needs your skills. But be prepared with the right credentials as a mere recommendation is not enough to get you the job. You still need to prove you are capable.
Volunteer
You may be tired of hearing this; Volunteer. Yes, do if you can afford to pay the cost if there is no payment for your transport bill. You may need the experience to be considered for employment there or elsewhere.
Speak with employed colleagues
Speak with colleagues who have recently been employed about what they did and the lessons they can share with you to help you in your own job hustle. Did I just write hustle? Yes, it can be until you get what you want.
Apply for none available jobs
Sometimes you may need to be daring. Send unsolicited applications that give the Human Resources Manager an idea of why you are different from the regular job seeker. He or she may not immediately have a job for you but will keep your application in view when a vacancy comes up.
When you hear people saying they got invited for a job they did not apply for, it has to do with the potentials the employers see in them based on what they have read about them or highly they have been recommended by someone who knows their ability.
Be strategic and have something to offer
If you are an old hand trying to change or get another job you must be strategic in your search and target organizations that needs your experience. You must be ready to answer the question about what value you are bringing. It’s not the number of years you have worked that matters, it’s what valuable input you can make if you get hired.
Start your own company
Since age may be a limitation in getting employed for various reasons, you need to know when you are no longer suitable for the kind of jobs you want and start thinking of starting your own company however small it is.
Try non-media jobs
Don’t be too fixated about getting a media job, if what is available is none media-related and you have what it takes to fit into other sectors go for it and learn additional skills you need to make the necessary progress.
My best wishes as you go continue on in your search but feel free to reach me is there is any way I can help, especially with having the necessary skills and for information on which media houses have vacancies.
Call Lekan Otufodunrin 08050498530 (Whatsapp)
Email: info@mediacareerng.org
Twitter: @lotufodunrin