Last updated: January 2026
In this article: Research Your Dream Job | Optimize Your Resume | Think Like an Entrepreneur | Immerse Yourself Online | Make the Leap | FAQ
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Are you a reporter thinking about becoming a publicist? A radio producer who wants to reinvent themselves as a social media strategist? The big question: Is it possible to transition to a different career in media without paying your dues all over again?
The answer is yes, according to the career experts we talked to. You’ll likely need to brush up on your skills in certain areas, but you can take what you already offer as a media professional and parlay it into a new opportunity.
1. Research Your Dream Job Description
Say you’re in magazine editing but want to move into email marketing. Do your skills translate? Start by looking at a sample of email marketing manager job descriptions.
Ask yourself if you’ve done any of what’s described so you can evaluate how practical your transition will be. Better yet, pick the brains of those who already have the job you want.
“You really have to do your homework and talk to people who made it there. That’s part of your research process,” says Allison Hemming, president of The Hired Guns, a top interim creative talent agency in Manhattan. Look for “similar trajectories” of careers that you can model yours after.
“Ask around! Is it something where you can enter in and be super-industrious, or do you really need to go get training and start at the bottom? And then manage your own expectations accordingly,” Hemming says.
Hemming notes that if your skills truly are lacking or you’re looking to do a complete career change, you might have to start at a lower level. That can actually benefit you because you won’t miss out on skills that serve as building blocks for your career.
“When undergoing a career change, it’s actually quite difficult to do a straight lateral move, particularly in this economy. So don’t obsess about having to start at the bottom. More often than not, you will end up coming in a rung or two lower. Stop thinking of this as a complete downside. There are things that you may still need to learn,” Hemming says.
2. Optimize Your Resume with Transferable Keywords
Approach your career transition like an SEO specialist would approach a website: strategically highlight the keywords that matter most for your target role.
Sharon Jautz has spent more than 30 years working in human resources for the media industry. Now director of talent acquisition at SANDOW, she learned this lesson firsthand during her own job search.
“I got rid of my objective or my summary at the top, and I used keywords that can fall into any industry: career-coaching, crisis management, and managing compensation structures. So then it became, ‘Oh, she can do that!,’ and less on ‘Oh, she worked for these companies,'” Jautz says.
For example, if you’re a radio reporter who wants to be a television news director, highlight your “news chops.” Emphasize your relationships with newsmakers and your ability to manage a crew. These skills are critical to both radio and television news.
How to identify transferable keywords:
- List skills from your current role that apply to your target job
- Review job descriptions for common terms and requirements
- Replace industry-specific jargon with broader professional language
- Focus on achievements that demonstrate universal competencies
A word of caution: The job market is competitive, especially if you lack concrete experience in your target sector.
“The problem is, in this quirky, kooky, wacky job market, you don’t have to really overthink these things. If you don’t have broadcast experience, you don’t have broadcast experience. There are plenty of people with broadcast experience out there. So this is a tough time to be rethinking your strategy,” says Jautz.
3. Think Like an Entrepreneur
If you don’t have hard-core skills in your target area, other attributes like being highly organized and creative can be just as important.
“If you are a quick learner, if you have an intellectual curiosity, that’s more important than experience,” says Michelle Madhok, founder and CEO of SheFinds Media.
Lucky breaks, being in the right place at the right time, and creating opportunities for yourself can all get your career transition on track. Take it from Madhok, who seized an opportunity to make a transition without starting over.
In 1995, Madhok was at CBS Broadcasting working in the entertainment marketing division when she was asked to take the lead on CBS.com. “They said, ‘Do you do Internet?’ And I said, ‘I have an AOL account.’ And they said, ‘You are in charge of CBS.com,'” recalls Madhok.
After working at CBS for a few more years, she moved to AOL where she created one of the most highly trafficked online women’s channels on the web. In 2004, she founded SheFinds.com.
The key takeaway: You can get a break if you keep your eyes open and are ready to seize opportunities. It also helps to know how to create quality content. Being a good writer or editor, or having a sense of what information people want, holds currency wherever you take your media career.
4. Immerse Yourself Online
Looking to move into digital media but you’ve never blogged, produced a podcast, or managed a Google Ads campaign? The good news: it’s easy to get experience on your own.
Ways to build digital skills:
- Take online courses in your target area
- Start a blog or newsletter in your area of expertise
- Build a social media following around a topic you know well
- Produce content that showcases your abilities
- Use LinkedIn and Twitter to research employers and job openings
“You sort of want to infiltrate the field before you actually join it. So when you do start talking to people about what you want, and you start going on interviews, you can talk like you are already an insider and a colleague rather than somebody who’s making a career change,” says Lindsey Pollak, author of Becoming the Boss.
“People also appreciate that you are so passionate about it that by the time you’re actually ready to make the move, you’ve already kind of become part of that area.”
5. Make the Leap
If you’re having a hard time making the leap without demonstrable experience, Pollak says you can get some through volunteer work or by helping friends.
“People who start up styling businesses started by going into the closets of their friends. People who wanted to go into cosmetology would do the makeup of all of their friends before they got hired,” she says.
Once you have that experience, show off your results. Talk about everything in terms of what you accomplished.
“So rather than saying, ‘Volunteered to do PR for an organization,’ you want to say something like, ‘Wrote one press release a month for nonprofit organization and generated 50 media hits,'” says Pollak.
If you’re a high performer and can communicate that well, you’ll be on your way to making the jump from one media career to another.
Ready to explore new opportunities? Browse open positions on the Mediabistro job board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change careers in media without starting at entry level?
Yes, though you may need to come in a rung or two lower than your current level. The key is to identify transferable skills and position yourself strategically. Research your target role, optimize your resume with relevant keywords, and build experience through side projects or volunteer work.
What are the most common career transitions in media?
Common transitions include journalist to PR/communications, producer to social media manager, editor to content strategist, and broadcast reporter to corporate video producer. These transitions work well because the core skills (storytelling, deadline management, content creation) transfer across roles.
How do I make a career change from journalism?
Journalists have highly transferable skills: research, writing, interviewing, working under a deadline, and storytelling. Highlight these in your resume using keywords that apply to your target industry. Consider roles in PR, content marketing, corporate communications, or brand journalism where your newsroom experience is valued.
Do I need additional training to switch careers in media?
It depends on your target role. Talk to people who have the job you want to understand the required skills. If there are gaps, you can fill them through online courses, self-directed learning, or hands-on projects. Some transitions require formal training, while others just need demonstrated experience.
How long does a media career change typically take?
Career transitions can take anywhere from a few months to a year or more, depending on how different your target role is from your current one. Building new skills, expanding your network, and gaining relevant experience all take time. Start positioning yourself for the change while you’re still employed.
