Ayaan Ahmed
Current Employer/Organisation Name
Ricochet
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
Since leaving Exeter I worked for a couple years teaching after school fun science clubs to primary school children. Next I began a career in Television beginning at North One Television in Birmingham working on specialty factual documentaries and the hit Channel 4 show Travel Man. More recently I have been working as a Producer at Ricochet Television in Glasgow, mostly on the food science programme ‘Food Unwrapped’.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
This career interested me because there’s always something new to learn and I love telling stories. The work and contracts are so varied there is never a dull day – albeit the demanding hours.
Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?
At the Cornwall Campus I was a Co-founder of the university’s quidditch team (the Falmouth Falcons) as well as serving a term on the Tremough English Society committee.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
I particularly enjoyed the third year module choices during my time at Exeter including a really eye opening exploration of gender and magic in Literature.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
The small academic community was definitely my favourite part of my studies.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
I knew I wanted to study English and the Exeter syllabus and campus locations were perfect for me.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
Clear communication skills and working on my writing have been the best tools in my career. Also being able to found a university society equipped me with lots of skills I’ve also used in my career like resilience, sales and leadership among other things.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
It is a very tough industry to break into – having transferable skills from any working environment will help you as you compete at entry level with other young people and university graduates. And definitely keep up to date on British linear television programmes!
What are your plans for the future?
My immediate plans are to take a sabbatical to travel and explore other careers.
