Get Started in Entertainment

If you are interested in working in the entertainment field you will need to possess a great deal of perseverance and be internally driven to succeed and compete with others equally driven to make it in the field. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are also required in addition to creativity and a professional network to help open doors and provide valuable connections.

College, internships, and volunteer experiences in the field are also extremely helpful in landing a job in the entertainment field.

These experiences often require doing a lot of the grunt work but also offers student’s insight, knowledge, and skills as well as developing professional contacts that are crucial in the field of entertainment. Working for your college newspaper, radio or television station, or in college theater productions will provide you with a good start in gaining the necessary experience to get hired. Summer internships will give you additional experience to include on your resume.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in entertainment, you must be willing to accept criticism and rejection along the way. Competition is fierce in this field and only those who thrive under this type of pressure survive. Although you will experience a great high when you find yourself landing a job, unlike most jobs, the majority of jobs in the entertainment field are temporary and success in the field requires being able to take the highs with the lows.

The entertainment field is full of opportunities for individuals looking to break into the industry. Here are some of the top sites for finding jobs and internships in entertainment. Since it is such a competitive field, developing a strong network of contacts within the field can be extremely helpful. Gaining relevant experience is also required since most employers in the field will ask for a portfolio of previous work.

Production Assistant, Assistant Editor, Film Journalist, Screenwriters, Advertising Copywriter, News Reporter, News Writer.

News reporter, news writer, screenwriter, public relations and promotions director, costume designer, production assistant, make-up artist, set designer, animator, actor, crew member, special effects, editor, critic, director, composer, and photographer/camera operator. In addition, a large range of sports related careers are included in this category, such as: sports agent, sports marketing, sports media relations, and sports publicity.

• Broadcast Media and Journalism Career Guide

• Music & Entertainment Industry Internship Guide for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
  Publication Date: 2003
  

• Princeton Review Internship Bible
  Publication Date: 2005
  Author: M. Oldman and S. Hamadeh
  

• Princeton Review Best 109 Internships
  Publication Date: 2003
  

• Regional Theatre Directory 2003-2004
  Publication Date: 2003
  Author: Jill Charles
  

• Summer Theatre Directory 2003
  Publication Date: 2003
  Author: Barbara Ax
  

• Vault Guide to Top Internships
  Publication Date: 2005
  

Actors

• Screen Actors Guild

Film

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
• Motion Picture Association of America
• Society for Cinema Studies

Television & Radio Artists

• The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
• National Association of Broadcasters
• Radio-TV News Directors Association

Screenwriters and Directors

• Directors Guild of America
• Writers Guild of America