Category: Webinars

My three years of study at Cardiff Met has opened a door of opportunities for me. My journey has been no smooth ride with wanting to leave in first year, the pandemic in second and third year. However, I have grown as an individual and over come my own problems to allow me to further my education and complete my BA Hons degree in Textiles, which I could not be more proud of.

Over the course of three years, I feel that I have not only learnt physical skills in the workshops but also personal skills such as time keeping and learning to be flexible. These skills are valuable when moving into industry jobs as you need to be able to work well in a team and be able to communicate your ideas confidently. Through presenting my work to the cohort formally I have grown in confidence when speaking publicly and now feel that I am at a stage where I could nominate myself to present as I would not be so shy and nervous like I was in first year. This is a skill that I value as it will help me in future employment. A skill that I am still working on is being confident in my own work and decision making. I feel that sometimes I second guess myself with colour and what I think looks right. However, I have had to make a lot of decisions in my recent project by myself as we have not had as much social contact with others on the course and course leaders. I am hoping that my decisions were the right ones. I am learning to trust my instincts as nobody knows your project better than yourself.

I am most proud of finding my identity as an artist. I believe that the turning point for me was in the first lockdown in my second year when I began taking time to really think about my patterns and not feeling like I had to rush everything. Having some alone time to create and not compare myself to others on my course gave me confidence. I started to build my skills on photoshop where I realised that I could create in new ways and do so much more. I was no longer limiting my abilities and I was open to trying out new processes and techniques. I continued this new journey into my third year where a found a love for expressionism and being abstract. I feel that being messy with my marks and not so illustrative and perfect really suited my style. This is where my interests lie, and I plan to carry on expressing myself in this way.

My future aspirations are to set up my own studio where I can continue to create in an abstract manner. I would also like to then set up a business selling my work. However, I feel that it is important to understand business and industry before starting off on my own so would like to get a job that will allow me to learn how the industry works. I would love to travel whether it be for a company that I am working for or on my own to gain inspiration. I feel that learning new cultures and seeing new places is important and of value to me. These experiences could spark connections with potential partnerships and inspiration for new projects. I love the idea of my work being made in a sustainable way. This is something that I researched for my dissertation but have not yet fully put into practice within my work. One of the next steps for me would be to extend my knowledge on this area and start creating in a way that I felt was sustainable and represents me and my brand in the best way.

My experience as a whole at Cardiff Met has been thoroughly enjoyable. My degree will aid me in so many ways in the future and help me achieve the career that I envision myself having. I have learnt so much that I will keep forever and put into use in my future career.

This webinar was really informative with lots of information on the dos and don’ts of job searching. There were also lots of good links to websites that can find you jobs or help you narrow down what sector or type of job you would like.

Here are the notes that took from the webinar

• Don’t put to much pressure on yourself to find the dream job
• Your career is long and will constantly evolve
• Good websites to look at – Careers Planner, Target Jobs, High Fliers, Gov.uk Graduate statistics

Job Specific Skills

• Creativity, Innovation, Thinking outside the box, self promotion, confidence, commercial awareness and business orientation, teamwork, organisation, time management

• Graduate schemes are great opportunities – you learn lots, get new qualifications, can travel, stringent applications, not always guaranteed a job at the end, most likely need to apply a year in advance
• Graduate Jobs – learn on the job, more flexible, actual job, you can apply closer the time

Websites

• Graduate jobs, Milkround, Brightnetwork

• You most likely need a 2.1 to get a job in art and design

Remember

• Give yourself plenty of time to apply
• Research the companies
• Its competitive
• Make sure you have the best CV
• Make yourself industry aware
• Build up your contacts
• Preparation is key
• Get organised – do you need smart work clothes, software or equipment

This was a really useful lecture with lots of good tips on how to apply and how the processes works.

Below are my notes

• Applying for post graduate study can enhance your employability
• Can you afford a Masters? Do you enjoy studying? – questions to ask yourself
• Apply earlier as courses will close when they have enough students
• Have an up to date CV when applying
• Don’t apply for something that you have no experience in. Most courses want you to have study them previously however there is the exception of a few courses that anyone of any skill set can apply for
• Search around to find the best course for you
• Don’t be scared to ask Cardiff met staff for help
• If u have already studied at the uni you can get a 25% discount on your course fees

Personal Statement tips

• Why did you choose the course
• Why did you choose that uni
• Relevant study/ work experience
• Evidence of transferable skills developed in work, on placement, volunteering, Uni and life
• Conclusion and summary sentence, show enthusiasm and commitment
• around 300-500 words long

This lecture was really useful. It went over a lot of do’s and don’ts in the work place and how to maintain being professional whilst at work.

Here are all the notes i took whilst listening to the lecture

• Work experience can help you network and build a profile
• Work experience can eliminate what jobs you don’t like
• Hard Skills – content that you learn at uni, teachable skills
• Soft Skills – less tangible and harder to quantify i.e communication, collaboration, professionalism
• First impressions – always be on time, present yourself well, be yourself, smile, small talk, project a positive attitude, be courteous and attentive, be confident – body language can speak louder than words
• First impressions online – Appearance, listen well, speak clearly, think about yout setting and background, camera angles
• Professional Etiquette – first impressions count, think about what you wear, set a professional tone, avoid gossip, communication is key, understand your work environment – read the company hand book
• Never share political view with work colleagues

Mobile phones at work

• They have a 48% negative impact on quality of work
• 50 minutes of working hours are spent on personal phones a day
• Mute your phone in your work place
• Do not disrupt others when you are on your phone
• Avoid using your phone when having lunch with colleagues – make conversation with them
• When using a work phone make sure your tone of voice is right – sound polite

• Remote working – be prepared, not everything has to be a video call, don’t drag things out
• Netiquette – Framework of accepted behaviours when communicating online
• Ways of signing off an email – yours faithfully (very formal ) kind regards, many thanks ( a bit informal )
• if you can’t make something always let people know, or if you do miss something always send your apologies
• Good Teamwork Traits – communication, responsibility, honesty, active listening, empathy, collaboration, awareness

The symposium was packed full of useful tip and trick on lots of different subjects and how to be the best with what you have around you. I found that it was a lot of information that I can definitely use in the future when making my CV and setting up hopefully a small business of my own.

Here are the notes that I took throughout the day

Cath Jones – Personal Branding

• Self branding is the most important thing – make it personal to you
• PDFs are the best way to show your CV, Cover letter and Portfolio
• Depending on what job you are going for you can tailor your logo towards that but sometimes it can be best to keep it general so it can apply to lots of job rolls
• Think of your self as product – how would you market yourself
• Think about your mission and values – Yours what’s and your whys
• Brand your personality – if your brand was a person who would it be
• Research the company before sending your CV
• Establish your point of difference
• Know your audience
• Be productive and approach potential employers
• Always stay professional

Suzanna James – Knitwear

• Suzanna is a sustainable knitwear textile designer
• The texprint program is something to look into
• Apply for everything you can
• New Designer is a very good place to show your work
• Hand made in Britain is also something to look into
• Traceability is being sustainable as you know exactly how and where your products/ materials come from
• When wanting to be sustainable you should always factor in time to source your materials as this may require a lot of research and visits to where they are produced so you can full understand the process to ensure it is sustainable
• Provenance – a product or objects place of origin
• Transparency – Accountability – Change
• The slow factory – @celinecelines – have a look in to
• Sustainable Development goals – these are there to see how many sustainable acts you fit into within your company – they allow you to realise where you can make change and improve
• Books to look at – Fashion Revolution – Fashion Environment Change – Fashion Craft Revolution – Actions require 10 global goals that will change fashion
• Acrylic wool when washed releases micro plastics into the water
• Peru is where Suzanna has been to to work along side The Antauta Knitters who spin wool from alpaca fur – Everything is done by hand meaning that it is very sustainable
• The Arts Council is a good place to get funding

Llio James – Presenting through photography

• First impressions is key so your photography needs to be right
• Study natural light
• Create photos that sell your work
• Cut out shots – Taking photos and then editing them so they have a white background
• Think about what angle fits the product best – making it appealing
• Having cut out shots are a go to – they look clear crisp and professional
• Think about background colours and light – it can make the product stand out
• Think of setting the scene for the product
• Think about where your product best fits
• Think about props that will enhance your product
• Beware of – verticals/horizontals, tangents, colour temperature, over/under exposure, backlighting, reflectors, less is more
• Useful apps to use – Snapseed, Canva, Over, First light, Moment, VSCO

Llio James – Curating work in a public setting

• Galleries – they need you so approach them and ask
• Things are not instant with galleries they plan way in advance
• Be specific with what you want to show
• Curators can over rule how you display things
• Oriel Davis Gallery is a gallery in Newtown to look in to
• Be careful when they give you dates – you should have the work ready for them weeks if not months in advance before the opening date of the show
• Most galleries will want CVs, biography, Artist statement, photos of your work, lists of work
• If you sell your work in a gallery they usually take 40% commission so be careful when pricing work
• Makers Guild in Wales – Craft in the Bay – good place to go to and find out more about
• Top draw trade show – they focus on selling work to shop owners
• Trade shows expect you to have public liability encase something goes wrong – artist network can help you get this
• The good life experience – festival – it is a festival in north wales which is a great place to sell work
• There are loads of festivals to go to and selling your work so research into this area
• Eisteddfod Ceredigion is a good festival as well

Cath Jones CVs

• Make sure it is sent as a PDF
• Always have a cover letter that is tailored to the company
• Always take a physical portfolio when going to a job interview – put the most relevant work first – be prepared, friendly, smile, polite
• Online presence is important
• What looks good – a brief to the point email that addresses the interviewer or company leader, a good cover letter (easy to read) , well designed CV, 2-3 page portfolio
• Clickable links to portfolios are a must if possible
• A link to a well curated Instagram

This webinar was a very helpful detailed insight into how you can protect what you have made and protect your brand and it’s image. Found that the webinar was full of useful information that I will definitely need in the future and have to research further into.

Below are all the notes that i took whilst listening.

• The Intellectual Property is a collection of rights to protect a business

Trade Mark

• A Trade Mark covers – Your name, Logo, Domaine Name, Slogan, Colour Theme, Shapes, Actions, Music
• You cannot register anything offensive and you cannot claim your product is the best
• You cannot use protected emblems
• It is renewable every 10 years
• You can use the website to see what is already protected
• To apply it costs £170
• Think about what classifications you will be protecting as if they are in different classes then you will need to apply twice

Copyright

• It is a difficult area as there is no official register
• Things you can copyright are – Books, Films, Music, Songs, Photographs, Paintings, Manuals, Databases, Dramatic works
• Copyright does not protect single words, titles, facts, work in the public domain
• Copyright lasts until you die and the 70 years from that
• Copyright is owned by the person who created it but this can vary when you work for a business
• A Copyright infringement is when you go against someones copyright. They can charge you for copying there work.
• Exceptions for infringement are – Education, Private Study, Libraries, Research, Incidental Inclusion, Visual Impaired
• There is no official copyright so always keep proof of what you do

Registered Design

• It protects the appearance of a product – there physical shape, configuration, decoration, patterns on fabric
• They do not protects products that have to be a certain shape for there function – a key
• £50 for one design – £70 for 10 designs
• It only lasts 25 years

Unregistered designs

• They last for 15 years but you have to be able to prove that it is yours

Patents

• It protects an invention, how it works, technical function – what they do and how they do it
• Very complicated, long and expensive
• Must be new and novel
• Must be an invention
• Must have a technical affect – function
• They last for 20 years, when they expire they cannot be renewed and becomes property of the public
• If it is environmentally sound you can be fast tracked
• Can take up to 4 years
• Keep it confidential
• Use nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements
• Seek help from an attorney
• Keep your trade secrets secret

useful tips

• respect other people
• check if your brand is already registered
• check you have the correct license
• Check you have the right software license
• Ask before using other peoples software

This webinar was really lovely to listen to however it wasnt really tailored to what I am thinking of doing. The guest speaker all were from a background to do with film, theatre and being on screen. Even though these arent areas of my interest i still noed down some good advice that they shared. Below are the notes i took

Rhys Bebb – Screen Alliance, Bad Wolf

• Work on your transferable skills
• Love what you do
• Use your skills and use what you have around you, this will help you stand out from the crowd
• Stick with it

Vicky Sutton – Creative Cardiff

• If you sign up to be a member you can promote yourself and your work
• Take a look at there podcasts
• There is a jobs page on there website which is updated regulary

Megan Farr – Firefly Press

• You don’t have to be in London or major cities to make it
• Reading expands your knowledge
• Have passion

Chelsey Gillard

• The arts council Wales are really helpful
• Apply for as many opportunities as possible
• Introduce yourself as the thing you want to be
• Make sure you document everything
• Be cheeky but don’t be a bad person

Timothy Howe – Sherman Theatre

• Take loads of photos
• There is no set way of getting into the industry

Mark Church – Broadcast Journalism

• Be a yes man
• Preserver with it
• Be proactive
• Ask questions
• Use social media to your advantage
• Be different

This webinar that I attended was super helpful in pointing me in the right direction in how to find a job and where to begin my search. Below is all the useful tips I picked up on.

• Preparation is key
• Those who fail to plan, plan to fail
• Don’t underestimate the application process, it can be long
• These are all good places to look for jobs if you are a graduate – Gradcracker, Graduate Jobs, Milkround, Target Jobs, Prospects, Rate my Placement
• Always look on multiple sites when searching for jobs
• Always keep your CV updated and tailor it to certain jobs
• Job sites are full of useful information on things such as interview questions, Help with CV and Covering letters
• Good places to look for jobs – Job Centre, Indeed, Total Jobs, Reed, Glassdoor, CV Library, Monster, Fish 4 Jobs
• Recruitment agencies are great they do all the work for you!
• Yell.com is a good website to check out
• Cardiff Capital Region Graduate Scheme is one to keep an eye on for new and exciting opportunities

The webinar today was so insightful into how people got to where they are now in the fashion industry. All of the speakers had so many good tips and tricks and words of wisdom about never giving up and always being positive. The lecture made me feel that it is okay not to have a solid plan after university as long as i try my best and always put myself out there then in time the perfect job will find me.

Here are all the note I took from the different speakers

Aoife – Fashion and retail Personnel – Recruitment

• Portfolio is key, keep things relevant, get work experience where possible, do your research before an interview, maintain positive relations
• Interview tips – First impressions count, research the job always, know why you want to work there, use the word ‘I’ instead of ‘we’, always look at job descriptions to get clues to what they want and there values you can use this to tailor your CV and answer interview questions

Chloe Potter – Junior designer for RiverIsland

• Dont think you cant do something, always take up opportunities
• Make your CV creative and artistic to allow you to stand out from the crowd
• Keep a really strong up to date digital portfolio
• Having a website just for yourself can be useful
• Always tailor everything to the employer

Maddie Hughes – ASOS People Experience Senior Talent Recruitment

• Always apply for everything you feel interested in
• Think about what makes you unique and stand out
• ASOS values – authentic, brave, creative, and discipline. When in an interview you may get asked about these values and how can you apply them to yourself
• Try to take part in extra skilled activities or courses to build your knowledge and employability

Polly Walters – Senior Strategist at WGSN

• Be flexible, job rolls will change but that is okay, be a YES person it will look good for you and get you further if you always are up for the challenge
• Your pathway to how you get somewhere doesn’t need to be straight forward, you will get there in the end
• Don’t be afraid to change what you are doing, go with the flow and with what makes you happy
• Makes Data and numbers your best friend, balance being creative and analytical
• Be digital native it is important
• Be confident on social media it will help you get know and for people to see you
• Don’t just stick to one research base use loads of different sources and get information from a wide range of platforms
• Be curious never be afraid to ask why
• Don’t be scared to drop people a message, when doing this be personal compliment them. Find out a bit about the person before messaging them, this can work in your favour
• Treat everyone with kindness and be the best you can

Peter Boyd McGahan – Gymshark Product Marketing

• Don’t be scared for a career change, it can work out to be the best thing you have ever done
• Data is important – saying I reckon wont cut it
• Functionality – sometimes simple is the way forward
• Be creative, be yourself, do what you love, be persistent, vision is key, never give up and be passionate

I find when listening to people in the field talk about there experiences so useful to me as they have been in a position where they are unsure of what to do or how to get there. It reminds me that people in the top jobs are just people who once where like me in university not knowing exactly what they want to do or how to get there. There is a plan for you, you just don’t know it yet.

Today I attended the Social Media and LinkedIn webinar which as really helpful. The webinar showed me how to maintain a professional presence online and how to find jobs and connections.

Here are some of the useful note that i took during the webinar

• Social Media is your shop window. It is the way for the future. It is a fast and free way to connect with people on a daily basis to network and grow your brand.
• Always promote positivity
• Should always think about who knows you on social media, can your employer see your account, is it suitable for them to see, check your settings and google yourself to check what information others can find out
• What makes your stand out from the crowd and unique, does your social media platform create the right impression of you
• Know your worth, Value and Purpose
• Good places to share content online are – Instagram, Youtube, Blog, Tumblr, Pinterest, TikTok
• Good places to network online are – LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
• To get seen on social media make sure you are contributing on relevant topics and sharing content
• LinkedIn is a great platform to connect with people and find jobs. You can promote your brand/Yourself and get noticed by others easily. To get the best out of it you must use it.

After being part of this webinar it has defiantly made me think about how I need to change my profiles and be more active and present to gain more followers on Instagram. I am defiantly going to be setting up a LinkedIn profile to help me network and discover new job opportunities. I t will also help me to promote my work.