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Where Are They Now: Julie Boyd

Find out what Julie, our 2014 'Be The Boss' winner, has been up to since!

Julie won our 'Be The Boss' competition in 2014, which meant shespent a week at our MTV offices, experiencing the workplace as if she were a big MTV boss. We caught up with her to ask her some questions about what she's been up to since!

What did you get up to during your MTV Breaks experience?

I’m from Dundee and so when the EMAs were in Glasgow in 2014 I emailed everyone I could to help mefindmy way “into the industry. I have always wanted to work for MTV because I am a big fan of their content. I finally got a response in regards to the MTV Breaks workshops… and boom! The very next day I was in the midst of it all.

I've always loved the idea of TV presenting so when I was there I was lucky enough to take part in a live showreel auditionwith other aspiring presenters. I met Vicky Pattison from Geordie Shore, Labrinth, MTV presenter Becca Dudley and the person that has helped me on my way to building a career I never thought was an option for me - MTV SVP Kerry Taylor.

After winning the “Be the Boss” Challenge I spent a week within MTV offices in London with very important people such as Head of Marketing, Chief Financial Officer, Head of Programming and Two Executive Producers, andthey all gave me an insight into their day to day life as well asadvice on how I could pursue a similar career. I even got the chance to oversee live MTV presenting within the studios as well as spend time at the offices in London ina number of different areas.

What was the most valuable career lesson/bit of advice you learnt during your time with MTV?

What I took away from the working within MTV is that it is ok to not know exactly what you want to do right now, and most importantlyit's ok when things don’t always go to plan. As long as you set goals, work hard, and don’t let negative thoughts get in the way then the saying,“the world is your oyster” holds true.

The main thing that has stuck with me is that itactually is possible to have a job that you love, and now I will never look back. I took the advice that “anything is possible”and I ran with it.

Did you learn anything else that you weren’t expecting?

For one, I learned how much work actually goes into the finished MTV products that we see on TV, online, in articles and on stages. I never realised just how many creative ideas, and creative and inspiring people were behind what we see on our screens daily.

What was the biggest surprise about the job?

The turnaround in content that MTV manages to dowas surprisingwith the amountthey produce. I sometimes thought to myself,“where would you even begin?”

MTV, just like the entire TV/media industry, is a world of endless amounts of content and ideas as well as strict deadlines!

Were there any challenges you had to overcome and how did you deal with them?

I had to overcome the fact that I was in an entirely different city and didn’t know anyone. This, coupled with having a week solely of meeting important people within MTV, wasdaunting. However, I was just myself and I was totally honest about what I wanted to pursue and how much I liked the content. Everything ended up more thanok in the end.

My mum, dad and sister are three of the most supportive people I have in my life, just like all of my family, and if I ever have something that I feel like I can’t overcome,they remind me that I definitely can!

Has your MTV Breaks experience helped you get nearer your dream career? If so – how?

Absolutely! At home I was not happy working where I was and I wanted to do something completely different. I'vealways been quite creative and I've always been a fan of MTV. When I met Executive ProducersJake Attwell and Craig Orr, they had a great chat with me about my opinions on shows such as Geordie Shore and I was lucky enough that they put me in touch with the production company that actually film the show and put it together.

A year and a half later and I have been on two series with them, worked with ITV filming Love Island, and I go to Ibiza to film Ibiza Weekendernext month. I couldn’t be any more grateful.

Tell us what you’re up to now. Any favourite moments?

I moved to London after meeting a great bunch of friends on Love Island who gave me the confidence to just pack my bags and do it. I met friends for life! Right now I am in the edit for the latest series of Geordie Shore as an edit logger. I love being freelance, it’s always exciting wondering where you willbe working next.

My favourite moment so far has been painting the Geordie Shore cast for their “Big Birthday Battle” series. They had themed events every night and I painted them in accordance with whatever theme they had. I have loads of pictures of this on my Instagram, you can see it in the show, and I have started a YouTube channel. (To see some of Julie's vids, click here!)

What’s your five year plan – and your ultimate career goal?

My five year plan is just to keep working hard and keep meeting new people. I love the cast and crew on Geordie Shore so hopefully I will keep working on that for the moment amongst other ventures. I was lucky in that I met Vicky Hallows who is the Line Producer and Lauren Benson who is the Series Editor on Geordie Shore.They help me a lot, keep my feet on the ground and have been great in helping me work out my next steps.

I met one of my now best friends and flatmate Georgia on my first Geordie series too. Oneyear and a half later we are inseparable and she is there every step of the way. It is nice having someone on the same journey as me. I don’t think I have an ultimate career goal just yet, I just know I am in the right area, and I think I will just keep exploring until I find out exactly where I am meant to be.

If you were concocting a career success recipe, what three ingredients would be most important?

1. Work hard…which I think is fairly obvious!

2. Don’t be afraid to try something different and definitely don’t be afraid of failing.

3. Be personable. I love meeting new people and in the past year I have met some seriously inspiring people. It is so nice being around people that love what they do for a living.

Are you excited or nervous for the road ahead?

Excited, there is no point worrying when I have no idea what will happen! I miss my friends back in Dundee but they are the most supportive group of girls and boys so they keep me going, just like my family! There is no need to be nervous when I have such a supportive network all around me – even if we are a few thousand miles apart sometimes!

MTV Breaks – was it worth applying for?

Definitely! It has opened so many doors for me and continues to do so.

Any final words of advice for people about entering MTV Breaks at Rotterdam?

Apply, meet as many people as you can and get a feel for what they do, ask loads of questions… and enjoy! I wouldn’t be where I am without it.

Click here for more info on how to apply for our MTV Breaks EMA opportunity in Rotterdam!

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