Professional Behavior When Working in the Media

Introduction

In all aspects of employment it is very important to maintain general professional behaviour. The media industry is no different. In this post I will b explaining various different types of traits in which reinforce and maintain this behaviour.

Reliability

Reliability is defined by how much people can rely on you to finish a project or produce something to a good standard. Overall, it is a feeling of mutual trust between the worker and his client,colleagues and employers  This trust is built by consistently being reliable. An important part of this is being true to your word. For example completing a task by a certain time to the standard required. Reliability is valued in the work-place and will give your more opportunities such as special job offers. A reliable person is much more desirable than someone who is not. Even if the unreliable person is better at his job. A reliable person is guaranteed to get the job done.

Attendance and punctuality

This refers to consistently showing up to work when required and on-time. This can also build up your reputation of being reliable.It shows that you are keen to work and good at time-keeping. Someone who is late or misses work continuously will often run the risk of losing there job.

Commitment

This is how committed you are to your job role and what lengths you will go to to complete it to a good standard. Commitment can range from things such as working over-time in order to complete your task. This shows you are willing to complete the work given regardless of if you are getting paid or not. Overall, this will make you stand out amongst over employees as someone who is hard-working.

Efficiency

This is to what standard to produce your work at and generally how good you are at what you do. Someone who is efficient knows how to do there job effectively and quickly. Efficiency can build over time as you grow more accustomed to your role and gain more experience. Although perfection is desirable, it is still detrimental to your work flow to spend to much time doing something. This is were efficiency comes in as a means of completing the task to a good standard within an acceptable time limit.

Self-presentation

Most people will judge you upon a mere few seconds of meeting you. Therefore, it is important to not only give of a good first impression but the right one. Dressing smart, looking tidy and maintain hygiene shows people that you look after yourself. This will portray a feeling of confidence and self-worth to the people around you. This is especially important if you work closely with the public. Mainly due, to how the public perceives you and shows you are a trusted and natural individual.

Communication Skills

Communication skills are very important within the workplace especially media. This is due to the fact that even if you do not work as a team in your role you will most probably be working for clients or editors. It is very important to gain good communication skills as it is very valuable in the world of work. When working free-lance this is especially important when working with a client. With good communication skills yo can build trust and rapport easily and get the information you need out of your client. Another aspect of communication not often mentioned is body language. Its is important to maintain eye contact and appear natural and professional ever under immense pressure. Communication skills can be learnt and will come over time and experience with working with people. Of cause, it is not all about you, in order to be a good communicator t is important to learn how to listen as well.

Contribution to Team projects

Contributing to team projects depicts you as a team-player and reinforces your good communication skills. This is important as it shows an employer that you can work well with other people. It is often good to work in a team as everyone ideas can be thrown around and be used to create a much more successful or better product. However, there are still some tasks which more require solitude and focus.

Time management

This is how well you manage your time and meet required deadlines  I have already mentioned this previously to it is rather self-explanatory. There is a fine line between perfection and wasting to much time on the project. The medium needs to be discovered in order to be efficient and meet any deadlines.

Personal responsibility

This is taking responsibility for your own actions and taking and repercussions or consequences that may or may not come with them. It can also refer to looking after yourself and your own work without relying on other people. This shows that you are independent and can think on your feet. In order to maintain personal responsibility it is important to accept your mistakes and not make excuses or rely on other people.

Proffesional Development

Introduction

Media is an ever-changing industry and in order to be successful  it is imperative to keep up-to-date with various techniques and conventions. In this post I will be explaining the actual process of getting a job as well as progression routes.

Education

Education is an important aspect when it comes to getting a job within the media industry. Although it is not completely necessary to have a college education in order to succeed it can help. Taking a course in the relevant subject will make you more appealing to employers.

There are a range of further education options available upon finished secondary school. These option may be limited depending on what grades you got in you GCSE'S. The two main options in the UK are BTEC'S or A-Levels.

BTEC - A BTEC is a vocational course (usually part-time) consisting of only coursework  They are usually more practically engaging than an A-Level and often offer hands on experience in the subject. In college they are made up of three levels. What level you start on will normally depend on what grades you achieved during school. As you complete each level achieving at least a pass grade you progress onto the next level of the course. Eventually upon finishing the course you will receive a final grade. These will normally be in the format such as DDM (Distinction,Merit,Distinction.) This will then grant you access to specific courses within university which require that grade or BTEC equivalents to A-Levels. Of cause, with a BTEC being very hands-on it is not imperative to go straight to university in order to get a job. Sure it makes you more appealing to employers but usually experience is valued more than education.

A-Levels - This form of further education is much more theory based. Usually you have to take a minimum of three different subjects. Again, it is more preferable to choose at-least one media related one if you want to get into the industry. A-Levels are aimed more a people who have there heart set on going to university. They are not designed for a student to go straight into work after A-Levels. It is debated whether A-Levels are more accredited than a BTEC but each are a valid form of education.

As I have stated there is no straight forward route in getting into the media industry. Going to college and then university will not guarantee you a job. However, it is important to keep up-to-date with the progression and changes in the industry.

Development during education/experience

Regardless of whether you are involved in higher education or not, it is highly important to gain relevant experience in the industry. This can be done through many ways depending on what sort of job-role you are aiming for. During your education it is possible to gain this experience. This can be done by asking for work experience during the days you are not in college/six form. This is effective as it will somewhat put your foot in the door and give you something to show employers on your C.V. Another option is an intern-ship. These are normally un-paid work but gains you experience and understanding for the job-role. For example if you want to become a Journalist than you could get an intern-ship at  a news office. You could also engage in freelance work which is possible whether you are in education or not. This relies on marketing yourself and building your professional reputation. 

Continuing Professional Development

Even if you have managed to land yourself a job it is still important to continue your development. This can be done through your line of work by pursuing more ambitious endeavour and building your reputation. It is also important to make sure you continue gaining valid education and experience relevant to the time. This is because the media industry is always changing and you will no longer be an assets to the industry if you do not keep up-to-date with the times. It is possible to gain training on the job in which you will be given the valid and accredited training in order to work at the best standard possible.

Conclusions

All in all, it is important to continue your development and training throughout you careerer. All relevant and impressive experience, education or training can be recorded and placed on your C.V . This can then be shown to potential employers to ensure them that you are fitted for the job and have enough experience.