Production Management Assistant Review

I work as a PMA (Production Management Assistant), providing support for the Senior Team in my department. I am there to help with anything they need, my daily tasks are very varied I do everything from booking transport, to sitting in on important meetings and note taking and I work very closely with each member of the team to help them in any way I can. Each day is different, it's hard to pin point exactly what I do because I do so much!

I have definitely learnt a lot of things about the industry that I didn't know before, I went to a college that worked to provide you with the skills for industry but it is so different when you get there. Internally I have loads of support if I need any help I have got hundreds of people to ask. I can problem solve and work out difficult things, if I need to make time I can move things around and work out how to so.

I really enjoy my scheme, I think it is great because from the people who come in it separates the people who will strive in the environment and those who won't some people don't understand you have to start somewhere and I think this is a great stepping stone to getting there. It is different to what I expected, I thought my role would be a lot more active and going out on shoots etc but it is more office based however I still get to do those things and I'm loving it.

I think it's like most jobs, most days I love it and see how my role has a substantial effect on the department If i wasnt there other things couldn't move forward. But I would say there are some days I feel if someone said 'good work' or just something positive that would be nice to here. I am very involved and my lovely boss always thinks of me and gives me projects to do! It's great.

I think this programme does lack a little bit of organisation just in the communication, I personally haven't experienced much of this. I know there are people who feel they aren't gaining anything from the scheme and when they take this up with the academy they don't seem to get much response. I think maybe if they'd have taken on less apprentices this would have worked out better. But as I said I haven't experienced this, the training is a bit all over the placed and isnt very stimulating at all but I have done a really similar course before so it's probably because I don't feel like I'm learning anything new.

My tutor Martina is great if I need anything she responds very quickly. The academy scheme leaders are also great to me, if i need anything i just call them and they usually answer or get back to me very shortly after.

My employer is amazing, the talent team give me every ounce of help and even helped me sort out my CV.

I commute an hour into work and live with my Gran who I look after, I drive, buy my own food, pay for phone bills, road tax and a multiplex of other direct debits. I would say the pay I get covers that but doesn't leave a lot for me in terms of social but I'm an apprentice and I feel I get paid more than most other apprentices. the only thing that is a bit annoying is I work with people in the exact same role as me in full pay and just because im an apprentice does that mean I should get so much less. But to be honest I'm not complaining. In this industry some people work for free for years to get to where they want to be.

There are lots of opportunities that get sent through to us which we are allowed to apply for, I have worked on Children in Need and applied for comic relief. I also worked at the RTS awards and SPOTY, even though most of those are through the BBC they are definitely good experiences in different departments.

Yes

It's a good company to work for, they look after their staff and the environments are so nice to work in. There are no offices everyone hot seats and sits together so one day I could be sat next to an Exec and the next a Script Writer so it really does allow you to network and meet new people.

Be yourself, the BBC don't want people who are carbon copies of the next they want someone with a fresh outlook, who doesn't try to hard to surpass people but knows who they are.