Gaining media experience at UoN and LBC

Francesca Montefusco

By Francesca Montefusco, BA (Hons) Geography

When I first arrived at the University of Nottingham, I knew I wanted to gain experience in media alongside my degree.

Knowing about the student magazine already, I signed up to Impact. It was when I went to Impact’s office that I saw the URN studio next door. I hadn’t thought about the opportunity to do radio before, but someone offered to give me a quick tour, so I said yes!

The Wake Up Club

I’m so glad I did. I was so impressed with how professional the studio looked and knew I wanted to get involved.

URN became a huge part of my university experience. It was such a welcoming space, full of passionate people who were happy to help me learn how to use the systems. I hosted a weekly show with a friend, The Wake Up Club (which later became The Brunch Club), where we got to play our favourite songs, chat with guests and play games live on air.

Networking with industry professionals

Outside of this, URN also put on some great socials like scavenger hunts around Nottingham, boat parties and networking events with industry professionals. A key event was the “Where Are They Now?” URN alumni event. Hearing what URN had led people to go on to do, including producers, social media executives, researchers, and more, was really inspiring. 

It was at this event that I met the social media manager at LBC. We struck up a conversation about his career and bonded over our shared love for URN. We both recognised that we had skills in common, and after connecting on LinkedIn, I followed up and asked if there were any work experience opportunities. Luckily, he said yes.

My advice is to ask; you never know what doors might open. And don’t underestimate the value of the connections you can naturally build by being part of UoN.

Work experience at LBC

The work experience at LBC was with their social media team. I got hands-on experience with tools like Grabyo, Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop, and even got to post content to LBC’s huge social media following.

I also spent time with the production team and had the chance to meet some of the presenters. It was such a valuable insight into how national media organisations run behind the scenes, and it confirmed for me that this is an industry I want to explore more. The week helped me develop professionally and hopefully, this is just the beginning.

So, thank you URN (and the Careers team for co-hosting the alumni event!) for providing me with lots of fun and lots of opportunities!

Find out more about social media roles and digital marketing, more broadly. If you're interested in a career in the media, talk to our careers advisers, who can help you explore your options, gain experience and apply for roles.