How much should you work for free to get into the media industry? Volunteering, work experience, internships and placements can all be valuable ways to develop skills, build confidence and make contacts. But where is the line between gaining meaningful experience and simply doing a job without being paid?

In this episode I chat to Emily Robinson-Hardy, a journalism student at the University of Northampton whose route into the industry has been anything but conventional.

Before studying journalism, Emily was a semi-professional magician and appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent. She also became a member of the Magic Circle.

Now preparing for her final year of a journalism degree, Emily has gained considerable experience through volunteering and community radio.

She joins me to ask some difficult questions about working for free in media.

As the Media Mentor I help people navigate careers in journalism, radio, podcasting, broadcasting and communications.

I offer one-to-one support including CV reviews, application and cover letter advice, interview preparation and wider career mentoring.

You can book via the website.

There are also 6 pages of media jobs to browse and a WhatsApp channel for alerts.

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More details about The Media Mentor can be found here.

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