Prospects.ac.uk

Graduate media jobs

AuthorDaniel Higginbotham, senior editor
Posted on
View all media and internet vacancies

With media content such as news, books, music, film and television now increasingly delivered through digital subscription services, graduate media jobs are opening up across the creative industries, with roles ranging from production to marketing

What is meant by the media industry?

The UK's media industry refers to a group of organisations involved in producing, publishing, and distributing media products, such as TV programmes or feature films.

Production companies across the media sector require people to get their ideas and concepts onto TV screens or make them available through:

  • cinemas
  • music venues
  • radio
  • publishing
  • the internet
  • theatres.

In television and film, departments are set up to manage each stage of the content-creation process, including:

  • craft
  • development
  • post-production
  • production management
  • sales and distribution
  • technical.

Get an overview of the UK's media sector.

What types of media jobs are available?

As many jobs in the media and other creative industries span multiple products, the following should be used as a guide.

Get into music, radio and television

Many broadcasting roles start as entry-level positions, and you'll need to build your skills and experience to work your way up the ladder. It's not all about being the voice or the face; many roles involve creating the programme or getting it out there for audiences to see and hear.

If you'd like to get into the music business, see careers in music.

For budding actors, look at the 7 skills you need to succeed in performing arts.

Be part of the production team

If writing the headlines or being in front of the camera doesn't appeal to you, you can do many tasks behind the scenes.

A mixture of creative and technical skills is important for most production roles. You'll also need to be able to work with others and take and give directions, meaning excellent communication skills are a must.

To explore film production roles, see jobs in the film industry.

Find your niche in journalism

While you may work for a newspaper, magazine, website, or broadcaster, you'll increasingly need to possess multimedia skills and be able to work across all platforms.

You'll require a combination of skills from a relevant degree, a journalism qualification and work experience to help you stand out and break into this competitive sector.

Discover how to become a professional photographer.

Enter the world of print, online and digital publishing

The obvious role in publishing is working with authors to edit their books, but you could also get a job in:

  • design
  • marketing
  • production
  • sales.

This can then be broken down into specialist areas, including:

  • academic
  • educational
  • fictional
  • medical.

The increased popularity of eBooks and audiobooks means that those working in publishing also require digital skills.

For more information, take a look at how to get into publishing.

Work in digital media and marketing

Regarding sales, distribution and media promotion, primarily online, many digital media graduate jobs overlap with those in the marketing, advertising and PR sector.

Find out how to get into digital marketing.

Make and release video games

As media companies work with the latest technologies, these careers have strong links with the IT sector, especially in areas such as:

  • artificial intelligence (AI)
  • virtual reality (VR)
  • visual effects (VFX).

However, video gaming is a creative industry in its own right and a popular choice for those who want to work on the next generation of games.

Explore video game careers.

Consider what media job would best suit you by using ScreenSkills' Job Profile Matcher.

What are the best-paid graduate media jobs in the UK?

According to High Fliers' The Graduate Market in 2025 report, media companies in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers offer the lowest average starting salaries at £28,000, compared to other sectors.

Despite this, earnings from some of the top media jobs surpass those of many other careers. While salaries can vary dramatically, here are five of the best-paid media roles, as compiled by Production Hive:

  • Film director - £40,000 to £10million per film.
  • Cinematographer/Director of photography (DoP) - £40,000 to £300,000 per year.
  • Screenwriter - £25,000 to £1million per script.
  • Producer - £30,000 to £1million per project.
  • Actor/Actress - £15,000 to £20million per project.

How do I get into the media?

Secure work experience

In such a competitive field, gaining work experience not only makes you stand out but is often the primary entry point for those entering the industry. Indeed, experiencing working as a runner in TV or film helps you understand the production process and demonstrates your ability to be a reliable team member.

To become a runner and discover what it's like working in a professional TV environment, ITV invites candidates to keep an eye out for openings on The Talent Manager as well as the ITV Loves Talent Facebook group.

Channel Four's 4Skills Virtual Work Experience is a summer camp that takes place in August and is open to those aged 14 and over. On this three-week programme, you can learn at your own pace and get involved with real-world tasks.

Finally, The Walt Disney Company (EMEA) runs a 12-month Film, TV and Disney+ Marketing Internship for undergraduate students in London. If you're looking to work in film or TV, this internship will give you the cutting-edge skills and experience that can help build your future media career. You can apply for programmes in:

  • consumer research and data insights
  • product buying and licensing
  • production and media operations
  • website production.

In addition to opportunities from major media organisations and film companies, media internships are also available in a range of other areas, including:

  • digital design
  • journalism
  • marketing
  • social media.

For example, the Bauer Media Group offer a News Mentoring Programme for final-year degree and Masters journalism students, while Springpod provides virtual opportunities for those interested in radio and the internet.

To help individuals from underrepresented groups enter the media, Creative Access lists a range of paid internship opportunities on its website.

For advice on work experience, training schemes, grants, and courses, see The Guardian Foundation.

Explore other creative internships and read our 5 tips for getting media work experience.

You can also discover how to get a job with no experience.

Network and join professional organisations

The popular phrase 'it's who you know' is never so true as it is for those working in the media. As many jobs are gained through word of mouth and recommending people who've already proved they are up to the task, you'll need to be good at building and maintaining relationships and working in teams.

By attending industry events and connecting with fellow professionals through platforms such as LinkedIn, you can advance your career. Explore how to improve your LinkedIn profile.

Joining a professional membership organisation can also help you along the way. For instance, Directors UK supports the careers of screen directors by:

  • negotiating the best deals for your copyright and promptly paying royalties
  • providing legal advice, career guidance and opportunities to develop your skills
  • using their collective influence to improve directors' pay, working conditions and contractual terms.

For a full list of film industry bodies, see Film London.

Build a portfolio

To maintain employment in the creative industries, you'll need to develop a body of work, which you'll present to hiring managers. The form of your portfolio will depend on the nature of your work - for example:

  • Actors, animators and filmmakers - short showreels of your videos or films.
  • Artists - sketches on paper, canvases, and photographs presented in a case or as pictures on a website. You could also show a video showreel with clips or stills of your projects.
  • Costume designers and hair and make-up artists - photographs or videos demonstrating your skills.
  • Musicians and music editors - a short showreel video with clips of your best work, or a website that includes audio tracks and scores.
  • Screenwriters - a website featuring a video showreel or a few pages of your scripts.

Read more about the type of portfolio you need for your profession at ScreenSkills - Build your portfolio. You can also get advice on putting together a creative portfolio.

Study a qualification

Most media careers, including TV and film, don't require a professional qualification for entry. The main exception is journalism, as you'll need to train for an accredited qualification from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). If you're interested in working in this area, you might want to consider a journalism course.

While hands-on experience is often considered more important than qualifications in other areas of the media, a degree or Masters can still be advantageous, especially in a technical area like sound engineering. This will depend on the type of work you plan to do.

If you're interested in studying a general media-related Bachelors degree as you consider your options, the BA Media and Communication from the University of Hull can give you a good grounding in the subject. It gives you the opportunity to study film and TV production and analyse screen media.

The degree provides access to a range of local work placements, as the region is a popular film location, and you can join the university's industry mentorship scheme, the Northern Media Mentors.

Consider what you can do with a media studies degree.

A Masters degree, on the other hand, allows you to specialise in an area of the media or explore the topic in more detail.

For instance, the one-year full-time MSc Media and Communications at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) examines the key theoretical issues in media and communications within the context of social change.

Students will gain an understanding of:

  • the influence of platforms on our daily lives
  • the politics of media labour
  • social threats posed by artificial intelligence (AI).

Graduates of the course go into a range of careers, including:

  • advertising
  • broadcasting
  • market research
  • new media industries
  • political marketing
  • research in both the public and private sectors.

To gain practical skills in film and television, the National Film and Television School (NFTS) delivers Masters courses in:

  • animation
  • camera
  • directing
  • documentary
  • editing.

Its one-year MA Cameras and Television Production is run in partnership with Sky, where you'll get to complete a work placement with the broadcaster.

As well as postgraduate programmes, the school also offers:

  • certificates
  • diplomas
  • short courses
  • workshops.

The shorter courses and masterclasses available can give you a taster for what working in the industry is like.

For example, you could do a three-day course on First Steps into Film and TV: Production Assistant. Over the three days, you'll learn about the required skills and knowledge to become a production assistant in film and high-end television (HETV) drama production.

If you want to work in a specific area of production, such as becoming a make-up artist for film, TV, theatre or fashion, you could consider a specialist course from the Iver Makeup Academy (IMA). The options range from the one-day Taster Hair and Makeup Course to the 30-week Advanced Certificate in Makeup and Hair Artistry.

Keeping your skills up to date through continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for working in any digital industry. Short online film and media courses are also available from providers such as FutureLearn and The Open University.

Join a media graduate scheme

Most major media organisations run dedicated early careers training programmes for young people, with popular schemes including:

  • ITV - the two-year rotational Technology Graduate Scheme focuses on digital transformation and innovation, with rotations across departments including broadcast and studios, cloud hosting, finance, and networks.
  • Sky - if you're curious about how data shapes decisions and the skills that will define the future, the broadcaster's two-year Data & Analytics Graduate Programme allows you to experiment with big data, automation and artificial intelligence (AI).
  • Telegraph Media Group - its 22-month Editorial Graduate Programme is open to those with a passion for journalism, and involves working across various departments, from news and features to business and sport.
  • Virgin Media O2 - the media and telecommunications company offers streams in a range of areas, including digital, strategy, and technology.

For entry onto their graduate programme, ITV seeks candidates with a 2:2 or above in a science, maths or engineering subject. They also expect to see demonstrable experience in technology or engineering. On the other hand, Sky's scheme is open to final-year students or recent graduates from any degree subject.

In terms of applying, Virgin Media O2's programmes typically open early in the new year, while the Telegraph Media Group's editorial scheme closes for applications in early December for a September start date. It holds assessment centres in March to further screen shortlisted candidates.

You'll typically apply for these graduate roles online via the employer's website. Get tips on writing a successful job application.

Read more about graduate schemes in general.

Do a media apprenticeship

While they also offer work-based taster experiences, most of the BBC's early careers opportunities are now apprenticeships.

These are paid jobs that combine on-the-job training with an industry-recognised qualification. The main advantage as an apprentice is that you'll be able to gain practical skills and build up your experience while earning a salary.

This pathway is designed to prepare you for work, enabling you to develop professional contacts within the creative industry.

The BBC offers apprenticeships in a range of areas, including:

  • business
  • digital technology and data
  • engineering and operations
  • journalism
  • production.

On the production side, you'll work with teams producing TV, audio, and digital content. This scheme is ideal for individuals who enjoy generating ideas and sharing stories.

For instance, the junior production coordinator and assistant production manager roles involve planning, organising and keeping projects on course to hit their deadlines.

The operator scheme is for those keen to understand more about the technical aspects of production, including:

  • cameras
  • editing
  • sound.

Entry requirements depend on the level of apprenticeship you're applying for. Read our essential guide to apprenticeships.

Application dates vary according to the scheme. For example, you have until the end of November to apply for the Level 6 Broadcast & Media Systems Engineer Degree Apprenticeship in Salford, while most of the production programmes don't open until January.

Explore media apprenticeships in more detail.

Find out more