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I can’t write a blog. No seriously I can’t. I’m standing on the South Bank, it’s 16 February, I’m freezing my socks off… and I’m on the set of . So dear reader, I will try to relay insight into this exciting experience but my fingers are cold, and- ACTION!

OK so I’m not actually on set right at this minute, but I was - and I feel I should take the time out to give you a real, honest, overall picture into what being a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ apprentice really means - ironic, seeing as I work in radio. 

I want to talk about people and opportunities. You can’t possibly get more than you do inside the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳. It’s not that I’ve been handed everybody on a plate, I’ve had to go out and find producers, script editors, researchers etc. But being a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ apprentice has given me such a confidence boost that I’ll quite happily introduce myself to people, or speak up in a production meeting.

For the first time, I’ve had the confidence in myself to submit a script to . Yes I had confidence before (my friends and family would probably say that’s an understatement) but now I have the confidence to approach those big ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ people that you’ve heard of before but never dreamed of having coffee with!

Recently, I met with a story producer from a long-running ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ series to discuss working in a story department; in particular script editing and story-lining - something I’m really interested in.

Now in all honesty, this guy is a hundred miles away from radio drama and I came across him on Twitter. So I did a bit of Googling and found he’d worked as a junior storyliner, storyliner, story editor, script editor and so on, basically all the jobs in a CDS (Continuing Drama Series) story department. Tip: if you're going to meet anyone, Google them first. Find out what they’ve worked on and in what capacity, because honestly you can get so much out of the meeting if you really want to know about a particular role.

So, I emailed this guy and he agreed to meet with me. It was one of the best conversations of my career so far; he wasn’t just telling me everything I wanted to know, but he was telling me everything he knew that could help me in my career, however big or small. One of my favourite things about this industry is the camaraderie between people: how they want to help you and give you advice. You have to show you’re willing to take the initiative and, if people see that, they’ll do everything they can to help you succeed.

That’s what I’ll take most out of this year, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ has prepared me to work in the industry and work with the people. Yes my average day consists of script reading, researching, casting - all those really fun and exciting things. But you’ve got to do more, talk to people outside what you’re currently doing.

I know long-term I want to work in both television and audio drama in some kind of writer or script editor role. I can only do that if I continue what I’m doing now, meeting new people and networking! If people see your passion, your commitment and your resilience they’ll want to work with you just as much as you want to work with them, they’ll want to help you succeed so the amazing programming making that we have now will continue long into the future.

You’re the future of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳, of the industry, and everyone wants it to be amazing.

You will make it amazing.