The process of applying for jobs in TV and video journalism can be soul-destroying, especially at the start of your career. In this article I explain how emailing people has got me job offers from, amongst others, the BBC, The New York Times and Netflix.
The application interview process is a con…
Oh man, I hate job applications and interviews.
You know what it’s like trying to get a job in TV. You spend hours trawling through Facebook jobs groups, copy-and-pasting endless applications, and trying to stay positive, all the time knowing damn well your email will be lost in a sea of similar applications.
And then if you are lucky enough to get an interview, it’s a humiliating audition process in which you desperately try stand to stand out from the others — all for a position that doesn’t even sound that great anyway.
It all adds up to a lot of time and effort with only a small chance of success at the end of it.
… but there is an alternative
I’ve written before about my tips for TV job applications and for job interviews, but in this article I want to tell you about an alternative to this approach. It’s a way of working that can drop job offers into your lap without any need for applications or interviews.
Compare the standard job application process to what happened to me yesterday: an email out of the blue requesting a pop-science explainer. One phone conversation later and I was able to send off my first invoice.
In other words, I was given the job without any kind of application, pitch or interview. The meeting was a discussion of how I was going to go about the job, not whether I should get the job. The work — on an interesting topic, with a good budget and timetable — was just being placed into my lap. And this isn’t unusual: I’ve had offers of work from the BBC, Netflix and The New York Times that have all happened in similar ways.
The pop-science gig was a freelance commission, but I have got researcher and assistant-producer jobs in a similar way. In fact, the last full-time job I did (for a mid-level position at a television channel) came about similarly, with the job coming to find me. Someone senior at the channel asked for a meeting, and encouraged me (over a few beers) to apply for a position that was about to be newly created. There was still a formal interview to go through but I entered the process in a strong position.
In this article I’m going to explain the method that led to this situation, and how you can orchestrate similar situations for yourself.
Of course, a lot of career success (mine included) is luck and privilege, and sometimes industries go through big changes (the Covid-19 downturn, for example) when the best career strategy won’t produce job offers. But I genuinely believe that many people working in TV and video journalism could benefit from the ideas contained below. I probably do 15% of what I suggest here, and that’s been enough to provide plentiful work throughout my career.
What’s odd is that despite how powerful this method is to career success in the television and news industries (and I suspect elsewhere), it doesn’t seem like anyone really teaches it. Certainly, my parents and teachers didn’t explain it to me. I hope that this article will clue others up, especially if — like me — they’re not from a background well-versed in how it all works.
This is a long article. I’m sorry about that. I wanted to explain theory, mindset and then give lots of practical tips with examples, and that ended up taking longer than I expected. But if you’re tired of the job application/interview con, and you want job offers to come and find you rather than having to chase them, read on…
Why it helps to understand marketing 101
This is a sales funnel.
It’s a concept from the world of marketing and it describes the process a customer goes through before they buy something.
Now maybe you’re thinking, “Urgh! Sales, marketing – yuck!”, but bear with me a moment.
The sales funnel is a simple idea. If you look on Wikipedia you’ll find lots of different versions of sales funnels but they all boil down to the same principle, beautifully articulated by Ariana Grande in her song, 7 Rings, when she sings: “I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it.”
The key point to take away is that when people buy they are going through a process.
So for example, when buying a new laptop you would go through the following stages:
- Becoming aware of it somehow — e.g. through an advert
- Considering it — maybe an online review
- Buying it — entering your card details on the website
The reason it’s a funnel, starting big at the start and narrowing as you descend, is because that represents the number of people at each stage: many people watching the advert, fewer going on to consider it, and a smaller percentage finally making a purchase.
We can also think of the job application and interview process as a sales funnel. Just substitute “employer” for “buyer”, and “candidate” for “product”. Thus, in a successful job application, an employer travels from awareness (candidate’s application), to consideration (interview), to buy (job offer).
However, while the application/interview process might be one way to “make a sale”, it’s not a great process for you, the candidate.
In fact, the process has been designed by employers not to be good for you, mainly by putting you alongside lots of competitors.
Interviews are also bad for other reasons. They’re nerve-wracking, take place in an “interview atmosphere” of scepticism and time pressure, and the employer is usually not being fully open about what problem they’re trying to solve.
For this reason, applying for jobs cold (i.e. without the employer knowing anything about you before you start) is not the best way to get jobs in TV.
Interviews suck for employers as well
The second thing I want you to realise is that the job application process is often not great for the employer either.
I remember the first time I went through the process of hiring people as a series producer. I was shocked at how awful it was!
There were hundreds of emails and applications to process, I was under huge time pressure to decide quickly, and felt stressed because I wanted to give as many people as possible a fair shot.
Then, when it came to the interviews, it all took ages, and even after hours of talking I still wasn’t really sure if the people were good or not… And all this while I was busy doing my regular job. Arghh!
Maybe if you only hired people a few times a year, it wouldn’t be too bad. But TV is an industry based on short contracts, which means going through this process every time a new project begins.
In these circumstances it’s much more appealing to just work with people you already know or who come recommended from a trustworthy source. It’s quicker, easier, and less risky.
And it seems I’m not the only employer in TV who doesn’t find the application/interview process ideal. According to a study in 2014, only 10% of people in TV heard about their job through a job advert. (Skillset report 2014 report pg 11) Instead, most people find work because an employer approaches them, they get recommended by a colleague or some other informal method.
I’m not saying this is the best way of doing business, but it is the reality.
Side note to employers here: I realised I’ve just complained about the downsides of the application/interview process, but I still think you should advertise your positions. If employers don’t advertise, the industry just continues to replicate itself which, as it currently doesn’t represent the country it’s meant to be making programmes for, is a problem.
I’ve always advertised jobs and sought out applications from under-represented groups (here’s a list of places to put your job application). I realise saying this is “virtue-signalling” but it is a source of genuine frustration to me that so many people in TV will happily tweet progressive things about progressive politics without making the effort to exercise the small but real power they do actually possess. Please hire diversely, or least help that to happen where you work. Simple rule to start: make sure that every time you hire someone, you interview — if not necessarily employ — one person from an under-represented background.
The alternative way of getting TV jobs
So hopefully we agree: job applications are a bad environment to “make a sale” because:
- You are being compared with lots of other candidates
- The conversation is happening in an atmosphere of scepticism
- The interviewer is overwhelmed with information and under time pressure
So what’s the alternative?
The best name I have for it is “networking.”
But before you click away — wait!
When I talk to people new to the industry they often have a very negative view of networking. “The idea makes my skin crawl,” they say.
Often the image they have is either hanging around at events with a glass of warm white wine feeling guilty about not talking to the strangers around them, or a more general image of television as a bunch of cliques who hoard all the jobs for their friends, hostile to outsiders.
I agree most event networking is an awkward waste of time. There are much better, and warm-wine-free methods (detailed below) that are far more effective and fun.
And while it’s true that employers do hire people they know, the main reason is that finding new people who are good is so time-consuming and risky.
In a moment, I’m going to explain the various methods of networking (emails, coffees and so on) but the thing to understand if you go no further is that all these methods of networking share the same basic aim: to help the “buyer” become aware of you and consider you before the application/interview process, when the environment is a lot more favourable.
If you turn up to an interview and the awareness and consideration part of the process is largely done, you’re much more likely to get the job. And sometimes you might even end up just skipping the interview altogether.
This is the situation I was in with the science explainer job I described above. The client had met me years ago when I was working elsewhere. When I started freelancing I identified him as a good potential client and emailed him. About 12 months later he found himself needing an explainer for something, and guess who came to mind!
At this point I had already moved past the awareness stage and made (it seems) a lot of progress through the consideration phase as well. To “close” the sale required very little extra work.
3 things to remember to get you into the right mindset
If you just want to get to the practical tips, feel free to skip down to the next section. However I’ve found that people often have a few lingering mental obstacles that often hinder them. If that’s you, read on:
1. Employers are looking for good people — and that’s you!
Considering TV is a sought-after, competitive industry it’s surprising how often execs and producers will complain about how hard it is to find “good” people. They’d rather hire mediocre people they know, than go through the time-consuming and risky process of job applications and interviews.
In case you still need convincing, here are other TV professionals saying the same thing:
- “In fact, the pool of good, talented people is very small. That’s the horrible truth of it.” – Julia Waring, Head of Production Talent, RDF
- “If you’re good, you’ll move up fast.” Kate Phillips, Controller, BBC Entertainment
(These quotations are from the book How to Get a Job in Television, by Elsa Sharp)
Good people are hard to find!
This is important to remember because one of the main hesitations about networking stems from a fear of not being wanted. People hate the idea of turning up in someone’s inbox as spam.
However, if you’re targeting the right people and you’re good (the foundation of career success) then you’ll ultimately be seen as valuable by the people you are contacting. The challenge then is to figure out how to communicate your value, which is what we’re working on in this guide!
2. People like to help
There are often times when people could use some help in their careers but hesitate to ask because they don’t want to be a burden on others.
Yet a lot of people like helping. If it’s quite easy and doesn’t feel like a waste of time, most people find a strong emotional reward in helping others.
3. Push every door – some will fly open!
The central image I have for seeking career opportunities is a line of doors. I imagine myself walking along giving each door a little push.
The doors are often locked. You try to contact someone but it’s clear nothing is going to come of it.
Then, sometimes, you get a surprise. You come across a door that looks intimidating and think, “No way anything will come of this” but you push anyway and it swings right open. In fact, there’s someone waiting on the other side waiting to pull you in!
Sometimes when you’re pursuing a work opportunity, the person you make contact with is surprisingly receptive because you’ve just happened to email at the right time. Maybe they’ve just got a commission in or had someone quit, and they’re really keen to hire. It turns into a great opportunity, but from the outside you would never have known!
In fact, this is exactly how I got my first job in television.
After a year of trying lots of ways to get work in the industry (a year of intensive door-pushing is how I think of it), I decided to visit production companies in person and hand my CV in at the front desk.
The first place I did this was Brook Lapping in Kentish Town. I rang the bell, introduced myself to the runner at the front desk and asked his advice on getting work there. As it turned out, the previous runner had just left and they were looking for a replacement. A few weeks later I started my first job!
The other thing I like about the doors image is that it helps if I get stuck.
Sometimes, when you’re trying to make progress, it can feel as if you’re out of options. You can see three doors in front of you but you know they’re all doomed to go nowhere. At that point, I recommend just giving each of the doors a push anyway, because if you do, something magic happens: a new door you’d never noticed appears. I can’t explain it except to say that that’s often what it’s felt like to me. (P.S. This approach is also useful for more journalistic tasks: for example, when you’re trying to cast from a certain community or get access to a company/organisation etc).
How to “network to get work” – 6 steps
1. Decide what area you want to specialise in and tell people
Being a specialist makes you more attractive to employers.
Imagine you’re applying to work on a comedy programme and you apply saying, “I’m a general producer interested in lots of different programmes”. It’s a hard sell.
Compare that approach with being able to say you specialise in comedy programmes. You work on them, you watch them, you’re obsessed with understanding how to make them well… Suddenly you have a much stronger application!
This is the power of specialising for getting work. (Not to mention the fact that by specialising in one area you get better at it.)
Specialising also helps others recommend you. A colleague can tell an employer that you specialise in a certain area (which is appealing for exactly the same reason as above). But it also means you’re more likely to come to mind when an opportunity turns up, e.g. when a friend hears about a new comedy show being commissioned at their company.
Plus specialising helps you work out which people and companies to target. You can focus your networking and intelligence-gathering efforts on the select group of people who are likely to the most use to you.
So if there’s an area of television you’re keen on, don’t keep it secret. Tell colleagues it’s the area you want to work in and update your social media profiles. Even if you don’t work in that area yet you can start specialising by watching it, researching it, and generally focusing your efforts on that area.
2. Make your list
I recommend making a list of people to get in touch with.
As you become established, you probably won’t need something so formal, but if you’re short on opportunities (say when you’re trying to enter the industry) then it’s worth taking seriously.
Get a piece of paper or open a new spreadsheet and start by listing people you know. (If you don’t know anyone, I’ve got some advice below).
This is usually two main groups:
- Ex-employers
- Colleagues within the industry
The value of staying in touch with ex-employers is that they might have new opportunities that come up.
The value in talking to colleagues within the industry and others at roughly your level (“horizontal networking”) is less direct but still valuable. These people can recommend you to an employer, tell you when a new opportunity turns up, teach you about filmmaking and be a source of industry intelligence. (Bonus: they might even become friends!)
Next, I want you to put down people you don’t know but who you’d like to target — ideally because they relate to a specialism you’re interested in pursuing (see above). These include:
- New employers – commissioners, execs, producers, production managers, or anyone who feels like they might have some influence over hiring.
- New friends – anyone at roughly your level, who you think it’d be useful to be in touch with.
You can find people to target by looking at programme credits, company websites, asking colleagues, looking at award websites (e.g. BAFTAs, National Television Awards, Grierson), conference speaker lists, listening to podcasts (e.g. Roughcut).
3. Email people — even when you don’t know them
The next step is to take your list and figure out the best way to make contact with those on it.
I’ve had the best results from emails and I think three types of email are particularly useful:
- Emailing specific people who I don’t know but who it’d be helpful to make contact with
- “Update” emails to people I do know
- The emergency “email everyone you know” email
Emailing people you don’t know
How you email someone you don’t know depends a bit on the gap between you and the recipient.
If you know you’ll be seen as quite valuable to the person you’re emailing (e.g. you’re an award-winning history producer and you’re contacting a company that does a lot of specialist factual work) then you might not need to do much more than send a friendly email introducing yourself. Because it’s surprisingly hard to find good people (see above), employers generally don’t mind well-qualified people turning up in their inbox.
Similarly, if you’re targeting someone who’s more at your level, again, you might not need to do much.
“Hi, my name is Brendan. I’m also a history doc filmmaker and I just wanted to email to say how much I loved the BBC Four programme you produced that went out last night. If you’re ever between gigs and fancy comparing notes on the industry it’d be lovely to get a coffee sometime. Let me know if that sounds of interest. Best, Brendan”
However, it’s more challenging when the “gap” between you and the person you are emailing is bigger.
Here are some tips:
- Use a personal connection if you have one. Either mention it at the start or in the subject line. (“Katy at Dragonfly recommended I get in touch…”). It doesn’t guarantee any special favours, but it means your email is less likely to be completely ignored. Look on Facebook or LinkedIn to see if you have any contacts in common. (You could also ask one of those contacts to forward your email.)
- Don’t start by talking about yourself. Try and give the reader something of value before you ask for something back — for example you could compliment something they’ve made. (I have more suggestions for cover letters in this article on job applications)
- Make your “ask” easy. If you ask them to be your mentor they’re likely to be scared off by the vague and open-ended nature of this request. Even a suggestion of coffee might sound like a waste of time. Try asking specific questions — for example, about how they made something, or a recommendation on the best production companies, or what films they’d suggest watching (as someone you admire).
Example of emailing someone I didn’t know: Louis Theroux
What follows is an email exchange I had with Louis Theroux. (He’s kindly given me permission to share this.)
I’m sharing this and other exchanges because I think it’s useful to see real-life examples of what I’m talking about.
Re-reading some of these exchanges I often find myself cringing over blunders, spelling errors or my general clumsiness, but I hope the value to others will outweigh my personal embarrassment.
Here’s the email I sent Louis who had never heard of me before.
But he replied!
I then asked him a series of questions — some about filmmaking, some about career — which he kindly answered. The whole exchange was very encouraging!
Why this worked:
- Louis is a lovely person!
- I think it helped that the email felt like it was from someone genuinely interested in the craft of filmmaking (which it was) rather than just, “Have you got any jobs?”.
- The email is mainly focused on him and his work (rather than telling my life-story) and it includes a lot of direct and indirect compliments.
- I’ve put my qualifications in the email (easier to read than a separate document and easier to forward), and after my sign-off. If you have a large block of info like this, after the sign-off is the best place for it.
The update email
Another option that works well with people you know (employers/former colleagues) is the update email. This is a simple, short email every three months or so, with a quick hello and your latest CV.
The idea is that you’re “top of mind” (as well as top of inbox) if an opportunity comes up. Either they hire you, recommend you to an employer, or tell you about an opportunity. All of those things are very useful.
You can also make it a “closed-loop” email by adding a line such as, “I know how busy you are so no need to reply”. You’re don’t want your email to burden them with any kind of ask.
If you make contact with someone you don’t know and end up having a positive interaction (as in the Louis Theroux example above), update emails are one way to continue the connection.
Example of an update emailing working out: Channel 4 researcher job
An update email led to my first job as a researcher.
What happened is that after leaving a BBC work-experience placement, I regularly sent my CV to producers on the show.
Here’s one of those emails, sent to Natasha (who’s kindly agreed to let me share this example). For context, this was some months later and the programme we’d worked together on was in the process of being cancelled.
Very kindly, Natasha sent this reply:
No job, but a warm response.
Then a few months later — about 18 months after we’d first met — I got this:
The producer had started work on a new programme for Channel 4 and she was wondering if I was interested in applying. I still had to apply and do an interview (two in fact) but I knew going in that I was in a strong position to get the job.
The “everyone I know” email
At certain points in your career it can be useful to just email everyone you know and ask for help.
Think of it like a powerful summoning spell: you don’t want to do it too often but when you do, it can be extremely effective.
Example: emailing everyone when a job fell through
I once emailed everyone I knew when a job as a podcast producer got cancelled at the last moment. I remember this quite clearly because I was travelling to Switzerland to do some teaching when I heard the news, and (slightly panicking) I immediately sent emails to everyone I could think of.
The next day I was teaching all day so didn’t have a chance to check my email, but when I got back on the hotel WiFi it turned out I had three offers of work! I’m sure you can imagine what a boost to my morale that was.
4. Talking to the people where you’re working
The people you work with are a great starting point for networking. Even people who might not seem relevant (e.g. a production manager on a fact-ent show on the far side of the office) will know dozens of people in the industry who might be the people you want to connect with.
It also helps that these people will be able to easily check whether you’re good or not (people are rightly cautious about recommending people whose abilities they’re not sure of) and they’re probably not going to straight-out ignore your effort to connect. (Makes for awkward moments in the lift if they do.)
The basic approach is the same. Know where you’d ideally like to work, let people know about it and ask for help and advice. You can do that by emailing, talking in the kitchen, chatting at work events, whatever.
5. Hang out with TV people outside of work
Hang out with TV people! This might be going for a coffee or to the pub. It’s a valuable source of industry intelligence and an insight into filmmaking generally. Plus, hanging out with TV people is usually fun!
Other ways to do this:
- Inviting people to events
- Setting up a film-club (or docs-club)
- Setting up a regular cinema night with people from the office
At some point, people you “network” with just become friends and, to be honest, that’s 90% of my marketing efforts these days.
6. Or do whatever works for you
I’ve outlined the ways of “networking” that I think are most effective, but there’s lots of other ways to connect with others.
Remember the point of all this is to help employers become aware of you, and make some kind of positive assessment before an opportunity turns up.
There are some other things that might help:
- Do a good job! If you’re making excellent programmes that are widely seen and praised, there really is no better marketing tool. People will recommend you without being asked, see you when you win awards, read profiles of you in the trade press and so on. It’s another reminder that being good is the foundation of career success.
- Embrace social media. You might try following people you want to connect with on social media and commenting on their posts. Most people, even big people, usually check their mentions and over time, their awareness of you will grow. Then if you decide to email them you’re not going in completely cold.
- Trade press. Are you in a position to pitch something to the editor of Broadcast? Or are you happy to be interviewed when they’re writing a story? If so, it might be worth getting in touch to see if you can be of help.
- Talking at a conference (e.g. Edinburgh Festival).
- Being interviewed on a podcast (or interviewing others for your own podcast).
Summary!
Okay, that’s all my tips. Remember:
- The point of networking is to let employers become aware of you and make a positive assessment of you before the job becomes available, and when it’s easier to make a positive impression.
- TV employers are looking for good people — and that’s you!
- People like to help.
- Push every door – some will fly open.
My six steps for effective networking are:
- Decide what area you want to specialise in and tell people.
- Make your list of targets.
- Connect via email.
- Talk to the people where you work.
- Hang out with colleagues outside of work.
- Or do whatever works for you!
And if that’s not enough to be getting on with, here are two case studies of job offers — one for Netflix and one for The New York Times:
Case-study: Netflix job-offer
In 2018, I got an offer to work at Netflix. It wasn’t an invitation to apply for something, or the offer of an interview. It was a straightforward offer of work.
It came from someone called Luke, who was a person I’d been hassling politely for years. We had no mutual friends when I first emailed him, and we had never worked together. So this is (hopefully) a good example of how you can start a profitable relationship from scratch.
Luke first came to my attention in 2013 as the founder of Buzzfeed in the UK. At that time, I already knew I wanted to move away from television towards making things for the internet, and Buzzfeed seemed a great place to work. The first email I sent him was in spring 2013 in which I asked him if he was open to pitches for articles on politics.
Luke gave a friendly and encouraging answer, but despite promising him some pitches I never actually sent him anything. (It turned out writing Buzzfeed-style articles was harder than I thought!) Not a good start.
Anyway, after not replying, I then randomly sent him a new email about six months later, when I saw that Buzzfeed UK had hired someone to cover politics. I asked for a coffee, which he politely ignored, — instead asking for samples of my work. Again, I never replied, presumably because I had nothing much to send him. (A lesson not to neglect your side-projects!)
Two years later, in 2015, I sent him another email. Contrary to the advice in this article, I spend a lot of time talking about myself (although at least by now I’d finally written something I could show him).
This time I got a quick response suggesting a coffee the next morning.
Boom!
The good news was we had a face-to-face meeting, which went well. The bad news was that he had just hired two video producers, so I’d narrowly missed out on that opportunity. (I couldn’t help thinking: what if I’d got in touch slightly earlier?)
Anyway, I continued to send Luke regular update emails over the years. Often. they were boastful in a way that now makes me cringe but my thinking was, “What have I got to lose?”
Nothing came of these emails at the time but three years later, I heard that Luke was leaving Buzzfeed. I messaged him on Twitter and suggested another coffee. I didn’t really have an angle for this meeting apart from a general catch-up (gathering industry intelligence, I guess) and thinking he might be a good fit for BBC Three.
The coffee was interesting (though my memory was that he was very loyal and un-gossipy about Buzzfeed), and although I tried to set up a meeting between him and my BBC boss, nothing came of it. Still, it was nice to try and be of some help.
Cut to five months later, when I got a message from Luke on Twitter saying he was looking for someone to help him with videos at his new place of work (a news website). He described the job, told me he thought I’d be good for it and asked my salary expectations.
I totally skipped the application and interview – instead, we went straight to discussing salary!
It should make perfect sense by now why this was so. At this point, Luke was already aware of me (probably over-aware if I’m honest!), and after the emails and two coffee meetings I’d had lots of opportunity to present my skills and help him make a positive assessment of me.
This could have happened through an application/interview process but the alternative way it happened was much better for me. Instead of a pressured interview, in which I was being scored against others, I got to present myself in a relaxed environment.
I ended up turning down the job, but Luke didn’t stay where he was for too long. A year later, I got another message from him — and now he worked at Netflix. He was once again looking for a video person and once again, I’d come to mind. The job hadn’t been advertised (at least not yet) and he was inviting me to discuss it over coffee. Another result!
Unfortunately, this job also didn’t feel like the right move so nothing came of it but it was nice to be considered — especially when the prospect turned up in my inbox without me seeking it.
Case-study: New York Times
In 2019, I was invited to make a film for The New York Times. I didn’t apply for anything or email them. Rather, I simply got an email from the commissioner. Once we’d agreed a budget I was commissioned! (The final film is here).
Here’s how it happened.
In this example, the key contact (now friend) is someone called Adam Westbrook. Adam is a video artist, who has made a large number of incredible video essays over the years. I’ve long been a genuine fan of his work — even at one point, supporting him on Patreon (I think the first thing of his I saw was this film about Van Gogh and creativity).
Anyway, I finally had the courage to email Adam. I was teaching a course about explainers and I invited him to be a speaker, tacking on a request for a coffee at the end.
We ended up having a nice coffee, during which I learnt loads about the craft of video essays and we decided to meet again a few weeks later.
That meeting turned into a work meeting as Adam had had an idea for a video based on the Things Not to Say style of videos I used to make for BBC Three. He’d pitched it to his boss, who liked it, and now he was emailing to see if I was interested.
Before I knew it, the boss was emailing me to talk budget.
Again, no formal application or interview, straight to job offer!
Happy hunting!
Okay, so there you go: the theory, mindset and techniques behind how to “network to get work”.
I hope there’s something in this pile of words that has been helpful and inspired you to start reaching out to people and asking for help.