Practicum Week 1: The Beginning of the End...of School.

Although we’ve come to the end of the road still I can't let go…

Okay, it's not quite the end of the road, and I'm definitely not Boyz II Men but as I told a classmate last week “It's the beginning of the end”. 

My practicum has officially begun!

This week was full of writing, learning, and laughing. 

But you probably want more details. 

Way, way back in the 1980s ...Oh you didn't want that much details? FINE. Let’s skip ahead. 

This past summer, I worked with the Pattison Street Team here in Calgary, which ended up being my foot in the door. My Street Team boss, Morgan also works as a writer at the station. So…when it came time to find a practicum, reaching out to her just made sense. And before you know it I was sitting here at my desk writing you this blog at the end of my first week.

So...what was the first week like? Busy but good.

Monday

began with a rundown of what the month will look like: Meetings with all the department heads, writing exercises, and learning the systems they use each day. I was also introduced to a few new people and said hello to the staff that I’ve worked events with.

And then the writing started. I was given information for seven different clients and was asked to write a 30-second ad for each. The afternoon was spent brainstorming and writing. 

And then plot twist: Morgan announced she had quit. What a start to my practicum!  She'll be moving on to a new job mid-February, and at that point I'll be handed over to Steve, the creative lead here in the Calgary.

Tuesday

began with Deerfoot being backed up and so I was late for my second day of practicum. My boss quits day one and I'm late on day two.

Great…

But really, things have been great!

Morgan gave me feedback on my ads and had some edits for me to do. She helped point me in the right direction, gave me useful information and complimented me on my writing. 

Sean, the producer, came by my desk in the early afternoon and got me to voice a line in a commercial, which was a nice surprise.

I also had my first scheduled meeting. I met with the GM of Pattison of Calgary and Edmonton. We talked about his radio career, his role here, and the systems that measure station ratings.

After that I finished up my rewrites and we wrapped up the day.

Wednesday

Morgan gave me 2 new exercises: 

1. Rewrite a set of AI-written ads. 

2. Write ads for an energy company in four different tones.

I also had a few more rewrites to do. In the afternoon I had a job interview. Before starting my practicum I applied for a remote writing position with Pattison. The interview went well and a followup meeting is being scheduled. 

Later that day a job posting opened for a writing position in the Calgary.

Yes...I applied for it.

Thursday

mostly focused on the business and workflow sides of radio. I wrote 2 client emails to practice good communication with clients, was given more things to write, and then Morgan sent a few of my scripts off to get produced.

Steve and Morgan walked me through the systems they use to input files, schedule as and manage the workflow. Its good to learn how things move behind the scenes and parts of the job that they can't really teach you in school.

I asked Shayne, a morning host on TODAY Radio, what she was doing after her show. She edits and posts content from the show for social media and then she bulids music logs. She showed me how music is categorized and scheduled. It was good to see the other side of her job too. 

Later, I met with Jonny, the Station Manager and Program Director. He talked about his career path, his role now, and the work culture he tries to create here. I think what stood out most is that he really does care for his team and for the success of the station...and its not just talk, multiple staff I've worked with have said they feel listened to and supported here.

The day wrapped with a creative meeting and more writing.

Friday

I finished up my tone exercise ads. Then both Steve and Morgan asked me to do some of the inputting and scheduling in the system so I could have hands on experience. I made carts, scheduled the ads, ran reports...you know, every creative's favourite thing:

Administrative work!

But honestly it's not that bad. I’ve done plenty of admin work before and have no issue with doing a bunch of clicking and typing on the computer. Plus, its good to learn the job and again be learning things that can't get covered in school.

Oh and a highlight from the week!

A couple of the things I wrote on Monday were produced and Morgan sent me the audio.

Things I'm writing are going to air...That's wild.