The film, media, and entertainment field in the United States is a $717 billion industry, which occupies more than a third of the world’s entertainment industry. This massive business provides much of the globe with motion pictures, TV, online streaming content, music, podcasts, broadcasts, radio, books, video games, and other ancillary services and products. The film, media, and entertainment industry boasts a tremendous supply of career paths, job opportunities, and staffing needs for job seekers of all types. As the industry continues to expand exponentially, experts predict it to surpass $825 billion by 2023, which means there is significant money to be made.
Though home to unending opportunity and potential, this industry also comes with its unique set of challenges and obstacles. After all, if making it in the film industry was easy, wouldn’t everybody do it? Below, we discuss the benefits of working in film, media, and entertainment, as well as the challenges to prepare you for your potential new job and help you kickstart a career in entertainment.
Benefits of Working in Film, Media, and Entertainment
Challenging and Exciting
Working in the film industry is widely understood and revered as a challenging and exciting path. Your job may change daily, continually placing you into new and even uncomfortable scenarios. Media and entertainment workers are often the first to learn culturally significant information and make an impact on the general public. Additionally, depending on your specific job placement, you may have many encounters with high-profile celebrities and public figures.
Possibility of Travel
Unlike many other new careers, you may find yourself doing a lot of traveling, even immediately. This is true of the film, media, and entertainment industry in general, but travel is especially prevalent in reporting and broadcasting jobs to cover exciting news or events.
Flexible Career Path
To “make it” in the film, media, and entertainment business, you don’t have to necessarily be an actor or actress. The media industry is home to a wide range of job opportunities, and they are constantly staffing for editors, writers, runners, makeup artists, hairdressers, graphic designers, set, construction, cinematographers, location managers, props managers, sound designers, and more. These are merely some of the career opportunities that await in this billion-dollar industry.
Creativity and Fulfillment
Getting a job in the media and entertainment industry will hardly be a corporate, cubicle setting. This fast-paced, dynamic industry thrives on creativity, passion, innovation, and energy. The film, media, and entertainment business endlessly pushes its employees to new heights, which can lead to a fulfilling and prosperous career.
Challenges of Working in Film, Media, and Entertainment
Entry Level Competition
Low entry-level salaries are a major gripe with starting a career in entertainment. Because the possibilities and benefits are so widely desired, the competition is plenty and fierce. Though there are thousands of job opportunities, there are even more job candidates, which drives the working wage down, at least for people new to the industry. If you can’t keep up, chances are, someone else can.
Working Hours
The working hours for jobs in the film, media, and entertainment industry are often long and taxing. This is a business where “putting in your time” is the echoing mantra. So especially when you’re just getting started, don’t be surprised by unconventional or excess working hours.
Making Connections
The media industry is built on making connections. If you’re starting as an outsider, it can be extremely challenging to make initial connections that would advance your career rapidly. This goes for almost any position in the entertainment industry, specifically. To make connections and further your impact, you will need diligence, focus, patience, and sometimes a little bit of “right place, right time” luck.
Canduit Connection, however, specializes in pairing people with their ideal career. We build lasting connections by bringing complementing personalities together, and with years of experience in a wide variety of industries, we have the tools and the wherewithal to facilitate a valuable relationship.
Streamline Your Job Search with Canduit Connection
Canduit Connection brings partnerships, knowledge, and experience together to open the door to more opportunities, faster. Whether you’re just starting your career or looking to pivot and change positions, we strive to level the playing field by showcasing job seekers to several well-suited employers at once. As a people-first organization, Canduit Connection has transformed the modern recruiting experience to quickly and efficiently find the best fit and cultivate a long-term relationship. Contact us today to build a connection and take the next steps.