Me 2013 - A year of two halves

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

IN this annual piece 12 months ago, I came up with this final sentence.

“I do hope 2013 is a little bit less dramatic and a bit quieter though!”

Wishful thinking then as it has been another action-packed 12 months for me. However as the festive season gathers pace, I can finally say I’m settled, secure and happy for the first time in ages. It was a year where I had to deal with personal tragedy, knockbacks in job searching and changes in both technological devices and friendships but when I think about my 2013 – I feel satisfied that the hard work has paid off.

The closest I will probably ever get to Sebastian Vettel!

That wasn’t the case at the start of the year. An underwhelming trip to the Autosport International Show started 2013 off but I will back in attendance next month. Any plan I came up with unravelled pretty quickly. A lack of funding opportunities put paid to the option of going back to University to enhance my qualifications and although there was freelance work, it was low pay. The radio venture with BeeVocal ended due to their high-risk strategy which meant payment couldn’t be guaranteed. That was a shame as I really enjoyed hosting radio shows at the backend of 2012. I did write short news articles for football website A Different League but 25p per article isn’t proper payment if you ask me. One new aspect that kept me going as winter turned to spring was some work as a travel writer for Holiday-Weather.com. I had a brilliant mentor, the pay was good and the work was something completely different and out of my comfort zone. I wrote travel guides for Auckland in New Zealand, the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca and I really enjoyed researching and writing those pieces. The work sadly dried up by mid-May but it offered me more skills and gave me more confidence in writing for different target audiences.

The nights began to draw out but my frustrations in the job market continued in regards to finding something permanently. In February, I did have the experience of my first interview for a graduate position – a junior content editor role with Mohsen – a digital-based company based in Lancaster for mobile phone applications in their sports department. I narrowly missed out on this position due to a lack of office experience but I did well considering it was my first crack after hundreds of failed applications. Further interviews followed with two positions in Northampton and another in London but I was turned down for all roles. I seeked career guidance in May and made radical changes to covering letters and CVs. It still didn’t lead to much. By June, I was desperate and even tried to return to my former retail position at Clarks. This also ended as a dead end. I was unhappy, frightened with the lack of options and also suffering from low self-esteem. At the end of June, I decided to give it one more month before giving up and going travelling for 18 months to find my feet and possibly a future in another country. Then the opportunity arose with my current position.

Amidst the desperate tactics saw me advertising my services on Gumtree. A senior member of the team at Topps Europe Ltd saw my advert and offered me an interview for a role as a picture researcher and production assistant. The interview itself I felt wasn’t my best but I clearly did enough to impress the team. Less than 24 hours after seeing them for the interview on 2 July, I was offered the job. Unsurprisingly, I took it despite having another two interviews scheduled, one at the Phones4U Head Office in Newcastle-Upon-Lyme. I had done it finally after 14 months of sheer frustration, constant rejections and regular knockbacks.

The Topps experience started in mid-July and I went past the five-month mark last week. Working on the sports team, my role is to liaise with picture agencies, create database lists, write short content and sub-edit a subscription magazine on a variety of the licenses we have. There have been tough days but also very good days and it feels great when a project I work on comes out in the various markets. My contract was initially for three months and was extended to the end of April at the start of October. Two months later, I signed a permanent contract which I am absolutely thrilled about. Writing is my passion and always will be. Ultimately that is the job I want to do in the future when it comes to longer term ambitions but I am very happy where I am in the short term and hope to have a long and successful stint with Topps.

It was hello to the Sony Xperia Z for me this year

Of course my year wasn’t all about work and finding a position in the first place. It was a year of technology change. May saw the end for my Toshiba laptop as it went into sleep mode and never woke up! Its replacement is a HP with Windows 8.1 and I’m very happy with the choice I made. That is only the third laptop I’ve had in seven years but my mobile phone devices are now well into double figures. The BlackBerry broke again, got a replacement and then eventually traded it in well before the end of my contract. The sorriest excuse for a smartphone has been replaced by the slick Sony Xperia Z (pictured). Again this was a wise choice. The battery life isn’t brilliant but you’d be hard pushed to find a smartphone that lasts more than 2/3 days before it needs a charge nowadays.

Pictured with the world's greatest cup competition; The FA Cup

May also took me to the home of English football, though it wasn’t to see a match. I had purchased tickets to take a VIP tour of Wembley Stadium in an access all areas afternoon of one of football’s greatest arenas. I got my picture taken with the FA Cup (pictured), led a team out onto the touchline, visited the UEFA museum integrated for the Champions League final and gained access to the media rooms and England team dressing rooms. The weather was rubbish but the rest of the day was brilliant.

Friendships went through their usual course of either getting distant or staying in touch. I’m still in touch with many of my coursemates from University and that’s a nice feeling. I did learn later in the year that some people who you trust and thought were always going to be there for you no matter what, weren’t. There comes a point where you have to say enough is enough. Making effort to stay in touch shouldn’t work one-way and if it does, then you have to question the point of communication. Many people sent me messages of support when in October; the sad news came through of a passing of one of my family relatives. It was a sad time and one where I had to keep things together and not show in public that I was struggling. It wasn’t easy, far from it but by working hard throughout the weeks that followed, it was the best thing I could do to help the grief. As mentioned, I did get some lovely messages but some who I thought I could count on were not there and that hurt. Best thing to do was move on and I have.

One person who I do want to mention is Victoria Chapelow who has become one of my closest and most reliable friends of the past 12-18 months. Victoria is kind, caring, very friendly and always has been there for me. We have developed a strong bond and I’m delighted to know that I can talk to her about almost anything. We’ve seen each other a few times this year which is nice too and I hope to see more of her in 2014. Friendships are largely in a strong place then but the chances of romance have all but gone. With no experience of relationships whatsoever, I have come to the acceptance at my age now that I will never find the special one. There have been the inevitable crushes and occasionally, I have developed feelings but nothing worked out. It is sad for me to admit but there isn’t any point in pining about it. Like dying friendships, it is best to move on and not reflect on these elements too much. There will be areas where being single probably has its advantages too!

There was no foreign holiday for the second year running despite all that travel guide work at the start of the year. That drought is likely to end with a summer holiday in 2014 to somewhere hot. Saying that, you couldn’t complain too much about the British summer this year – we had a nice one for a change. In November, I went to my first football match in six years when Milton Keynes Dons met Coventry City in a League One encounter at Stadium MK. The atmosphere was very good and the stadium facilities brilliant. The local Dons team lost 3-1 but it was a good occasion to be at, especially with the Sky Blues bringing a record crowd down to MK for a League One match.

The New Year resolutions set at the start of the year ended with a mixed bag. Limited use of Facebook was stuck to, as was the paranoia effect I had – others like exercising didn’t work unless you can count walking to work on a regular basis. I was delighted that with my job, I can now support two charities with regular monthly contributions in the British Heart Foundation and Teenage Cancer Trust – two causes I value in their fantastic work. Another foundation who deserves a mention is The Big Issue and Centrepoint regarding finding homes for the homeless. The Skins actress Kathryn Prescott put on her first major photography exhibition called ‘What Makes Us Care’ in the autumn and I went to see it in September. It was a tremendous gallery of photos from a multi-talented individual and the two causes at the heart of this raised a magnificent amount of money. As time goes on, I hope to be able to donate more to other charities as I feel this is both important for my career but also because I like to help others. I also began writing a book in the summer called ‘The Premier League – Changing History.’ Progress on this halted after getting my full-time job but this is something I will start to spend more time on in the New Year and beyond. That meant the difficult but right decision to stop updating my football website last week due to the lack of available time I have.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Looking ahead to 2014 and I am settled, happier and content for the first time in ages. No predictions this time on the amount of drama but I don't think I'll need to worry about insecurity in the next 12 months. The journey to the golden sky continues.

I would also like to take the opportunity to wish all my readers and in fact everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. This is my last piece of 2013 but Viewing Perspectives will continue into next year. There also might be a new look to this website in the future.

Thank you, Merry Christmas and you’ll hear from me soon again

Simon

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Categories: 2013, Autosport International Show, Friendship, Interview, Job, New Year, Sony Xperia Z, Topps, Tragedy, Wembley

New challenges and new dawns

By Simon Wright

Tomorrow begins a new chapter and a new dawn in my life, and I am glad to say that.  Almost a full year after attending my graduation ceremony, and a staggering 14 months since actually handing in my final assignment at University, I can officially say I now have a full-time job and most importantly too in the media industry.

It is where I have always wanted to be, but I really have had to work very hard for the opportunity.  The past 14 months have frankly been a nightmare, and whilst I was doing regular freelance work to keep me busy, I had to endure confidence setbacks, rejection after rejection from applications, some close interview calls that didn’t go my way and have to endure several frustrating false starts in my post-education career.

Now I know I’ve made it – at least in the short-term.  In this personal piece, I will express my satisfaction, the highs and lows and the times where it felt like my life simply was going nowhere, as well as providing advice to those who might be about to start out on a journey that is bound to have its steep drops.

The new role and local locations

The job I have is on a temporary contract until the end of October, but with a strong chance of extension as long as it all goes according to plan on both sides, that’s mine and the company I will be working for.

It is a 9-5 role in a Monday-Friday capacity.  Not only am I delighted to have my weekends still completely free from any commitment, the position is local walking distance from my home in Milton Keynes.

I was especially lucky with this.  The chances were if I was going to breakthrough into the media industry, I would probably have had to relocate.  This is something I was totally prepared to do, and would be willing to accept but it would have made settling into a new role far harder.

While I believe I would have made myself to be a success in a new area in the UK with Lancaster being a prime example from my near-miss with a job up there in February, other locations won’t have been so easy.  London is a good starting point.  I was prepared to move, but renting to stay in the capital is very expensive, and can only really been done on a high-class salary.  Also commuting might sound easy, but a 9-5 position would have been tough to do, as it probably would mean leaving at ridiculous early morning times just to beat the dreaded rush hour trains.

I don’t drive – and haven’t even attempted to in the last four years since practical test disasters, and that might count against me in the future but I’m not really thinking about it.

Northampton might not be millions of miles away from Milton Keynes, but I proved in my three years at University that I could be successful on my own, and felt comfortable relying on my independence so I would have done it.

However the local appeal does help.  I am a trainee journalist with high ambitions and top expectations, and want to be totally successful but you have to start somewhere.

The salary is good too.  I won’t reveal it in public, and only the odd person (close friend) will know this.  True, I won’t be earning £50,000 a year – but that’s stupid money unless you live in football fantasy.  The most important thing was accepting a position which would leave me in a comfortable position for the next few months and this role will provide that.

The job description doesn't play totally to all my strengths.  I love writing, and will continue to do that in a couple of freelance positions along with the book I am currently researching and writing for a planned release next year.  However the company I will be working for specialise in a sporting department, with football being one of its prime markets.  

Working with sticker albums and trading cards is among my main new role

The new position will allow be to enhance my current skill levels, and help me develop new ones which can only be a good thing for the future.  I will be working on projects around football trading cards and sticker albums (pictured) and it will be a busy time, especially with a World Cup year coming up.  However I’ve always relished a challenge that is achievable and I will look forward to what is ahead of me.

Dealing with setbacks

There is no doubt that the media industry is highly competitive, and it has certainly come under closer scrutiny since the public revelations of phone hacking at several leading newspaper titles two years ago.

The days of leaving University and walking straight into a job are so 2006.  Now you have to work especially hard to even get noticed and it isn’t easy let me assure you of that.

There was a time during final year on my journalism degree at the University of Northampton where my final degree classification was firmly in the balance.  I made a poor start to the third year and just after Christmas, the chances of getting my realistic aim of a 2:1 degree were not looking good – certainly below the 50:50 mark. 

I worked hard though, put even more extra effort in which is something I’m sure my course friends and colleagues can vouch for and ultimately got the result I wanted.  Leaving with a 2:1, I thought that classification would open up opportunities fairly quickly.  Yes I was aware it would be tough, but never could have I imagined how tough it was going to be.

I have worked in several freelance positions since May 2012.  Some roles ended in fairly acrimonious circumstances whilst others just came to their natural and mutual end.  I was used heavily, especially by two companies and it has questioned my value of trust in such a competitive sector.

I never ever wanted to be driven by money.  For me being successful and having a loving family and friends has been more of a priority than the extra elements such as excellent incomes and an unlikely love life.  I have had to change that element, especially in more latter applications where I stated I simply couldn’t work for free.  Financial circumstances and bad experiences led to this criteria.

Having officially applied for 304 jobs since December 2011, ranging from media and admin positions to marketing roles or even a short-term return to the retail sector, this is prime evidence of being determined to get my breakthrough.

Not many of them turned into interviews.  Before a few weeks ago, I’d only been offered four interviews, and lost out on all of them.  Two of them were very close calls, and I don’t feel I could have done anymore.  However, it is one of the worst feelings in the world when you feel you’ve got the job in the bag only to end up being disappointed.

I had to ask myself some questions, including whether I was good enough.  I started doubting myself after all these rejections and that is only natural I think.  I even started to wonder whether going to University had been a total waste of time.  I had already made a decision back in 2006 to delay going to Uni by two years to do an extra course at college, and have never regretted that decision.  At Uni, I made some great friends, and have lots of great memories too, but for all that student debt and struggling to find something, I was starting to regret going into further education back in 2009. 

There were times where I wondered packing it all in and giving up.  Some days, it did feel incredibly difficult to motivate myself knowing what the inevitable answer will be.  The majority of my course buddies and colleagues were already in jobs, ranging from office roles to PR and writing positions, and I was wondering why me?  What have I done to deserve all this bad luck? 

I had to consider other alternatives.  Studying a master’s course was a possibility, but eventually got ruled out due to lack of funding opportunities.  In the last few months, I’d considered travelling or even moving abroad on a permanent basis.  This is something I’d never thought about at University.  I did want to own a holiday home abroad, and maybe move to a hotter country after retirement in over 50 years’ time, but never had I considered this aspect.  That changed after writing about some travel destinations for Holiday Weather Ltd, one of my more successful and enjoyable freelance roles.  I did consider spreading my wings, as opportunities in the UK did seem limited.

It is almost a year since that glorious fortnight and the Olympics last summer in London.  The famous legacy message of ‘Inspire A Generation’ was commonly used.  What legacy?  What generation?  Not much has improved since, and it is a pretty grim world when you work so tirelessly, but don’t get the chance you feel you deserve.  Hard workers, not couch potatoes should be rewarded.

Advice to fellow graduates

Me on my graduation day almost a full year ago now

As far as I know, the majority if not all of the University of Northampton journalism course from 2011-12 have now managed to find full-time work in some form.  When we finished, I did say we’d set the standard, and ‘we did it our way.’  I do still look back at some of those times with pride, satisfaction and vindication.  Even the bad times I had still get occasionally thought about.  It makes me (pictured on graduation day last year) proud to see the people I spent three years of my education life with doing so well. 

Since then, new batches of journalism graduates have come through and that is from up and down the country.  Some Universities have already had their graduation ceremonies, with others due over the next few weeks and months.  I could be wrong, but I think the new Northampton journalism graduates from 2012-13 have their official ceremony later this week.

I say to them and everyone else to enjoy the day.  A graduation ceremony is not only the end of your education, but it is the proud ending to spend the time celebrating your hard work with close family and friends.  These days only happen once in a lifetime for the majority of us, so cherish them and treasure the photos, the moment where you get the certificate and the various congratulations from pats on the back to emotional hugs.

And this is where new adventures begin.  If there is anything I can say from my experience over the past year, it is that it could be a long journey, so be prepared for rejections.  It will happen to everyone.  Well done to anyone who has just completed a degree who has already managed to get a full-time job.  That is a mightily impressive feat, especially in this day and age. 

However by working hard, getting your name out there into a wider spectrum and taking advice on from experts – many will get the opportunity that they deserve, and so they should do.  This country always needs fresh and emerging talent.

The past 14 months have been the hardest of my life, and I hope that I never go through this experience again.  However I now have that crucial foot in the door.  I am in a secure position for the next few months at least, and look forward to a new adventure that waits over the coming weeks.

Categories: Contract, Graduation, Job, Lancaster, Media, Milton Keynes, Nightmare, Sticker Album, Trading Cards, UK

Recovering from setbacks

I can probably speak for many that life isn’t plain-sailing.  Nor should it be.  You would have to be the luckiest person in the world to have the perfect everything.

If you do have the perfect job, the perfect marriage, the perfect family and friends, and the perfect bank balance, then congratulations for being such a lucky devil. 

I don’t mean that in a bad way either, I just prefer those who have to work exceptionally hard to get where they are today, rather than see success just handed out on a plate.

Plus, it is important to recover from setbacks and take the positives out of experiences – otherwise we don’t improve as individuals.

That could be a record deal that has turned sour, a football transfer move that went wrong, or something as simple as a rejection which could mean the end of the world.

The reality is it isn’t.  New avenues can open up, and for every crushing disappointment – there’s a cloud in a silver lining.

For me, I’ve had a couple of experiences where I have had this and reacted in different ways.  One was on an educational scale, and one was on the never ending job search lately. 

On both occasions, I took the positives from this shattering setbacks and feel that improvements can and will be made.  After all, that is the only way we improve as individuals.  Self-assessment doesn’t have to be taxing as one advert used to say.

Unfair but made sense

It was the autumn of 2001, and the world was only just coming to terms with the shocking terrorist attack on America on September 11^th, and the air strikes that had got underway in Afghanistan – a country that our brave and strong troops are still serving in today.

In my own personal life, I had just started at secondary school – a massive change after four years at the same middle school.

I remember the start of my first year there (Year 8), and it was a real wake-up call.  The high amount of levels in homework was absolutely ridiculous.  I wasn’t prepared for such a change, and some of the lessons were demanding too.

It was a packed curriculum at the time.  Not only did you have the basics of English, Maths and Science to cope with, there were lessons in French, I.C.T, R.S, Geography, History, Music, Food Technology, P.E, Drama and Art.  You could see how easy it was for me to be confused!

Sometimes, phrases in pictures speak louder than words in general

Anyway I still thought I was managing the situation okay, until in October – six weeks after the first term began.  The school changed the timetables around and I was put in a lower group of study.  It was called Route 2 as I recall at the time.

Not only was I going to be separated from the friendship network I was building up, it felt like an insult to my intelligence.  I’m not the smartest tool in the box, but I couldn’t fathom why I wasn’t good enough to not be in a higher group. 

I’ve always wanted to challenge myself, and felt this was a massive misjudgement from my secondary school.

I went home that night in floods of tears.  I don’t think I’ve been more devastated than I was that Friday evening in my education history, apart from GCSE results day.  I didn’t care about what people were saying to me that this wasn’t the end of my hopes for the future. 

All I wanted to do was crawl underneath something and stay there.  Half-term was around the corner, so it didn’t matter.

I felt I was considered as a total failure and a write-off.  Those who know me will agree that I have often shown a dramatic side to my personality.

Ultimately, it was the best thing that could have happened to me.  Although I had to deal with a stalking problem from a fellow student who nobody liked, dropping to a lower level meant I was able to cope with the workload much better.

I worked hard, got some decent end-of-year exam results and at the end of the year – got my promotion back to a higher tier of study for Year 9. 

My initial reaction was one of pain, hurt and anger.  In the long run, everything worked out through some hard work, more determination and a stronger side to me that I had probably been lacking in education upto that point.

Taking the positives out of the disappointment

On Monday this week, I got the news I wasn’t hoping for.  I had been turned down for a job I had applied for in media.

It was my first media interview since graduating from the University of Northampton last summer.  All those application rejections, ignored e-mails and unpaid experiences that had turned sour finally had a point.

I don’t want to say too much about the role I was going for, except it would have meant relocation from my current base to the north of England. 

Also, it was an entry level position and one where I felt I met all of the job specifications in the criteria.

I had the interview last week, and felt I did very well.  I was nervous on the day, but I didn’t show it.  I spoke confidently, showed my problem solving skills, explained what I had done before and undergone a written assessment of a high standard.

I left the venue and the area feeling that I had done all that I could.  I couldn’t have done anymore to be honest, and at the end of the day – that’s all you can do in any given situation.

The position was always going to be fiercely competitive, and it ended up going to an individual with more experience in an office environment.

That is no reflection on me, and the feedback I got was very positive.  Sure, I was very disappointed with the outcome.  Who wouldn’t be in that situation, but the experience I’ve taken from this is valuable.

With a degree of luck, I hope it won’t be long before the big breakthrough happens for me.  It’s no good stuffing your face with chocolate and sitting in a corner staring into space.  That’s the quitting option – and that is not an option for yours truly.

If something doesn’t quite go the way you want it to go, it is important to learn from your setbacks and become stronger for them, otherwise we don’t become better people at the end of the day.

Categories: Autumn, Bank, English, Friendship, GCSEs, Job, Life, Marriage, Maths, Media

The graduate job market

You would have thought that after getting a 2:1 degree classification from a three-year journalism course in the summer, it would have been easy to get a paid job. 

Realistically, that was never going to happen and so it is proving out to be the case.  In an uncertain economic climate, the graduate job market has serious pressures. 

Nobody wants to be unemployed especially as in my case; you have moved back home to live with parents and are having to pay to stay there. 

Although I am doing some freelance work in my free time, the process has been frustrating to go through.  Even the retail industry isn’t interested, which doesn’t help matters.

Shortly after I finished my degree, I was lucky enough to get an online internship with Total Football Magazine, initially during Euro 2012 and as a sub-editor and features writer.

I impressed the editor so much that I got promoted into the deputy editor role from the beginning of this month, which has extra responsibility and has made life much tougher for me.

Growing frustrations

The challenges thrown at me have been immense and largely, I have enjoyed the experience despite some growing frustrations along the way.

I am being tutored by an editor who was masses amounts of experience in the media industry and he knows what he is talking about. 

Trust me, stray commas, sentence structure and poor headlines have annoyed me too!

He changed my covering letter from a dull and drab piece into a sharper, shorter piece. 

While I shouldn’t be using a template and won’t be from now on, his example to me was invaluable for myself.  I apologise now to anyone who thinks I’m a boring old fart.

The only disappointing thing is I’m not being paid and therefore, a long-term future is unlikely.

I have applied for countless paid jobs.  Some of them have been internships; others have been temporary contracts and some in permanent positions.

Determined to make a breakthrough

I’m determined to breakthrough into journalism.  I was put onto this planet to get into the media sector, not to be a waiter, a bin man or to stack shelves on the supermarkets of ASDA every weekend!

Most got back to me with the term ‘high volume of applications.’  Some didn’t even bother to reply.  I wish all employers did find the time to reply in some form of way, it’s unprofessional otherwise.

I’ve even tried to get back into retail.  I had to quit my job of six and a half years in June as I was leaving Northampton and couldn’t get a transfer back to my local store due to the lack of desired hours. 

You could actually earn more signing on than working a measly four hour Saturday shift nowadays – I checked those figures a long time ago.

Has there been any joy with retail?  No.  I’ve done eight applications, just one interview and no job.  With Christmas around the corner, I need something fast or it will be slim pickings this year.

I have had a bit more luck this week, with some unpaid article work for a student graduate website which should be setup in the next few weeks.

An unlikely avenue

Radio and headphones with a microphone could be a new avenue

Then, on Friday – I got the go-ahead to start an online talk show for an online radio company on a topic of my choice.

I have to record three 15 minute auditions in October, before whether they decide to take me on permanently in one hour slots.

Should I be successful, I would be earning a little bit but nowhere near enough to survive and please those closest to me.

The search continues and as the temperature starts to drop rapidly outside, here’s hoping for the big breakthrough in the graduate job market.

From my experiences, I have felt downbeat on occasions and annoyed too when you get no responses back to job adverts but I won’t give up. 

Some advice for those in a similar position, keep trying, keep applying because you just don’t know what is around the corner.

If someone had said radio was a potential career avenue last year, I would have laughed at them.  The news at the end of last week shows to always expect the unexpected.

Categories: ASDA, Christmas, Degree, Economy, Editor, Internship, Job, Journalism, Media, Northampton