How to Be a TV Researcher

Becoming a TV researcher takes skill and dilligence

TV researchers may work in a variety of areas in television including news, sports, soap operas and drama. Researchers also contribute to script development or other writing, as well as doing fact-checking. Becoming a TV researcher takes persistence and a strategy that will give TV stations a reason to employ you as a TV researcher.

Things You'll Need

• Resume
• Research Portfolio (if available)

Instructions

Contact TV networks

1. Determine which stations you are interested in and send them a letter to let them know you want to be a researcher. Provide a detailed explanation of the reasons research is your career choice. Be specific about why you want to do research to showcase your knowledge. Include any documents or examples of research you have done that will provide the station an idea of your abilities as a researcher. Proofread the letter for spelling and grammatical errors. The letter provides the station with their first impression of you.

2. 

   A well-crafted resume can help you get the job

   Create a research-focused resume. List any degrees that are relevant to the position, such as media, journalism and research degrees. List all work experiences and activities that show your knowledge, skills and abilities in the area of TV research. Be sure to list all activities which show your worth as a researcher and a media worker. Examples could include finding contributors for an event, conducting research on a TV personality or sourcing videos or TV shows. Make sure you include any writing and editing work that you may have done in the past that demonstrates your effective communication skills.

3. Offer free services. Inform the station that you are willing to work for free on a project of their choice so they will have opportunity to evaluate your effectiveness as a researcher. The station will be impressed by your dedication and commitment to research and your self-confidence. This one-time only research could open the door for an employment opportunity based on your performance.

4. Become an intern. Many major TV networks offer a variety of internships. Visit their websites to see if there are TV research internships available. An internship can provide on the job training and may help to set the stage for a full-time opportunity as a TV researcher.

5. Check job boards.TV researcher openings can be found on media job boards such as tvresearcherjobs.com, mediabistro.com, startintv.com, and iwantmedia.com. These free sites offer listings of researcher jobs in many locations. Sign up for daily or weekly alerts to keep abreast of researcher vacancies.

References

• Want too Work in Television:From TV Researcher to Assistant Producer
• Jobs in TV Production: How to find jobs in TV Production

Resources

• Becoming a TV Researcher:Tips for Future Researchers