raylean murray

I have always had a passion for television. I had studied Television Production at university, but after graduation I found it difficult to secure my first job in the TV industry. Having been told a numerous of times that I had lacked experience, I decided that I would create my own experiences by making my own projects. From filming and editing short documentaries to concerts I became confident creating my own content. With that confidence and my new-found skills I decided that it was time to try and get that first job in television, but I felt that I might need some guidance in order to do this.

I had applied for The Network in 2013, but I didn’t get past the application stage. In hindsight I think my application lacked a strong passion as to why I wanted to work in television. I decided to apply again in 2016, showcasing all the experiences I had created for myself in my application. This time around I got onto the scheme.

Spending four days at the Edinburgh TV Festival was the most intense and one of the best experiences I have ever had. It felt like a crash course in how to know to navigate the TV industry. From improving my CV to an introduction into developing a TV show, by the end of the four days I felt as if knew everything there is to know about TV. I met some amazing people on the scheme who I am still in contact with now.

Being paired with a mentor from the Ones to Watch scheme was very useful, as I had someone to talk to about sending emails, interviews and anything else in general. My mentor and I met up regularly to have chats about our progress since being on the scheme, our next steps and how to achieve them. Even though the mentorship is officially only for a year, I am still in contact with my mentor and we have a catch-up every so often when we have time. After the scheme I decided to take on quite a few work experience placements at various production companies. Some of these came through from meeting talent managers at the CV clinics on the Network. I am now working officially working in television, having worked with companies including Shine, Remarkable and Sidney Street. The Development workshop I did during the four days in Edinburgh was very beneficial as I am have worked in Development as a Junior Researcher.

What has been great about being on the scheme is how highly recognised it is within the industry. When I tell people that I was on The Network, they are often impressed. Being on the scheme has been a huge help and without it I don’t think I would know as much about the television industry as I do.