1. Networking
Spark FM
https://www.artyparti.com/
Duringmy firstyear I was lucky enough to be ableto shadow various radio professionals workingatspark FM
as they held their livebroadcasted shows,one such showwas ‘Arty Parti ’.This show was broadcasted by
various workers,but the man i met was Jay Sykes who is the Co-founder and producer. He works as a freelance
audio producer and is known to help bringtogether creatives in the north-east, he taught me all aboutthe
specialistequipment the everyday radio hostwill need to use in the studio. I learned about what itmeans to
be a successful radio host,whatis and isn’tappropriateto do in the radio industry,and he also taught me
critical information abouthow important itis to network as a media professional in theNorth-East of England.
MediaHub
https://mediahub.sunderland.ac.uk/our-platforms/
Another networking opportunity I underwent while in my firstyear of collegewas in the MediaHub of
Sunderland University.Whilehere I was ableto experience what the work environment was likewithin the
press/printindustry as I watched the interns/students work in their department. Whilethere I made
connections with the previously mentioned interns, they taught me what it is like to be a professional in
Journalism.Whilemy desireis not to solely bea journalist,the experience I got from watchinga writing
alongsidecreativewriters gave me insightaboutwhat that work environment would be. Like Radio,large
amounts of advertisingtakeplacewithin newspapers and blogs.And as a media planner itwill bemy
responsibility to be as well versed in multipleplatforms as possible,notonly to providethe most informed
strategies for my clients butto also work harmoniously with creatives of varyingskillsets.The MediaHub was
optimal preparation for that.
Wearside Womenin Need
https://www.wwin.org.uk/
In my second year of collegeI took partin a work experience placement of my choice, the employer I chose
was a domestic abuse charity based throughout Tyneside. Whatwas the most interesting was that this was not
an advertisingagency, nor a company dedicated to media. I chose this placement deliberately for that, as a
media planner I will notalways be ableto work with clients experienced in the media industry and how it
works. My job will beto communicate with and strategiseentire campaigns with people, understandingtheir
needs without any keywords for media theory or audienceanalysis.I believethis networking opportunity was
optimal preparation for that, I worked alongsideother volunteers and senior managers in frequent online
meetings to discusstheir brand identity in-depth. Forcingmyself to adapt to an unfamiliar environmentand
succeedingin providingthe rightadvertisements for what their charity needs. The connections I made with
this company will belong-lasting,havingmadesuch a positiveimpression of my employers that I can carry
their references or find employment with them without as many issues.
Online Webinar
https://lordputtnamgoldenrules.eventbrite.co.uk/
This was partof the ‘In conversion with Lord Puttnam’ series,which was brought to fruition by a collaboration
between the University of Sunderland and Northern Film+ Media, supported by the Pinewood Group. The
most relevant networking experience I attended throughout was ‘The Production Business - How to finance
and produce successful content’. David Parfittspecifically shared his experiencei n filmand tv production.
Learning how financingworks in a production first-hand froman expert benefit me because of reasons I have
2. previously discussed.Advertisingis a broad industry thatproduces astoundingamounts of content every day,
therefore if I hope to have any career there I must learn how to successfully financesuch productions.
Online Talk with a professional
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2292852909#success
A Media professional, Alex,held an onlinetalk to discussher experience graduatingfrom university with a
media degree and how she found employment with Karrott studios (which produces animations).Fromthis
talk I learned about the do’s and don’t’s of job seeking within the media, she taught me how important it is to
followprofessional behaviour when inquiringaboutemployment with companies.How to properly constructa
cv, what to write within and how crucial Itis to have a cover letter when inquiringto companies.
BBC online talk
Alongsidethe rest of my class,I had the opportunity to discuss findingemployment within the media. He
taught me that academic achievements must be accompanied by your own productions,that employers want
to see a drive to create your own creative content. Because of this,I decided to make a habitof brainstorming
ideas of what content I want to create, I believe this helped keep my understandingof media production fresh
in my mind, to work in advertisingyou need to have a variety of skills and itimportantthat no matter how
many projects how have worked on that such skills stay sharp. Finally,I gained a connection with employees of
one of the biggest producers of media content in the UK. Even if they don’t specialisein advertising
specifically,I knowwhere to go to find crucial hands-on experience.
