Your Radio in Dumbarton contacted the College in June offering the opportunity for a summer intern to help out in their digital department and newsroom over the holiday period.
The internship covered three days a week would give the right candidate the opportunity to not only have a direct insight into working in a radio station, but give them valuable collateral for their CV.
Connor said, ‘As soon as I finished college I went in to meet Spencer the Station Owner to have a chat and I started not long after that. I was kept busy editing interviews, uploading shows and importing music for their new radio station ‘Timeless’ that they are launching in the next month . It was a very deadline orientated job, which meant I had to be organised and focussed.
Mike McLean, Station Presenter who looked after Connor throughout his internship had positive feedback on his progress. He said,
Connor instantly grasped the technical side of the systems we use at the station, and worked regularly on his own. He showed a good working knowledge of the music as well, which was important.
Connor added, 'I loved it, it was a great experience and it’s made me a lot more open of going in to radio. I enjoyed the technical side and production side rather than presentation or news reading and reporting. Although in saying that I did the voiceover for a commercial and that was something different.
Working to deadlines could be a bit stressful, but I felt like I had it under control and it prompted me to keep well organised and focussed when I was in work. I’ve learned a lot of things during my internship that I can apply to work and vice versa. The Your Radio team were brilliant, really nice in fact. So, my first experience of an internship was definitely a good one.’
Mike added, ‘On a couple of occasions recently Connor visited the studios on a Sunday evening after finishing a shift at his part-time job, and worked diligently on his own while I was live on air in the other studio. He appears to still be interested in being involved at the new studios in Dumbarton, and if that is the case, he will be more than welcome back anytime!’
Connor who is currently studying his HND Creative Industries in Media at our Clydebank Campus tells us about what he likes on his course and gives some top tips for those considering studying Media.
‘I enjoyed my HNC, especially the practical unit where we got to produce a short film. The HND is more theory driven, but the practical element will be starting soon so I’m looking forward to that.
My advice to any students considering studying media would be work hard, be creative and go out and make it happen. You get support at College, but in the end you need to put in the graft. After college I’d like to go straight into industry and get a job, if that doesn’t happen I’d consider university. In the meantime, I’ll be getting as much work experience as I can!'
Kate Cotter, Media Lecturer at the College added, ‘This was a great opportunity for Connor and we hope this will lead onto an exciting career in Radio. Big thanks to Your Radio for getting in touch and hopefully we can work together on future placements for our students .’