Career planning – or how to ‘survive and thrive’ beyond college

1. Career planning – or how to ‘survive and thrive’ beyond college PPD Level 2

2. Effective Career Planning Self awareness Opportunity awareness Review Options DECIDE Take Action!

3. Learning Outcomes - Level 2 1. Reflect and analyse theory and practice in the workplace; 2. Use experiences and learning derived from College-based learning, work experience (or equivalent) and wider activities to evaluate career goals in relation to their personal and professional development; 3. Communicate their skills and abilities to employers and future clients; 4. Examine future employment and industry trends in relation to their discipline and relate this to their Personal and Professional Development File; 5. Identify appropriate resources and services to assist in their own career planning.

4. Aims of PPD at this level are to…. • Encourage you to: • Consider in greater depth what you want to be doing after this course and plan how you can make it happen… • Develop a personalised career plan that will help you be prepared for life beyond this course… • Relate this to • who you are (skills, achievements, values) • the outside world (opportunities) • Identify areas to work on: knowledge, skills etc • Reflect on your progress: - setting new goals and actions • Represent this by updating your PPD File

5. Updating PPD file “Work experience was a vital part in my career planning during Ravensbourne College. During my time at Ravensbourne College I have tried to undertake as many work experience placements as I can. When you go on work experience you have a great opportunity to witness how an organisation works. Since I began doing work experience I have worked for the BBC, lTV, Channel Four, Channel Five, Sky and foreign broadcasters. Each organisation I have worked for operates slightly differently and does things that other organisation would not. Unless you become a successful broadcast freelancer it is nearly impossible to see how such a wide ranging group of organisations work.

6. Updating PPD file - continued Consequently, the ability to obtain so many work experience placements during my time at Ravensbourne College has been extremely advantageous for two main reasons. Firstly, I have been able to extend my fundamental knowledge of broadcast operations. As I previously stated I learn something with every work experience placement. It can only be advantageous to witness other professionals work…

7. Updating PPD file - continued Secondly, work experience is a great opportunity to make industry contacts. lf you read any broadcast career manual it will emphasise the importance of contacts. There is no doubt that having industry contacts is vitally important. The vast majorﾁty of television position are not advertised and simply filled by people that are known to the organisation. Put simply, having industry contacts can be the difference between being employed or unemployed. Also, something that I have learnt during my time at Ravensbourne College is the ability to manage your contacts.

8. Updating PPD file - continued lt is easy to get the e-mail address of industry professional then e- mail them a few times and if work is not forthcoming then simply to ignore them. However, I believe that is the incorrect method. I have a list of important industry contacts I have gained during Ravensbourne College and I make a point to contact them regularly to see how they are doing, ask advice, often supply them with a new CV and generally discuss possible job opportunities. lf anything this makes sure that they remember who you are and furthermore if they suddenly need someone it can beneficial to be at the forefront of their minds.

9. KOLB – career planning • LEARN •  REHEARSE • EXPERIENCE • REFLECT + RECORD • SHARE

10. Self Awareness– who am I? • Strengths and weaknesses • Achievements • Skills - you have more skills than you think! • Values • Experience • Attitudes

11. Skills exercise • Describing the achievement/ experience and the skills that you use • The easy ones – technical • The softer and just as important ones • Use of positive language

12. you have more skills than you think! • ‘I was a course rep and sat on Course Committees’ • Write this statement in a different way – make a more powerful statement that describes the duties carried out and evidence of skills used and which uses more powerful language

13. ‘I was a course rep and sat on Course Committees’ • ‘I held a position of trust as an elected and committed course rep. I was responsible forrepresenting the views and wishes of my fellow students at academic course committees. On several occasions I successfully negotiated assignment changes to support students unable to keep to set deadlines due to difficult family and work commitments’

14. ‘I was a course rep and sat on Course Committees’ Attributes/qualities • Trustworthy • Leadership qualities Skills • Excellent communicator • Negotiation skills

15. In college Course projects and assignments Student activities –course rep Out of college –sport, leisure, clubs, Passions – hand-gliding,allotment Work placements Employment Volunteering Freelance Temping Skills exercise-evidence

16. NETWORKING • ‘It is a planned process in which you will interact with and become known, through formal and informal settings, to people who can provide information about job openings, leads, personal contacts, employers that are seeking people.’

17. NETWORKING • ‘Networking is about talking to people and obtaining referrals so that every contact you make is a ‘warm’ contact.’

18. WHO/WHAT IS IN YOUR NETWORK? MAPPING AND GROWING NETWORKS • People you know • People who know you • People who don’t know you-yet! • Resources • WHAT ARE THE GAPS?

19. CAREERS RESOURCES WEBSITES inc PROSPECTS + CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS TRADE SHOWS VISITING TUTORS COURSE TUTORS INDUSTRY SPEAKERS WORK PLACEMENTS CURRENT EMPLOYERS OTHER STUDENTS ALUMNI EXISTING NETWORKS FRIENDS, FAMILY, NEIGHBOURS Opportunity AwarenessSTATIC RESOURCES PEOPLE

20. RESOURCES www.prospects.ac.uk -job descriptions, salaries etc www.arts.ac.uk/student/careers –jobs, work experience, careers information Artsjobs – arts council

21. 2 networks Claire – massage AGCAS Women friends Breathe Doctor- specialist ex colleagues Bonnie – Yoga UAL Websites Artsjobs Ashlins Email links ME Health headaches work

22. taking action! What do you need to do on the following? Self awareness – knowing and recording your skills, achievements, values, knowledge, experience? Career Goals – clarifying goals? Research- opportunity awareness? Networks for support and information? Resources? Action Plan- what, how,when

23. ACTION PLAN • What • How • By when

24. Get SMART! Specific – Your goals need to be well-defined. Try and be as precise as possible Measurable – You need to know when you have achieved your goal Attainable – Make sure your goals are realistic Relevant – Consider how relevant your goal is within your overall plan Time-Specific – Try and keep a timescale

25. Review Options - reflection One thing from today you want to follow up • with your tutor individually • in a Seminar • In a Career interview • With a Network contact

26. I believe that planning your career is extremely important. When many students arrive at Ravensbourne College they are totally unsure about their future careers. This is totally understandable. In broadcasting there is a myriad of roles in both the production and operational spheres. There is so much choice and variety that sometimes people can become confused. Consequently, they seek any work experience they can obtain often moving between varﾁous contrasting roles getting know set knowledge about a specialist area. Although, it can be educational to experience a variety of job roles I believe it is equally important that at some formative phase that you begin to specialise your skills. The Broadcasting industry has been decrying the shortage of suitably qualified potential employees who have the capability and aptitude for engaging in the technical aspects of creating television. Many universities are quick to teach 'soft' skills or 'people' skills, or focusing on idea creation at the expense of technical delivery. Consequently, it has recently become more impodant for students to supplement their university education with work experience placements. I always knew what speciality of broadcasting that I wanted to undertake. I have always been interested in photography. There is just so much to consider. Composition, perspective, image and emotion are just some of the thoughts that enter the mind of a photographer. They say a picture can say a thousand words. Consequently, it is importantto convey the right emotion is any image you produce.