JOY BLOG

3 Mar 2023

Diary of a Work Experience Student – AJ

Back in December, we had the absolute pleasure of hosting AJ, a high school student who came to undertake work experience with us at our Victorian Pride Centre studios. It was such a fun and exciting opportunity to have a young, enthusiastic learner in our midst!

During her stay, AJ brought so much energy and enthusiasm to our team. We were thrilled to see her passion and curiosity for JOY, we even got her behind the mic to try her hand at broadcasting! Sharing our knowledge and expertise with AJ was such a JOY. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours and hope that she continues to pursue her passion.

AJ! Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you love spending your time doing.

I’m 16 years old and my hobbies include playing the drums, making short films, listening to music, riding my bike, making art and doing anything creative. I love watching movies and analyzing them and my favourite movies would have to be Donnie Darko, Fight Club or Boy. My favourite musical artists include Alice in Chains, Misfits, Jimi Hendrix and Bon Jovi.

Why did you want to do work experience at JOY Media?

I love music and everything that comes with it; listening, playing, seeing lit live, radio, and all the rest. I specifically wanted to work in a radio station because of my passion for music and I am also a part of the LGBTQIA+ community so JOY was the perfect place for me!

What do you like about JOY?

I love how everyone here is so kind which has created such a friendly and comfortable working environment. It was so easy asking questions or getting help with whatever I was working on. The music played here is also great. I’m not a huge fan of pop music but I have been enjoying the music that goes on air more and more!

What has been a key thing you’ve learnt this week?

I have learned so much this week about how a radio station works! I had absolutely no idea how music got from a studio to people’s ears before this week but sitting in on presenters doing broadcasts in the studio has been so educational for me. I’ve grown up on radio music and it has always been a part of my life so getting to see the process has been such an eye-opening experience

What has been your favourite part of your work experience at JOY?

The best part of this week was sitting in the studio and seeing everything happen in front of me. I even got to talk on the radio twice; once about the weather and once about my role models! I’ve also loved when people explained their jobs to me and I got to see everyone’s roles and how everything worked together so well. The kind and productive environment in the office meant that I could ask anyone anything and that stupid questions don’t exist. I learned so many practical things that I can apply to a career in media production, but I’ve also learnt, most importantly, that working as a team is the best way to make such a beautiful and inclusive space like JOY.