Top Three Factors in Getting Hired for a Job in Music, Film and Radio

(and how to improve your odds of getting hired)

1. Finding out when jobs are available. How can you apply for a job if you don’t even know a job opening exists? The reality is that jobs openings in film, radio and music are very rarely advertised because the positions need to be filled immediately. So, instead of advertising the position, the recording studio, radio station or film production house reaches out to people they know for recommendations. If you aren’t already on their radar, you’ll never even hear about the job opening.
2. Industry connections are essential. This relates strongly to the previous point. If you aren’t connected with people inside the film, music or broadcast industries then you will remain on the outside looking in. Going to college is not the solution: the only connections you’ll make there are with other outsiders (students and professors).
3. Real world experience. This is the old Catch-22. How do you get experience when you can’t get hired without it? With the advent of digital technology making recording, videotaping and podcasting possible on a shoestring budget it is possible for the do-it-yourself to gain a degree of experience. However, this experience is not very meaningful when it comes to being hired by a legitimate production facility—they want to see credits of projects you’ve worked on. Just to be clear, working on a student film (or other student project) does not qualify for real world experience.