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Roushan: Twenty-Something in the Radio Industry

Info from those in the know

Did you always want to work in radio?

Because it was a dream job I think it took me a while to realise it could actually happen in reality
Roushan

I think so, it was always a hobby growing up and working at a big radio station was always a dream, but because it was a dream job I think it took me a while to realise it could actually happen in reality. But it's the one thing I enjoyed as a child and still enjoy now.

What did you enjoy most when you were at school?

Weirdly I quite enjoyed maths and science - but in hindsight I think that may have been because my parents wanted me to be a doctor. Other than that I loved the stuff where you could be creative like this one time they let us make our own celebrity scoop magazine in English - that was a lot of fun. I may have gotten into trouble for mine.

Did you go to Uni?

Yes, I studied Chemical Engineering, but spent as much time at my student radio station as I did in labs and lecture theatres! It was through student radio that I met loads of people who I now work with and in a way got me on their radar.

What was your first job in your career and how did you get it?

My first job in radio was when I was about 15 and I was organising my work experience placement from school. I think I wrote letters to every station in London asking if they'd take me on - literally everyone said no, except this tiny little station in North London, who were based above a kebab shop in a shopping centre and I think they only let me in so I would stop pestering them.

My first proper job after uni was working for a bank, selling credit cards. It wasn't fun, but it paid my rent while I did radio stuff on the evenings and weekends and figured out a way into the industry!

If you could give any advice to yourself when you were a teenager what would you say?

Have patience, don't write to a channel controller and expect him to give you a job, because a career in radio won't happen overnight. Start small, build your experience and build a CV. Expect knock backs and don't use so much wet look gel.

What’s your ultimate career goal?

This is a weird question because all my life all I've ever wanted to do is work in radio and now that I do I'm like, right, what next?

I'd love to go on an be an Assistant Producer and then Producer - beyond that who knows? I think as long as I'm doing something that I enjoy, find challenging and still pays the bills I'll be happy!

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