My Work Based Learning

Career Aspiration

For my career aspiration, I wanted to try and get in contact with magazines but I found it hard to get into contact with them, as I wouldn't get any reply, I emailed a few employers to try, but not much of it was successful.

I looked into magazines to see if the offer work experience. This was a site I came across that offer work experience within the magazine industry and other fields

http://www.gothinkbig.co.uk/

I also looked on other magazine websites to see if there offer any time of work experience in the area I am interested in.

• Bazaar
• Heat
• Now
• Marie Claire
• Glamour
• Grazia

These are a few I looked at to see if they offer work experience. I sent a few emails out but I didn't get any response back which is a shame, but it keeps me trying again. ( see folder for proof of emails)

I looked at one work experience opportunity with More! magazine, working at the picture desk, giving you 2 weeks work experience, gaining skills that you need for employment.

They don't offer funds for accommodation or travel expenses which is hard to find if you don't have the money.






Public liability insurance

What is public liability insurance?
This type of insurance would cover a business if a customer or member of the public was to suffer a loss or injury as a result of its business activities and if that person made a claim for compensation. The insurance would cover the compensation payment plus any legal expenses.

http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/insurance/public-liability/
This is one site I have looked sat for insurance where they compare other businesses.
www.comparethemarket.com is another website i looked on,

For equipment insurance i did a quick quote with a website called photo guard

On this website in a quote on insurance of equipment worth £1000 https://www.jltonline.co.uk/secure/quotecustomise.asp?product=Photo&promCode= 


Health and Safety 

The boss Clinton, on the day ran a safety check quickly, there was no paper work involved, I didn't need a high vis jacket or a hard hat as I was taking photos not near any of the workers or buildings. Majority of my images were taken on the other side of the street away from any building work going on, the lense I was using was a wide angle so could fit a lot of the image in the frame that I wanted.














 Working For a Business

As of getting in touch with a few people to get myself out there and getting experience with work and getting in contact with people, It was all actually done and created by word of mouth, from a building business named Bruce Harrison ( which my step dad is the manager of) he knew I was studying photography and referred me to the business to help them out for what they needed.

http://www.bh-builders.co.uk/ This is Bruce Harrison builder website, showing the work he gets involved with and does.

When I found out they were going to take me on to help them, my next step was to see what they actually wanted me to show in my images and how they wanted to be represented. I firstly needed to find out from them as a business how I would do this work, either as a block period or individual days.

I researched into the business to see what they specialised in and do, there website was the best source of information  http://www.stay-dryroofing.co.uk/

Stay-Dry Roofing Company has been Plymouth based Roofing Contractor since 1973. Our Company has an extensive history of undertaking both large roofing contracts to re-fixing a few slipped slates or repairing a garage roof.

Day 1

My first day starting my work experience I drove to the location I had to go to and I met up with the boss to discuss the area I was working with and what he wanted me to get within my images, I was well away from the building area ( on the other side of the street where the builders were working). After our discussion I started to take images of the first stages of building on the flats.


Rest of my Work Experience

I was working over individual days, photographing each stage of the building work on flats in South way Plymouth, My aim was to show each working stage of the men building these flats and showing the roof being took onto the top, then a few days or weeks later I had to go back to repeat this, this was over 9 new flats being built. After the building work was finished I did a final visit (day 12) and took a photo of all the flats together showing and documenting the before and after.

This was all paid work of £350.

I had to give them a CD with the images on, which they chose to put up in there office, also they want me to create a book with the photos. ( I still have to do this)



These are the final images I chose to give to the employee, showing the stages of the building work going on.                                                                                
                                                                                  

All the photos show each stage of the building process, where I visited every few days or weeks to show the difference in the buildings. I sometimes had to wait awhile to go back because I had to wait for the crane to arrive which is what they wanted images of and showing the roof frame going up onto the roof.

I was pleased with the outcome and it shows the process. for my professionalism I asked for them to send me a letter of feedback about my images and if they had any concerns or positive feedback. I was very pleased with what the letter had to say and offered to work for them in the future on a similar role.

( I have proof of the letter they sent me as it was by post)

The good news is, after this, Bruce Harrison builders has offered me similar work for his business, taking stages of each work process, for example what a bathroom looks like before the men decorate it, which is when i then take a new photos showing the before and after, all these new photos will be put onto his website, this is on going and paid work.




Gallery and Exhibition.

As part of our assignment we had to pick one image that would be put on the wall in Trerise gallery on the hoe, which we each had to sign up to do a shift at the gallery from 11-5, I did one on Thursday 21st march with 2 other people. As the weather wasn't all that great and hoe being an a big attraction in good weather, the gallery only had around 4 visitors all day which didn't make it a very successful day for me to present my work to people and for questions or comments to  be put in the book.

The first day we all had to help out at the gallery places everyone's images in a space on the wall, working as a team, this was really fun and a lot of work to make it look great and professional, it made me learn that having an exhibition is a lot of work to make it successful for people to come and visit, putting images in the right category or colours is very important which create a story all through the gallery. What was really interesting was each piece of work become something different once on the wall, it shown a great variety of work and how each students work is becoming there own and you know who would of done that if their names wasn't below the image, it was a great experience and I was proud to see my piece in a gallery, which gives me a boost to try other galleries around the hoe area.

Here is the image I chose for our gallery exhibition. 

                                                          History of the building.

The Trerise gallery and studios were originally the changing rooms to the former men’s tidal pool below Hoe Road. All the tidal pools and diving boards were removed by Plymouth City Council due to neglect and the injuries caused by a local craze called “tomb stoning” The diving board was removed and the pools filled with concrete in 2010. The changing rooms have been bricked up for over 20 years.
It was this concrete covered pool area that made a perfect dance floor which in the summer of 2010 inspired Andrew Downy to utilise it for an outdoor dance event known locally as “Splish Splash Salsa”. Sometime later that year Andrew made enquires to obtain the lease to the changing rooms and in 2012 was successful through open tendering. Planning permission was granted for A2 use and the roof of the Trerise Gallery now has a wonderful open air cafe.

The gallery is unique with its views of Plymouth Sound and location on the South West Footpath

(information from trerise gallery website. 24/03/2013)


Seminar presentations 

I got an email called "I'm a creative" it was a list of seminar presentations that involve students who are either graduating or thinking about getting out in the big wide world, but I was really interested in what they had on so I took the opportunity to go to get a feel of how to get myself out there and how to make myself stand out from the crowd.

The seminar presentations I really enjoyed was -      Be your own boss
                                                                               Stand out from the crowd
                                                                               Marketing yourself

I learn't so much from these presentations and it really helped me believe in myself more that I can achieve something if I want to the seminar presentation, marketing yourself was really interesting and it made me think so much, Richie Manu who was the presenter really made you think how you would be different to anyone else and why he would employ you to the person he just had an interview with.(this was an example)

Referring back to the emails I sent, I notice I don't really sell myself and stand out from the crowd, I put a choice of what experience they offer instead of putting a statement of what I want experience from and why. one of the seminar presentations "stand out from the crowd" really opened my eyes to make more of an effort with emails and contextualization with my work, you have to make a difference from any other person as Richie Manu said; "think outside the box, but if you do then everyone is doing the same, there is no box, then you will be different and stand out from the crowd", Which is a really helpful way of thinking, but it is actually harder than you think.


What Next?

For my next experience I want to re create my C.V because at the moment I don't feel it is professional enough for the career industry I want to be in, it doesn't show my creativity and show my skills that relate to the job / work experience I am applying for.

I would like to research into more areas of my career ambition. I really want to get some experience I can apply to my C.V, which is a great start for any other similar role. I didn't get many responses from my emails so this is another I want to work on and achieve better and also work on my contextualization.

I love London, so working there for my career ambition would be such a great experience, Once I finish my BA(hons) I want to go into full time work to build up a lot of money to save for work experience, marketing myself and building up my portfolio in my own time.