How can you advance your video production career beyond entry-level positions?

I would highly recommend adding people from the crew with which you work to your LinkedIn network. Do so after each project you film. At a later stage when you will be looking for contacts in the industry - you may find that the DOP from a project you did years ago is a common contact with the exact person whom you are trying to reach. And don't be shy to ask for recommendations from your colleagues, customers, etc. There are several good moments for doing so: 1) A few days right after the end of the filming, before everyone got their next project. 2) After the project is released/aired. It's always a good reason to drop a line and by the way to ask for a recommendation. A strong network brings opportunities.

Your portfolio is the ultimate showcase of your video production talent, unique style, and rich experience to those potential clients or employers out there. Keeping it fresh with your latest and greatest work not only keeps it vibrant but ensures it truly represents who you are and what you aim to achieve !

Your showreel is the most important thing to prove your skills. 1) Prepare the footage from all your projects - structure it, upload it to a cloud, or put it on one HDD. 2) Prioritize your footage. Which of the projects showcases your skills better? Which of them is visually better? 3) Give all this information to an editor and actively collaborate during the edit. Your showreel has to show your skills and show that you can work in different manners or on different projects. Don't be afraid to include in the showreel projects where your contribution was very small. You still were part of the project, so you have the right to do so. When it comes to choosing a new employee - a showreel is often the game changer.

In my experience - the best way to learn new things is to spend time with different departments during the production period. You get precious insights and see how everything actually works. Not by the book, but in the real world. Example: you would like to learn more about how audio is recorded during filming. Ask the soundman on set to explain the basics and to show his work. This will be a thousand times more efficient than watching videos on YouTube, as you can ask questions, touch the equipment, etc. This refers to all the departments. People tend to be nice and collaborative when you show interest in their work and their field of knowledge.

Challenge yourself. When job becomes mundane + repetitive, time for a change in direction. Started in corporate video, after 3 years, my boss quit, our writer/producer got better job elsewhere. I quit + moved east. Within 1 year became online editor in a major production facility. More skills, more opportunities. A broadcast client started a new production company, offered me position of chief editor + I accepted. 3 years later, company was sold, option to go with buyer to work in London UK or stay put with new company of current owner so I stayed. Bought my own digital editing system and started freelancing shooting/editing cooking shows for Dubai TV. Offered job in Dubai, turned down for family reasons. Still freelancing but at own pace