Tag Archive for shyac

| February 7, 2012
No comments

I Like My Work

I’m looking for work at the moment, which is always an interesting experience. I found a flexible, interesting job for a social media coordinator. Given I started a company doing this sort of work, I figured I ought to apply for this one.

It’s not until you are forced to sit down and spell out your skills that you really get an idea of what you can and cannot do. Or at least what you think you can and cannot do. In addition to attaching a PDF of my LinkedIn profile, I wrote a covering letter doing what you do in covering letters – boasting. Here are some extracts (keep in mind that I, as everyone does in job applications, am trying to sell myself in the best light here):

I am a very experienced, adaptable and adept user of all kinds of social media. I maintain my own accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Foursquare, Google Plus and others. Additionally, I manage/d a variety of social media profiles on behalf of other entities, as outlined in the table below.

Organisation Social Media Status
Rotaract Club of the Southern Highlands Three websites; Twitter; two Facebook pages; LinkedIn; YouTube; Flickr. Current
Rotary in the Southern Highlands Facebook; two websites. Current
Top Blokes Foundation Facebook; Twitter; blog; YouTube; LinkedIn; general strategy. Current
Anjali House Developed a Facebook fan page welcome tab. Current
The Fat Tulip Three websites; blog; Twitter; three Facebook pages; LinkedIn; Google Plus. Current
Southern Highlands Youth Arts Council Facebook; LinkedIn; Twitter; YouTube; Flickr; SCVNGR; Scribd; Website. Past
Southern Highlands Foundation Facebook; Twitter. Current
Wingecarribee Youth Forum Facebook. Current

…

In addition to being an experienced and skilled social media content producer, I am experienced at writing for blogs and I have useful HTML skills. At present, my Klout score is hovering at around 50, which is quite high for a person without an offline profile beyond my community.

I am proficient with social blogging platforms such as Tumblr and also more advanced content management systems such as WordPress. I am also able to easily create and manage RSS to Twitter and RSS to Facebook feeds. I keep up to date with social media trends, and join early adopters in testing new tools and websites.

As I said at the top, this is always an interesting experiment. It certainly shows up my skills though and that is something I am proud of.

Category: Business, Social Media | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| December 29, 2011
2 comments

Decisions to be Made

I’ve been putting it off, but time moves inexorably, and it won’t stop (nor even slow) for me. I have to really make some careful decisions about where I want my life to go – not just for the next six months or year, but for decades.

If you follow this blog, you may know I’ve already lodged an application to complete an honours year following my recent graduation. I’m also working hard on my new social media business. I have a pro bono client who I’m very happy to be working with, and I’m confident of the future. In my main job, I work three days a week in a political office, which is where I really have been heading for a few years now. The work is challenging, enjoyable and rewarding. Amongst all of that, I spend plenty of time doing volunteer community work.

Here’s the problem: Which of the three (academia, business or politics) do I focus on?

  • I could easily pursue an academic career. I could go on from honours to a PhD and teach. I enjoy working with young people and helping people learn. I’ve done a fair bit of that with Rotary/Rotaract, SHYAC and other community organisations.
  • Similarly, I could continue working on my business, which I also enjoy. I could pursue that business, or others. I could seek employment in the private sector and work my way through to the top, hopping from company to company seeking jobs that offer more than the last.
  • Or, finally, I could stick with politics. Who knows where that would lead?

My problem is I’ve always been interested in too many things. In addition to the stuff listed above, I also enjoy participating in the arts – theatre and photography mostly. And, I’d love to do some serious traveling. And, whatever my choice, it also needs to work for Meghan.

All suggestions and comments welcome!

Category: Business, Politics, Uni | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| October 26, 2011
2 comments

Take Me to the Fifties

The Grease cast before their final show

I’ve just spent the last few months helping to put the final touches on massive project for the Southern Highlands Youth Arts Council (SHYAC). Grease took between 15 and 35 hours each week since early September, and a large amount of time before that. I think I’ve been working on the project since about September 2010, so it has certainly been a huge part of my life.

Since SHYAC is a non-profit community organisation that is largely funded by members and income from it’s own activities, there is an overriding imperative to ensure projects are well-managed and financially sound. Grease was a very large production for SHYAC and was unique in a number of ways, including the venue, cast age, and a production team who had largely never worked together or with the organisation before. As producer, I began planning the project more than a year ahead of the scheduled show run, in concert with the SHYAC management committee. Such a lead-time was important to ensure the success of the production. My role included rehearsal and show venue management, negotiating with and appointing the production team, public relations and promotion, ticketing, arranging auditions, management of the cast, coordinating and designing the program, supervising rehearsals, supervising performances, liaising with SHYAC’s management and volunteers and arranging sound effects and music licensing. Given the complexity of the show and my role, I needed to plan many of my activities well in advance in order to ensure they were competed satisfactorily. This was the first project of that size I have managed and it refined and improved my skills immensely.

For the duration of the show run, I was able to just sit in the back rows of the audience and watch. Mostly, I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. Our cast was so talented and so wonderful. And then we started getting brilliant reviews like this. The cast has bonded so tightly together and even threw around the idea of touring. They are a great bunch of people and I can’t wait to work with them again.

What makes the work so valuable to me is seeing the young people come up to standards they never knew they could reach. It’s such a joy to be part of. My mate Adam Fisher was awesome as director, and was wonderfully supported by experienced performer Michael Turkic (who made a cameo as Vince Fontaine) and, of course, the always fantastic Michael Cooper as musical director. Chereographer Kelly Duroy also made a huge contribution. If you didn’t see this show, you really missed out. I had so much fun with it, and I didn’t even get on stage!

Thanks to all my Greasers for their hard work. 

Category: Community | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
| October 5, 2011
No comments

It’s Almost Here

Grease Poster

For the production team, and SHYAC, Grease has been about twelve months worth of work. But, it is nearly here.

The show itself looks brilliant, and our advertising blitz kicks in this week. The campaign includes the following radio ad, courtesy of local station 2ST. Check it out: SHYAC Grease Ad

 

 

 

 

Category: Community | Tags: , , , , , , ,
| August 15, 2010
No comments

Southern Highlands Youth Arts Council

Having worked and been educated in and around the Southern Highlands, I have known about SHYAC for a long time, but I have never had any involvement with the organisation until I was asked to become a staff member in 2010.

I was one of two staff at SHYAC when I joined the organisation, though Katy soon left. During my time there, I had a number of roles:

  • Write and implement a broad range of new policies to guide and support the activities of the organisation. These included communications/media policies, an updated constitution, and more.
  • Develop and oversee the implementation of new and existing programs, including the POD Project, several productions (Olivia, What a Knight, Grease and Seussical), the Mary Poppins project, the 2011 HSC Showcase, Comedy Workshops, and the choir Sound.
  • Maintain and overhaul the SHYAC website.
  • Engage SHYAC’s members via social and new media.
  • Produce regular newsletters.
  • Assist the financial management of the organisation.
  • General administration duties.
  • Support volunteers and others working on various projects.
  • Support and assist the management committee.

I left my paid role at SHYAC to pursue a valuable opportunity in another job, but continued to work voluntarily as the Producer of Grease.

You can read my reflections on Grease here.

Category: Community | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
 

Switch to our mobile site