I GOT THE JOB!

This week in class we each undertook a stimulated interview to strengthen our interview skills and our understanding of the qualities that create a great interviewee. In this blog post, I will reflect on my experiences in preparing for the interview and the things I would change about my performance. I will refer to Boud’s model of reflection in my analysis of this experience.

I was lucky in this exercise; I was getting extra practise before an interview in real life. I had applied for the role of the fashion brand You Glow Girl’s social media officer. This role ties into my study of Broadcast Production. The You Glow Girl team desired experience in the field of photography, blog writing and video and audio editing. These were all skills I have gained in my degree so far. “72 percent of all internet users are active on social media”. Social media is vital in both marketing and entertainment in this generation. It is just as important as traditional media such as television and radio. There is an exponential global reach on platforms like Tiktok and Instagram. There is a shift in the ways we consume media- which all journalists, creators and editors should understand. (Bullas, 2014). (Heggde, Shainesh, 2018, pg4) Broadcast Production understands this shift in journalism and media and incorporates this into our modules. It places a focus being put on advertising our podcasts and documentaries on social media and communication through Tiktok and YouTube videos.

Using some *organisation*al methods in my PA job.

Whilst I gained technical skills from my studies, my organisational methods such as content calendars and overall marketing strategies were harvested from my past experiences in the industry. I worked as a production assistant on a film set and assistant producer and social media officer on podcasts and television segments. The most daunting aspect of the interview was to convince the panel I was a worthy candidate. I always nervously anticipate the questions the interviewers may ask. This anxiety really impacts my communication in an interview scenario-I find it challenging to articulate the reasons why I’m the perfect candidate.

Experience

The first aspect of Boud’s model of reflection to consider is the experience. I relate to how Boud articulated the feeling of experiencing an event in the moment. “Initially the experience may tend to overwhelm, new observations may rapidly follow each other, which insufficient chance for them to be organised.” (Boud, Keough, Walker, 1985, pg9). When reflecting, I realise that I was quite anxious in the lead up to the interview. Although I prepared extensively, as it was a job I was considering applying for, I was flustered to begin with. I do believe that these nerves contributed to my hesitation when answering questions. In hindsight, there was some very valuable advice from the lecturer, Frank, in the tutorial. He reminded us that the interviewer wants the candidate to do well. They will be encouraging as they want you to succeed. The panel won’t want to go through an extensive search for the perfect candidate to work with them. This thought will stick by me when I undertake interviews in the future. It makes the prospect of a panel far less daunting.

For the exercise, I was in a group with friends from my course which, inevitably, made things easier. However, the group did come up with challenging questions. For example, “what changes would you make to our business in the first month?” challenged me. I had to relay some of my ideas, without criticising the business’ current social media strategy. Likewise, “what is your dream job?” prompted me to consider further what I value as an employee. Ethan Tohill’s answer, a job that makes me happy was an answer I will try to incorporate into my interviews. Through my placement I’ve realised that contentedness in my role and amicability with co-workers is vital in making a job fulfilling and enjoyable. I really enjoyed getting to express my passion for content creation, editing and social media work. I also enjoyed explaining how my background in podcasting and blogging made me a suitable candidate.

Reflection

After this experience, I considered and engaged with the learning outcomes to analyse my performance in the task. I identified how I developed my interview skills when watching how my peers approached their interviews. Nicola Browne was particularly enthusiastic and confident. I felt that I didn’t succinctly link all of my experience to the brand’s needs as I could have. Nicola continuously linked her qualities and skills back to how she could slot into a team in her chosen company. Likewise, in my feedback form I was given constructive criticism about how I could have shown a deeper knowledge of the company and its endeavours. This was something I had prepared however, in the moment, I forgot that the discussion should extend beyond why I’m a good candidate. “…the learner may resort to coping strategies which involve doing what is most familiar” Boud, Keough, Walker, 1985, pg10) I should have detailed how I relate to and understand the workings of the business and its social platforms. This is something I will work on in future.

In reflection, I’ve realised just how valuable the experience from my placement was. I had experience in a professional workplace in the media industry on a high budget feature film. I felt that, through this job, I am now equipped to speak to employers in interviews about myself. I definitely improved my confidence in communicating and reflecting upon the skills I have gained. It was great practise for the real thing…

Outcome

After reflecting on my experiences, I was able to put my learning into action. I incorporated the changes I needed to make into the real interview. The nerves had disappeared when I didn’t place the interviewers on a pedestal as Frank had explained. I spoke naturally and enthusiastically about my passions and the business. I related all of my experience to the needs of You Glow Girl. I got the job! Therefore, it was a successful exercise for me!