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