26-year-old Jenneh Sannonh graduated from MYP in 2009 and is now working for Channel 4 Compliance. Here is her story.
''Prior to joining MYP, I was a media graduate seeking job opportunities to start my career in the media Industry. I struggled to find jobs, especially paid jobs and good placements as I didn't have any experience or contacts. Fortunately, I came across an advertisement for MAMA Youth Project (MYP), a friend convinced to apply and my application was successful.
I absolutely loved my experience at MYP. It was my first insight into the industry as well as the professional working life. It provided me with the fundamental skills required to work in the industry such good communication skills, team work and attention to detail. Though it was challenging at times, especially securing interviews with political figures and artists combined with the long hours required to complete an item, I felt a great sense of achievement seeing the final cuts of the items at the end of the production.
My experience was my gateway into the media industry and I often wonder what I would be doing now or whether I would have a career in media had it not been for MYP. It taught me the necessary skills required to enable me to start a junior role within the industry. It also gave me the confidence I needed, as I had a better understanding of the duties and responsibilities required for roles and could demonstrate this and provide examples of my experience at MYP at interviews. I also gained friends who are now also professional contacts.
After MYP, I obtained a short work experience placement working at Leopard Films working on BBC’s Missing. Following that, I worked on the commercial hand of MYP, Licklemor Productions, on a documentary commissioned by Sky for their voluntary work called Project Green Sky. I was also an Assistant Producer in the What’s Up series following mine.
In 2010, through MYP, I got an interview at Virgin Media IDS, for a role in TV traffic. I was initially unsuccessful having made it through to the final stage. However, I was called in later that year following another vacancy and successfully secured a job as a TV Traffic Assistant scheduling commercials on television for their portfolio of channels working alongside the sales team and liaising with various advertising agencies and Clearcast.
Following the closure of Virgin Media IDS at the end of 2010, I was fortunate to obtain the same role at Dolphin Television. There I developed and progressed and was promoted to a TV Traffic Executive. I then decided to pursue a career in Compliance in 2013 and successfully got a job in Compliance at Channel 4, where I am currently working.
My advice for anyone starting at MYP would be to be hard working, persistent and maintain good working relationships. Getting any job isn't easy but probably more so in TV, therefore persistence is key as you probably won’t get the first job that you really want. Also, television may seem like a big industry but in reality it is quite small, you’ll see the same faces as you move and progress in your career and you want to be remembered as hard working, friendly and polite.'' - April 2015
