Education or experience? Which do you need for TV work?

Carol at Bellyflop TV

I’ve always been told that I have to go to uni as without a degree it will be much harder to get a job and have a good life.

My family always put an emphasis on the value of education so it was normal that I had to get a higher education.

I wanted to study sociology but applied to fashion design and during my A Levels I developed love of TV and advertising. That’s why I chose to study TV Production.

It’s unbelievable what a great variety of skills I’ve gained during 3 years of study and how much I’ve enjoyed it.

When I got my Foundation Degree and was looking for a summer job as a runner, I realised that having a degree was not necessarily necessary.

Industry professionals don’t really care so much about higher education as they do about experience. The more credits on your CV the more employable you are. That was a shock to me. I was worrying I’ll never make it in a TV world.

However, I was lucky. My college put more emphasis on learning through experience so we always had a chance to develop our skills. I’ve directed the Halle for Youth concerts twice, a short drama and made a few short documentaries. You can always get experience while studying, it just depends how smart about it you’ll be.

I’ve just finished my 3rd year as wanted to have a full Bachelors degree and I’ve learnt so much about myself, the industry and how to be a team player.

From my perspective I wouldn’t advise you to forget about education and keep trying to get a job in industry.

I was lucky as I got my current Editing Assistant job at Bellyflop TV through connections from my college. And I love it. I get to try new things, learn new things and everybody’s helpful and sharing their experience with me. We are a team. I wouldn’t get that if I hadn’t have been to uni.

Overall, the decision is yours. Yes you can try and do it without higher education but on the other hand there are skills you can get whilst studying that will benefit you in the long run. Plus, skipping university could mean you make coffee for the next few years hoping one day you’ll be promoted to a researcher – I would know!

Get every chance to develop yourself, to learn. Stay positive and don’t be afraid of bringing your A game.

 

Have a read of what Sammi has to say here.

Have a read of what Jonathan has to say here.

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