Wk9 - Snow way!

Yes way! I heard on Monday morning that my application ‘for Graduate HR Stream 2011 HR2011 has successfully progressed to the next stage of our recruitment process’. Excellent news!

They told me someone would be in touch to arrange further details about when/where the assessment centre would be but when I still hadn’t heard from them on Friday afternoon I emailed to enquire (/make sure they hadn’t forgotten about me!). Apparently they are still waiting to confirm what date it will be held but I’ve been told it’ll be in Windsor and the days start at 8.30am!!...

In other news, it’s been rather cold and quite snowy…had you noticed?.. I am a tad disappointed with the Manchester efforts, only a couple of inches. Definitely not enough for the University to close as it did in January this year or to force an 8-day pub lock-in!!.

The snow hasn’t deterred the protests at all though and more demos and marches took place on Tuesday afternoon. As of today (Sunday 5^th Dec) the Roscoe Building at the University of Manchester has been under occupation for 12 days. I visited the Roscoe Occupation on Thursday to attend the emergency meeting that was called to create a plan of action for next Thursday (9^th Dec) the day the MPs will vote in parliament on the proposed tuition fee increase. It was all a bit hectic but the meeting was run in the best way possible with so many young, fiercely political minds in the room. There were about 100 students in attendance (more than any lecture I’ve ever been to) as well as representatives from UCU, Unison and other trade unions. Let me just say I’m 100% behind the occupations and the marches and demos they’re organising but I did think it would have been a little more organised if I’m totally honest. I am however, loving the use of social media to create awareness and arrange demos at short notice. You can follow most of the occupations across the country on Twitter. It looks likely that there will be demonstrations across the country on Wednesday and a bigger march to parliament on Thursday. The vote itself will take place in the evening and will be shown live, on the big screen in the Students Union at MMU.

If you want to write to your MP before the vote to ask for them to vote NO on Thursday, the details can be found here (to find out who your local MP is) and here (for a guide on how to contact them).

I haven’t really had the chance to enjoy the snow properly yet because this week I’ve been spending most of my time here:

But the hard work paid off on Wednesday when I hit my word count target (for that day!) of 900 words.

And you'll all be pleased to hear that all 3202 words are now finished!

The snow seems to be on it’s way out for now anyway. Hopefully more soon (when I haven’t got so much work to be doing) so I can make one of these too!...

This week I also managed to take apart one of my housemate’s old laptops and connect the screen to my broken one and recover my photographs and songs and things J

This is the last blog I have to post for the LPD coursework. It’s been, emotional.

‘*gasp* is that where the term Emo comes from?! I never knew!’ (Copestake, 2010)

I’ve told you about what I’ve been up to over the last 9 weeks, inside and outside of university.

Thanks to everyone for reading. I’ve been pretty shocked with how many people have viewed my blog (316 and counting!) and left comments. I’ve had people visit my blog pages from 10 different countries too! If you want to stay in touch you can find me on Twitter @ThatGirlBren and on Facebook.


Thanks again, and peace out x

Wk8 - I Got an Interview. Cool!

I have had a rather busy week!..and, A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW!!!!!

I have no idea how it went (I put the phone down and instantly forgot everything I had said), but I'll tell you about how it came about...

So I got in from Football training on Monday evening and checked my emails to find one from Centrica. I had submitted an application and completed the online assessments about 10 days ago and thought it would just be another ‘sorry, we’ve had better applicant so we’re not bothering with you for now’ type of email…but it wasn’t. They invited me to take part in a telephone interview! I had a choice of three dates/times and booked the 2pm Friday slot. It lasted 45 minutes. Now, as a lot of people will know, get me on the phone, chatting about anything and everything – I can talk for hours!!...but this was one of the longest 45 minutes of my life.

Anyway, the very pleasant Malgorzata said that I’d hear from them by email by the close of business on Tuesday. So we wait.

Other than preparing for (read, panicking about) the interview, this week I handed in my HRM coursework. I’m glad that one is over; I could have kept tweaking it forever otherwise. I also submitted my application for the Professional Passport. I’ll hear back about both of those in January. So with those both finished, it was on to the other pieces of work due in the next couple of weeks. I did a bit more of my LPD profile by completing Items 8 and 9 and starting on 11 (out of 12). Over this weekend I’ve done the beginning of my 3000 word Library Resource Management essay,

‘The development and maintenance of an academic library collection and the importance of collection development policies’

(a working title!)

and done some prep work for my Managing Contemporary Organisations class this week.

Other things I’ve been up to this week include a bit of peaceful protesting against the education cuts and rising tuition fees.

There are lots of events taking place across the country. Facebook is probably the best way to find out where the nearest demonstration to you is.

In Manchester, the next event organised by MEAN (Manchester Education Activists Network) will take place on Tuesday next week (30th November). Pickets lines beginning at 8/9am in schools, colleges and universities, a walkout at 12 noon and an assembly at 1pm at Catherdral Gardens.




All the information is available by clicking here (for Manchester) or here (for details of over 35 other events around the UK).




With temperature dropping to a ridiculously cold -4C (during the night) in Manchester this week, my other main activity has been trying to keep warm with a mulled wine or two at the Manchester Christmas Markets:

...and a Bratwurst, and perhaps a crepe, oh, and a whisky hot chocolate too...

Over the next week i'll be carrying on with coursework and trying to at least organising the filming of part 12 of my LPD portfolio, a 5 minute mock-interview.

Oh, and i'll hear from Centrica too... I won't be holding my breath but I'll probably cross my fingers quite tightly every now and again.

Until next week,

peace out.

Wk7 – A week of downs and ups.

This week began badly. On Monday I got the result of my final year project proposal back and I hadn’t done as well as I’d hoped. It was worth 15% of the overall mark for the unit so I can pull it back but I’m pretty chuffed I opted for the 20 credit project over the 40 credit dissertation now. Theme for the year – spread the risk! The interim report, due in January is worth another 15% so hopefully I can pull it back then.

Blank, cracked screen...

On Tuesday evening my week took a turn for the even worse...  As I was working on finishing up my HFRM coursework (due tomorrow!) my laptop broke. The screen has been on the way out for a while but it finally gave up. I had a bit of a nervous breakdown and frantically had to check what work I might have still got because, even though I know I should – I’ve never backed up anything on my laptop. So, I lost some work which I hadn’t saved at all or only saved on my laptop but I did have some on my USB stick. Most upsetting was the thought of losing my pictures and videos from my trip through Africa – but, now I’ve calmed down a bit, I’m pretty confident I can retrieve it by plugging a new screen in and transferring the files. Annoying, but my own fault…

New Windows7!

Wednesday was simply brilliant. As you’re by now hopefully aware, Wednesdays are football days. This week our 2^nd team played University of Manchester, our fiercest rivals. Matches have a serious build up and the atmosphere is akin to United vs City, Liverpool vs Everton or Celtic vs Rangers. We went ahead 2-0 pretty early on but they pulled a goal back to bring an end to the half at 2-1 to us. In the second half our keeper, Catherine gave away (nightmare), then saved (unbelievable) a penalty!..fantastic drama. We had the ball in the back of the net to make it 3-1 only to realise the referee had ruled it offside – possibly the latest decision I have ever witnessed in all my days of football. They scored a soft goal to take it to 2-2 where it stayed for the majority of the second half until… in the 86^th minute, when MMU star striker Holly gets the ball on the edge of the box and lashes it into the top corner. We went crazy and there was an audible sigh of defeat from the opposite touchline.

The perfect 3 and 0 so far...

I can never decide which feels better, a win over University of Manchester or a win over MMU Cheshire. But the win on Wednesday is definitely up there in my top 3 favourite wins of all time.

In my Digital Libraries class on Thursday morning I cracked on with the coursework which is due in before we break up for Christmas. I finally got my head around exactly what we need to do and what is to be included. We have to build a searchable library for a collection of items related to The Clash and write a report about it and its possible users. Fine. I have MCO on a Thursday afternoon and this week we had a new teacher!..confused a few of us who thought we’d walked into the wrong room.

I feared Friday at work may drag a tad as I was eagerly waiting to catch a train home to see Harry Potter 7.1 with the rest of the Fam. But it wasn’t too bad and followed by end of week drinks around the corner from the office. The film was fantastic!..I can’t wait to see the final one next July. On Saturday I got the chance to get to grips with my (awesome) new laptop and carry on with tidying up what I thought was my finished coursework…I’ve tweaked it so much now that it’s barely 80% done.. EEEK!

Saturday evening, my sister and I headed to Manchester Academy to see We Are Scientists where we realised, after over 5 years of loving them; we’re now at the top end of the age range of the band’s fan base – weird. Nonetheless, we moshed along with the best of them.

Keith and Chris at Academy 1

And now it’s Sunday evening again. Things to do tonight include putting finishing touches to HFRM coursework, deciding between a crisp butty and Cadbury’s Heroes or pasta and ketchup for dinner and hopefully seeing the long overdue exit of Katie Waissel.

Will be a week of hand-ins this week. HFRM tomorrow and the Professional Passport application by Wednesday.

But I’ll tell you more about that next time.

Peace out.

Wk6 - Christmas songs have no place in the month of November

We’re half way into November and I’m still writing; I’ll be honest, I’m surprised!

This week started with a talk from a recent MMU Information and Communications graduate who is 18 months into a 2 year graduate scheme with AXA. She graduated with a 1^st in BSc (Hons) Web Development and was on the IT route with AXA so not really relevant to me but good to hear about the application process and how the assessment centres usually work. Oh, and I won a couple of chocolates for answering questions and actually bothering to participate in a discussion... bonus.



GOOD - but might want to think about covering your face..



On Wednesday I would have loved to have joined the 200 other Manchester students who went to join the demonstration against the tuition fee cap being removed – however, I would not have liked to potentially have had a fire extinguisher land on my head – MORONS!



BAD - and I hope you get prosecuted you tit!



But instead I spent the morning at the second of the 2 compulsory workshops for the MMU Professional Passport. This workshop is run by the Careers Service who, if you have read my previous posts, I haven’t thus far, had the best experience with. I’m pleased to report however that the CV and Covering Letters session I went to was pretty alright. It wasn’t ‘blow your mind amazing’ but the presenter looked over my CV and I’m pretty confident it’s quite good now. And during the afternoon I enjoyed two more fantastic wins for MMUWFC 1sts and 2nds.



During the rest of the week I’ve mostly been concentrating on getting my HFRM coursework finished – I failed. It isn’t finished but it will be very shortly. Well, it’ll have to be with the hand-in date being Monday 22^nd November! We’ve been given a job description and have been asked to create a person specification and interview schedule…sounds simple. But it’s quite tricky since there is actually no right or wrong answers!

I’ve applied for a couple of jobs this week. Not sure how many I’ll be able to do over the next week, because they take so long. And I’ve got quite a few coursework deadlines I need to start concentrating on.

I also went on my first class trip this week – to a library. No, not the wonderful British Library nor the 400 year old Bodleian…we visited the library at MMU Business School, just up the road. We spent an hour asking the library manager about topics we’ve been learning about in my Library Resources Management class.

Geeky me!

In other news this week, I loved the brilliant Wednesday night social (Geek Week themed, see picture), I bagged tickets to see Harry Potter next Friday night and We Are Scientists on the Saturday (benefits of heading home this weekend!) and, sadly, I heard for the first time this year – a CHRISTMAS song on the radio!! I do not agree with Christmas songs before December 1^st.

Think that’s about it for this week; haven’t even checked my diary for the week to come but I know one thing is for certain…I need to schedule in a hair cut – it’s getting a bit ridiculous.

And, even though I’m neither a hippie (good point, well made, Naomi) nor a rap star (you seem to have missed that fact, Traum) I’m going back to my original sign off.

So,

Peace out.

Wk5 - I survived Manflu AND fireworks!

I’m a couple of days late posting this blog. Heavy weekend what with the aforementioned Bonfire-Birthday-Bash and Warehouse Project activities.





Jen's (left), who may kill me for this. and her big birthday weekend cake.






And everyone at the main stage at WHP (right).




but to be honest I wasn’t really sure where to start anyway… But, after my HRM lecture today all about HR Development and knowing what type of learners people are, I finally realised why I’m finding it pretty hard to write these blogs. Yes, I’ve already said I find it very difficult to write about myself and things I’ve done (see week2) but it’s because I’m not a ‘Reflector’. Apparently Reflectors like to ‘view the situation from different perspectives. They like to collect data, review and think carefully before coming to any conclusions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their own’ and learn best when, ‘reviewing what has happened and thinking about what they have learned’ (Honey and Mumford, 1982). I am an Activist. Or perhaps a Pragmatist… I’ve not really decided yet but whichever it is they do not learn best by keeping ‘learning logs’ or…blogs! If you fancy finding out what type of learner you are visit here or, do the usual and Google ‘Honey and Mumfords Learning Styles’.

The past week has been that-week-without-lectures-but-that-we’re-not-allowed-to-call-reading-week week. So what have I done?.. Honestly?.. Probably not enough. I have been really ill. Like, really, really ill. Death’s door almost.. I was diagnosed with what could have only been also better known as the dreaded,

‘MAN FLU’

I did manage to get to the library a couple of the days. Once to return a book I loaned because someone else had reserved it – I hate it when that happens.

Other than that, I’ve been tweaking my CV and getting more ideas about what jobs I want to apply for. I’ve have also applied for another graduate scheme after receiving my first rejection email:

Screw it. I didn’t want to work there anyway (honest!)… Onwards and upwards and we await replies from the others.

I asked someone what else I could talk about in my blog this week and she raised an excellent point:

‘Talk about Bonfire night - how the whole thing is a little odd. We, the English, still celebrate a burning a bloke on a fire for trying to blow up parliament with lots of mini explosions.. And surely many more people have come closer to bombing us now, and really we should just forgive him? Oh, and obviously how toffee/chocolate covered apples should be available in shops all year round’

Excellent points, all well made.

The video shows the fireworks display that I have been to every year for four years. This year looked spectacular...and to music to boot! This year I didn't go; I put on a firework display all of my own which, I am sure everyone who was there would agree was on a par with Platt Fields'.

Over the next week I’ve got lots to do to make sure I catch up with the things I should have done last week. Including, collating the latest LPD activities for the portfolio, continuing with the HRM coursework due two weeks today (eeek!) and looking at the next pieces due before Christmas… Fab.

Cool, see you same place next week then…

Terrah!

Wk4 – Careers Appointment and Graduate Schemes

I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t have much to write this week as I had nothing out of the ordinary in my diary – and i’m not far wrong…

Hmmm... so what have I actually done this week?? Well, after a weekend of CV writing I had to make sure I got in to see someone at the careers service to get some advice on the structure/content etc etc…

So I did. After finding out the only way to get an appointment is by ringing up at 9am on the day and hoping to get one, I set a wake-up alarm on the Tuesday night.. and it’s a good job I did! When I called there were only two appointments available apparently. I went to the 15 minute appointment – and if I’m completely honest, it wasn’t very helpful. At all. The careers service website it fantastic so I think from now on I’ll stick to using that. So instead, I sent my CV to a couple of friends to look over and see what they think and get other tips and opinions.

I’ve started to focus on the 4 hand-ins that are due before we break up at Christmas too. A lot of work, and not really a lot of time…I’d better get a move on! I've got two essays, HRM and Library Resource Management, a Digital Libraries report and built library collection and of course, this LPD portfolio.

I’ve been applying for graduate schemes and have completed three applications so far. Some of them are very, very time consuming! I’ll be hoping to hear back about the next stages in the next couple of weeks and if I don’t.. 

‘If we have not contacted you within this time frame please consider your application unsuccessful on this occasion’

So fingers crossed then.

The areas that I've been applying for have mainly been market research, data/customer analysis and HRM.

I won’t post the league tables every week but if you’d like to keep up to date with how we’re doing please see the Manchester Metropolitan University section of the BUCS website and select: Football - Womens - 1sts/2nds

I’ve got no classes next week, our department has an ‘officially unofficial’ reading week so I’ll mostly be in work/the library…but to end the week I’ve got my housemates birthday and the Warehouse Project to look forward to… but more about that at a later date.

Since someone made a comment about my sign-off style I’ll leave instead by saying… 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN…now roll on Bonfire Night!

Photo 1: From http://www.yell.com/jobs/information/careers-advice-Q&A - accessed 31/10/2010

Photo 2: From http://news.getaroom.com/ - accessed 31/10/2010

Wk3 - Curriculum-bloody-Vitaes

I came home (home, home. With the parents) this weekend. For one main reason, to get some work done! I handed in my first piece of assessed coursework this week (final year project proposal) and have finally got a bit of a gap before the next hand in so need to start thinking about jobs – and applying for some too! My final year project is a research project based on the Arts for Health archive housed at MMU. The working title goes a little like this:

'To what extent has the Queens Park Hospital, Blackburn been involved with the Arts for Heath movement and how has this involvement aided further development and growth in Arts for Health?'

So, I’m sat here, on a Saturday night in (yawn) trying to write my CV. And as much as I’ve looked online for advice and help, at MMU’s Careers Service and The Guardian’s careers pages I have absolutely no idea what to write to make me stand out from the (massive) crowd. I haven’t had a CV since I was 15 and I went for my first job. Since then I’ve either sent application forms or just, sort of…fallen into jobs! A major issue I have with writing a CV is, I absolutely HATE talking about myself. I’d love it if someone would write it for me – and I don’t mean that in a ‘I can’t be bothered’ way. I’d happily write someone else’s. A CV-writing swap service – now that’s one for the Dragon’s Den.

The benefit of getting my CV done is two-fold. I can start applying for some graduate schemes and secondly I can submit my stage 1 application for the MMU Professional Passport. To be awarded the Passport I have to complete several different activities:

Stage 1:

1)      Complete all sections of the application form and submit alongside...

2)      An up to date copy of my CV.

3)      Attend two workshops, ‘Amazing online application forms’ and ‘How to write great CVs’.

Stage 2:

4)      Attend two workshops, ‘Successful Interviews – Stand Out From The Crowd’ and ‘How To Present Like A Professional’

5)      Panel interview.

6)      5 minute presentation on any topic.

As well as completing my first hand-in of the year and attempting to write my CV, this week I have also concentrated on continuing to compile things for my LPD portfolio, using the Prospects website to search for jobs and I attended the first of the two required workshops, ‘Amazing online application forms’. The workshop was actually really helpful (which, if i'm honest..did surprise me). I've been looking at graduate schemes and 99% of them do ask you to complete competency based questions before submitting a CV. On Friday I visited the Arts for Health archive for the first time. I collected a lot of information to take away and start picking through and got the chance to speak to Peter Senior, the Arts for Health, Manchester founder.

Joshua Radin @ Manchester Academy 1. 17/10/10

Other than course related work this week I’ve been busy as usual. Sunday evening, I went to a gig at Manchester Academy with my sister…an excellent end/start to a week.

Wednesday was the start of our football season and the beginning of my football managerial career... The 1^st team beat Keele University 10-0 and my 2^nd team beat University of Chester 7-3! – an EXCELLENT start.

1st team league table: 21/10/10

2nd team league table: 21/10/10

Looking at the diary I seem to have nothing but the standard (uni and work) planned for the next week… those types of weeks always turn out to be the busiest in the end.

But I’m sure I’ll let you know,

Until then..

Peace out.




Photo 1: Brennan, R., 2010. Joshua Radin and Band. [Photograph]
Photo 2: From http://www.bucs.org.uk/fl/api.asp?apiStartCode=msoclubsteams:197 accessed 24th October 2010
Photo 3: From http://www.bucs.org.uk/fl/api.asp?apiStartCode=msoclubsteams:197 accessed 24th October 2010