TV and Film

What can I do with a Major in.... Television & Film?

Majoring in Television and Film prepares one to enter careers in the advertising, media and entertainment industries.

Before you begin to look at the different types of opportunities available to Television & Film majors, you must look at yourself and ask yourself a few basic questions:

What am I good at?
Understand your major strengths, skills and accomplishments. Some examples of skills and qualities employers look for include:

  • Technical
  • Computer
  • Problem solving
  • Analytical
  • Organization
  • Detail oriented
  • Oral communication
  • Written communication
  • Creativity
  • Teamwork
  • Flexible attitude/open to new ideas
  • Desire to learn new things

What do I like to do?
Examine your interests. What kind of life style do I want to lead? Examine your values...is money what you're after, job security, challenging work?

If you are having trouble answering these questions, you are not alone. Make an appointment with an advisor in the Career Center. We want to help you!

POSITIONS
Once you know yourself, you are ready to decide where and how you want to apply this knowledge.

A bachelor's degree in Television and Film and the appropriate skills and/or internship experience may lead to the following positions within the industries of advertising, media graphics, film, journalism, public relations, publishing, television or video production:

  • Advertising representative
  • Public relations representative
  • Writer
  • Graphic designer
  • Camera operator
  • Production assistant
  • Editor
  • Account executive
  • Corporate video producer
  • Independent filmmaker
  • Documentary filmmaker
  • Multimedia video producer
  • Lighting designer/technician
  • Research assistant
  • Marketing assistant
  • Troubleshooter
  • Technician

Experience in the field or an advanced degree could lead to certain positions in:

Broadcast journalism
Animation
Art direction
Screenwriting
Producing
Directing

For information on graduate schools, consult Peterson's.

EMPLOYMENT
Typical places of employment are:

Advertising agencies/departments
Public relations firms/departments
Media graphics firms/departments
Motion picture studios
Newspapers
Television stations/networks

LEARN MORE
To help you decide which area to pursue you must do in-depth research into each area of specialization and/or industry you have an interest in.

Places to begin:

Join the Career Centers COACH Program

The Occupational Outlook Handbook

Talk to people in the field, talk to your professors, write to and/or join one of the following associations:

Association of National Advertisers, Inc. 708 Third Ave., New York, NY 10017 212-697-5950 www.ana.net

Visual Effects Society 2308 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90414 310-315-6055 www.visual-effects-society.org

National Association of Broadcasters 1771 N Street, NW, Washington DC 20036 202-429-5300 www.nab.org

National Assoc. of TV Program Executives 2425 Olympic Blvd., Suite 600E Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-453-4440 www.natpe.org

NY New Media Association 55 Broad Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10004 212-785-7898 www.nynma.org

For additional lists of Associations consult the Encyclopedia of Associations.