Today I went to the BBC's Get In event, an informative session designed for people who want to apply for their upcoming trainee schemes or, as the name suggests, for people who simply want to find an "in" to the best broadcaster in the world. (No bias whatsoever, obviously).
I have joked to people that if all else fails, I may just "get in" with a crow bar, but after today I have a feeling that that won't be necessary.
During the afternoon, we got to hear from both past and present trainees, who by all accounts are successfully living the dream. The most important pearl of wisdom they shared with us was to "be yourself". When they first said that, I have to admit, it felt like a cliché, something that people say when they aren't really sure what to say, or something your Mum reassures you with when you are headed to a new school and feel that the first day is going to be an absolute nightmare.
However, as the day wore on, I came to realise they were right. It is very easy to get spooked by the numbers - there were about one hundred of us there, and we were the lucky ones as the free tickets "sold out" in under three minutes. Last year alone some 3,000 people applied for the JTS, which goes to show how sought-after these places are. If all the people applying are even half as talented and enthusiastic as the people I met today, then the competition really is fierce. Everyone was extremely motivated and had lots of different experience behind them, from lawyers to art history lecturers, to shop assistants and bloggers. But it was precisely this that made the event so great.
Indeed, Ms. Cheryl Varley summed it up perfectly when she explained that ideas and creativity stem from diversity and that is the most important thing you can bring to the BBC.
YOU. Your life experiences, family history and social background are things that have uniquely shaped you, to make you who you are and will influence your perspective on things.
So, rather than feeling intimidated by the other people there, the feeling of being "up against" each other was taken away. People that I was impressed by, who may have more journalistic experience than I do, were in turn impressed by me, and my history as an English language teacher in Spain (especially by the fact I am fluent in Spanish!). It was then that I realised that I do have something to offer, as does everybody else.
When the time came for group work to pitch an idea for a TV or radio programme, it wasn't so much a competition any more, but a brilliant collaboration. In fact, we complimented each other beautifully and were bouncing ideas around.
In short, the event was more than worth going to, even if it were just for that realisation. I have left with some great advice and met some genuinely wonderful and talented people. I would be gutted if I didn't get onto the scheme, that goes without saying, but I would be very happy if any of those who I met today did.
