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I have a bachelor's degree in journalism, which I got in 2007. I completed two internships at well-known tv stations in New York. I've been trying to find an entry-level job at a media organization, but it's been unsuccessful. I talked to some former classmates who have found jobs at top media orgs in NYC, and they told me they interned and applied to jobs online, same as I.
I know it's very difficult to get a job in NYC, especially now with the economy. The only jobs I have done since graduating are holiday retail, substitute teaching, which is also hard to get, tutoring, direct care (working in group homes with the disabled), and telemarketing. The last gig I had was commission only telemarketing.
I'm going back to school in September for a master's degree in teaching, hopefully I can get another internship and it'll help me get into media somehow. I also applied to the Made in NYC production program and Teach NY, which are super competitive.
I know a lot of people come here to try and make it and it's difficult, but is there anyone here who has gotten into a super competitive industry and done well? Is there a secret to climbing the corporate ladder? Is it really all about who you know?
I know I should have gotten a more marketable degree, now I wish I would have done something else, but oh well.
Yes, in the most desirable fields- tv/film, fashion, advertising, hedge fund/ private equity, public relations, media- most of it is who you know, especially at the entry level. I went through the buyer training program at one of the major dept stores and in my class of 12, there was a VP's niece, the daughter of one of our major vendor's CEO, the daughter of our sister company's Senior VP, one of our SVP's friend's kids, etc. Well over half the spots were connections. Even me- I had worked connections coming from Texas after school that led me to my internship and my internship coordinator was good friends with the training program's director. Everyone was qualified for the job, but there are just soooo many applicants- up to 3,000 for 30 spots a year at my company!!
You need to work every connection you have tirelessly. Ask everyone you know in the field for 5-10 networking leads. Then ask those leads for 5-10 leads. Etc.
That, or consider an easier field to get hired in. There aren't that many of those fields around in NYC today though.
Now, once you get hired and up to a certain level, it IS all about talent and whose work will make the company the most money. But talent alone is rarely enough to catch a hiring manager's attention in a star-studded field.
Do whatever you have to to get your foot in the door. If your internships did not turn into jobs or job leads, you are not working hard enough. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I worked in the industry for over a decade and although it is incredibly hard to get your foot in the door, the talented people do rise to the top. Every interview I ever landed was because I had worked for someone who had recommended me to someone else. And it all started with an internship.
Back in college, when I was interning I didn't feel like I was learning anything. Most of the time, I answered the phones and made copies. Most interns are doing entry-level jobs, so the few that are available are so competitive. Now I'm out of school and the only jobs I'm getting are tutoring and direct care and retail. Now I'm getting older and have student loans to pay and would like to move out of my parent's house. My priorities are changing now because I would actually like a job that pays a salary.
When school ended I volunteered at events and interviewed for an executive assistant job at ABC and a training program at FOX but the competition was incredible. I also went to career seminars and job fairs, but there were no job leads only internships that I wasn't qualified for because I was no longer a student lol.
There are fields that aren't competitive in NYC because they're not glamourous and I have worked in almost all of them lol.
HMMM You should be able to get a job quickly. Do you know MS Black USA 2010? She majored in journalism as well but in Penn State, and from there she has come out in many movies. I went to high school with her. The School has helped her a lot. The school that you graduated from cannot find you something?
I was looking for a production assistant job because that was what I interned in.....I have several former classmates that found jobs in NYC working in tv, marketing, advertising. The economy has been so bad since I came out of school in 2007, every media opening gets hundreds of resumes. I've been to networking events, job fairs, interviews with ABC and FOX, sent resumes everywhere, nothing's happened.
I've asked my school to help me out, they told me go on the internet.
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