At the age of 15 I did my first stint of work experience in the newsroom of my local radio station. The fast paced environment appealed to me and I knew I wanted to be a journalist from that point.

It feels like it's been a long road from that moment to my job at Sky News - that road involved work experience, work experience and more work experience. I spent all my holidays and spare time working at my local radio station, hospital radio and various BBC radio and tv news stations. After completing a degree in English at Nottingham University I spotted an advertisement for a 12-month Graduate Trainee Scheme at Sky News. It sounded perfect and I applied straight away but didn't get an interview.

It was at this point that I realised I didn't have enough experience. I'd set my heart on that job though so I went back to university and did an MA in Broadcast Journalism. It was a tough year - I filled all my spare time with paid and unpaid work experience and was exhausted at the end of it. But when Sky News advertised for the Graduate Trainee Scheme again the next year, I applied and got the job!

Read more at: http://blogs.news.sky.com/editorsblo...

As part of the Sky Young Journalists Awards 2008 five young journalists from Sky News describe different aspects of their career so far. Here Catherine Morton, Sky News producer, describes her work.

One of the best things about being a journalist at Sky News is that no two weeks are the same - it's part of the reason I love my job so much. I work on Live at 5 - Sky News' flagship programme - which means I start work at 9.30am and finish at 7pm. The shift is geared towards our 'on air' time (5pm-7pm).

I am in charge of one or two stories a day and must work with the reporters assigned to them to produce a news report. This involves researching the story, organising interviews, setting up filming, commissioning graphics and editing the piece to be ready for air at 5pm. And that doesn't take into account what happens while we're on air - I have to react to breaking news, rewrite scripts for the presenters and cut new picture that's coming in.

Read more at: http://blogs.news.sky.com/editorsblo...

As part of the Sky Young Journalists Awards 2008 five young journalists from Sky News describe different aspects of their career so far.

The best thing about my job (sports producer) is:

1) Every day is different to another. One day I could be chasing an interview with Tim Henman and the other I could be putting together a report on the World Snooker Championships.

2) The job can involve everything from "cutting" pictures for a sports bulletin very quickly to get them on TV... to going on location to actually do interviews and helping a correspondent to put together his report .

3) Meeting and chatting to many powerful and famous people. I've had a chance to interview both Alistair Darling (now Chancellor then Trade Secretary) & then Lib Dem leader Ming Campbell, and to meet Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes.

Read more at: http://skynews7.typepad.com/my_weblo...