Placement Year Review at 2BR

The Role

Role Description

The majority of my time at 2BR was spent in the computer suite researching news stories for the radio station to report on. This involved gathering as much factual information as possible about current national and regional topics. I also served as the "tea boy" and provided refreshments for the staff at regular intervals during the day. After a period of a few weeks, I was allowed to present the 8 AM five minute weather bulletin on air. Then, after I'd gained mine and the other staff members confidence, I progressed onto presenting the longer fifteen minute weather bulletin at lunchtime. Towards the end of my placement, I was entrusted to accompany and guide celebrity guests through the building. Occasionally, the bosses at 2BR enabled me to prepare the questions and front the celebrity interviews.

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I loved my time at 2BR so much that my placement confirmed in my mind that radio presenting and production is the direction that I want to take my career in. My time researching helped keep me updated on current world affairs, which aided my social skills. In turn, my attempts at presenting the weather greatly inmproved my confidence. Additionally, I even managed to meet a few local celebrities. Overall, I greatly enjoyed my time on work placement.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I felt very valued by my colleagues, who seemed to be incredibly impressed by the production skills I had learned on my university course. Also, I really felt that the presenters appreciated the depth of research I had undertook to make sure the information and facts they were reciting were correct and interesting.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was always instructed on what my jobs were for each day or each week. Before I conducted celebrity interviews, I was briefed on what areas of their personal life and career I could question on and what was strictly not to be mentioned--making sure that no awkward monents were created. Before my research periods, I was advised which topics the audience usually responded well to and which issues I shouldn't investigate. Also, one of the more experienced members of staff was assigned to me as a supervisor, so I always had someone I felt I could talk to if I had a problem.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Usually, I worked at a comfortable pace all day. There was never a day I can remember where I was too bored nor a day where I was rushed off my feet. I always enjoyed my working hours at 2BR, yet I always felt I deserved my lunch breaks. Some days, I worked over-time preparing for celebrity interviews; but I never felt that I was being over-worked or taking on too much responsibility.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

I felt I had quite a bit of responsibility during my work placement. Much of my research was broadcasted on air, which helped me feel that the company appreciated my efforts. Also, when I was asked to interact first hand with the celebrity guests, the company placed a lot of trust in me.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

My course is based on radio journalism and producing radio shows for broadcast, thus the experiences I gained from my placement at the 2BR radio studios was essential. Furthermore, when I returned to university the following semester, my tutors were incredibly impressed with how much my skills had developed during my placement.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

As is common for radio shows, the presenters in the studios were large personalities. Also, me and my colleagues were required to create a fun, lively atmosphere, thus making the show an enjoyable experience for the listeners.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

When I learnt that I was to do a placement year, I applied to numerous broadcasting organisations in the hope of gaining a place at one of the more reputable company's. When BBC Radio Lancashire rejected my application, I was left with 2BR as my only viable option. In all fairness, 2BR were impressively quick in getting the placement sorted out.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

From the first day of my placement, I was treated as an important member of staff; never did I feel that the company didn't trust me or neglected my work. I underwent a very thorough training process before I was allowed to conduct celebrity interviews, which I was immensely grateful for. 2BR allowed me to use their studio equipment to broadcast live on air; and contributed greatly to my radio publishing experience.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• National Travel

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

On the final day of my official work placement, I was offered a position of employment there for the remainder of the summer holidays--which I gladly accepted. I was also informed that, when my degree was finished, I could be fast-tracked into a studio engineer producer position.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I was the only placement student working during my employment peirod there, as 2BR is a small company. However, I regularly joined my colleagues for social events outside of work. If there was a local sports star due to be interviewed, we would watch his latest game. Furthermore, if there was a film star doing promo for their latest release, we would visit the cinema to watch it.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Blackburn isn't a very expensive area, so you can comfortably indulge in a large number of social events. For my residence, I rented a property with a small number of university friends for a very cheap price. There is a local student village, which I live in, which is very cheap and lively.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

There are very few pubs and clubs still operating in the area of Blackburn that 2BR is located in. However, the town centre is a small train ride away; and there are numerous popular clubs and events in the town centre.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

All opportunities outside of work were work-related. 2BR had regular guests so there was always films, music shows, and sports events to be viewed. However, there wasn't many social opportunities that weren't connected to work.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

If you are interested in a radio journalism career, this is the placement for you. You will have both a fun and beneficial experience.

The company is located near a large number of small cafes and diners, so the 2BR canteen is not an essential place to dine.