When young people ask the questions that matter, like do you think talent matters more than who you know?

That was one of the first questions asked at MediaCity in Salford last Thursday. The event with Be Broadcast, and led by Josh Wheeler, and Working Options, brought together young people from across the North West to explore careers in media and PR.

That question didn’t sit on its own, as more followed quickly… What’s the worst part of your job? How did you become confident speaking in public? Did you always know this is what you wanted to do?

They weren’t overthought. Just direct. And, what seemed to matter most was what they heard back. People talked about changing direction, not getting it right first time, building confidence over time. A lot of the speakers were from similar North West backgrounds, which made it easier to connect with.

Afterwards, one student told us, “we’ve had guest speakers in school before, but something about this event was different.”

Another talked about leaving with ideas they hadn’t considered before – not because they were told what to do, but because they’d had the chance to ask questions and have proper conversations.

One thing clearly stuck: you don’t need to have everything figured out. You just need to start, ask, try things, and keep going.

For many of these young people, that’s the bit that’s missing. Not ambition, just access to people, conversations and a clearer picture of what these careers actually look like.

Huge thanks to everyone who made it happen, and especially to the speakers, Joel Mitchell, Stephen Bailey, Mammy Maguire, Josh Wheeler, Advita Patel, Liam Heeley, Chole Rainford and Matthew Powell. And to Joey Miller, Jack D and Jack Fox Productions for the amazing headshots for students, photos of the day and the brilliant video shared at the top here.

And as one school shared afterwards, “The boys had an absolutely amazing time… they came back buzzing from the experience. It was a fabulous experience.”

If you’d like to help create more opportunities like this, get in touch with our Senior Partnerships Manager, Jamie Kemp.