A dramatic experience

I'm 17 years old and this summer I got the amazing opportunity to do work experience at the BBC's Television HQ. I enjoyed every moment and had such an incredible time during the 5 days I spent at the New Broadcasting House.

On the first day I was extremely nervous but soon settled in as everyone made me feel so welcome. The first day was mainly induction based and was filled with fire safety and the ins and outs of where we'd be working for the next 5 days. This helped me feel right at home and familiarise myself with the vast building that was to be my work place for the next 5 days!

On the second day, I really got stuck into working at Television HQ. My supervisor was so helpful and managed to get me working in the Drama Commissioning department, which is what I really hoped to be involved in. My first task was to read a script that was sent in as a request to be commissioned. I would then be involved in a meeting about the script. I loved attending meetings as I felt my opinion was really valued and got a realistic experience as to how working in this department would really be. I went on to watch episodes of an up and coming TV drama and also gave my opinion on what I viewed. Being trusted with confidential content I took very seriously as I respect how important that part of the job is, given this responsibility made me feel a like a valuable member of the team.

During my time in the Television department, I also had the chance to write a script report for one of the scripts, which entailed writing a synopsis and then feedback on the script. I really enjoyed doing this not only because it is the kind of work I would like to be doing in the future but it also challenged me as I had never done anything quite like it before.

The final part of my work experience was being invited into the gallery whilst the 1 O’clock News aired. This was incredible and an experience I will never forget. I really enjoyed seeing how every person in the gallery was so integral to the smooth running of the show and how seriously it has to be taken.

My work experience at the BBC was simply the most amazing experience I could have ever wished for. I loved every day I was with Television HQ and got invaluable experience which I will be eternally grateful for. My week confirmed my passion for television and the making of and everyone I worked with was so welcoming which made my week the most fun filled and exciting of my entire summer!

*The Summer Work Experience Scheme is managed by BBC Outreach & Corporate Responsibility for young people who live or study in the London boroughs where we have large staff sites – Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham. This summer, 16 young people spent a week working in a number of departments across the business. The scheme is intended to help those in our local communities learn more about the how the BBC works, as well as helping our staff understand the views of our audiences.