It wasn’t the near-perfect weather year round that made Los Angeles the epicenter of the movie industry — it was actually Thomas Edison.
Edison held over a thousand patents for different pieces of tech — light bulbs, the phonograph and motion picture cameras, to name a few — that were essential components of the early movie industry. When early filmmakers wanted to try their luck at making a moving picture, many of them decided to go west beyond the legal reach of Edison’s patents. There, early Hollywood was born.
Today, Los Angeles holds a bit of that spirit for many people. If you want to find a job in entertainment, Los Angeles is still a massive hub where that can happen. Los Angeles is also a great place to look for national and global companies in other industries — companies that might even be hiring for remote roles — with professional development perks to help make big media dreams come true.
What Warner Bros. Discovery does: Warner Bros. Discovery is a global media and entertainment entity offering iconic content, brands and franchises across television, film, sports, news, streaming and gaming.
The Professional Development Perks
- Continuing education stipend
- Customized development tracks
- Job training and conferences
- Mentorship program
- Online course subscriptions available
- Paid industry certifications
- Promote-from-within culture
- Lunch-and-learn sessions
- Tuition reimbursement
- Personal development training
- Virtual coaching services
Working in Live Sports Entertainment: Due to the myriad of things that can go wrong when working in live streaming, the WBD team values resilience. But the risks are well worth the reward, WBD Sports SVP of Digital and Product Hania Poole told Built In LA. “Success for us looks like bringing joy to fans, drawing large audiences to our business and having fun while we’re doing it,” she said, adding, “We make fun of ourselves and laugh a lot.”
What Hot Topic does: Hot Topic is an e-commerce company that consists of three brands under one roof: Hot Topic, BoxLunch and Her Universe.
The Professional Development Perks
- Continuing education stipend
- Job training and conferences
- Mentorship program
- Online course subscriptions available
- Promote-from-within culture
- Lunch-and-learn sessions
- Continuing education available during work hours
- Tuition reimbursement
‘Smells Like Team Spirit’: The tongue-in-cheek tagline is from the company’s jobs page, but it’s definitely true. Built In spoke with Senior Business Systems Manager Apple Joy Canonazo, who shared: “What I like about Hot Topic is the overall culture that the leaders in this company showcase. I joined this company at the right time — where several tech growth areas were happening — and with the leader's support, I was encouraged to put forth some ideas for change and improvement. I was encouraged to speak and to not hesitate to tackle challenges head-on. My leader paved the path for my success the minute I joined the company and continuously set up open-door conversations.”
What Utility does: Utility designs and develops award-winning mobile applications and digital platforms.
The Perks
- Job training and conferences
- Promote-from-within culture
- Generous parental leave
- Return-to-work program post parental leave
- Flexible work schedule
- Performance bonuses
Media Revamp: Utility works with all kinds of companies, one of which was Forbes. Utility created a new video ecosystem for the business media company, allowing video content, streaming events and daily TV lineups to all be housed in the same digital platform.
