[Media Production, Level 1]

What areas of communication have you worked in?
Radio Journalist, broadcaster, presenter, Public Relations, local education
authority trainer, lecturer, workshop facilitator

What are the most important skills needed to work in these industries?
Inter-personal skills, able to work as a member of a team and on own
initiative, time management/making deadlines with good quality work etc.
Able to deal with people in an empathic way, to understand people's
positions and to find a way forward from difficult situation. If there's a
problem, don't go to the boss with just the problem but the solution as
well. Also good general knowledge and ability to get on top of something
you know nothing about very quickly and accurately.

What personal qualities do you think employers look for?
As above

What would impress you most on a C.V.?
Something unusual. For a journalist, for example, saying that they were
'lucky' people, and that they made their own luck. The problem is that so
many people do CV training workshops that they know what they should say
but is it really them? What makes them stand out from the crowd. They
need something to make them stand out for the employer. I'm afraid it's
not always the degree classifciation, but work experience...whatever that
may be. Proper work experience in the industry and a wide range of
interests.
What part of work in the industry did you most enjoy, and why?
live broadcasting because you can start a programme not knowing how it's
going to pan out if you have a breaking news story. You have to think
quickly but calmly and give the impression that everything's under control
even though you know everything's up in the air.
What is the most important practical skill we should remember from the unit
you taught us?
To remember that sound is very powerful and radio is an immediate and
intimate medium. Don't be taken in by people who say that TV is more
important than radio. The pictures on radio are better because you, the
presenter, advertiser or journalist paint them for the person listening.
The skills of editing aren't that important for most people on the course
but realising that you can do complicated things quite easily, more
effectively (and cheaply) with sound, certainly when compared with TV.