Media
The media is an extremely broad industry – from print and online, to radio, television and the big screen – and as such there are myriad roles available within it.
A role in radio could mean researching, writing, presenting or even producing, as well as the more technical side of recording and post-production. On the film and documentary side of things, there are jobs in directing, producing, presenting and commissioning.
Print media careers could involve news reporting at local newspapers or writing for and national publications, as well as B2B (business or trade) magazines and specialist magazines, as well as selling advertising space in print publications and writing advertorial pieces.
Online journalists could be reporters, doing much the same job as print journalists – researching and writing stories, interviewing people – but with the responsibility of uploading stories online through the website’s CMS (content management system). Alternatively, you might focus your efforts solely on the copywriting side of things..
Depending on the size of the website, there are a number of different roles you could pursue, including: web editor, reporter, deputy editor, sub-editor, assistant editor, staff writer and copywriter.
If the website is smaller or more specified to just one topic, one person could take on all the roles. You’ll need to have a good understanding of web development to do this though, as well as having the journalistic expertise to bring readers to the site.
SEO specialists – search engine optimisation specialists – make sure a website’s content comes up when someone searches for it online. They are responsible for managing all SEO activities such as content strategy, link building and keyword strategy (keywords are the terms that internet users search for), driving traffic to the website. These experts will execute tests, collect and analyse data, identifying trends and insights, producing reports and forming strategy based on the results.
Media apprenticeships
Digital media apprenticeships: school leavers could do an Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) in roles like web coordinator or digital assistant, or a Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4) – for those with a better set of UCAS points – in roles like online community manager and user experience coordinator.
There are also Advanced Apprenticeships in roles like On an Advanced Apprenticeship you could train in roles like: social media assistant, social media analyst, digital account assistant, digital marketing assistant and digital communications officer.
