How Technical Training Can Add Value to Your Broadcast Degree
Holding a broadcast degree remains one of the best ways to get your foot in the broadcast industry door. Of course, there are additional tools you can use to improve your chances of landing a position, securing a better paying job, or otherwise elevating yourself above your job-seeking competition. The world of broadcasting – whether it is television or radio – is extremely competitive, so adding technical training on top of your broadcast degree is an excellent method to increase your value to any company.
Available Technical Broadcasting Training
While studying broadcasting, you gain access to a wide range of different technologies, tools, software and equipment. However, you often are not specifically trained regarding all the ins-and-outs of this material. With the right technical training, you can fill those holes that a broadcast degree does not cover in depth. Technical training covers valuable information you may eventually learn on the job, but if you already have the skill, so much the better. Some available technical training opportunities include:
- Electrical Technician Training
- Computer Software Certifications
- Hardware Certifications
Naturally, there are other available technical training outlets, but these three are some of the more valuable in terms of helping improve your overall knowledge base and increase your chances of landing that perfect job.
Electrical Technician Training
There is a good amount of electrical work happening, no matter where you end up in the broadcast field. Whether you are on the production truck, running cables from camera equipment back to a mixing board or working in a studio, the amount of electrical work that goes on is more in depth than just about any other field. As such, understanding how the electrical aspects of these connections work is important. Should something short out due to too much power running through a circuit board, for example, it helps to know exactly what is going on and how to fix it.
Computer Software Certifications
There are dozens of computer programming titles used in the broadcast field. Some of the most common include Pro Tools, Adobe Photoshop, After Effects and Illustrator, Avid, Final Cut and a host of others. If you are focusing more on editing, you can obtain certifications directly from these companies that showcase your proficiency. Anyone can say they know Photoshop well, but if you have a certification from Adobe stating this, it looks that much better on a resume.
Broadcasting Hardware Certifications
This is similar to software certifications, but you generally need to take set classes put on by the hardware companies themselves before you receive their certifications. Whether it is for Sony video equipment or Panasonic film cameras, hardware certifications are valuable and can increase your knowledge base to make you that much more desirable as a potential employee.