1st Blog Post
Syncing Myself to the Music, My Initial Experience at Budget Music Videos
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel anxious when starting this module. The obstacles I faced when I began my journey to find a placement was something that I hadn’t prepared for. Indeed, I was either rejected or…
Pushy Parents Vs Student Teachers
What is there not to love about parents? If you mention this to any teacher, they will likely come up with a very long list for you … As a student teacher, you will be under a lot of pressure…
Don’t let the Drum Beat You!
As I arrived at the studio doors for my first day of work placement, I was surprised to feel quite confident and relaxed. I thought that it was due to my past education and experience studying audio engineering at my…
Securing a Placement: An Observation in Timing and Luck
As someone who has been keen to work in the film industry for a long time, I saw the work-based module of my degree as a great opportunity to begin that process. Brooks and Youngson (2016) determine that having relevant…
Drama with Athletes!
a bit of information… City of Lisburn Athletics club is an organisation that coaches’ people of all ages and abilities, I will be collaborating with the junior club that coaches’ children from the early age of eight all the way…
My work placement so far
My work experience journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions so far, it has given me a lot of different experiences and has already taught me so much. Hence it is important for me to reflect on…
Football: A Marketing Tug of War
Football, a simple game followed by Billions (FIFA, 2021) and a business which makes equally as much (FIFA alone generates around $4.6 Billion annually (Reiff, 2019). It is a business which relies on results and support. A club is nothing…
Apply, Apply, Apply
As I approached the prospect of beginning my search for a placement in film, I first turned to the materials I already had to hand, namely, my CV. Having never used a CV to apply for a film related job…
A Drama Secretary
Picture from Bruiser Theatre’s new website. (Wu, 2022) Own work. I began searching for placement in the direction of entering a show production, becoming an Understudy of a character, or shadowing a sound or stage manager. However, things took a…
Adapting My CV For the Music Industry
I began the process of securing a placement for my work-based learning module at the end of last semester. I began by researching and contacting multiple recording studios in and around Belfast and stating that I was interested in and…
“Breath in the Air” – Dealing with egomania and imposter syndrome.
When I first heard of the work-placement module, I knew exactly where I wanted to work, the very place I learn. The Sonic Arts Research Centre. Beginning my journey with a CV. Despite already having a well-written CV, it wouldn’t…
Save The Drama For The Stage!
Evaluating my first day teaching drama using Gibb's Reflective Cycle.
The Other Side of the Staffroom Door
‘You’re going to be a teacher one day’. These are the words that echoed through my head as I stood outside the front doors of Antrim Grammar School on the first day of my placement there. These were the words…
“ONE SMALL STEP FOR A MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP INTO YOUR FUTURE CAREER”
TAKING THAT FIRST STEP…. Before the battles of proving your usefulness in a job, there is one initial fight that is all important to win. I am of course referring to the dreaded first impression. First impressions have always been…
Into the Deep End
As I made my journey to the Forfey Warehouse on the Upper Newtownards road for a meet and great session with the team, I began to consider the learning curve of working for an AV company that deals with a…
Everything happens for a reason…
In the back of my mind all summer I was questioning where I wanted to go for my work placement. I sent various emails to companies like the BBC and ITV attaching my CV. Although I got some thoughtful replies…
The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword
My initial experience on placement
Taking that risk to know what’s right for you!
AEL3001: Blog Post 1 Undoubtedly, exploring a career in the arts is best done practically, and this module provided the perfect framework to be able to do that within the industry, expanding my skills and knowledge gained over the years.…
Radio Fright
Since starting my placement at community radio station “Belfast89” a few months ago I feel I have learnt things about myself that I previously hadn’t realised. Throughout this blog, I will be reflecting on my experience working at a radio…
Job promotions and the Hocus Pocus hunt for the third Sanderson Sister.
Wait- did you really just read that right? As strange as it may be it is a literal explanation of what working in a character role for children’s entertainment is like – rewarding but random. But what is a promotion…
Liam Neeson would be proud
After choosing the work placement module, I immediately began to think about where I would like to find a placement. I initially had the idea that I wanted to do my work experience somewhere different than the Lyric Theatre Belfast,…
Entering The Industry
Naively; I believed a placement would be relatively simple to arrange, yet this was a much more difficult task than planned. As someone who is eager to explore the Creative Arts industry I was passionate to gain a placement that…
Securing My Placement: The Humbling Experience of Film Industry Rejection
Finding a placement provider to let you work for free to do the tedious everyday tasks no one in the company has the time or inclination to do sounds like a no-brainer, easy mission. However, this was certainly not the…
Inside the classroom
Day one: An introduction to primary school life It was the first day of my placement at Forge Integrated Primary School and I felt a range of emotions, from excitement to a slight nervousness as I knew I was about…
Back To Where It All Began
As I pull up to the gates of my placement I’m met with a familiar sight, an almost welcoming aura. It’s hard to believe it’s been 3 years since my time as a student at Dundalk Grammar School, and now…
Hear Back From You Never
New experiences always were hard to get used to, of course they would be. You’ve never done it before; it’s normal to feel on edge when asking big, scary companies to cast a glance to little old you – you…
An Actors Guide to Online Marketing
‘Strong technical skills in IT are essential in today’s changing world’ (www.tafensw.edu.au). This was a line I had been accustomed to throughout my time in education. Business, health care, education, any industry will first and fore mostly expect strong IT…
The Best Laid Plans
From Day Zero of my work experience this year, I was taught a harsh lesson that is often the case when applying for jobs; it never really goes to plan. I had it all figured out and thought I was…
Forging On Through Anxiety
By Mallory Holt I am a worrier in all aspects of my life, and securing an internship was no different. In fact, as an international student looking to work in Northern Ireland, I’d say my placement was towards the top…
So, what are your plans after uni then?…
Working part time in the local shop the question of what I study at university is inevitably going to be asked at some point during the time it takes me to pack this woman’s shopping bags. 90% of the time…
Start believing in yourself
As the summer came to a leisurely close, I had the sudden realisation that I had not yet started looking for work placement. This realisation then led to that familiar feeling of anxious dread, a feeling that I often experience…
Teaching is the art of assisting discovery
Coming from a family of teachers I already had an insight into the world of teaching. However, I wanted to experience teaching from a musical perspective. I contacted Claire, head of the Music department in Banbridge Academy. Her rapid response…
The Cakewalk-Turned-Race-Against-Time To Obtain A Work Placement
“Hi Alex Sorry but we are not currently looking for a work placement. We appreciate your interest in our company and will keep your details on file. Yours Sincerely …” An example of a typical rejection Over and over again,…
“This time, Let me help you”
Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle was a helpful aid for teaching staff when reflecting on their feelings, thoughts, and actions related to challenging situations. (Markkanen et al., 2020) I work as a teaching assistant at a music institution. For the first few…
Overcoming Anxiety as a Classroom Assistant
When I was doing my GCSE’s, I had an English teacher that told me that I had the potential to do anything. She inspired me to perform my best throughout my exams up until I finished my A-Levels and with…
Back to School
Since I was in school, I would always look up to my teachers, notice the way they taught, the way they handled the class, their practices towards children and admired their work. As it is said, “What the Teacher is,…
Take Every Opportunity.
I’ve always had my sights set on working at a radio station after I completed my degree, or at least something along the lines of content creation so I thought there would be no better place to start than searching…
The dreaded first day
For my reflective analysis of my work placement, I am going to use the technique of Gibbs’s reflective cycle, as seen in the image below. This cycle uses the idea of reflecting on description, feeling, evaluation, conclusion and action, “It’s…
RETURNING TO THE LION’S DEN: PRIMARY SCHOOL EDITION
“But you hated school! Why are you doing a teaching placement?” Was I anxious on the first day of my teaching placement? Yes! My experience of school as a pupil was riddled with bullying, chronic anxiety, and debilitating academic stress. However, due…
Self Belief and Unexpected Outcomes
“Reflection as we understand it, is an active process of exploration and discovery which often lead to very unexpected outcomes” (Boud et al. 7). I have chosen Boud’s reflection model to explain my experience obtaining a work placement which led…
Figuring out my career
An exploration of career possibilities within the performing arts industry.
Protected: A Rocky Start
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Quit Underestimating Yourself
Working experience in my last year at Queen’s has been one of the most thrilling modules I have taken. Meeting laura, the developer of AHSS Digital Learning Team gave me a new reason to develop the digital platform by utilizing…
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