I recently saw an opportunity to go for a voluntary graphic design job for the charity Together Trust. I had already spoken to Helen before and been for a portfolio visit the year before so I felt a little at ease in being able to contact her and send off an application form for the job.
Helen was kind enough to get back to me via e mail and arrange a time to pop in to the agency. I was to go in on 30/03/2011 at 10:00 am. Since my first portfolio visit there i have realised to be organised a few days before and to know where I am going so that I don't get lost on the way and end up being late which is what happened the first time that I went to go and produce my portfolio to her. So I set off a lot earlier and used my Satnav since I have realised that punctuality is everything!
I was quite nervous to see Helen again as I was to show my portfolio which she had already seen that had previous pieces of work that were still in it. I was worried incase she found it boring to look through. However, I was confident enough about my work to go through it again and explain how and why I had chosen to do certain things.
I was on time and she lead us to a small conference room on the other side of the building. Firstly she went through my application form just so she knew what I was confident at doing. She told me that the way that I had worded a few of previous freelance experiences I had made out like they had gone live when they hadn't which was a fault of my own and I will be more careful in future. I think that in my defense I was just trying to sell myself as this job meant a hell of a lot to me. I put in the statement that I was a good leader and she asked why. I gave Helen a quick straight answer as I had previously worked with people in other pathways doing a collaboration and I was the manager, our team worked really well and we all had respect for each others things and ways of thinking whereas some other groups did not. Helen seemed to be impressed with this as she said that some people put that on their CV's and when she asks them the same question why they tend to freeze and not have a lot to say. She also asked how well I could use the mac suite programs which I was confident in using everything but a little rocky on Indesign. Her
specific job needed somebody that was fluent in Indesign and even though I would have loved to give it a go I did not think that she would employ me as I told the truth.
Helen than started to look through my portfolio and asked why I used colours in specific pieces of work which I had an answer for not just because "I liked it." It came to a brief that I did for her company that did not go live but that I had used photography for, which she seemed to like. I told her I have a particular interest in photography too as I think it goes well hand in hand with graphic design. She showed me what the photographs look like once put in the leaflets.
Helen then began to tell me about a voluntary photography job that her company had around the same time and she said that it was quite hard because there is only her and her co- worker in-house that are able to go out and take photographs for their leaflets, so I made it very clear that I was interested and that it is something that I am looking to focus on once I have finished my graphic degree.
Helen asked if I had a portfolio of photographs already online which I hadn't so she gave me some information about a site called Flickr that you are able to upload pictures for free and make your own albums/ portfolios. Then I was to send it to her and she was to tell me what she thought and perhaps give me the opportunity to have a go at the voluntary photography job.
I went away feeling a little unhappy as the job that I initially went for it felt as though I wasn't just quite up to scratch, yet I felt happy that she had seen something in another aspect of my work which is photography and was willing to have a look at more.
Straight away I found my SLR and created an account and picked out the best photographs that I had chosen to show her and make a Flickr account.
I sent her the link in the next couple of days when I had sorted it all out and again she got back to me quite quickly and to my surprise offered me the voluntary photography job! I felt over the moon as this is the first time I had been in quite a formal situation and managed to get something that I know quite a few other people would have tried applying for. I sent my details of where I lived off so that she could send me a t-shirt to wear for the event.
The job is to go to the Manchester 10K run and take photographs of their runners for their charity campaign. I am a little upset at the fact I am unable to share these photographs with anyone else once they have been taken but I understand rules and regulations so I will definitely stick to that!
The date of the Manchester 10k run is on the 15/05/2011 which is in a couple of days. I am lucky in a way that another 2 girls from my course have got the job too and we are able to pick any point we want to take the photographs of the runners. I am wanting to stand near Old Trafford football ground as I have watched the race every year and around that area seems a little quite where good shots can be taken. It will also be good for the runners having some supporters half way to keep them motivated. I am really looking forward to this as I say and hopefully if my work is good then Helen may use me in the near future.
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