What career opportunities are there in the television industry and particularly in your field?
There are a number of varied career opportunities in broadcasting, for example video editing, scriptwriting, research and presenting. Then there is broadcast engineering, which has to do more with production and also the administrative side of television broadcasting. This includes scheduling, PR and publicity, on-air co-ordination, marketing and much more.
What is your background?
I have a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Higher Diploma in Information Studies. I also hold a professional diploma in television. When I joined SABC Africa, I started as a programmes’ assistant, having just graduated from the Nemisa school of broadcasting. I later joined SABC Africa marketing’s publicity department. There, I was responsible for sourcing publicity information and distributing programme publicity information.
What qualifications do you need for a career in television?
It all depends on where your interests lie and on what career you want to pursue. For production, there are courses offered at post-graduate level, like radio-production and television-production diplomas. You can also do specialised courses, like scriptwriting, videography and video editing.
What do you love about your job?
My job is exciting. I love the pre-production and the commissioning of promotional material. I also enjoy the aspect of ensuring the smooth transmission by facilitating the refining of the elements that have the potential of putting the transmission of the final product at risk. I have always wanted to be in production, having not realised that the administrative side of broadcasting is equally exciting.
What is your greatest challenge being in the television industry?
The industry is very dynamic. One needs to always be abreast of developing trends.
What has contributed to your success and progress in your chosen career?
I believe it’s my passion for the channel I work for as well as the industry, my willingness to learn all the time, my tenacity and, most of all, God.
Interview courtesy of Workplace
