Television production jobs vary greatly depending on the type of production house or news station. Affiliate TV stations hire producers, editors, photographers, technical directors, web reporters, audio people, studio camera operators and teleprompter operators, just to name a few positions. Some of these jobs require a lot of technical skill and training. Interns or students can perform other jobs.

To make the most out of video production jobs, employees must realize what the positions will teach you in the long run. You can reach your full potential by doing your best at your current position and trying to learn as much as possible about other positions.

1. Use entry-level jobs in television production as a stepping stone to the career you want

2. Prepare for cross-training on numerous television production jobs

3. Seek out people who are successful in their video production jobs for advice and knowledge

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider other forms of television production employment to get your foot in the door

You may want to ultimately be a videographer, but don't have the experience needed. Consider other TV production jobs to get in the door so you can train for the job you truly want. Accept a job as a studio camera operator, for instance, but let your employer know you'd like to learn more about the field cameras.

I recommend: Use online job boards to find jobs in television production. Some, like MediaBizJobs and Media-match are free. Others, such as TVJobs.com require membership, but you can sign on as a guest to see some postings.

Know that TV production jobs involve a lot of cross-training

Often, several employees perform various production jobs on a rotating basis. It's common for the newscast director, for instance, to run audio during some shifts or run the board for others, so that each employee can do all the TV production jobs when needed. Speak up and demonstrate your willingness to learn.

I recommend: Use High-Tech Productions as a resource to find stations in your area that may have television production positions available. Search for TV production jobs on ProductionHUB.com by category, type or location. This will give you an idea of other positions you can cross-train for.

Ask seasoned professionals for advice to further your own career in television production

Every production company and TV station contain employees who have decades of experience. They are top-notch in their field and their knowledge can help you excel in your own television production job. Ask for tips and learn from their mistakes.

I recommend: Medialine.com is a subscription-based service of media production jobs. Once you subscribe, you have access to a forum where you can chat with other professionals around the country, for advice and tips. Join News Blues for access to industry newsletters and connections to other TV production professionals.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Know that TV production employment can be a hard field to break into. It's often about who you know, so make good contacts and keep in touch in case future employment opens up.

Jobs in television production are quite competitive and run the gamut from writer to stage manager to sound engineer and even to anchor. Although various boards list hundreds of media production jobs, obtaining a television production job depends on a combination of training, skill and, to a large measure, perseverance. Salaries vary as widely as industry positions, based on such factors as location, company, industry and experience. For example, Simply Hired, an online job search database, shows the typical salary for a TV production manager averaging between $38,000 and $58,000.

While some entry-level jobs in TV production offer on-the-job training, other TV production jobs require more formal training with full diplomas. Also consider internships that help you get a foot in the door toward a career in television production. Take these steps on your way to TV production employment:

1. Check out online job boards that focus on television production jobs.

2. Explore the possibility of freelance jobs in television production.

3. Gain valuable experience with non-paying or low-paying internships instead of full-time, salaried media production jobs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Search online boards that specialize in TV production jobs

Many job boards list television production jobs and internships. You can search by industry, category and location at some sites, which makes it that much easier to find your perfect job.

I recommend: Media-Match, MediaBizJobs.com and Mediabistro.com post TV jobs around the country, no matter your area of expertise or level of experience.

Consider freelance video production jobs

While a bit more risky than traditional salaried video production positions, freelance production work is another route to consider. Working from home and making your own hours are the positives; paying high employee taxes and waiting weeks, sometimes months, for paychecks are the negatives.

I recommend: Simply Hired is a great source for freelance television production jobs. You can even sign up for email alerts or view jobs as an RSS feed. At Sologig, you can simply search for freelance video production jobs via the site or sign up to become a Premium Member to put your resume at the top of relevant employer search results.

Find an internship in television production

Don't rule out non-paying or low-paying TV production jobs at the onset of your career. They can provide on-the-job experience that may lead to higher-paying positions in the field.

I recommend: EntertainmentCareers.net lists internships by state, job title and company. You can also search for paid work here. Contact one of the big networks or media companies directly, such as NBC, Disney (which owns ABC), CBS, Turner Broadcasting (which owns CNN and TBS) or PBS for TV production internships and paying jobs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider job sites that let you create online profiles and post resumes. As you gain experience, you can list jobs in your profile for potential employers to see.

Television production jobs run the gamut from studio camera operator, audio technician or director to video editor or photographer. There are jobs available for all levels of expertise and motivation. Some are more technical than others. Technical directors run the production or newscast from the booth, responding to the direction of the director. TelePrompTer operators use a mouse or controller to keep the PrompTer moving in a fluid motion, so the talent can read from it.

Video production jobs require a varying amount of training, depending on the difficulty of the position. During local newscasts, interns or students can run the teleprompTer, for instance, because it requires little training. A little bit of show-and-tell is all that's needed. Shooting or editing video, creating graphics or directing a newscast are highly technical positions that require much more time and training.

1. Prepare for television production jobs through accredited college programs

2. Learn all about media production jobs through shadowing or internships

3. Search for video production jobs using free and subscription job banks

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use college training to become qualified for TV production jobs

Hundreds of colleges and universities offer courses and majors to prepare students for jobs in television production. Look for a learning institute with a solid program that's been around for at least several years and research the professors to make sure they have extensive TV production credentials. You want a program that allows students to produce newscasts or other segments.

I recommend: Use Education Portal to search for television production majors at colleges throughout the United States. EducationCenterOnline.org prepares you for TV production careers by listing featured schools with video production degrees. Click on the Request More Information tab. The Academy of Radio & Television Broadcasting offers state-of-the-art equipment and training.

Shadow professionals to obtain hands-on training for media production jobs

The best way to learn what TV production jobs are all about is to shadow real professionals. Whether you're in college for TV production or considering a career change, spend a few days or a few weeks interning or shadowing at a video production company or TV station. This will give you a true idea of what jobs in TV production really entail.

I recommend: Find a list of TV stations by state at Newslink and High-Tech Productions. Contact the stations closest to you to inquire about internship or shadowing opportunities.

Consider all your options for obtaining a television production job

Television production careers are available at production companies, affiliate TV stations, public television stations and networks. Truth be told, there are many more available at affiliate stations than the other options because of the high turnover rate for TV jobs. Use a TV job board to find current openings.

I recommend: Media-match and Mediabistro.com post jobs in television production for free. The jobs are located around the country and require varying amounts of experience. TVJobs.com requires you to register for a fee, but you can see the type of production jobs posted by logging in as a guest.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Know that television production positions often don't pay well, at least to start. Many of the online job banks contain salary calculators to give you an idea of the pay.

It takes a staggering number of talented and dedicated professionals to successfully produce television shows. There are many areas of technical and creative expertise that come together behind the scenes before, during and after television production. Whether looking for a career change, seeking out the service of production professionals, or expanding a current business into the TV business, the first step is understanding some basic television production jobs terminology.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Producer

The producer is an important position that takes on many responsibilities, including making creative decisions, resolving legal issues, and securing finances. More specific producing positions with more specific job functions include executive, supervising, senior, coordinating, segment, field and associate producers.

I recommend: Explore the Producers Guild of America to find a more detailed explanation of what a producer might do.

Director

A director overlooks all technical and artistic aspects of television production to achieve a unified vision. Additional directing positions in television production include art director and creative director.

I recommend: Read more about what a director does at Salary.com.

Production management

Stage manager, production manager, media production manager and editing manager are all important positions in the production management process. Each plays a part in the day-to-day business aspects of television production, including organization of schedules and facilities.

I recommend: Find an in-depth guide about a career in television production management from JobMonkey.

Pre-production jobs

Jobs in television pre-production fulfill responsibilities required prior to the filming of a show or broadcast of a live show. These jobs include positions in design, script writing, reporting, researching, financing, casting and legal matters.

I recommend: Learn more about the pre-production process from the Find Your Voice on Community TV blog.

Production jobs

Television production jobs encapsulate the tasks required while filming or broadcasting a show. These positions include camera men, stage managers, lighting crew, set crew, wardrobe, directors and technicians.

I recommend: See some listings of television and film jobs that are done during production at ProductionHUB.

Post-production jobs

Post-production television jobs are done after the filming of a show, in preparation of the broadcast. Post-production positions include film editing, sound editing and music direction.

I recommend: Visit Gateway to learn more about the post-production process.