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Voluntary radio allows you to build up confidence and become familiar with the industry. As a DJ it's all about finding new ideas and creating your own unique style. Huw offers some pointers: "A love of music is obviously essential if you want to be a music presenter, just as a love of politics is if you want to be a political presenter. Be optimistic and believe in yourself - ambition is a good thing if you do it the right way.

"In broadcasting, you have to try and do it in a way you'd want to see or hear if you were at home. You have to think of loads of ways to do new things comfortably, even if it's really simple like introducing a record. And be ready to take other peoples ideas on board, even if you think they're rubbish. Taking an interest in different aspects of everyday life helps as well."

Once you've found your inner voice, work experience can give you an extra boost. Almost every regional and national radio station offers work experience placements, and the growth in digital radio and internet radio has led to many different genres.

It's not only DJs who can benefit from volunteering their services. The humble beginnings of any producer, researcher or technical crew come from learning how to use a studio, what sounds good on air, reviewing the latest demo to arrive in the office, and watching live music and sessions. All these skills are part of broadcasting, but aren't necessarily seen on air.

A sideways step in from print media is also possible. "I left college and had a year out, working in Africa, working for nothing on a lot of newspapers," says Bethan. "My local paper in Newtown gave me great experience of going around with the photographer and making stories from nothing really.

"I then came down the Western Mail and got quite a few stories published on a more national level. These cuttings gave me enough material to impress the school of journalism and entered the postgraduate course a year later."

Cardiff University offers a variety of courses for would-be broadcasters, including a diploma in broadcast journalism. The fees of £3-5000 for such a course may seem high, and competition for places is fierce, but after training, you are actively helped into finding a job and getting on the ladder.

A radio career, however, certainly depends on the willingness to spend a very long time practising, and not necessarily on academic qualifications. "What has helped me the most, I think, is the wanting to work in the medium - getting to know and learning from people by meeting them and listening to them," says Huw. "And in my own way, pushing myself to learn to things and develop a style.

"Sounds really calculated, doesn't it? It's not really. The competitiveness probably exists, but you just get on with your own agenda." With patience, practice, endless CV revising, and some luck, you may well make it in one of the most competitive industries around.