What’s your Job Title?
Television Presenter.
In a nutshell, what do you do?
I tell stories and share information with an audience about the places I visit and the people I meet.
Why did you decide to become a Television Presenter?
I always wanted to work on television ever since I did work experience when I was in year 10. It is a very difficult industry to break into but incredibly rewarding in many ways.
What path did you take into it?
After work experience in high school, I looked for any opportunity to meet people within the television industry and get as much experience as I could. This lead to working on some children’s television shows.
I started my university degree but didn’t finish it because I was offered a ‘cadetship’ of sorts and ended up learning my craft, including television producing and writing on the job.
What, in your opinion, is the best bit of being a Television Presenter?
In my opinion the best bits about my job would be, that no two days are the same and I spend almost no time in an office.
Every job has its downsides. What do you think are the worst bits?
It’s a very volatile industry so there isn’t much job security. Particularly as ‘talent’, because you are most easily identified with a program – this can be career damaging if it is a failure!
Is it what you expected when you first started out – and what’s different?
I am very lucky that I have had lots of very positive experiences. It has turned out to be exactly what I had always hoped and wished for.
What do the public least understand – or mistake – about what you do?
People assume that you are paid a lot of money. It’s simply not the case. They are a few very high profile people making significant salaries. The rest of us work hard for the money!! While it may seem more than other industries, I would say this is partly because of the volatile nature!
What kind of people tend to do well?
Media is really for individuals with excellent communication skills. People who are genuinely interested in lots of different areas and who are keen observers of the world. It helps to be an extrovert who enjoys networking!
Finally, any advice you’d offer to people looking to get into this line of work?
Up-skill as much as possible. I tell all the students we work with through Media Potential (www.mediapotential.com.au) that you have to have a thick skin and a very strong desire to work in this industry.
If you have a passion for television you will want to work in any area – and realise that most people ‘on-camera’ either started, or also, work behind the camera as well. In the process, any thing that improves your confidence, communication and presentation skills will also benefit you in any career you pursue.
