I work with the BBC’s vast archive of content. I’m part of a team which manages TV and Radio material and my role is made up of a mix of short and long term ongoing projects and regular tasks. Some of the things we do include enhancing the metadata attached to both new file based content and digitised legacy material so it’s more findable, curating online collections based on particular topics or events and fielding research enquires from production staff who are making BBC programmes.
One of the most enjoyable things I have worked on was a major archive research project for Blue Peter’s 60th anniversary. The show has filmed an enormous amount of incredible material over the decades so it was challenging, fascinating and so much fun to find classic moments and forgotten gems.
As well as doing a degree in Information Management, I also made sure I got lots of relevant work experience in Radio and TV as a student so when I applied for jobs I had practical experience on my CV.
I always wanted to work in TV Archive Research.
Don’t assume it’s not for you if your interests are creative or arts based. Not all jobs in the sector are for engineers. The scope of the digital and tech industry is really wide and encompasses creative sectors such as Archiving. There is so much content that needs managing properly!