Tell us about your current job:  

I work as a broadcast co-ordinator (BCO) for RTÉ radio. I am currently the BCO for Radio 1’s Drivetime programme, but over the past year I have worked on almost every Radio 1 show (Morning Ireland, Ryan Tubridy, Live Line, News at One, Ray D’arcy and Arena).  

As broadcast coordinator I am a member of the core team. I help the producer to make sure the show runs smoothly; participating in the editorial meeting, creating the running order and managing all guests (in person and on the phone) and postproduction work such as publishing podcasts and running social media.  

Highlights from the past year include being part of a team that broadcast stories that went onto set the news agenda and having a very enjoyable pre-air chat with Johnny Rotten.  

Did you enjoy your time in CMP? 

Very much so! I don’t think anyone in college realises how lucky they are to be in full time education - to be able to spend your whole day honing your skills and learning new things - and how much they are learning until they have graduated and enter the big bad world of work. There is a big upside to working though...you get paid! 

How did it help you with your career? 

I use lots of skills I learned from the course in my day-to-day tasks such as editing audio and recording promos. The emphasis on studio time at CMP helped to make the transition into professional radio work much easier. 

The most important skill I learned during the course was how to work in a team. On the course there were lots of group projects, which I really didn’t want to take part in as I believed I worked best alone, but I am thankful I did as it turned out to be excellent preparation for the world of work.  

March/April 2023