Josh
Hallsworth

Josh graduated from NTU in 2018 with a BA in Media Practices (with Specialist Pathways). Since then, he has gone onto become the Senior Creative Director for Mrwhosetheboss - Europe's largest tech-based YouTube channels with over 20 million subscribers.

In our catch up, Josh reminisces on his time at NTU, and shares how his involvement with NTU societies and course content helped him get to where he is today.

Why did you choose to study at NTU?

NTSU had an array of well-established societies with active communities, like Fly FM and Trent TV, that related directly to my course and my interests. This was a huge factor for me as I knew that there would be a surplus of like-minded people, and the opportunity to build a community with them was one that I couldn’t pass up.

What did you learn – both inside and outside of lectures?

How to lead a team was one of the most important things that I learned during my time at NTU. My course involved lots of collaborative work, which wasn’t only incredibly fun, but also allowed you to find out what role suits you when working in group projects.

I also learned how to cook, but some would dispute that claim.

What still makes you smile when you look back?

The relationships that I built along the way make me smile every day. My uni friends form a lot of the close friendships that I have in my life, so I'm constantly looking back and laughing when we get together and reminisce, whilst also making new memories! My uni friends are friends for life.

What does your current day involve?

Half of the time I'm working from home, cooking up the craziest ideas I can that I think of that people will actually want to watch. And the other half, I’m in the studio, filming, directing, and editing, trying to bring my silly ideas to life. Right now, I'm writing this on the plane to California to shoot a video at Apple Park. There's a nice balance of comfort and adventure in my current day-to-day life.

What attracted you to this field of work?

Video is such a powerful form of media and I've been interested in it for as long as I can remember. I used to enjoy being on camera, but then I learned how much control you get over the way things look when you are the one behind it. I fell in love with the freedom of expression and control directing gives you and how much personality you can inject into a video from the editing side. I love YouTube in particular because it's organic and one of the freest forms of media.

How has your degree influenced your career?

My degree directly got me the role I currently have - I found the job listing on the FutureHub website!

What have been the highlights and biggest challenges of your career so far?

The biggest highlight for me has been receiving a Diamond Play Button for my contributions to reaching 10 million subscribers on YouTube. It’s a heart-warming token and really puts the scale of viewers into perspective. It's a super fulfilling feeling knowing that there are so many people who watch the things that you work hard to make.

One of the largest challenges that I have, and do normally face, is balancing multiple projects at a time. There are typically many things to think about and deadlines to juggle, so it’s key to keep focused and continue having fun, that way the quality never dips, and that’s what’s most important for me.

What are your plans for the future?

To keep on making fun videos that people want to see!

If you had a time machine, what would you go back and tell yourself at uni?

Embrace every opportunity that falls upon your lap from day one, because it's amazing how quick the time flies by and how many amazing things you get the chance to be a part of.

Find Josh on LinkedIn

Visit Mrwhosetheboss on YouTube