The Radio Academy Knowledge Bank
Looking for advice about taking your first steps into the radio industry?
The Radio Academy is here to help!
Why Not Volunteer?
Experience within voluntary radio can make a huge difference in getting a work experience placement.
Why is Work Experience Important?
If you want to work in radio, work experience is one of the most valuable things you can do.
It will give you the opportunity to experience what it is like to work in radio and what roles are available, and most importantly, it will give you opportunity to meet people!
Make sure you do your research to ensure you are on the placement that reflects your interests most.
Hints and Tips
- Be friendly, polite and interested
- Ask lots of questions
- Pitch ideas
- Offer to help out
- Make the most of it!
- Stay in touch with the contacts you make
BBC Work Experience
The BBC run work experience placements in most of its radio departments. [ More Info ]
Commercial Radio
The trade body for commercial radio in the UK RadioCentre produce a placements digest for the commercial radio industry (last updated 2007). [ Download ]
Independent Sector
Many independent production companies offer work experience placements. Click here for an up-to-date list from the Radio Independents Group [ More Info ]
Got a Specific Interest?
The other route into work experience is to make a direct approach to the programmes or stations that interest you most.
Find out who the key contacts are and send an email or a letter of introduction and an up-to-date CV to an editor / producer / station manager, and suggest the kind of work experience you’d be interested in.
Would you like to shadow them in their role or is there something more specific you can ask for? Be polite, and follow up any contact after a couple of weeks if you haven't heard anything.