Employment

Full-Time Employment
Currently, Media Services has no full-time positions available. Position openings will be posted on this page and on the NIU Human Resources website as they become available.

Part-Time Extra Help Employment
Occasionally we have openings for part-time extra help on special projects like large equipment installations during the semester breaks and over the summer. These jobs require a lot of lifting, moving, and installation of media cabling and equipment. Please look for any available openings at  http://www.hr.niu.edu/ServiceAreas/StudentEmployment/JobSearch.cfm and at http://www.hr.niu.edu/employment/index.cfm

Freelance Video Production
Our video board operation requires talent and skills normally beyond the capabilities of our students. Hand-held, sideline camera operators and camera operators skilled in sports zoom lens operations are particularly useful to us. While we try to hire Media Services graduates who are working in the freelance market, we will consider applications from other local candidates with the necessary skills and experiences. Contact Brad Hoey at 815-753-6665 for football opportunities or Patrick Gorman at 815-752-6640 for basketball opportunities for details.

Student Employment

General Work
We typically hire NIU students before the beginning of each semester to work in our media equipment distribution center, or to provide lecture hall projectionist support in Art and Montgomery auditoriums, and for Smart Classroom help desk support out of Williston and DuSable Halls. Work-study eligible students are preferred but it's not required to apply. Call Max Johnston at 815-753-0174 for information.

Media Production – Graphics
We occasionally hire a limited number of students to help in the graphics production department of the division. Students typically do production work such as mounting posters, lamination, trimming, cutting vinyl for signage, as well as some basic design work. Call Mariano Spizzirri at 815-753-6672 for information.

Media Production – Video
There are various opportunities for student employment in the video production area of the division. These positions require availability at strange hours, the desire to do hard work, and a dedication to learning and functioning in a fast-paced production world. Entry level students normally work on documenting lectures on campus. Students who excel at this level often get opportunities for more advanced work, such as production assistant, camera operator, or audio operator on multi-camera live events. Students may be offered the opportunity to work on sports production crews and/or other larger video events. Contact Ed Pierce at 815-753-6675 for more information.

• Student Employment. Many of our student employment opportunities come with no requirement for internship credit. These paid opportunities are limited to 20 hours per week, but the amount of hours available to students fluctuates with demand. Generally we cannot pay a student unless we are charging a client for their time, so these opportunities are limited in number. Typically these projects are at night and on weekends. The student pool is similar to our freelancers in that those with greater availability, talent, and desire get hired more often. It is often very physically taxing and hard work. Only serious students of media production need apply.
• Unpaid Internships. From time to time, Video Production has positions available for unpaid internships. These positions are typically reserved for talented students with proven skills and who are waiting for an opening of a paid internship or graduate assistantship. These positions require a high level of competency and dedication, plus the approval of an academic department for course practicum or internship credit. A typical practicum or internship requires three contact hours per week for every hour of course credit. For example, a one hour practicum requires three hours of work per week and a three hour practicum or internship requires nine hours of work per week. Contact Ed Pierce at 815-753-6675 for details.
• Paid Internships. We generally offer very few paid internships, but it can be done. Typically it is tied to special projects such as a production assistant on Inside Huskie Sports, our broadcast highlight show on Comcast Sports. Positions like this are typically hired from our pool of students showing superior talent, dedication, and commitment. Contact Ed Pierce at 815-753-6675 for details.
• Cooperative Education Credit. All of our student interns are also eligible for Cooperative Education Credit. This can often be done concurrently with a paid or unpaid internship. Cooperative Education Credit does require a set amount of hours and there are some evaluation components to this. Contact Ed Pierce at 815-753-6675 for details.
• Graduate Assistantships. Media Services offers several Graduate Assistantships in Video Production. We typically hire for two years and the appointments are usually for 12 month periods. Candidates are expected to be available for year-round employment. Candidates must be accepted into an NIU graduate program before being considered. We try to accept candidates who have worked for us successfully at the student level, but we will consider other applications from students with a proven aptitude for video production. Many of our Graduate Assistants have come from the Communication Studies Department but we have had successful candidates from other colleges. See some of our success stories.