How to Get a Job as a TV Production Assistant

The Production Assistant is an essential part of the TV production process, and this position is a great way to move on to other areas of production like producing, production management and even directing. However, competition is fierce. Here are some tips for getting a foot in the door.

Instructions

1. Familiarize yourself with the job responsibilities of a Production Assistant before you go any further. Your areas of responsibility will be varied and unpredictable, making it an interesting and ever changing role. Yet, it can generally be summed up as organization of the production process.

2. Get qualified. While it’s not a requirement to have a media qualification, it does have advantages. A media qualification shows that you are serious about the industry, and that you have long-term ambition to succeed in the industry.

3. Get some work experience. Competition for jobs in all areas of TV production can be high, so it is essential to demonstrate to a potential employer that you are committed and experienced in some way. Many skills and experience that are required for the Production Assistant role are transferable from other jobs, such as administrative tasks, organization and time management. You just need to make sure you can demonstrate evidence of these types of skills on your resume.

4. Obtain industry experience. You need to try and demonstrate an interest in the media and television industry itself. Volunteering is good, but try for low pay at least. Short film productions and other low budget projects are always desperate for enthusiastic people to help out on set, even with no experience. Give up a few weekends to work on projects like this, and it will look great on your resume. Jobs like this can easily be found online.

5. Do your research. When you start applying for jobs, learn as much as you can about each company before you arrive for the interview. Being able to talk about their past programs demonstrates that you have a keen an interest.

Tips & Warnings

• Be prepared to talk about the kind of TV programming that you like in the interview. Think of some shows you enjoy, or the kind of shows you’d like to work on, and think about what you like about them. It’s better to be prepared in advance for this kind of question as it demonstrates your genuine interest.