The Media Mentor

This week I chat to Gary Taphouse, a football commentator with Sky Sports and other platforms. He talks about the best way to break into the industry and build those contacts. When to and when not to work for 'free', why getting the small things right matters and how the industry has changed in the last 20 years. If you want some specific advice, then one to one sessions are available. Find out mo...

This week I answer questions from Eliska Janska and Antonia Johlen, who are studying journalism at the University of Westminster. Their questions focus on the challenges of making contacts and how networking is hard. How do you introduce yourself at industry events and what do you say? Why is networking so important? If that is something you struggle with, then listen for advice on how to manage t...

On this episode my guest is Matt Deegan, an expert on radio, podcast and audio and at the forefront of the industry. Matt is Founder and Creative Director of the new media and radio consultancy firm, Folder Media. Outside of Folder, Matt also co-created Podcast Awards Ltd, which runs the British Podcast Awards (and others). He also writes a  weekly audio newsletter  and presents  Th...

On this episode I chat with Christian Smith, who came to me for mentoring advice in 2020. At the time he was a lawyer and aspiring journalist particularly keen on a career in foreign news, broadcasting, or long form journalism. Over the course of the next year or so we had a few sessions and Christian eventually worked for me and progressed through places like Times Radio and is now a Broadcaster...

On this 'emergency' episode I look at the problems for the BBC after a tumultuous week and how it managed to broadcast a doctored version of the Donald Trump documentary. To get an idea of life at the BBC I speak to Sanjeev Shetty, who worked there for 23 years. He talks about how the newsroom always felt a safer space for those on the left than the right. I also talk to PR professional Josh Wheel...

We've reached 25 episodes of the podcast and this week I chat to Jo Wood, Managing Director of The Media Exchange recruitment consultant. As you’ll discover Jo has had an interesting path into this sector and set up The Media Exchange in 1993. We discuss what has changed since, how recruitment can be made more efficient and personal and where bias and discrimination is still sadly a major issue. I...

This week I answer questions from Nour Mouhammed, a student studying journalism who moved from Syria a few years ago. Nour has vast experience from her home country but is unsure how that transfers to the UK media industry and joins me to discuss those concerns and ask other questions about the recruitment process. If you have moved to the UK and are finding breaking into media hard, get in touch...

This week I talk to Robin Zhang about how he moved from China to the UK to study journalism and pursue his dream of working in UK radio. When he first came to me for support he had completed an MA at Cardiff University and was working as a volunteer in radio, but wanted to bridge that gap from student to a full-time job. Find out what we worked on to do that and what extra things Robin did to brea...

This week we look at how the recruitment process can be improved. How do we stop it feeling like an abyss when you send out applications? How do we make it feel more human? Are CVs and cover letters the only way to vet candidates? Euan McNair is Aegon UK’s Talent Acquisition, Employer Brand & Inclusion Director and he discusses how the company recently recognised a need to overhaul its hiring...

On this episode I talk with Rhys Gunter, who worked at the likes of the BBC, Talk TV and GB News before moving to Australia, where his latest project is the award-winning Dear Rachelle podcast. As a radio production student in London, Rhys landed shifts with News UK in his second year, and talks about managing the work life balance of that as well as dealing with strong personalities, embracing st...

On this episode I talk to Luca Hussain, Head of Programmes at Creative Mentor Network . It's a charity that wants no class ceiling in the UK's creative industries. It supports people aged 16-25 from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are trying to get into the industry and also helps companies become more accessible for those young people. We discuss why that is so important, the barriers that ex...

On this episode I talk to Isaac Kong, host of the podcast Chatter Beans . Isaac came to my course on radio and podcast at City Lit in London and would love to host a radio show. So I invited him on to ask questions about the industry and how you can try and break into radio in 2025. We discuss the state of the industry, how best to showcase your skills and what the future of radio might look like....

Joining me on this episode is Laura Mai Edwards. Laura-Mai decided a few years ago to take a career break, having been in various corporate roles for over a decade, most recently Chief of Staff in Editorial at a global news agency. During this career break she travelled back to her home country of Jamaica, spent time in Colombia and re-trained as a coach and yoga teacher. These were skills sh...

On this episode I look back at the series so far and reflect on some of the insight and advice I've shared. Hear clips from all the guests I have had and pick up some brilliant nuggets of info. If you would like some neutral support and advice about your career, find out more about The Media Mentor here: https://www.themediamentor.info/services There you will also find 6 pages of media jobs to bro...

On this episode I talk about personal branding with Delia Rowland, who graduated with an MA in journalism from the University of Westminster two years ago. Delia came to me to offer help on my social media accounts - in return for some advice and practical help in the job hunt. Since then, she has written for the Mail Online and Reuters – worked with the agency SWNS – and been a copywriter at the...

Have you thought of studying when you are older - returning to university or a media course after working for a number of years? On this episode I am joined by Simon Woolcott, someone who did that aged 50. He embarked on a radio production course at the University of Westminster, having already worked in radio for a number of years. So what sparked the decision? And what did Simon gain from the ex...

On this episode I am joined by Lucrezia Zito, a recent graduate from the University of Westminster. She has been in touch to ask some questions about media careers after listening to the podcast. So I thought, why not get her on, to ask me those questions directly. We discuss whether you should do unpaid media work, how you can maximise your time as a media student and why demonstrating passion is...

On this episode I am joined by Carl Hartley, a broadcast journalist and lecturer of journalism at the University of Leeds. On a recent trip to the university Carl showed me around the studios and we sat down for a bit of a chat about our lives as freelance journalists. I think some of our experiences and advice will help you if you are unclear about how to go about freelancing – or if you’re just...

On this episode is Bella Jewell, who first came to me as a remote intern during the pandemic. She was soon getting paid work as part of the podcast team I created and moved on to freelance for the likes of Sky News, Euronews and various other large brands. Bella then came back to me for a Media Mentor session to look at how she could move from freelancing into a full-time role. On this episode we...

On this episode I talk to Emily Slater about moving from journalism into PR and comms. Emily had to travel with her husband because of his job and it led to a switch in her career. I ask her about her transferable skills and what she had to learn when first working in comms. Many journalists say it's moving to 'the dark side' but as we learn, it's very much not that. If you would like some neutral...

On this episode we talk about passion; how to demonstrate it and use it to help advance your career. Matthew Dunne-Miles first came to me as a client in November 2020. He was working in PR but wanted to return to journalism and content. About to turn 30 he felt he was at a key point of his career but needed guidance on how to present his skills and experience. He also wanted to work in podcasting...

On this episode I answer your questions about job hunting, covering CVs and what to put in a personal statement, plus we discuss how to deal with rejection. I am joined by Teo again to ask the questions. If you would like to appear on an episode to ask about careers, please get in touch. To find out more about The Media Mentor visit the website: https://www.themediamentor.info/services There you w...

On this episode we tackle the thorny issue of media recruitment and how ‘who you know’ is still so important. Is it a good or a bad thing? And how do you counter that if you are looking to break into the industry? I chat to Colin Kelly, who runs PR training and consultancy company Comsteria. Colin's career in journalism began as a freelancer before staff roles at Scot FM, Real Radio, and Radi...

On this episode I chat to Leonie Zeumer, a German-born TV journalist and presenter now based in China. When Leonie first came to me in 2019 she had no CV and had just completed her NCTJ. She needed to start the process from scratch and make the move from a different sector into media, having re-trained in her late 20s. All of this whilst also being a non-native speaker in London. Here she shares s...

On this episode I answer your questions about media jobs and media careers. With fewer vacancies being advertised right now - making sure you have a strong CV and good applications is critical. I talk about some of the key things you need to get right to do that. To find out more about The Media Mentor, listen to episode 1 and to see how I could help your career head to https://www.themediamentor....