I graduated from BU’s Television Production course in 2014 and was lucky enough to land my first post-uni job at Sony Music Entertainment.

Here, I work in the Visual-Creative department which commissions Sony artists’ album artwork, press shots and music videos.

My day-to-day responsibilities vary greatly. One day I’ll be in the office organising contracts and payments; and another I’ll be on set supervising a music video shoot! (Little Mix’s has been my fave so far, obvz.)

The job’s very hectic, but I love working in such a creative hub. For example, it was incredibly rewarding watching a music video treatment for One Direction’s Drag Me Down progress from script to screen, to then go on to win British Artist Video of the Year at the BRITs! Perks have included unlimited gig tickets, attending the Music Video Awards, and being taken on a backstage tour of Britney Spears’ Las Vegas residency show!

So, let’s back up a sec. How did I get here?

(A question I ask myself every day.)

I began BATV in 2011 and over the three years I learned why this was such a highly revered course:

• The tutors are either media theory experts or have real world production experience, so there’s no one better to introduce you to the industry.

• The facilities are outstanding! Everything from the HD TV studio to the editing suites in Weymouth House use industry-standard equipment, which gives you an advantage when applying for production roles later.

• BATV is one of the most sociable courses at Bournemouth! You’re constantly working with new people in seminars, which taught me about how to collaborate and share ideas.

So, after a grueling summer of applying for jobs (mediargh.com was my saviour), I found myself in amongst the final 50 of Sony Music’s Internship applicants. BU’s reputation counts for a lot, but you can’t solely rely on it to get a job. This is why I got stuck in with lots of co-curricular projects during my free time.

For example, using BU’s kit I directed a music video, filmed a promo video for Topshop, and edited video content for Buzzfeed that ended up going viral! I also undertook work experience at ITV during my placement month; don’t get me wrong, being a runner is hardly glamorous, but having this experience shows you’re keen to widen your skillset.

My interviewer saw these extra activities as proof of using my initiative, and I think this ultimately landed me the job at Sony. So what I’m trying to say is: take the skills you learn at BU and get creative with your own projects! What you produce should prove your creativity, and by showing you’re making an effort outside of the lecture theatre, you’ll stand out to any employer!

Best of luck for the future! And if anyone finds a £20 note in The Old Firestation let me know; I lost it during my First Year and still haven’t got over it.

By Barney Leigh

T: @barneyleigh