So you want a video job in Atlanta? My name is Michael and I am the guy holding the camera rig below. I work for a video production company in Atlanta called Mileshko. I will show you where to look for production companies and then what those companies, are looking for. I will also share some insider tips along the way.

1. Where to look for video jobs in Atlanta

Video production jobs in Atlanta are highly competitive. I mean, who wouldn’t want to sit around on their MacBook Pro being super creative, sipping coffee, playing with cameras, and making awesome content all day? Because it’s so competitive positions are filled pretty quickly. Most production companies actually try not to show up for job searches on Google Ads or even organically. They want clients to find them and not a thousand applicants from film school. The easy way of getting around this is thinking like a potential client.

Type in searches on Google that a potential client might type in. This will get you around the companies that don’t want to show up for your job searches. Doing this will also give you the best and busiest production companies that might actually need more employees. For example instead of searching for “video production jobs in Atlanta” search for “corporate video companies in Atlanta”.

Business listings are also a great way to search for some of the top production companies in Atlanta. Websites such as Clutch, Upcity, The Manifest, and Google My Business are great at narrowing down your search. Something to note, a lot of the top companies on these lists actually pay to be there. If you change the search function on the list to “reviews” instead of “certifications” you can usually get a better look at the companies that are thriving.

Networking and referrals are another great way of getting your dream video job in Atlanta. A company is much more likely to hire you if they have someone they trust tell them that you’re a good fit. So if you found the company you want to work with try looking up some connections on LinkedIn. Maybe you know someone who used to work there or know one of their clients. Any connection will help.

The best thing to do is to just start working!

Offer to shadow or work for cheap because you want to learn more. Make relationships. Make your own stuff! Go out and film something cool and edit it. Offer to help someone with their passion project. Find a ministry that needs a video. Make an awesome video for them and then ask if they could refer you to one of their donors who needs a video. Go be a second shooter at a wedding. You get the point, get out there and make stuff happen and make relationships. This is hard and can seem like nothing is coming from it at the time, but I promise it will pay dividends down the road. Plus, this way you will have something to show companies when you finally find the right one.

2. What companies are looking for

I receive a lot of applications/week. Many of them look really good, but almost all of those applicants will not be hired. So what are companies looking for? It’s really pretty simple, they are looking for someone who can make a lot more money for the company than the company has to pay them. If you can convince them of that then you will have a job in no time. Every person including CEOs and owners is an economic product on the open market. If you understand that already then you are in a great spot. Now you just have to figure out how you can add value and effectively communicate that to your potential employer.

So how do you even get a companies attention? Really spend some time clicking through the companies website. Try and contact someone directly if you can. A lot of smaller production companies will have their emails as firstname@domain so you can guess emails by looking at their team page. When you reach out make sure you include these things.

1. What problem you solve

2. How you can add value

3. Your work/reel

4. Contact information

All of these are important, but the kicker is generally the work/reel. At the end of the day, I put a lot more weight in your reel than any college degree. If you’re an editor you better be able to show you can edit. It’s that simple. So the first thing they are looking for is competence.

The next thing that companies are looking for is your professionalism and response time. Companies are looking for someone who is going to be able to meet deadlines and present themselves professionally to their clients. Your quick and professional response is all they have to go off of initially so make it count.

Next, be persistent, but not annoying. This is a fine line, but I would error on the side of annoying. If you truly have value to offer I will appreciate a reminder. Resumes are going to get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list unless there is an immediate need to hire someone.

Click here to apply at Mileshko