Introducing Janelle Sultana, Talent Coordinator at ITV.
Janelle has landed her dream role, taking care of the talent supporting some of the biggest names in the British TV industry today. She tells us how she got into the position she's in so early on in her career and speaks openly about the choices she makes to ensure she's able to show up as her best self each day. Learn what it's like to work in this notoriously challenging industry and find out how to enhance your chances of getting a highly coveted job, too.
It's so lovely to chat to you, Janelle, thank you for making the time! Please tell us what exactly you get up to for work and what you love most about what you do?
I am a Talent Coordinator at ITV Daytime! I look after all the talent behind the screen for Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women.
Without stating the obvious I work in such an incredible work environment with some incredibly talented people. What I love the most? No day is the same, there is always something new or exciting happening.
Within my role I work with a lot of administration, spreadsheets and documents, as mad as it seems, I absolutely love this, I enjoy organising and getting that to do list complete. I also head social media for Daytime when it comes to advertising roles. The most rewarding part of my job is watching the process from the start right until the end, supporting candidates and helping them find their perfect role! There’s always room for new ideas and creativity which I love, you are always heard and your ideas are always tried. I also build amazing relationships with hiring managers and the Daytime teams.
It's so encouraging hearing someone so passionate about their job. How did you get into the position you're in?
I graduated in 2021 with a first class degree in business management from Brighton University. Whilst studying in Brighton, I started working at Rox Promotions, Brighton's biggest events company. Throughout the years, I managed to become the General Manager which soon lead to a full time job once graduating. This job as General Manager really was the stepping stone to help me get into the career I have now. It's where I learnt all my core skills. I am really lucky to say that I was given so many opportunities and a lot of responsibility to develop my experience, from managing nights, festivals and bars.
I got to a stage of my journey where I was questioning where I wanted to be, what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be, but I was also so scared of the change.
I started applying for jobs which suited my skills and what I was interested in. One job I applied for was the Green Room Manger for This Morning. From this role, I got scouted by my current Manager who asked if I would be interested in applying to be a Talent Coordinator. I applied, and the rest is history!
What are the challenges you face in your line of work?
I think working within Talent, there are lots of pieces of confidential information and sensitive subjects. Although it sounds like a negative, it has massive positive outcomes when dealt with correctly! Every day isn’t the same, some days can be quiet and some days you literally can’t leave your laptop it’s so busy - you have to be prepared for those busy periods!
What advice would you give to someone looking to get into this industry?
ITV is television, however, they have so many more roles going than you think! If you are looking to get into production, there is structure and you do need to start by building credits in certain roles and gaining that experience. Reach out to people, create relationships, ask to shadow, see what work experience opportunities they have - if you don’t ask, you will never know!
It’s all about gaining and developing your CV to prove you can jump straight in. That being said, we do like to pull out ‘wild cards’ which is what I was. Essentially, it's someone with no experience in the role or industry, but an individual who holds skills which can easily be adapted to suit the role.
If you’re looking to get into marketing, finance, social media or quite literally anything else, don’t forget that every company needs all these departments to run as a business.
Apply for what you know and do it for a company you love!
We couldn't agree more. The most inspiring companies out there with values that align with your own might be known for their particular product or service but they'll have a huge array of roles available so it's worth looking into what they're hiring for. On a totally different note, how do you prevent yourself from burning out? We can only imagine that the TV industry can be extremely full on at times and super competitive, too.
Although I have been incredibly fortunate and successful with what I have done and what I do, it has not come as easily as it may come across. I am incredibly tough on myself and give myself a hard time in a lot of aspects of my life. I have never actually admitted this before as it’s not the healthiest mindset to have.
One thing I have always not accepted is being told I can’t do something or taking no as an answer. This is a lot of my motivation to keep working hard. My parents are also a huge part of my motivation, everything I do is to make them proud.
When it comes to preventing myself from burning out, I do have to make sacrifices, but these sacrifices are not ones I struggle to give up or ones that disadvantage me.
For example, I go to bed early so that I can go to the gym early and go straight into work from there. The gym helps me mentally and sets me up for the rest of the day. I eat healthy throughout the week and treat myself at the weekends.
It’s all about balance and making sure your body has the correct fuel.
The nightlife industry started to take a huge toll on me, even down to my skin and health. I don’t go out every weekend now, I don’t drink excessively and I prefer to spend down time with family or shopping with my friends, I love spa days and focus on making core memories. I do still go out with my friends, but I know my limits!
Making these small 'sacrifices' and having a consistent routine has allowed me to remain motivated and be productive.
I also do think a huge factor of not burning out is also making sure you’re in a job you adore. You need to wake up every morning knowing you are going to do something you love today!
We couldn't have said that better ourselves, Janelle. Burn out can happen when you push yourself too far doing something you love but it can also happen when you're dragging yourself through each day, forcing yourself to do a job you don't like. We're so glad you've found a position you can thrive in and we really appreciate you talking to us about how you got to where you are. You've clearly really gotten to know yourself and can give yourself what you need to feel your best, in and outside of work. It's so inspiring to see and we are excited to see what your career entails, there are no doubts that you'll be going from strength to strength in all that you do. Thank you again for writing this guide!
You can get in touch with Janelle directly if you want to ask for her advice about getting into the TV industry or find out which roles she's actively hiring for.
This guide forms part of the Stripped Back series which have been designed to provide open, honest and encouraging information. They're a chance for you to understand the real ups and downs those being featured have experienced in their journeys to date. The aim is to demystify entry points to certain industries, as well as outline tangible advice for those looking to get into a new area of work. We hope you enjoyed this guide by Janelle Sultana from ITV.