Module One Skype Session
Monday 9th October 2017

On Monday I joined in the 12:30pm skype session with Adesola, Arghierenia, Kerry and Nicole to talk through how we were coping with module one, managing a work based course and any issues we had. I found the session very enlightening on some topics, so I thought I would share some key points with anyone who missed the session or wanted to know what we discussed.  

At the start of the session I explained to Adesola that I was struggling a bit at the moment with adapting to graduate life and figuring out how best to juggle my life now I am out of an education system where we waited to be guided in how to do things, Nicole and Arghierenia later shared how they were finding graduate life, which was comforting but also interesting to hear how they were adapting too. I explained to Adesola that my agent had been giving me things to do i.e. getting new headshots, creating show-reels, learning to drive, getting out to more classes and so on and I was struggling to balance these with working and doing the course. Adesola pointed out that these ideas my agent had given me to look at were actually part of the course too, as they were all factors that were improving my "position" to future employers. 

Adesola explained that there are three main lens that make up the first module:

•  Communication - how you're being seen by other people (employers, industry members and the general public), it can also be called "positioning yourself", meaning how you are presenting yourself and how you're best presenting yourself.
• Reflection - the ways in which you can reflect and look at things but also how you can continue to keep on doing that on something you've already thought about after gaining further experience.
• Networking - how you see yourself connecting with the world.

After thinking about these lens and discussing with the group we found that we had already been doing these things. For example, I had been growing and improving my communication with future employers by informing them of the kind of person I am e.g. by doing things like getting a DBS check I am showing that I am a forward thinking person who realises that he might be working with vulnerable people or children. Additionally by making new show-reels I am communicating and demonstrating by abilities clearer to an employer. All of these things are teaching me how to proactively change my position independently, so that if my casting changes or I decide to go on another path I know how to start from square one and build a better position from which to work from.

We found that Arghierenia had been working on her networking lens by thinking about 'modesty' and how she might be letting her perception of modesty hold her back from being 'generous' to employers and letting them know of her potential, meaning they won't have to look longer when casting. 

Adesola also explained more on reflection in an inclusive term for the whole of Module one, explaining that we will constantly find ourselves going back to edit again, as when we learn more about things we will want to change what we've already done, meaning that we can't think about starting writing the 'big essay' until we allow ourselves that time to grow. 

So here is to allowing myself time to grow and make mistakes I can edit later!

Matthew x

Quote of Adesola - 9/10/17 in a skype session