sarah daly

vT Runner, BBC Studios Entertainment

The Network 2019

Sarah Daly

I applied for The Network because I knew I wanted to work in TV, but didn’t know where to start! I didn’t go to university, so I went straight into the industry aged 18 (the youngest of my 2019 cohort), ready to get started with my career in TV. I found out about The Network through a talk held at my college by a previous Network alumni, and I still say now that The Network was the best thing I’ve ever done for my career!

I loved going to the festival, this was my first glimpse into the world of TV. I loved, firstly, how informative the application process was. Even if I wasn’t successful, I took so much away from the two assessment days, which is so refreshing. I loved the workshops at the festival, but I also loved spending 4 days with a bunch of like-minded people who have now become friends.

Being in Edinburgh was a huge part of my Network experience. Getting to see the Festival first hand, being amongst some of the biggest names in TV and attending huge networking events set me in great stead for the start of my career. But for me, it wasn’t just that. I turned 18 days before the festival, so Edinburgh was pretty big for me in that it was the first time I’d flown alone! Spending time away with people who, at that stage, were strangers was a step that I’m so glad I took because all of these factors helped grow my confidence.

The 2019 cohort were the loveliest bunch of people ever! It was such a comfort to enter the industry with 60 people in the same situation who I could turn to at any point. Even now, three years on, I am in touch with a number of people from the 2019 cohort and we have become like cheerleaders for one another!

I got my first job in TV thanks to the Network, and also two internships (Saturday Night Takeaway & Shine Fourweeks), I can hands down say that I wouldn’t have got those jobs without The Network! The CV advice, the general advice on how the industry works, the contacts and the friendships are why I recommend The Network to anyone starting out in TV.

My mentor is amazing! I am still in touch with her now, and she is my go-to person every time I update my CV – she always gives me advice and words of wisdom/ reassurance. Starting out can be daunting, so having someone I could turn to who was more senior in the industry was a huge help and it is so nice that we’re still in touch!