The UoN Experience - How Good is University?

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As the second anniversary passes which signalled the end of my education life and the finale to my journalism degree at the University of Northampton, I have decided to share my own personal experiences from my three years at UoN. This includes a look into how good is the University in general, a critical assessment of the video products I produced and what happened after graduation.

The final article looks at the University’s reputation in general. I ask whether I made the right decision in going to UoN, and summarise everything about the experience as a whole.

Two years have now fully passed and it is amazing to think of the time that just flies. Even in my role today, I sometimes get sudden jolts of memories from the UoN experience. It was a magnificent time and I certainly don’t regret going.

I was a late bloomer. I had the chance to go to University in 2007, two years before I actually did. I dropped out of the UCAS application process quite early on in sixth form because after some iffy AS level results, I knew I wasn’t ready for the challenge. I needed more time to prepare myself, both mentally and even psychologically.

It was the right decision at the time and still is now. If I had gone in 07, I think I might have struggled really badly and not lasted much more than six weeks. By not going until 2009, I think I became a better person. I wasn’t as selfish and greedy as I was in early forms of education.

Is UoN the best out there?

No is the simple answer to the above question, but it shouldn’t be either. There are over 200 universities across the United Kingdom and Northampton has plenty of competition in the Midlands region, let alone the rest of the country. Alternatives include Leicester, Nottingham, UCMK in Milton Keynes, Bedford, East Anglia and Coventry. There is always plenty of choice for the prospective student.

The home of British motorsport is Silverstone, based in Northampton

However, what UoN does is provide a good choice for anyone to study. There is good nightlife, you can’t fault the transport links with many other UK towns and cities, the town is home to the British Formula One Grand Prix (motorsport action from a media day pictured above) and excellent rugby union side Northampton Saints, as well as Northampton Town and Coventry City in the Football League and there is a reminder of both the new, regenerated areas and the more classical, traditional locations.

Sure it might lack some of the character of other places up and down the land but it isn’t as rubbish as some think it is. It is a nice place to settle down into a routine. The University’s Park Campus is an excellent, modern campus to be based at and to study on. Whilst Avenue Campus (where I was mainly based) looks a bit outdated, that still offers decent facilities and students in the School of the Arts have flourished here with excellent work in journalism, creative arts, fashion, literature and computing modules amongst many.

In conclusion, I had other options when I applied to UCAS for the second time. Among them were Middlesbrough (Teeside), Staffordshire and Bedfordshire. I chose Northampton because I felt it could offer me all I wanted in terms of a job outside of Uni, comfortable accommodation and a nice place to study and socialise. I know I made the right decision.

You can’t fault Northampton’s employability record too. It is among the top five in the UK. Over 90 per cent of graduates get a graduate job within the first year of getting that all-important certificate. That is excellent going.

Do I regret going when I did?

If I didn’t go to University when I did, I know I won’t have. I went at the right time for me. It meant I was more mature and probably less wild than what I was in 2007 but that was a good thing. 

Two years at Milton Keynes College was the best choice after sixth form. Not only did I get a BTEC National Diploma and learned plenty about the media industry, it put me in good stead for the future. I became more independent, wiser and more confident without showing a pure arrogance.

If I have a regret about my education, it was not going to MK College earlier than I did, but if I hadn’t, I won’t have got my A Levels in English Literature and General Studies.

Also, if I had made the step to University earlier than I did, I would have never met the people I did on my course such as Ellie, Tamika, Chris, Shane, Josie, Farida and everyone else. I was lucky to meet so many fantastic people and there was no guarantee that would have happened in 2007.

So for me, there are no regrets about going when I did to Uni and no regrets about the Uni I went to. I will always thank the University of Northampton for helping me, giving me a second home and will hold them grateful for the experience.

In summary, not everyone wants to go to University. For some, it doesn’t suit them but if you have a chance, then take the opportunity. It a fantastic experience and that is from someone who knows.

Categories: 2009, BTEC, Experience, Media, Midlands, Milton Keynes College, Transport, UCAS, University, University of Northampton

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

The team order storm rumbles on

The Formula One circus has arrived in Shanghai for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, round three of the 2013 season.

It is civil war at Red Bull between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel

All eyes will be on the Red Bull Racing drivers, world champion Sebastian Vettel and his team-mate Mark Webber following the team orders storm three weeks ago in Malaysia.

The debate has kicked off again, and it seems like the team has lost all control over its drivers.

Webber, who is sporting a dodgy haircut this weekend, said the situation was tense and the relationship between the drivers was strained.

Vettel launched his own attack in a highly charged media conference of his own, stating Webber has never helped him or the team, and although he respected him as a driver, suggested his actions in Sepang were payback for Webber not being there when he needed his help to win the title in Brazil last season.

I’ve kept fairly quiet on the team orders debate, but having mulled over the arguments and the various opinions over the past few weeks, it is time to state how I feel about the situation.

The background

For those who don’t know the full story of what happened at the Malaysian Grand Prix, here is the explanation of events.

Timing a move onto slick tyres better than Vettel had Webber in the lead for the majority of the race.  Despite some frustrations from the German around half-distance, the team issued a coded instruction called ‘Multi-21’ after the final round of pitstops.

We’ve since learned that ‘Multi-21’ is meant to mean car two ahead of car one.  This should suggest Webber was ahead and Vettel was not allowed to attack.

Sebastian took matters into his own hands and disregarded the team order, and raced Mark hard, but clean and took the lead against the accords of his team.

He apologised to the team, and looked miserable on the podium but he has come out fighting since, saying he felt Webber didn’t deserve the victory in Kuala Lumpur.

But should he have listened to his team?

It is about racing

At the end of the day, Formula One is about ‘racing.’  It is what draws in the many followers to the sport.  If racing doesn’t happen, you have to question the morals and ethics of the sport.

I certainly despise team orders.  They have been a part of Grand Prix racing for a long time though.

Some will obey to team instructions.  David Coulthard stuck to a pre-race agreement and allowed Mika Hakkinen to win the 1998 Australian Grand Prix, as Hakkinen had beaten him to the first corner.

In 2002, Ferrari staged the finish of the Austrian Grand Prix, when they brutally asked Rubens Barrichello, who had dominated the whole weekend to gift the race to Michael Schumacher.  Barrichello did it at the last possible moment, but the team were roundly criticised and it led to a rule banning team orders.

And of course, they did it again at Hockenheim in 2010, by asking Felipe Massa to let Fernando Alonso by for the victory.  This was a race that finally lifted the ‘team order’ ban, but in reality, they had never gone away from the background.

Others have ignored instructions.  Both Carlos Reutemann and Rene Arnoux went back on agreements to win races in the early 1980s, as did Didier Pironi famously in 1982 at Imola – leading to Gilles Villeneuve vowing never to speak to him again.  He didn’t, as he was killed 14 days later in practice at Zolder in Belgium.

Sebastian Vettel should have listened to his team.  There was an instruction in place, and the common sense would have been for him to obey the order and follow Webber home.

However, he is a racing driver, a triple world champion and with his chief rival Fernando Alonso out of the race after a crash on lap two, saw an extra seven points up for grabs which could be vitally important come the latter part of the championship.

You tell him not to do it, and especially for the win and it is a difficult one to swallow.

Formula One is a team sport.  It is the teams that employ the drivers, pay their wages and keep the sponsors happy.  However, the drivers are racers and will want individual honours.

Vettel had a case

Vettel had every right to go for it if he felt he should have.  It was ruthless and risky, but I praise him for going against morals and showing the determination he has in proving what a true racing driver he is.

Nice guys do not win world championships, and we all know Mark Webber is not a serious championship contender.  He had his chance to win the title in 2010, and blew it in the wall in Korea.

The neutral wants to see racing at the highest level.  I do not want to see a race that is decided with 15 laps to go, and then they just race around in circles until the chequered flag.  If they did that all the time, I’d rather watch a round of golf!

Vettel took a pasting from the media afterwards, and on reflection – it wasn’t his smartest move to make, but then again – he isn’t the first and won’t be the last to ignore team orders.

Mark Webber has been painted as a saint who has done nothing wrong.  This is Mark Webber, a driver who has ran into countless team-mates (some weren’t his fault, it has to be said), one who has brake tested drivers in the past (Fernando Alonso in Bahrain in 2004), and one who has ignored team orders himself against Vettel (Silverstone 2011).

He is not whiter than white.  Webber is a good racing driver, traditionally has a fair reputation and on his day, is unstoppable but he’s made poor errors of judgement in the past.  Far too many people forget his character.

Lewis Hamilton has ignored team orders before, so has Jenson Button.  They have all done it.  I can’t help feel that Vettel got so much stick because of his nationality.  Who cares if he is German?  I’m not bothered.  Those who’ve branded him as Schumacher Mark II look ridiculous.  Of course, he has made mistakes before, but who hasn’t in life.

And I have to ask this question too?  If you were in the same situation as Vettel, what would you do? 

What happens now?

Red Bull has insisted there will be no more team orders this season, which is a strong statement to make.  I’m not convinced by this at all.

This is Sebastian Vettel’s team, and where does it leave the situation at Red Bull now, both in the short and long term.

For now, there will be no change.  Mark Webber will see the season out, and the competition between them on the track will now be even fiercer than what it has been before.

Vettel was never going to be sanctioned heavily.  He apologised for his actions to the team afterwards, and he went back to the factory to apologise and explain last week in Milton Keynes.  He is the golden boy of the team, and they seriously weren’t going to ban him for one race for what he did.

If teams started doing that to drivers – you could probably turn Formula One into a reality show contest for Channel Five, and auction seats off on eBay.

Webber will be gone at the end of 2013, probably into retirement you’d imagine.  It is Vettel’s team, he owns it and whoever come into the den in 2014 will have to get used to that pretty quickly.

What it does mean is this Formula One season already has an explosive matter to remember as it progresses throughout the summer.

Hopefully, we can get on with the action of ‘racing’ and not ‘staging’ in China this weekend.

However, I will leave you with one lasting quote from the fantastic Senna movie.

The late Ayrton Senna famously said to Sir Jackie Stewart in 1990 during a tense stand-off between the pair; "And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver."

If you question Sebastian Vettel’s will to win and determination to win, then perhaps you need to ask yourself whether Formula One is a sport you really should be watching.

Categories: Brazil, China, David Coulthard, Felipe Massa, Ferrari, Formula One, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mark Webber, Media, Multi-21, Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel, Sport, Team Orders

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

A gamble that needs to be taken

With the Christmas festivities firmly behind us, I have had to make some big decisions over my short-term future, and this means taking a risk which I feel I need to make.

Saturday's trip to the Autosport show was a refreshing break

Since my freelancing contract went down the plughole with Total Football Magazine, I have felt a sense of worry and emptiness – wondering where the next break will come.  The decision of accepting only paid work might not be helping, but that is something I won’t change.

With the job market as it is today – it means I am now 95 per cent certain of making a return to studying later in the year. 

Total frustration

With a 2:1 degree from the University of Northampton, I really believed something would have turned up by now. 

I was aware of how difficult the job market is at the moment.  There were going to be rejections, and some applications would be sent off and you wouldn’t hear anything.  Media is a competitive industry, so the days of walking into a position a decade ago are now a thing of the past.

However, having done over 100 applications in the last 12 months, at least 85 of those were media/admin based, I have become increasingly disillusioned.  I haven’t had a single interview for a media position and despite even attempting to get some income in a retail position – my qualifications rule me out of anything here. 

This means other alternatives had to be explored.  Since the middle of November, the possibility of returning to studying has been in the back of my mind, and the general insecurities I was feeling has seen this thought only get stronger during December and into January.

I think my qualifications aren’t good enough, because I have tried everything else – apart from possessive nagging, and that is not going to win you a job.

So it was time to get a plan into gear for the future.

Taking a step back

Last week, I drew up a shortlist of 10 possible courses and spent the day researching information about them, along with case studies, module guides and the type of qualification I need.

In media, if you don’t have an NCTJ accredited qualification, you are fighting a losing battle.  The only way I can do this is by doing one.  Typically, my undergraduate University course was not NCTJ accredited – one of only four I think in the entire country!

The choice has been narrowed done to three - a sports journalism MA in Sheffield, a fast-track NCTJ in Brighton or a sports PR one-year degree in Manchester.  All three have really interested me, and I’m pleased to have already narrowed my options down so quickly.

I’m not going to lie.  When I finished my BA journalism degree at UoN in May last year, I thought my studying days were over, and I had no interest in taking an MA.  Now I realise that if I don’t, the chances of making a significant breakthrough in my career could be in ruins.

It is taking a step back, but could lead to two steps forwards.  I have also decided that should this avenue not work either, and I still can’t get into the paid media world in 2015 – I will leave the country and set-up base elsewhere in the world. 

Cyprus is a place I’d love to explore and I saw a possible future in Fuerteventura when I went on holiday there in August 2011 – possibly in the property ladder. 

Formulating a plan

Some will approach life with a hands-on approach, others just want to travel and some don’t care where they end up.  At the end of the day, we all have different aims and targets.

My character means I need to be settled and have a plan for the future.  I really struggle with no stability and a lack of security.  The last six months have proved this clearly. 

Now that I have formulated a plan, I feel more relaxed and happier, knowing that I have something to aim for. 

I still need to investigate the funding requirements for a return to Uni.  It will be expensive and I’m going to need some handy financial support for this to work out.  Only when I do this research, and that will be very soon – will I definitely know that I will be going back to studying.

I haven’t quite given up on a full-time paid media position yet.  I will still apply until around May for positions of interest, in the hope that something turns up – and only one of the three courses I have on my shortlist requires a guaranteed deposit and effectively a lockdown. 

This will be a challenge for me, but in the words of racing driver Lewis Hamilton; “I don’t think in my whole life I’ve chosen the easy road, I’ve always generally gone down the hard road.”

I went to University in 2009, not 2007 because I wasn’t ready.  Two years at Milton Keynes College made me ready for that – so that was a harder route, but the right decision.

University at Northampton had its trials and tribulations and at times, I did my degree the hard way – but the results paid off with my final degree classification.  I don’t do easy.

And I believe that if you want to succeed in today’s world, then you have to either chase the dream or work really hard for it.  

Categories: Brighton, Character, Future, Media, Milton Keynes, NCTJ, PR, Security, Sheffield, University

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

A competitive soul

I come from the natural breed of being competitive and wanting to do well at anything, whether that is a group scenario, my football team doing well or even on a computer game.

However, I know that not winning might hurt but it isn’t the end of the world.  It is important to show that if you aren’t successful, you don’t act like your life is over.

I can use many of my own prime examples to show that life is more than just a game where there is a winner and a loser.

In computer games, I do get annoyed if I get taken out of a Grand Prix by some loony at Silverstone (like I was today!)

However, rather than throw a hissy fit, I curse my disappointment and a bit of anger at what happened for around a minute before trying to analyse, could I have done something different to avoid the contact?

Media day competition

The BTCC day last October ended in disappointment but also dignified

Last October, my course at University went on a media day to the final round of the British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone.

The main challenge of the day was to come up with a preview to the weekend’s event in groups of four or five (in my case) and the winner would get the article published on the official Silverstone website.

The task was hard and I really wanted to win, especially as it could have meant returning 48 hours later to watch the live action from the championship decider.

So when the winners were revealed, I was disappointed and not surprised.  My face throughout the day was one of frustration as things weren’t going according to plan for a variety of reasons.

However, the right team won the prize and deserved the rewards.  It had been an interesting challenge which ended in disappointment but gratitude.

Afterwards, one of the winners offered the race tickets to me but I declined the offer.  It was a lovely gesture but one I couldn’t accept as I wanted to accept defeat in a proper and dignified manner.

I felt if I had taken the prize, I would have not only cheated my team but feel guilt as I didn’t deserve it.

Our national game

Meanwhile in our national game, all of us who follow a football team are convinced that they can do absolutely nothing wrong.

As a Liverpool fan, I have many rivals including Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton and I’d put Arsenal and Manchester City into the mix too.

As a fan, you can’t do anything but hope that your team wins. 

When they win, it feels fantastic and there’s no harm with a bit of banter against the opposition, especially if you know a fan that follows the losing team.

However, keep things in perspective.  Football is just a game.  It is a very passionate game where we all want to end up with top honours but it is only a game and nobody should take it too personally.

I am a competitive soul and always have been.  However, one lesson I have learnt in life is to be dignified in victory and gracious in defeat.

Categories: BTCC, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester United, Media, Passion, Silverstone, University, Victory