Tolula

How did you get into the BBC?
I got into the BBC via the VIP Scheme, I literally saw the advert in the paper, applied, went through the various steps and got through.

The best thing about working as a PMA is:
In my role, I divide my time between being PA to the head of arts and working as a PMA on his productions. Because of this, I've gained a really good over-view of the entire production process, from development and commissioning, right through to post-production and delivery. I also love the variety involved in my job; I get such a range of tasks thrown my way, so I'm constantly learning and being challenged.

What is the worst thing about working as a PMA?
You get lumbered with a lot of dull tasks: if someone needs a cupboard to be tidied, a lost library book to be found, post to be sorted, or a set of lockers to be labelled, it lands on your desk, and sometimes this can mean having to pass up opportunities to do more interesting tasks, or working late.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into the BBC?
Try to figure out what route you want to go within the BBC quite soon: the editorial route (writing, researching, producing, directing)  or the production  management route (setting up shoots, managing budgets, planning schedules), as there is a distinct difference in where they will take you at the BBC. This is very different to how things may work at an independent production company, where there tends to be more of an overlap between the two.

It can  be helpful to tell your colleagues what you want to do/achieve career-wise, as then they will be more likely to think of you when opportunities come up to help out on projects and develop new skills.

And be sure to take advantage of all the internal training courses, workshops and talks offered within the BBC, as they are really good opportunities to find out about what other depertments  do and how this can help you. It's also useful for developing contacts in different BBC departments and understanding how their job complements yours.

What qualities do you think are essential to be a good PMA?

• Being able to listen carefully and remember lots of different sets of instructions
• be outspoken and brave enough to ask questions when you don't understand something.
• You also need to be quite outgoing and able to form good relationships with a lot of people both in and outside of your department.
• It's also very important to be patient: you may not get your dream TV job straight away, so it's vital that you remain keen and prove that you're able to do whatever tasks are thrown at you in the meantime.

What are you currently doing now and describe a typical day?
I don't really have a typical day, I tend to divide my day doing a variety of things for different productions: copying DVDs for one team, hiring equipment for another, sourcing stills for an edit, or helping to set up a shoot.

Where do you see your next role?
My goal is to become a producer, so I would ideally like to go on and become a junior researcher on a factual arts series.