How I became a broadcast engineer

Growing up, I liked to break things apart… and then fix them. When I was 10 years old, I fixed the microphones for my school play and was always known as the ‘techie’ one. When thinking about future jobs, I knew I wanted to get hands on straight away and so did a sponsored degree in Broadcast Engineering, applying for the BBC Academy scheme. This meant I could earn while I learned, splitting my time between university and doing placements at places like the BBC, ITV and CNN.

Day to day

As part of my role as a broadcast engineer, every day is different. I could be working with cameras, lighting, sound, graphics – or even seeing how TV can be made more immersive with virtual reality.  A big part of the job is working as a team to bring the shows together successfully and every new show brings a whole new team of different people to learn from.

Sponsored degree

My training let me travel the country, especially for live events such as Glastonbury or the BAFTAs, where I helped build versatile outdoor studios ready to cope with the weather, the music, and internet difficulties. Sharing backstage access with some of my favourite actors and artists, like Ed Sheeran, is an amazing part of the job!

Your favourite part of being a broadcast engineer?

I love the adrenaline of a live show, knowing that millions of people are watching can be stressful, but I thrive under pressure. As a broadcast engineer, I have to problem-proof the programmes, making sure that if one part fails, the whole show doesn’t collapse.

From designing new TV facilities with the latest technology, to making sure equipment works perfectly, I love that engineering is hands-on.