Blog Post 2

I found chapter 1 very interesting in the ways that they spoke about the media industry. I had learned about a lot of sectors from taking the Media Management course with Professor Einstein a few semesters ago. The class completely changed the way that I looked at the media industry and what I would be setting out to do. I had always wanted to become a "host" or "broadcaster," like anyone with big dreams and aspirations. Now, not that I do not still have those dreams, I have found that there are so many positions available  behind the scenes, it's not just being the host, the director. There are so many people that are apart of the team to get a film, a television show, a PR campaign, an ad, etc. out there and finished!

After doing several PA jobs and networking through family friend's, or at events, I really fell in love with development and production. I enjoy the idea of being part of a job from start to finish, sitting at a writer's table bouncing back and forth with ideas, and then being able to watch a project be executed and finalized.

I am graduating this May, as I am a senior. After I graduate, in order to find a job, I am definitely going to begin my research before graduation. This means, researching openings and opportunities through numerous websites. I am definitely going to apply through the big name companies, such as CBS, Time Warner, Viacom, Disney, NBCUniversal, etc. But, I also like the entertainment/media databases that I've seen online such as EntertainmentCareers.net. Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn are also great websites to find companies that are hiring. I definitely want to bulk up my resume by outsourcing to help PA on shoots in the NYC area so I am able to add them to my resume as well as my internships. As I have read in the textbook, as well as have experienced and heard from my peers and professors, the more experience one has on their resume, the more one will stand out to an employer. I definitely like to do my research on companies before I apply, such as the type of programs they produce, meaning the genre, where they shoot, how big the programs are, what sector (radio, film, TV, web). I also like to research the company and see how big/small and how many employees they have, if at all possible to find. Sometimes, I'll look through LinkedIn at the company's page, because employees sometimes post there. I like to research different events that apply to my interests in television production where I can network. Most recently, I went to the New York TV Festival in NYC at the SVA Theater and was able to see numerous producers and writers speak, and I was able to even ask audience questions to some of them, like Jennifer Konner from Girls, one of my favorite series on TV. She was able to share how she got her career started, that she started as a temp in the 90's for numerous people, building a network and client list that was able to jumpstart her career. Living in NYC is definitely an advantage because there are so many different events that are available to network. When I was looking for an internship, I knew there were some production companies I really wanted to intern at, yet didn't know whether or not they accepted interns. I Googled for days for specific companies, looking at how to contact people there. I've even looked on social media for people who work within the company or the company's social media page specifically. Most recently, I reached out to Last Week Tonight's Twitter page and asked if they hired interns. I was responded to by a producer via private direct message with her email and how to send over my resume and information. Connecting on the social media site landed me an in person interview for the show's second season this spring. I've found that taking risks and putting myself out there with people via email or social media sounds kind of odd at first, but it's a way to get my resume in front of someone at the company. A lot of companies that I am interested outsource their employment to social media I have actually discovered. Researching production companies also helps me find companies that produce shows I'm interested in such as comedy and comedy docu-series. Many of their websites also have a contact or connect with us button on the bottom of their websites, and provide an outside source to apply for employment. I think that interning has given me a way to see exactly how a company works from the inside, what the day-to-day life is like. Also, interviewing for internships has also taken away some of the nerves/anxiety of the interview process. Of course, interviewing for a full-time position may be a little more nerve-wracking, but at least we've had the experience! I'm most definitely going to continue looking for networking events around the city to attend before I graduate in May, and also hopefully when I obtain a Spring internship, I am able to network there, too, as well as fill my resume more.