Blog Post One
Creating a CV:
This academic year, as part of my third-year studies I decided to take the work placement module. In order to aid my career aspirations after graduation. Fortunately, over the summer months of 2021 I saw that the Lyric Theatre Belfast was hiring front of house staff. This was a prime opportunity of employment that would also benefit my academic studies. Therefore, I started to work on a new CV specifically designed for the position within the Lyric Theatre. I based my new CV off my master/main CV. I did this because “Your CV is a brochure, not an autobiography.”[1]
In order to do this, I had to pick the type of CV I was going to create for the FOH staff position. There are three principal types of CV, and they are, Chronological, Functional and a one-page summary. I decided on a chronological CV to display “a clear record of career progression”[2], to display my hard work ethic and my employment background within the arts. This formant helped me to refine my CV into a selling document perfectly suited to the FOH position I was applying for.
Job interview preparation:
My CV was successful, I received an email inviting me to a formal, in person job interview in the Lyric Theatre. In order to conduct myself in a professional yet approachable manner in my interview despite my nerves. I researched the STAR technique which is a “a proven method of answering tricky situational questions in a systematic way while providing all the essential details.”[3]
The structure of my responses within the interview was vital because statistics have determined that within a 40-minute interview, 33% of employers make the choice to accept or decline a candidate within the first 90 seconds.[4] A terrifying concept that inspired my detailed interview preparation. This included researching the Lyric Theatre’s past, how it all started and its future, regarding what productions were up and coming for the return of live theatre. This also allowed me to think about what productions I had seen in the Lyric in the past. As well as my own personal background within the arts, not to mention that I am also currently studying Drama at Queens University Belfast. This allowed me to highlight my passion for theatre to my employers, to display myself as a desirable candidate, “Because passionate people are, quite simply, better at their jobs.”[5]
First day on the job:
My job interview was successful, and I started my job as FOH staff at the Lyric Theatre. I was so nervous; I was worried I would come across as standoff, to my fellow co-workers. But because I was so grateful to have been employed, I was ready to impress and most importantly learn. Therefore, on my first day I needed to focus on my communication skills within the workplace as, “Recent research has identified interpersonal communication skills as critical attributes for new employees…”[6] Furthermore, the Lyric Theatre states proudly on their official website that they want, “encouraging and valuing diversity among our team. We welcome applications from everyone, regardless of race, age, ethnicity, religion or gender identity.”[7]
This beautiful message of acceptance within the workplace put my nerves at ease which allowed me to interact in an approachable and professional manner with my new co-workers. This created a good first impression of myself to my co-workers and my new boss. The first day went smoothly overall, it consisted of signing contracts of employment, terms and conditions of employment, health and safety of the workplace and getting registered for payroll. After the formalities were taken care of, my new boss Julie McKegney, took myself and the other new employees on a tour of the building. This created an opportunity for me to engage with my boss and co-workers on a more casual bases and allowed me to engage with them on a more human level, creating a good atmosphere within the workplace.
The Present:
I’ve now been employed at the Lyric theatre since July 2021 working as FOH staff on several productions including, Philip Crawford’s Drama studio production of Dracula, Tara Lynne O’Neill’s production Rough Girls, Prime Cut Production’s The Border game, and many others. My passion for the job has grown stronger than ever. Upon reflection of my work placement so far, I am still learning and adapting to new situations that the job throws at me, regarding handling difficult customers whilst working at the café bar during the run time of shows. As well as scanning tickets to show customers to their correct seats within the auditorium and the ever-present COVID-19 situation within the theatre. Regarding wearing masks, covid vaccination passports and social distancing within the theatre. There is a lot I have learnt in my work placement thus far on how a theatre works and functions but there are still loads of things I don’t know yet but I’m looking forward to learning throughout my placement.
References:
[1] Simon Howard, Creating a Successful CV , Dorling Kindersley Limited, (2009) Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=xfHOINEBFHUC&oi=fnd&pg=PT2&dq=creating+a+c.v&ots=gcOPT2mHUi&sig=VvH_Xkkb1XKZUNzLRLgtoDgOOO8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=creating%20a%20c.v&f=false [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
[2] Simon Howard, Creating a Successful CV , Dorling Kindersley Limited, (2009) Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=xfHOINEBFHUC&oi=fnd&pg=PT2&dq=creating+a+c.v&ots=gcOPT2mHUi&sig=VvH_Xkkb1XKZUNzLRLgtoDgOOO8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=creating%20a%20c.v&f=false [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
[3]Indeed Editorial Team, How To Use the STAR Interview Technique in Competency-Based Interviews, (2021) Available at: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/star-technique [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
[4] Admin in Recruiting & Retaining Talent (2019) 15 Interesting Recruitment Facts, Available at: https://www.collingwoodsearch.co.uk/our-insights/recruiting-retaining-talent/15-interesting-recruitment-facts/ [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
[5] Iuresol staffing solutions, Why Passion is the Most Important Credential When Looking For a Job, Available at: https://turesol.com/passion-when-looking-for-a-job/ [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
[6] Sam H. DeKay, Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace: A Largely Unexplored Region, (2012) Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1080569912458966?journalCode=bcqd [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
[7] The Lyric Theatre Belfast, https://lyrictheatre.co.uk/about-us/jobs [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
Biblography
- Admin in Recruiting & Retaining Talent (2019) 15 Interesting Recruitment Facts, Available at: https://www.collingwoodsearch.co.uk/our-insights/recruiting-retaining-talent/15-interesting-recruitment-facts/ [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
- Indeed Editorial Team, How To Use the STAR Interview Technique in Competency-Based Interviews, (2021) Available at: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/star-technique [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
- Iuresol staffing solutions, Why Passion is the Most Important Credential When Looking For a Job, Available at: https://turesol.com/passion-when-looking-for-a-job/ [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
- Sam H. DeKay, Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace: A Largely Unexplored Region, (2012) Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1080569912458966?journalCode=bcqd [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
- Simon Howard, Creating a Successful CV , Dorling Kindersley Limited, (2009) Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=xfHOINEBFHUC&oi=fnd&pg=PT2&dq=creating+a+c.v&ots=gcOPT2mHUi&sig=VvH_Xkkb1XKZUNzLRLgtoDgOOO8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=creating%20a%20c.v&f=false [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
- The Lyric Theatre Belfast, https://lyrictheatre.co.uk/about-us/jobs [Accessed 23rd November 2021]
