Marketing yourself to Media employers

1. Marketing yourself to Media employers Steve Perring, History Researcher, Horrible Histories Kate Copland, Careers Adviser www.york.ac.uk/careers/inforesources

2. Aims: • Recognise the value of “personal branding” in this job market • Be able to identify your personal brand • Know how to use a variety of methods to market yourself effectively • Perfect your pitch!

3. Personal Branding • Your unique selling point (USP) • Identifies you as an individual and what you have to offer • And/or identifies you as a representative of an organisation – you embody the company values / image • Creates a specific impression to others (an impression that you can control and influence)

4. Examples: Ant & Dec family values entertainment cheeky chappies

5. Russell Brand edgy unpredictable youth culture unconventional

6. Importance of personal branding: • Your image, what you do, who and what you associate yourself with all creates an impression. • In order to market yourself effectively, your personal brand needs to relate to the company brand. • So, you need to know two things: • What’s the company brand? • What’s your personal brand?

7. Sector strategies • What’s appropriate for the organisation? • What does the company do? • What’s the company’s image? • What’s the company culture- how do people dress/behave? • = values = innovation • Commercial awareness: http://www.lawcareers.net/Information/Features/03072012-What-have-you-been-reading-Hello-Magazine

8. Resources: • Know your sector and know your company! • www.york.ac.uk/careers/infosheets (Work experiencein Media) • www.broadcastnow.co.uk (hard copy in Careers Centre) – Digital Spy • http://www.prospects.ac.uk/sectors.htm (Media & Publishing) • http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy (BBC Academy for all areas of Media) • http://www.theunitlist.com/ (Jobs advertised by also loads of help) • http://www.geitf.co.uk/thenetwork (Free intro in TV world) • Production company websites • York Graduate Profiles www.york.ac.uk/careers/profiles • Professional Connect/ alumni events www.york.ac.uk/careers/events • Primary research: Work experience! • Not sure what you want to do? • Employability Tutorial (in the VLE) www.york.ac.uk/careers/options

9. What’s your personal brand? or Who are you and what do you want?! • Career goal or personal profile on CV? • Elevator pitch? • What NOT to do!.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sszNdXF9Bs • 2 minutes…. • Skim read your CV or brain storm yourself • Note down key words/ themes/ impressions that stand out

10. Personal branding: • What does this say about you? • Is this the impression you want to give?

11. Media Qualities Reliability Creativity

12. Skills related to History: • Critical analysis and ability to condense large amounts of information • Communication • Ability to construct a logical and persuasive argument • Problem solving • Team work (group projects and seminars) • Research – not just history! • Self-management • Time management and dealing with multiple workloads • IT skills • Creativity • Numeracy (use of statistics)

13. Marketing approaches: • Online • Applications • Face to face

14. 1. Online: • Twitter- what are you saying? Who are you following? What does this say about you? • Privacy settings?! Who are you accepting? • Examples of your work: blogs/ website/ virtual portfolio/ YouTube • Is your online presence consistent in terms of quality and message? (e.g. Want to work as a journalist, but write articles contradicting your opinions expressed in previous articles?!) • You can showcase your skills and create a great impression before an employer has even met you!

15. STEVE:

19. Marketing approaches: • 2. Applications: • CV, cover letter, application forms, speculative approaches • Are these well written? Free of spelling errors? Consistent and clear messages? Tailored to the company and the role? Is the role something you could do? • If you have a clear understanding of your goal(s) and why your skills and experience are relevant, you will write a much stronger application!

20. 3. Face to face: • Interviews and assessment centres: • Social interviews: pub/corridor/coffee. Very informal. Be open to opportunities! Get way in. • 2. Formal interviews/ assessment centres: situational questions, commercial awareness questions. You are expected to know about the industry, current affairs and what’s popular. Watch TV! Can you cope with stress and thinking on your feet?: “Pitch us an idea”… • Networking: careers fairs/ industry events, work experience, volunteering, social events, personal interests (e.g. art exhibition, film festival..)

21. Networking nightmares!

22. Networking tips: • Prepare! Who will be there? What do you want to find out? • Bring a friend – pros/cons (Tag teams?!) • Review the room – where are the people you would like to target? Name badges/ zones/stands? Even if a person isn’t necessarily useful still have a chat – you’ll never know where it might lead and if you’re rude then word spreads! • Approach people on their own- make small talk? Build your confidence. • Look for groups to break into, rather than people in pairs. • What NOT to do…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THNPmhBl-8I

23. The graceful exit • Think about the message you want to leave the person with • Thank the person • Introduce others, or ask for an introduction yourself • Follow up meeting/email/article/information • Reconnect at a later date • If you say it, mean it, and do it! • Escape routes: • “Shall we check out the food?” • “It’s been great talking to you, but please excuse me I’ve just spotted someone else I need to catch.” • Need the loo! • Time – need to head home.

24. Pitch us an idea! • Working in teams you will have 5 MINUTES to prepare an idea and then 2 MINUTES to pitch it to us. What’s your idea and why should YOU be the ones to produce it? What makes it unique/different?

25. Resources: • York Award courses: • Your online brand • Networking for beginners • https://www.york.ac.uk/students/work-volunteering-careers/skills/york-award/ya-courses/ • Careers sessions: • CV and application writing sessions www.york.ac.uk/careers/events • CV and application reviews www.york.ac.uk/careers/gateway • Online resources: • Successful networking (info sheet) www.york.ac.uk/careers/infosheets • CV Guide (in the VLE) vle.york.ac.uk • www.york.ac.uk/careers/applications

26. Who to follow • @TheBBCAcademy – the BBC Academy (and @BBCCoP) • @Don_b_kong- runs the BBC Trainee Schemes and Pool (often posts advice) • @4TalentDays – Channel 4’s advice scheme • @ITVCareers – often old advice sessions and workshops • @tvtalentmanager and @theunitlist • @journalism_jobs- for newspapers and journalists • @GuardianCareers • @WIJ_UK  (Women in journalism) • @TheTVIndustry – for people specifically interested in TV • @RTS_Futures- Royal Television Society • @BAFTAGuru • @LondonLive – keep abreast of new areas of TV • And of course @UoYCareers! • Plus anyone you meet networking – it’s a great informal way to stay in touch - @stevenperring

27. Help and Support: • Open Mon – Fri , 10am -5pm • www.york.ac.uk/careers • CV and application reviews • One to one advice/ info appointments • Careers Fairs and events • Employability Tutorial, CV guide • York Award, Volunteering, SIB • E-guidance: careers@york.ac.uk • LOCATION: campus central carpark, next to Vanbrugh and Market Square shops • www.york.ac.uk/careers/inforesources

28. www.york.ac.uk/careers/inforesources To access this presentation and the Information Sheets: Getting work experience in Media Considering Broadcasting Successful networking