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Production Apprentice: Bridget Norman shares her experience working with �� Radio 4

2017-04-14T10:23:08+00:00

For the last six months I've been working on Saturday Live, �� Radio 4's Saturday morning show. It is a round table set up (four to five live guests in the studio) with individual interviews and informal chat between them. There are three pre-recorded items: a feature, a ‘Thank You’ slot and a celebrity’s 'Inheritance Tracks'.

I have been helping to find possible live guests, researching their potential, pitching them to my editor at our weekly ideas meeting and then writing briefs on the guests for our presenters. I help with the programme’s ‘Thank You' slot, too: this is where the team record listeners who get in touch with the programme to share their stories of people who did them a good turn but who they never had the chance to thank at the time. Some are so moving.

I suggest the Thank Yous that stand out from all the ones we receive, and then I may telephone the listener who has been agreed on to find out more about them before the recording. Sometimes I have a go at editing it ready for the programme. It has been a vertical learning curve but really exciting slowly taking on more responsibility in the team.

When writing a brief I've learned to make sure that I give the presenters accurate, interesting and succinct information. It's important because the show is ‘live’ so they need all their facts right before they go on air, unlike pre-recorded programmes there is no safety net. The brief should leave them curious to get as much as possible out of the guest they will be interviewing, but it must not take them too long to read quickly or they might miss key bits out.

Armed with a list of names that could be possible guests, I look into each one hoping to find any unusual hobbies or a personal story and then drop the ones that don't sound right for the programme. Saturday Live likes people who are fun, a bit eccentric and who have several ‘strings to their bow’.

For example, recently we had an architect on who had also twice been world air guitar champion (I know, who even knew there was one?) and a fly fisherman who helps conserve chalk streams and otters. Sometimes I discount people if they don't have enough hobbies, are a bit too worthy, or I can't find a personal angle for them – although there are exceptions. Before suggesting someone I firstly check if they are still available, whether they've been on the show before, and ensure I can sum up in one sentence for my editor why they would be a good guest.

Everyone at the �� has been really friendly and welcoming, from the security guards - who I'm on first name terms with now - to my colleagues who have been here sometimes longer than I have been alive, but who still treat me as an equal. To me the �� is like a lioness, slow to trust outsiders but once you are working there it protects you like one of its own.

It is strange how quickly you settle into a daily routine and forget that whilst you may just be ‘going to the office’, that office is in the massively respected institution that is the ��. Being on one placement for so long has really let me get under the skin of the programme and work at tailoring my ideas to ones that answer the programme's central question of, is it fun? It has let me ease my way into the world of work, which is a big change from sitting A-levels at school, but just like exams you get out of work what you put in. It feels great being measured against the standards of those with more experience, giving me a benchmark to aim for and shows that the team value me and think me capable of improvement.

Speaking up in meetings was very difficult at first, but positive and encouraging feedback from my editor and producers has helped a lot with my self-confidence. My colleagues couldn't have been more supportive and as long as you know what you are asking for or need help with, people are only too happy to oblige.

So far this year I have both gained skills and developed as a person and learned how better to play to my strengths. In fact I have learned as much about myself as I have about the media industry, if not more! I won't pretend that there haven't been some extra challenges because of my disability. I am blind so, for example, I cannot see people's facial expressions which can be a barrier to starting conversations. I use speech assisted software which reads the screen to me, so I am nearly always wearing headphones. This means that people don't always think they can interrupt me, even though I would be only too happy to talk as I do enjoy a good chat.

As a result I am slowly learning to become more outgoing in order to build good working relationships. Rather than waiting 20 years or more to share my Thank You I will say it now, ‘Thank you �� for letting me do this and here’s to the next few months being just as amazing.’

Production Trainee: Alia Cassam on why she applied for the Production Trainee Scheme.

2017-03-23T13:06:24+00:00

I remember sitting in my PTS (production trainee scheme) interview, and being asked to talk about the last few years of my experience since graduating from university. I blinked, took a deep breath, and said: “I took the scenic route.”

My path to the PTS was certainly unusual, and not one I could have ever have imagined. But a love of language, people, and the human voice, has led me into a new world of possibilities in radio production at the ��.

I had grown up listening to �� radio and it has always been a part of my life. During my Theatre Studies MA at Leeds University, I produced a radio play based on a George Orwell novel, and I loved making it. For some reason it never occurred to me to work in radio. Perhaps I thought it would be too tough to break into. Ironically, it was catastrophe rather than success that opened new doors for me.

Just a year after graduating, I developed a condition called M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis). This came as a complete shock – my hopes of a career dwindled, and while I’d made some improvements in my health, I remained significantly affected by the condition. Then in 2013, I experienced a massive relapse. It was one of the most difficult years yet, and I struggled to know how to make sense of things.

Later that year, I went to the Forward Poetry Prize readings at London’s Southbank Centre. I’d always been a poetry lover, and sitting in the auditorium, my head in a dizzying fog, I heard some words that seemed to make sense. Jeannette Winterson, the chair of the prize, spoke with passion about Seamus Heaney and his belief that “poetry should be strong enough to help”. In a time of desolation, these words felt truthful. And I wasn’t going to argue with Seamus Heaney.

A few months later, I received an email from the arts organisation Poet in the City. They were looking for new volunteers, and I decided to join. At the first meeting, I discovered they had a vibrant audio team and I mentioned that I’d once made a radio play, and that I’d love to develop my skills. I soon began interviewing guest speakers and editing recordings with poets, and I initiated and produced the organisation’s podcast. Inspired by the �� broadcasts I’d listen to at home, I wanted to see if I could make my own programmes too.

With the support and encouragement of colleagues, it was suggested that I approach the ��. Initially I was sceptical, but sure enough I saw that the Corporation had a disability hub and a scheme called Extend. I watched the online Extend video and read blogs by disabled staff. Feeling heartened, I made my application.

The PTS application process was rigorous, but I felt continually challenged and invigorated: I was being asked to think in new ways, develop myself, and really consider who I was and what I was about. At the hotel room in Birmingham for my final interview, I remember staring at a printout of an article I’d found on the �� Get Creative website, which I'd kept near my suitcase. It said: “Can poetry really change your life?” I really hoped, and believed, that it could. And it has.

Now three months into the PTS scheme, and I’m working at the ��’s Radio Documentaries Unit, the largest in the world. It's a privilege to be here, learning from the very best in the field, and gaining skills in research and journalism, recording, and how to construct complex documentary stories. I’m part of a team making work that is truthful and intelligent, surprising and joyful. Broadcasts, which in our confused and troubled times, are strong enough to help.

Extend: Presenting at the �� Proms

2016-12-15T11:50:13+00:00

It’s been just over a year since I joined the �� through the Extend scheme. For my initial six-month placement, I worked on The One Show as a researcher, and while I had previous experience as a production runner, I knew I had a lot to learn as I started my first day.

Thankfully, my new colleagues made me feel very welcome and I quickly settled into the Cardiff-based unit that makes films about the arts, history and food for the show. More often than not, a film we shot one week would be broadcast to millions of viewers the next, which was hugely rewarding… if at times slightly scary!

A few weeks before my contract was up in March, I spotted an internal job advert for a researcher on the �� Proms television team. I knew instantly I wanted to apply, as I have a music degree and continue to perform and write classical music alongside working in TV.

I sent off my application, received an invitation to interview, and was thrilled when they offered me the job. I could now apply the new skills I had learnt on the One Show to a subject area I was already really passionate about, and help bring the best of the world’s greatest classical music festival to audiences far beyond the Royal Albert Hall.

And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, there was another huge surprise in store when I started there in the summer. Two days in, the executive producer took me to one side and revealed she had seen some presenting work I had done online prior to joining the ��. She offered me a screen test, which went well, I guess, as on 6 August at 7.30pm I made my �� Proms presenting debut alongside Clemency Burton-Hill.

The live, two and half-hour broadcast on �� iPlayer was the perfect way to top off my first year in this amazing organisation, and I realise now they weren’t joking when they told me on my first day that "anything is possible" at the ��.

Since then, I’ve had more brilliant opportunities come my way. Last month, I joined a group of C�� presenters at the Skills Show in Birmingham’s huge NEC, to host a series of talks, games and quizzes on the main stage. This was a great way to give something back, by encouraging others considering their future career options to join the �� and follow their dreams.

You can watch Lloyd’s latest onscreen appearance when he joined Josie D’Arby and singing star Julian Ovenden to present Choir of the Year on �� Four earlier this month.

Extend: Ben Mustill-Rose on his year in �� software development

2016-11-04T18:17:10+00:00

Former Extendee Ben Mustill-Rose has had a jam packed year at the �� working in software development and he shares with us his highlights.

It's hard to believe that at the time of writing I've been at the �� for just over a year. I've dealt with many varied and unexpected challenges, but looking back on my experiences so far, I can genuinely say that I've enjoyed every one of them and wouldn't change a thing if I had the chance.

I joined the �� in October 2015 working as a trainee developer in test (DIT) for mobile iPlayer. The role of a DIT is to act as an enabler for the various people within a team, which usually translates as a bit of development, testing and 'devops' (think system administration) but this barely scratches the surface of what you can find yourself doing.

I'm really glad I chose to start my career being a DIT - you get given real responsibilities in the form of looking after products and servers, and there's always an opportunity to build something yourself as we're always looking to improve our tooling. For example I have been doing some incredibly interesting work reverse-engineering parts of Android and iOS for some internal software and hope to be in a position where some of this can be open sourced before the end of the year.

One of the things about the �� that I learnt very quickly was that there are always plenty of opportunities to do things with other teams in addition to your main role. Here are just some of the things that I've been doing that I didn't expect to do when I started:

• Help build the �� iPlayer Kids app
• Help out �� Children’s with one of their games
• Give user experience advice to a handful of different iPlayer teams - a highlight for me was getting my hands on our Apple TV app and getting some fairly big user interface changes in
• Give technical and accessibility advice to the micro:bit team
• Help create a music festival
• Run events at the �� as a Science, Technology Engineering and Maths Ambassador
• Help run coding workshops
• Design indoor navigation systems
• Design systems for autonomous drone control

Regarding accessibility I'd be lying if I said that everything has been plain sailing. My team are users of a specialist coding language which is essentially unusable with a screen reader. We're also heavy Mac users and whilst the built-in screen reader works really well with some applications, its terminal support is poor which makes using programs like Vi next to impossible for example.

It is worth pointing out that we do have a dedicated access services department who are able to supply and support various pieces of assistive technologies and support you when applying to access to work when you first start.

If you're thinking of applying to one of our new talent schemes through the Extend Hub, first and foremost I'd suggest that you put aside any reservations you may have and just give it a go. If you are offered a place, I would encourage you to really embrace the opportunity with both hands (I know that's a massive cliché) and do as many different things as possible - when I was on my placement my attitude was that I would say yes to everything by default and only turn something down if it clashed with something in my main role.

This job is my first since graduating. My CV was incredibly average. I had very little relevant experience but for some reason I was given a chance. I'll end the post with another cliché, but I really mean it when I say that it could be you!

You can apply for one of our technology schemes here.

Extend scheme: What it's like to work with �� iPlayer

2016-08-31T11:41:03+00:00

Extend trainees class of 2016

I joined the �� Extend scheme on a six month placement with the iPlayer editorial team.

Before starting my placement we had a week long training course with all the other �� trainees at the Academy in Birmingham. During the course we got to meet different people from across the �� and even had a go at producing our own radio drama. Most importantly, it was an invaluable networking tool.

After this I felt well equipped for my first day. Walking into Broadcast Centre in London was a little daunting as it seemed a never ending maze of desks – but it’s surprising how quickly you find your way round. Everyone on the iPlayer editorial team was really welcoming and I settled in easily.

My role was varied and tasks ranged from writing copy for the iPlayer website to editing images and scheduling. The most exciting part of the role was working on the �� TV blog.

I got to pitch my own ideas for stories, write posts and interview talent. One day I was interviewing the costume designer for War and Peace and the next I was chatting to the actress Jodie Comer about her role in the drama Thirteen. The work was always fast-paced and varied which I enjoyed, and my definite highlight was when my blog post was announced on �� One!

The cast of �� One's War and Peace (Image credit: ��/Mitch Jenkins/Kaia Zak)

During my time on the iPlayer editorial team and TV blog, I quickly realised that working in communications was something I would want to pursue. Applying for roles can seem intimidating at first but the Extend scheme organised an intensive two day career workshop especially for us, which was really useful.

Not long after finishing my placement I was offered the role of PR assistant in Communications.

I work for the TV Licensing team and I have just published my first press release on one of the biggest licence fee stories of the year. I love the fast paced nature of the job, especially when a news story breaks and it’s all hands to the deck, fielding calls from journalists, liaising with the press office and sending out responses.

I’m really grateful for the opportunity the Extend scheme has given me and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who was considering applying!

Find out more about Extend at the Extend Hub, the �� recruitment portal exclusively for disabled people.

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Production Apprentice: Bridget Norman shares her experience working with �������� Radio 4

Production Trainee: Alia Cassam on why she applied for the Production Trainee Scheme.

Extend: Presenting at the �������� Proms

Extend: Ben Mustill-Rose on his year in �������� software development

Extend scheme: What it's like to work with �������� iPlayer

Production Apprentice: Bridget Norman shares her experience working with �� Radio 4

Extend: Presenting at the �� Proms

Extend: Ben Mustill-Rose on his year in �� software development

Extend scheme: What it's like to work with �� iPlayer