If you have been inspired by these Behind The Lens videos, here are some suggestions for what to do next.
Next steps
Think about what you really want from your career – is it travel, staying at home with family, or a mixture of both? Is it high pressure for short bursts of time, or planning and research, is it live sports or post-production?
Are you a technical person? A creative person? A planning person? A research person? A different kind of person?
There are many jobs in sports broadcasting, live entertainment and beyond, from those featured in the Behind the Lens videos, to more in the word cloud below, to others that span across all industries from marketing and graphics to public relations and human resources.
You have a lot of options and opportunities to get into sports broadcasting. Fresh new talent is in huge demand. You just need to focus, make a plan, and push hard.
If you are at school, consider these points:
- Who do you know that might be able to help you? What about teachers, relatives, clubs and societies? Tell people what you want to do as there is a wealth of knowledge out there and people will want to help
- Talk to your careers advisor to find out what subjects you should study to point you in the right direction for the career you would like to have
- Research to discover what the starting level job or jobs are for your chosen profession, as there may be several different first jobs that will get your foot in the door and start you on the path towards your goal
- Find out whether you need to take an apprenticeship, go to college, or university, or if you can learn on the job for your chosen profession
If you are in further education, consider these points as well as those above:
- Network! Find people at the outside broadcast technical services companies and broadcasters working in sports broadcasting, and start contacting them
- Use social media to find the companies and people you need, such as LinkedIn. Message people, tell them what you are hoping to do, a little about you, send a showreel if you have one, and ask for advice
- Join groups that actively encourage networking, such as SVG Europe, SVG US and SVG Australia. Go to conferences, join women’s groups like SVG Europe Women and other diversity groups operating in the area of broadcast you are interested in. Get out there!
- Look for mentors, which can be found all around you as well as through organisations that provide mentoring
- Consider work experience and paid internships to get some working, practical knowledge of what it is like to work in broadcasting, even if what is being offered is not exactly the area you are thinking of going into. Take opportunities to learn and meet people
- Expand your knowledge by taking webinars and training courses in technologies and areas that are relevant to the job you want
Top Tips!
- Take responsibility for your own career. Make a plan and push towards your goals. However, bear in mind that you will change your mind about the direction of your career as you gain more experience, so be open to that and accept it. Be flexible.
- If people ask you to contact them, follow up with them. They are offering you their time, advice and experience, so take it.
- Grab all the opportunities you create because you never know what doors might open!
