The Pitch: Employability Blog

One day in school somebody said I would be participating in a media course, but it turned out to be more than just that. It showed me media is something I’m good and that this is something I enjoy. I learned people were interested in what I had to say, so naturally with that comes a whole load of new confidence. I’ve learned how to script and structure my own show and how to work various microphones and technical equipment. When I first arrived at the course, I said “sorry, I can’t work this software as I’m not good with computers”. Well, now I have improved so much, and I can’t wait to continue my development. In this environment, I’m constantly learning due to the fact there is so many intriguing and interesting people around. They all have different, and equally creative, stuff to show you and are happy to share with you how use it. I feel privileged to be involved with the amazing kind caring, talented and helpful people here.

I am I graduate of the CAMM (community and media matters) course. I found out about the course through school and their explanation of what I was exactly going to do there was rather vague, but when I arrived, I was welcomed in by Ryan (the Community and Media Matters Co-ordinator and the Station Manager of Stirling Community Radio). He went on to explain what the course was all about immediately I was interested. He stated that every Tuesday I would come here and work on my own show (either a radio show or a podcast). Truly, this was right up my street. I left at the end of that day not wanting to leave, after being introduced to a place I was amazed by. I now had something to look forward to. I seemed to be the most interested out of the other participant’s and I worked hard on my show throughout the weeks. My show “The Pitch”, a football coverage show, turned out to be the first show developed in the entirety any CAMM courses delivered to go directly onto live radio. Words don’t describe how fulfilled and proud I was. I could not believe I was listening to my own football show after years of listening to other respected football shows. But was that the end …  

The course was over, but I kept remembering that feeling of pride and enjoyment when I first heard my own show live on air that I was motivated to go back and make it a regular thing. Then Ryan presented the idea of doing the show regularly to little me. That was one of the greatest things anyone could offer me.

I now do “The Pitch” Mondays 5pm till 6pm, and I get to feel that feeling that never gets old: hearing myself live on radio.

I’ve now been shown that there is a path towards a career in media. I’m getting a shot and the chance I’ve been waiting for, thanks to the help of Ryan and Sam (the Community Development Officer for Creative Stirling). Sam has been massive in helping me with my CV. With school, recently I feel it is not where I want to be. I don’t feel like I’m learning much, or I can take enough away from school, so its felt a bit like I have been wasting time which is something I have mentally struggling with at times. Now is the time to move on and explore the possibility of college and life after school. To do what in college, I wouldn’t have known- and that’s the truth. I am currently looking at options at various colleges to study media. That shows how big of an opportunity I was given getting to take part in the CAMM course. The future is bright for me due to that decision. I don’t know who made the decision to let me do the course, but I know once I arrived, I made the choice to fully committed to it, and make the most of it.

I thought the end of the course was the end of show and my time in media… but turns out that was only the beginning.

-TJ