Stuart Cosgrove
Every Saturday morning Tam Cowan and I meet up first thing and sit down to a hearty breakfast. Gradually over the years the breakfasts have become increasingly anorexic. We are both on the modified Atkins diet, although Tam will never admit it. He remains firmly stuck in the 50s and thinks that diets are for Jessies. For five hours we slave over a rocket salad planning that week's edition of BBC's Scotland's popular radio show Off the Ball.
Tam and I are both 'schemies' and came to the media from working class homes in Scotland. Our route-of-entry was very different but we had one abiding thing in common, a deep passion for football. I say a passion - a life-sentence might be more accurate. We support Motherwell and St Johnstone respectively. But in making career choices we both believe that people should back their passions.
I grew up in Letham, one of the biggest housing schemes in Tayside, and was lured into the theatre by a community group attached to Perth Youth Theatre. At the time I was failing badly at school, and going nowhere, all my energy was negative and most teachers had given up on me. If I hadn't found an outlet beyond school I would never have succeeded. Never let your background and upbringing become a barrier to ambition.
Tam liked school much more and only recently helped the campaign to save his school - Bradehurst High in Motherwell. He was always a comedian but the distance between being funny in the playground and making a living out of humour is awesome. Tam is also a swot. He prepares for everything and carries a note-book in his top pocket to remind himself of jokes or funny incidents. When Kenny Miller scored for Scotland in the draw against Germany I was going radio-rental, Tam was taking notes. He is immensely disciplined and works hard at being 'naturally' funny.
That is perhaps the greatest career lesson of all - talent is meaningless without graft.
Our college experience couldn't be more different. Tam left Napier College after a week, and I have travelled the world racking up degrees from different universities in England and the USA. I am the proud owner of a PHd, which means that I am officially a doctor - very handy if your mates need a sick note. Tam reckons I just hung around universities pretending I was young and sponging off the state.
He is unconvinced by formal education - I swear by it. If there's a moral to that it's that there is no single route to success - it's a road with detours and many obstacles on the way.
Today people interested in the media can benefit from a team of experts at the other end of a phone ready to help them with their career choices. I wish that the skillsformedia helpline had been around in our day to help us on a slightly less winding road to success.
Tam and I are both 'schemies' and came to the media from working class homes in Scotland. Our route-of-entry was very different but we had one abiding thing in common, a deep passion for football. I say a passion - a life-sentence might be more accurate. We support Motherwell and St Johnstone respectively. But in making career choices we both believe that people should back their passions.
I grew up in Letham, one of the biggest housing schemes in Tayside, and was lured into the theatre by a community group attached to Perth Youth Theatre. At the time I was failing badly at school, and going nowhere, all my energy was negative and most teachers had given up on me. If I hadn't found an outlet beyond school I would never have succeeded. Never let your background and upbringing become a barrier to ambition.
Tam liked school much more and only recently helped the campaign to save his school - Bradehurst High in Motherwell. He was always a comedian but the distance between being funny in the playground and making a living out of humour is awesome. Tam is also a swot. He prepares for everything and carries a note-book in his top pocket to remind himself of jokes or funny incidents. When Kenny Miller scored for Scotland in the draw against Germany I was going radio-rental, Tam was taking notes. He is immensely disciplined and works hard at being 'naturally' funny.
That is perhaps the greatest career lesson of all - talent is meaningless without graft.
Our college experience couldn't be more different. Tam left Napier College after a week, and I have travelled the world racking up degrees from different universities in England and the USA. I am the proud owner of a PHd, which means that I am officially a doctor - very handy if your mates need a sick note. Tam reckons I just hung around universities pretending I was young and sponging off the state.
He is unconvinced by formal education - I swear by it. If there's a moral to that it's that there is no single route to success - it's a road with detours and many obstacles on the way.
Today people interested in the media can benefit from a team of experts at the other end of a phone ready to help them with their career choices. I wish that the skillsformedia helpline had been around in our day to help us on a slightly less winding road to success.
