Digital journalist apprentice Review

On a day to day basis I helped the video team at the BBC by re-versioning videos so they can run on the apps and phones I then have to process these videos to be able to go on the website. Some days I will get given a news event to cover so I will edit video which comes from news agencies or news gathering for it to go on the website. I am also allowed to pitch my original video ideas which I go out film structure and edit.

Through the course I have learnt how to make a TV package, Radio package, Digital videos and how to write for news and broadcast. Within my team I have also learnt how to use cameras to shoot video and then how to edit them in a short amount of time.

The programme is very stressful and you are away from home a lot which was difficult to deal with at first as I came straight from school into a 9-5 job and living in a hotel room. There is a lot of different deadlines and exams which means you have to manage your time well or it can sometimes get a little bit too much. But overall this programme is a good experience with the opportunity to learn from people who have been in the business for a long time.

The programme is run by a brilliant organiser so you always know whats coming and what you have to do. My only concern is sometimes we have training weeks either too far apart so you kind of forget what's going on or too close together so you have lots of different tasks to complete for different things

I think this depends completely on your placement managers and who you get for a mentor. Our apprenticeship manager is good at asking if everything is going ok but sometimes there are not in the loop of your everyday role to go to for help. Sometimes your placements managers can almost forget about you because they are important people with big roles in the BBC but overall the support is good.

Through our training provider we get a woman who is a support officer, she is really lovely and seems like she generally cares about you. The teachers are good as well but sometimes just care about the work and not so much about you but that is too be expected as this isn't school.

The qualification is good for some things but some things have no relevance to your placement at the BBC. The qualification is very broad so once finished you have an overview of everything so can decide what aspect of the media you can go into. As good as this is it sometimes makes it hard to complete coursework and find motivation to revise as what you are revising for is not what you are doing every day.

There is a BBC club that I get emails about but I don't know where it is and I have never been shown. By the sinks there are notice boards which sometimes have flyers for clubs on them but the place is so big I never know who the person is to approach. I also feel like a lot of older people work with me so social activities is harder

Yes

As much as the apprenticeship is hard you do have a job at the BBC and they want to train the best journalists so you just kind of have to get through it because it is a great opportunity with the chance to learn from people who have been in the BBC for 40 years. Some days are harder than others but I've met 9 other apprentices who I speak to every day and you just got to help each other through it because at the end of the day you work for the BBC so can't waste it.

When applying and going to interviews just be yourself because the BBC doesn't need another serious well spoken presenter. Even if your nervous just speak to the people around you because you don't know if you both get the job you might be living with them for three months.