Tips for success in your media and communications degree
With the first day of Uni just weeks away, it’s time to get a head start on your year as a Media and Communications student. After a long summer break, some students may be feeling a little out of practice, or perhaps some are nervous to start their first year of tertiary study. Here are some tips.
Stay informed
When it comes to homework for Communications students, watching TV and scrolling through social media is the perfect way to procrastinate. Watching the news and reading articles on social media each day is the easiest and most effective way to stay up to date with current events.
Any communications profession revolves around current affairs, and the ability to be reactive to gain exposure for your client or as a journalist, is a highly sought-after skill.
If you stay up to date with news, you’ll find you’ll better understand what you’re learning at Uni and be able to integrate this into assignments or completing tasks at your internship. You’ll learn how to identify what’s newsworthy and how to write in a way a journalist or PR professionals writes.
Practice, practice, practice
As a communicator, it is essential that you are able to write well in order to produce attention grabbing content.
Having top writing skills also ensures that you can communicate efficiently and effectively, and build positive relationships with clients, reporters, talent and colleagues.
Even if you are confident in your writing abilities, it is important to always practice. This can be in the form of a blog, journal or, even better – writing articles and press releases.
Get networking
While the skills you learn at Uni are essential, perhaps the most important skill a student can have is the ability to network, as sometimes, securing a job will come down to who you know.
Networking isn’t always easy but is an important skill that requires practice. Building relationships can sometimes be a slow process, but a strong rapport with someone who works in your chosen field will be invaluable come job searching after graduation or when it’s time to secure an internship.
Beginning to network can be as simple as following professionals in your field on Twitter and LinkedIn in order to stay up to date with what they are doing. Some universities will also hold networking events for students, making interaction with professionals even more accessible.
Get real world experience
When job searching after graduation, media professionals will be looking to see if you have experience in your chosen field.
While studying, it is difficult to get paid work in your dream position, however most universities will give students in their final years of study the opportunity to complete an internship for credit.
At Adoni Media, we offer a three-month long internship program for students studying a relevant degree.
Starting an internship is one of the best ways to get experience and expand your network while still studying. It also enables you to test your options and see which positions you do and don’t enjoy.