Radio broadcast assistant: Career development

Career progression is achieved by gaining work on a variety of programmes and stations and by providing additional support when required. Take advantage of any opportunities to broaden your skills or to try out other areas of work. This may include offering to cover for colleagues who are on holiday or absent through sickness, or undertaking an attachment.

Radio broadcast assistants can go on to a number of different occupations in the industry, for example, producers, journalists, presenters or researchers. However, most typically they will go on to work as radio producers as this is most related to their work as a broadcast assistant. This kind of progression can take between one and five years, maybe longer, depending on your place of work (e.g. progression in a large organisation, such as the BBC, may take longer because of the extensive competition compared to a local radio station). Geographical mobility is a huge benefit as it will open up more opportunities. No formal qualifications are required to move from broadcast assistant to radio producer but extensive experience is essential.

The BBC 'attachments' system provides the opportunity for staff to work in a related role for up to a year. These opportunities may arise from new projects, peaks in workload or cover for staff on maternity leave, career breaks or other temporary absence. Attachments are frequently used to extend skills, make contacts and as a way to move on to a different type of role or programme. Following an attachment, broadcast assistants may be able to progress to roles as producers or presenters.

Relevant professional bodies, such as The Radio Academy , may offer additional information and support about possible career development.

Broadcast assistants looking to progress may also undertake additional training courses. To investigate emerging skills shortages in the sector see the Creative Skillset: The Sector Skills Council for the Creative Industries  website and to investigate relevant courses see the British Film Institute (BFI) / Skillset Media Courses and Multimedia Courses Directory .

In local radio in particular, the turnover of staff is fairly rapid (the average stay in local radio is around two to three years), with many using it as a stepping stone to either network radio or television work.