Whatever became of that batcave fellow?
Well this is a rather overdue but sad to say final post on the Bat Cave.
I cannot believe that it has been over 4 months since I last posted and so much has happened that it would be impossible for me to post about it.
When I wrote at the end of April I was facing the end of my course at Falmouth and the beginning of the great job hunt. After sweating over exams, final deadlines, MA projects, moving back home and the fate of Reading’s promotion bid some of those things have gone well, others not quite as much.
The exams went much better then expected, at least that’s how I felt walking out of them anyway. My final assessments in things such as 2 way interviews, TV news and handing in audio packages all seemed to pan out too. Truth be told it was rather an anticlimactic feeling really. I guess when you’ve been through GCSE’s, A-Levels and an undergraduate degree you’re kind of partied out, or maybe it was because you knew that the real feeling of achievement would only be felt when you got a job in the industry. Certainly it’s not the best of times knowing you’ve ploughed a year and around £10,000 into getting a qualification to work in an industry that seems in financial meltdown.
Then Reading decided to fail in the playoffs, with me in attendance after a dash to Reading for the game and departing via the overnight train after the game. The little I write about that the better, but it marked the end of the most successful period in the teams history, heights we may never see again.
The passing of exams didn’t mean the end of my MA course though, far from it. Still to come was a 15-20 minute documentary and a contextual analysis that was around 5,000 words in length…. a walk in the park of course. On top of that I had a weeks work experience at Sky Sports News lined up in the first week of June, followed by three weeks work placement on Sky News Sports desk.
With little else to do and a lease signed until the end of June, I decided to linger in Cornwall until my work experience, putting off my MA and enjoying times with some of the best friends I’ve ever made. I believe I’ve written so before but being out of the educational bubble for a year made me really appreciate how special uni life is and how you have to appreciate the time you can legitimately justify ‘doing nothing’.
But the time came to go back home to Berks, to live at home once again in the family nest and to rejoin life in Reading that I’d put on hold 9 months previously. It was refreshing to be back, if not sad to be far from the people I’d spent 99% of my time with. Never the less I had little time to dwell on my situation before I headed to London and the world of Sky Sports News for a weeks work experience.
My week at Sky was honestly a joy (with the possible exception of the commute on the train each day) and the atmosphere of the place had me hooked. If ever I’d needed a kick up the arse to work hard and get a job, that was it.
At the same time I’d also handed in an application to work on Sky’s graduate placement programme, going up against hundreds of applicants for the chance of three months paid employment. Needless to say I was stunned to get a call asking if I’d like to come to an interview day and all of a sudden I had a D-Day in my life.
Being only 23 I’ve not had many ‘life changing moments’ though I’ve certainly had days where my heart was in my mouth. GCSE results day, A-Level results day, standing for election for various student groups, applying for jobs, an interview to come to Falmouth are probably the most notable. This one however, scared the life out of me.
Suddenly I was presented with an opportunity to get my dream job and the foot in the door of one of the most respected sports broadcasters in the world. Getting the job wouldn’t by any stretch of the imagination garuntee me success, but it would give me a CHANCE and that’s what everyone needs to get on the ladder, a chance.
I travelled to Osterley where Sky are based, the day after Michael Jackson died. His death created a media frenzy and it was interesting to see how Sky were covering such a major event in pop culture history. The event certainly provided a talking point throughout the day as myself and the other candidates waiting to hear our fates throughout the day. I left that day having no idea if I’d done enough, with a three day wait to hear my fate.
When the day came I couldn’t sleep, my mind just wouldn’t switch off and I must have been awake from about 6am waiting. When the call came at 2ish my heart was racing, Hollywood as it may be when I heard that I’d been offered the job everything just seemed to stop. The joy and excitement I felt that afternoon is something that I’ll never forget and all of a sudden, all of the essays, the days in the rain watching rugby, the podcasts, the GCSE English, everything I’d done in and outside education felt worthwhile and that it had meant something.
So that’s where I am now, working for Sky Sports News in London on a three month graduate placement scheme. The folks here have been brilliant, supportive and have taught me a hell of a lot in terms of how to work in the industry and also been just great to work with. I’ve had to defer my MA for a year, and may well complete it if time allows. If not I will walk away with a Post Graduate Diploma, which in itself qualifies me as a journalist and at the end of the day is what I need, though the MA would be nice.
I don’t want this post or the blog to sound like a boast, far from it, getting this job has humbled me and made me realise just how lucky I am to have had the various opportunities that have led to this point.
I’ve not “made it”, I’m not established and there is a long long way to go, but for now I’m privaledged to be where I am and I’m determined to make the most of it.
To those of you who have read my blog over the past year I hope you’ve enjoyed it, found it interesting or hopefully both. Writing here was often a very therapeutic experience for me and it’s fun reading back now to remember all that we’ve done this year.
However for now I’m leaving the Bat Cave. I need to 100% focus on my work and I also just feel that my journey as a student has ended, and therefore so should the blog.
So until next time/blog/lifetime 
Tada
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