Moving to London for the first time!

Placement Blog Post One – Moving to London!

Hello! I’m Adam, a third year Politics and International Relations student. I’m currently undertaking my placement in London, for the Podcasting company Podmasters.

I recently moved to London to start my placement at PODMASTERS. I’ve moved around a lot in my life, but never to a city as big and daunting as London. I’m a small town/city guy. I grew up in Uckfield (same place as Rag’n’Bone Man!) and went to college in Brighton. Moving to Bath in 2021 was a big step for me, actually living in a city for the first time. It took a bit of an adjustment and I remember being nervous about the size of the place, and how many people there were. It’s nothing compared to London.

First off, I’m really lucky to be able to be here at all. PODMASTERS is a dream placement for me, I literally got hired through emailing them as a fan. I’ve also moved into a flat with two of my best friends. It really is all going my way.

As of writing this post I’ve been here for around three weeks, and I still don’t quite feel settled into the city. I think the main thing for me is the size of it. My office is a half an hour walk from my apartment. In Bath a half an hour walk basically covers the city, in Uckfield you’ve lapped it 3x. In London it’s basically nothing.

It’s been amazing though, one of the best things about London is the proximity of everything. Getting to basically anything can be measured in minutes. My girlfriend and I are really into theatre as well, so the ability to go and see West End shows is really exciting. There’s an energy to London unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It really does never sleep. One of the biggest shocks for me was going to the gym at 7:00 in the morning to find it packed. I find it strangely motivating.

It’s a very different kind of work than University. Once I’m off I have nothing to do, so weekends are a thing again! So far, these weekends have mostly revolved around trying to get a bearing of the city. I live in Angel Islington, which is just lovely. Reminds me a lot of the Brighton laines, which makes me feel like home. This acclimatisation has been working, I’m a lot less nervous to just go outside and I feel like I’m learning my area. I’m grateful I’ve moved to London in the summer, as it’s really light in the evenings and I have more time to explore in the daylight. Aimless wandering has always been how I grow comfortable and confident in a place.

Onto that work, I’m three weeks in and the reality of it is settling in. I’ve been a fan of PODMASTERS Podcasts for years, with Oh God, What Now? being (in my opinion) the quintessential British Politics Podcast. Now I’m part of that Podcast. I’ve met those voices I’ve been listening to for years, and they’re as lovely as I’d hoped. Those first couple days were defined by my general disbelief at being there and attempting to work as hard as possible to impress them. It’s a small team in-house at PODMASTERS, I’m the fifteenth member of the team. This is fantastic for me, the operation is growing and I’m now a part of that process, and it allows me to really get involved with every part of the business. Everyone at PODMASTERS has been phenomenally kind and inclusive, giving me jobs and responsibilities quickly and encouraging me to join in.

My official title is ‘Assistant Producer’, but I don’t think that really explains what I do. I kind of do everything: I set up the studio, the cameras, I do a lot of research, write scripts, email potential guests, sort out the recording calendar, handle some of the social media content, etc. I’m part of the whole process and it’s exactly what I wanted. The only part of the process I’m not involved in is actually being a voice on the podcasts, something I’m determined to change before the end of my placement year here.

As time goes on, I’ve been given more responsibilities. I’ve already produced a whole episode on my own, and I’m now being recruited to work on scripts and research guests without asking to be involved.

I’m a firm believer that the only way to grow as a person is to push yourself outside your comfort zone. This placement has forced me outside my comfort zone in the best way possible. I’m excited at the possibilities and opportunities that are now within my grasp as I progress through this placement year.