Following on from an online workshop on Careers in the Arts organised by the English College Foundation in 2022, this year we organised a similar one on Careers in the Media. These workshop are intended to give senior ECP students some idea of various careers that might be open to them,
The Careers in the Media workshop took place on 18 April 2023, with 17 students taking part.
We had three online presenters:
On Journalism, Giles Whittell, who worked for many years on The Times, in California, Moscow, Washington and London, and initiated and now heads Tortoise Media;
On PR and Communications, Eva Dvorakova, a graduate of the College and now head of PR activities at Clear Channel UK, a leading outdoor advertising company;
On the Video Games Industry, Teddy Keefe (accompanied by his colleague Darya Rubashna), who has worked for all the big names in the industry and currently deals with business development & strategic partnerships with TenCent Games Europe.
Speakers highlighted the pros and cons of their work – the excitement and “buzz’ of working under pressure with tight deadlines, and in journalism sometimes in the world’s hotspots, but at the same time often finding a work/life balance elusive, which can be hard on families and private life. They also suggested what, if any, degree courses are relevant, and how to get into the chosen field by more unorthodox methods or simply by trying your luck. What came across in all three presentations was that commitment, good writing skills, and a willingness to learn on the job are all essential.
