A couple of weeks ago, the first anniversary of my graduation passed. It is hard to believe it has been a year since I left university – back then I was looking optimistically yet realistically at the bright, open future that lay before me. There was no denying that it would be tough – the media industry isn’t easy to get into, what with its lack of clear entry routes or career paths – but I had a good degree, some great experience, and a broad set of skills. I didn’t know where I was heading, but I felt I had the tools to get started on my journey.
I walk optimistically towards my future at the end of my film ‘Realisation’ – I can’t believe I made this over a year ago!
Flash forward to a month ago, when I was beginning to give up on getting into the industry. I’ve had some successes this year – filming various events and lectures for the British Humanist Association has been good, as have my experiences at the Hay Festival and National Student Drama Festival. I’ve also worked at Waterstones (a delight for a bookworm such as myself), attended some fantastic workshops thanks to the much-missed IdeasTap, and, throughout all of these adventures, I’ve visited places I’d never been to before – Scarborough, Bristol, and Oxford, to name just a few. But I’d had more rejection than I could count, and unemployment was starting to get me down. It was time to ask myself at what point I should begin looking into a different career. I had no idea what else I would do. But I had no idea how else to go about trying to get into the one industry I have spent the past seven years dreaming of working in.
Keble College, Oxford, where I was lucky to stay whilst filming the World Humanist Congress
Suddenly, within a few weeks, everything changed. I was offered four weeks of work experience at the BBC, working on Watchdog in September. I’ve applied to the BBC for work experience many times, and I have no idea what made this application different, but I cannot wait to work behind the scenes on such an iconic programme. It will give me great insight and valuable experience – even though it is temporary and unpaid, it will mean a great deal.
Then, even more surprisingly, I was offered a place on The Network, a talent scheme that runs in association with the Edinburgh Television Festival. I applied last year and got no where, so I was surprised to have even been invited to an assessment day this year. The interview day itself was a great experience – I met so many lovely people and had such an enjoyable day that, even if I hadn’t make it into the scheme itself, I would have considered it a positive experience. Yet to my absolute shock and delight, I was offered one of the fifty places on the scheme. I absolutely cannot wait until August, when I’ll be travelling up to Edinburgh to meet the rest of the delegates for what I’m sure will be an exhausting yet thrilling four days of networking and learning.
The last time I filmed in front of a green screen was a steep learning curve!
So I have two excellent opportunities ahead of me, when a month ago I was considering a change of career altogether! There is no telling what will happen – I could get the job of my dreams because of these experiences, or nothing whatsoever could come out of them – who knows? But things are starting to look up, and it has been a timely reminder that, no matter how difficult and unlikely things seem, in this industry, you must never give up.
Charlotte John 