Based on my experience as a series producer and exec, during which time I carried out dozens of interviews and read hundreds of applications
What to do before you apply
Try to get recommended
There is nothing most reassuring than a personal recommendation.
Most producers hate hiring through job adverts and interviews because it’s a very time-consuming process with no guarantee that the person you pick will be any good. They’d much rather have a recommendation.
So do a bit of Facebook or LinkedIn stalking and see if it throws up a mutual connection. If you know someone in common, ask them to forward your application email with a note singing your praises.
Most TV jobs get lots of applications and producers often struggle to open all of them, let alone read and consider each one. However, if you mention a mutual connection, the chances of being completely ignored go down.
Even if it’s not a strong or recent connection – say, you were runners together somewhere, you could try something like:
Hi Claire, how are you?
It’s Brendan here – I know it’s been ages since we were runners at Brook Lapping, but I wondered if you could help with a job application I’m doing. It’s for an AP role at The Garden and I saw that you knew Cimran, the hiring exec. As it’s been so long you might not feel you can recommend (at least in good conscience) my production skills but actually, it’d still really help if you could forward my application – even if all you say is I’m not a complete psycho! Anything you can do to help would be really appreciated. It’s a job I’m really excited about.
If you can’t get them to forward your application, at least mention the connection. For example:
SUBJECT: Katie sent me! Application for producer role
“Hi Cimran, our mutual friend Katie mentioned you were advertising for a producer. It sounds like a really interesting project and I saw the recent show you produced for Channel 4 [cover letter continues…]
See if you can get any intelligence on the position
When applying for a job you have the official information that’s on the job advert and so on, but also useful is unofficial information about what’s going on.
For example, it’s useful to know if the employers already have someone in mind for the role, and the application process is just a formality. If this is the case, applying might be a waste of time.
Or, another scenario might be that the current team is all male and they really want a woman for the role. This might not be information they feel able to put in the job advert, but again, this is useful to know.
(I’m not trying to put you off applying for jobs you really want. It’s just that with good information, you know where to focus your energy.)
Another thing to know might be whether they feel they’re lacking a particular skill or area of experience (e.g. shooting skills, journalistic background, comedy experience etc). If you know this then you know what to emphasise in your application.
So, have a look through the employer’s website and Twitter feed and try and talk to anyone at the company you know (LinkedIn might throw up a connection). A conversation with the right person might be able to tell you more about the programme being advertised for, which exec is in charge of the project, and lots of other valuable information.
Don’t despair if you don’t know anyone – there are other ways to stand out
I realise my first two points mention using connections in the industry. But if you’re just starting out, and don’t know anyone, this might be discouraging.
But don’t despair, there are other ways to stand out. My first paid job as a runner came after I hand-delivered my CV and cover letter. I’d found the Head of Production’s name on the credits of the company’s programmes and just turned up at the office and asked to speak to him. Unfortunately, he was working that day but I chatted with the receptionist who promised to hand my CV over. It ended up being enough to get me an interview which then led to a job offer.
(By the way, if/when you’re the one hiring do consider hiring from outside the group of people you already know. Certain groups are chronically under-represented in the industry and if everyone just hires from those they know this is unlikely to change. Check out the Tools & Resources page for places to advertise that serve under-represented groups.)
Advice on cover letters
Most freelance jobs involve sending someone an email with your CV. The email you send is effectively your cover letter and it’s worth getting right. For me, the decision about who to interview was usually 90% down to what’s in the cover letter.
Talk about them before you talk about yourself
Structure your email in two parts: first, talk about them, then talk about yourself.
The worst applications start off with candidates talking about themselves. (“This would be a really good move for me because…”)
Instead focus on them. For example, talking about:
- The programme they’ve advertised and what sounds exciting about it
- The channel or company they’re working at and what you like about it
- A programme they’ve made previously and what interested you about it
- Giving a list of ideas
…basically, anything that is giving value to the reader before you start selling yourself.
Position yourself as a specialist
Recruits usually prefer a candidate who’s a specialist in the type of programme they’re advertising for. So edit your cover letter (and CV) to include only the jobs that support that impression. If you’ve got nothing on your CV, you can always say this is an area of television you’ve always been interested in.
Write with a bit of personality
TV is about engaging and entertaining people. Even people who work in news (especially in news) have this challenge. If you go too far you might seem unprofessional but at least try to sound like a real person. One trick is to read your email out loud afterwards.
An example
I went on a Facebook TV jobs page and picked the first advert I found. It really is a job I’m not suitable for at all!
It’s quite a cagey advert, so more information would be helpful.
If I was still working in “normal” TV and daytime was a genre I wanted to work in, I should be able to work out what show the employer is talking about. As it is, poking around on the Remarkable TV website I find mention of “long-running returning formats such as Animal Park, Richard Osman’s House of Games and Sunday Brunch.” More Googling reveals Animal Park is filmed in Wiltshire, which is in the South West, so maybe that’s the programme being advertised.
The reason this is important is that if I know the show, I can watch it and say something intelligently complimentary about it.
However, in this example, I’m not sure what programme it is (if I wasn’t writing this late at night, I could just call the company receptionist). Instead, I’ll talk about the company, which I notice thanks to its Twitter feed, is celebrating an award nomination.
Hi Laura
My name is Brendan Miller. I’m applying for the Edit Producer position advertised on Facebook. I’m a big fan of the shows Remarkable TV produce (Sunday Brunch is a weekly favourite in our flat and my two boys and I are obsessed with Animal Park) You guys make just the kind of warm-hearted and entertaining TV I got into this industry for! The Edinburgh TV nomination was definitely well-deserved.
I have a lot of experience shaping a story in the edit in a way that makes it entertaining and engaging, and have worked on both big audience programmes (e.g. Question Time) and those aimed at a daytime audience (Working Lunch). I’m available on the dates advertised, my rate is £1300 a week and my CV is attached.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email.
Best wishes, Brendan
This job is really way outside of my area but hopefully, seeing this example is still useful.
5 mistakes to avoid:
- Incorrect spelling and grammar – maybe it shouldn’t be important but it is. There are websites that can help or you can ask a friend to read your application
- Getting the person’s name wrong – I can’t count the number of times I’ve been called Brandon or Brennan
- Writing a wall of text with no paragraphs
- Be careful when copying and pasting sections of your cover letter from other applications. Often you might not see the differences on your email client but those differences will show on the computer of the person reading. Hit “clear formatting” for any pasted sentences
- Forgetting to give info they have asked for – e.g. rate or availability
Advice on CVs
Position yourself as a specialist
The biggest mistake with CVs is including everything you’ve ever done.
It’s often useful to have a master CV which lists everything on it from your latest job to your school swimming certificates. When you apply for a job, though, you should submit an edited version of this master CV.
One trick is to have different CVs for different genres. For example, I might have a CV focusing on my love of studio shows, another on my love of online, and so on — all for different roles.
First, this supports the impression you are a specialist in the genre, which, as mentioned above, will help you enormously.
Second, if you’re not selective the reader will very likely miss the information you want them to see. Remember, most of their focus will be on the cover letter.
Write with a bit of personality (again)
Just as you should write with personality on your cover letter, the same advice applies to your CV. (Though remember what I said about crossing the line into unprofessionalism.) Here’s an example from someone applying for a researcher position (who got the job):
Put your CV in the email AND as an attachment
Some employers like to print everything off, so it’s worth making sure your email has your CV and cover letters as attachments. On the other hand, some employers (me!) prefer to process everything on email, and would thus prefer everything in the main body of the email. I don’t see any harm in doing both.
Keep the format standard
There are a million ways to do CVs but I recommend sticking to a pretty standard format. If something is too weird to read (obscure set-up, fancy fonts etc) it can be frustrating trying to find the information you’re looking for.
Including names can be a good idea…
Putting in previous employers’ names can be a good idea. If the person reading knows the SP (Series Producer) or Exec on your production, it’s easy for them to get in touch with them and hear about what you were like from a source they trust. For example:
… and broadcast logos
I’ve seen a few CVs that include the logos of the broadcasters they’ve worked for. I think this works quite well. After all, broadcasters have gone to huge effort in making those logos symbols of quality and there’s no harm in borrowing some of that shine.
Don’t go crazy on the skills sections
I often find myself skipping over the skills section because I don’t really believe a lot of what’s written there. For me, the skills section is better off short, focused on a few relevant things, demonstrating evidence. I’d include things like:
- A driving licence and are over 25 (cheaper to insure, I’m told)
- Cameras you’ve filmed on
- If you can use editing software (add a link to something you’ve edited)
Final thought: Don’t be put off by descriptions of unicorns
Many people are put off from applying by the list of ideal qualities described in the job ad. For example, the job ad may ask for “experience of casting, comedy and a strong journalist background”, and seeing that, many people without all those things give up.
Don’t worry too much about gaps in your abilities or experience. Job ads often describe unicorns – ideal candidates who don’t actually exist.
If you’re passionate about the project, go for it anyway and find a way around the bits you’re missing. For example, if you don’t have comedy experience, you could talk about your love of comedy and your knowledge of the genre.
Sometimes a lack of experience can give you an advantage because it means the employer will believe you’ll be more motivated to prove yourself.