Pauline Ashcroft Lectures

Notes from lectures with Pauline Ashcroft.

1 - Placements, contacts and networking Lvl 5. 

Looking at

• Making 'that' decisions
• Plans for placement
• What counts as work experience
• Where it could lead
• Making contact with employers, network, social media

Think about...

• My skills, experience, knowledge, qualification, interests and gaps
• The future?
• Type of organisations to work for
• 'Experience'

What counts

• Formal placement
• Informal placement
• Work shadow
• Informational interview
• Internship
• Networking
• Short course
• Voluntary work 
• Competitions

What do you want to do? 

• CREATE illustrations 
• KNOW them, commissions, promote
• TEACH illustration
• RESEARCH illustrations

- Where to look

CREATE, TEACH, THERAPY - schools, colleges, day centres, community centres, hospitals. 

SELLING AND PROMOTING - galleries, museums

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE/PAID COMMISSIONS - companies, institutions, cathedrals, hospitals

CREATING, COMMISSIONS, BUYING ART - art galleries, shops, cards/posters

'KNOW ART' - book publishers, educational publishers, 'art' websites, magazines, journals, auction , house, picture researchers and editors, archivist. 

BRANCHING OUT - festivals, art events, arts administration 

Making contact

• Do your research

- Into the organisation

- The individual you are contacting

• Name
• 'Script'
• Keep it concise and focused

- Who you are

- Why you are contacting

- What do you want

- What you can offer

• Telephone or email

What to say in 30 seconds -

• State your NAME
• Mention your EDUCATION
• Explain your PURPOSE of your call
• Check they can spare TIME 

'Can you spare a few moments of your time.

Making the most of your placement

• Networking 
• Developing skills and awareness (two-way negotiation of telling employer what you want to improve)
• Keep a diary to log each day
• Make a good impression where they will remember you
• Avoid the 'comfort zone'
• Ask for feedback - do this throughout the placement so you can work on it within the placement
• Socialise - make tea, bring biscuits
• Go the 'extra mile'

Networking

• Family/friends
• Colleagues
• Societies
• Previous school
• Tutors
• Professional bodies

Social Media

Use 'appropriate' sites 

- LinkedIn has 200million+ professional members

- Facebook - check privacy settings

- Twitter - good or keeping up with your progression and seeing job adverts and placements

- Blogs - more alternative way

- Have you googled your name? - Because if you don't your employer will. 

RESOURCES

artquest

theaoi

creative skills set

2 - Performing well at an interview

Getting the job you love and making a professional impact when you do.

Do you want to?-

• Create illustrations
• Commission/promote them
• Teach illustration
• Research illustration

Where do I start?

• Review skills, achievement, experience and qualities
• Identify your key selling points
• Research the organisation and job - what skills and experience is required?
• Target application
• Be positive

CV Template

• Contact details: Name, Email, Phone, no postcode - want to show you're not limited to area and can commute if needed. 
• Profile: 3 or 4 punchy lines - 30 seconds
• Qualification - Academic - don't put all GCSE's just the names of the important ones and the grades (Maths, English, Science, Art)
• Skills - Strong points - big this section up if you don't have much placement work or other experience
• Experience - previous jobs, voluntary work, projects, freelance work, University work
• Additional work - published work, awards, prizes, languages, license 
• 'Online profile' link
• Express yourself clearly

CV styles

Conventional CVs

• 2 pages max
• Plain paper
• May include non-illustration details/skills/experiments
• Logical 'flow' of information
• Few (if any) visual portfolio
• Standard type face

Creative 

• 1/2 pages - 3D
• Use of colour
• Focus on creative skills and experiences
• Information can be presented graphically
• Visuals/links to porfolio
• More than one type face

End product

Paper

• Type face/colour/layout
• Spelling/grammar/punctuation
• Quality paper and print
• Envelopes and folds

Online

• Make accessible/easy to find details
• Check privacy levels
• Ensure the link works and are current 

http://stephenbiesty.co.uk/home.html

Freelancing

• Targeted to the client
• Make it clear the services you offer
• Highlight areas of expertise
• Creative skills and technical ability
• Evidence of projects worked on
• Clear contact information 

http://www.talentcupboard.com/guides/ultimate-guide-to-setting-up-as-a-freelance-at-uni#glos

Covering letter

Its purpose is to put your application into context

• Why you are sending the CV
• Interest in the job
• Understanding of the company
• Support the application with highlighted skills/experience
• Explain anything if necessary
• Positive ending
• One side of A4 - focused, professional, enthusiastic
• Email 

Making a professional impact

• Turn up early
• Dress appropriately
• Appear confident, interested and enthusiastic 
• Be ready for a challenge
• Communicate well - introduce yourself/sell people what you are doing
• Be aware of company 'etiquette' 
• Ask questions/takes notes/keep a calendar/keep a log

KEY POINTS

• Competence
• Reliability
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Respect for others
• Keep up to date
• Be positive
• Support others
• Stay work - focused
• Listen and let others be heard

3 - CV Development 

Designing CVs.

• What are you good at?
• Unique selling point?
• What are you using CV for?
• What shall it look like?
• Sending it to whom?
• How will it stand out?

Include

• Personal contact
• Personal profile
• Education and qualifications
• Work experience and employment
• Skills and qualities - relevant examples
• Interests
• References
• 'Portfolio' - Weblinks, blog etc

How to evidence skills

• Identify what the employer wants

- Use best examples

- Express yourself clearly

- Strong action words

- Quantify answers and show outcomes

Creative

• ARTIST'S BIOGRAPHY

About you (the artist)/where you're (the artist) is from, education, awards, why you _______ and what you want you want to achieve.

Concise up to date information, usually written in the third person (Laura studied....)

• ARTISTS STATEMENT

About your work, general statement in relation to your work relating to a specific body of work, why you produced it, led you to it

• CV

Expanded biography including past exhibitions, publications, collections, commissions etc, legal format.