A Day At 4Talent

I had applied to take part in the upcoming 4Talent Day which finally came to London. I’d filled out my application with little hope of getting through this time as I was rejected previously but I took my chances and applied and luckily got in this year. April 4th marked in my calendar.

Yesterday, I got on tube and headed to Ravensborne College in the early morning on my day off – yes, on my day off and arrived at Channel 4’s 4Talent. Luckily it wasn't far from where I lived so I though sure why not have an extra 30 minutes of relaxation before I leave. Big Mistake.

The aim of a 4Talent Day is to inspire young people by holding workshops included presenting, digital media, production ect and industries talks designed to support those from over 16 and different backgrounds who want to get into the creative industries, giving attendees a possible starting point to get into the media.

The email said ‘starting time is 8:30’ but what it should of really said was ‘get there as early as possible so all the good workshops don’t get taken’. So silly me I get there 8:30 sharp and the crowd at the registration desk was crazy over 200 attendees. I’ve always been interested in Journalism and Presenting so of course those were my desired workshops. FULL. Both of them?  Yes. 

Despite this set back I choose one that was available ‘How To Get Your Foot In The Door’ and surprisingly it was much better than I expected. We were taught by Beverly Hills, yes that was her name, she was amazing and such a joy to be around. She’s an actress and psychotherapist that has worked on many shows such as Story time on Cbeebies and Holby City gave us all a lot of advice, and made me realise how crap my CV and Cover Letter was. I also met other incredible people whom also wanted to be in other workshops but at the end really pleased that they came to that one. Luckily we had the opportunity at the end of the day to have a Q&A with all the other media industries professional that answered every question I wanted an answer to. Speakers included Aaron Carty and Darrel Eve Co-Founders of Carve Production, Film Director Rad Miller, Ushine IshineYouth Mentor Effy Ezekiel (really knows how to pump up a crowd!) and more. 

I would highly recommend a 4Talent Day to anyone who is creative. The day was really motivating and inspiring. I learned a lot such as the different areas of the media industry that are accessible and so much to offer, additionally I met great people that I hope to stay in touch with in the long run. 

A big adventure awaits and I’m going to 110% prepared!

Life Of A Press Assistant Intern

I was lucky enough to be doing an internship for the well respected Nicole Farhi. Assisting the Press team at their St George Street location, having finished  helping with their upcoming presentation for their A/W collection for London Fashion Week, they have pleasantly asked me to also assist backstage of their collection on February 26th as a dresser, which I'm more than grateful for. 

With what I have learnt already, being able to be apart of London Fashion Week first hand is a great opportunity for networking as well as, a strop closer to my goal. Here are my tips and general lessons so far..

Green tea, skinny latte, americano, black coffee  sugar quality ect. If Starbucks and Pret A Manger are not your go to's by the end of the internship then your not very lucky. I mean who doesn't want to run back and forth with a bag of sandwich on the shoulder, four coffees in one hand and an umbrella in the other, with the lovely English weather trying to knock you off your feet or teach your umbrella how to fly. Wonderful right?

Any intern will know one of your roles will including running back and fourths  Although it's not one of the most thrilling jobs it must be done. The week before a and during Fashion Week will be an extremely hectic time and if running up then down then around the corner makes it easier for the professionals to get their jobs done then so be it. It's amazing how a caffeine boost can a difference. So be prepared to run a few errands.

SAVE THOSE POUNDS.

It has been scientifically and psychologically proven that money doesn't grow on tree. When interning it can be exciting to check out the local cafés and stores that you've never seen. I shall not tell a lie, I spent exactly £35.20 in TWO DAYS on food and travel (and a new umbrella) which may not be that much for some, but for regularly broke people like myself, finances are difficult in London. Cutting back would of saved me more money and less calorie intake. In most Press Offices or any place your interning, I guarantee they'll be a kitchen and at Nichole Farhi they were more than happy for me to use it so if I had no time to make a quick cuppa at home, I was lucky enough to have every tea you can think of in their kitchen. So saving can help a lot. 

Like I mentioned on my twitter ( @Lonchanty )  I bruised my feet. If you take anything from these tips, please take this one. WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES! No, not stilettos. No, not wedges. And no, preferably not the latest shoes your bought. Boots were my best friend during my internship. Comfy, casual and fashionable. By wearing shoes that are easy to walk and RUN in, you'll save yourself much more time and embarrassment - in case of tripping, because you'll be moving a lot and quite honestly I enjoyed it. I got my daily exercise and got to walk past different places in the building overseeing the variety of professions in one company including press, wholesale, photographers, models ect. 

Noting down everything that happened in your day including names, locations, tasks ect. This is especially helpful for the next day, in case there's something you have to do again or there's a name you can't remember. Noting down a few things on your train journey can't hurt.

The worst thing about forgetting something, is forgetting it at the wrong time, for example an email address that you get told to remember and when the mad moments kick in when you get rushed to do something else replacing that email address from your short term memory, jotting it down before you do something else will be a world of difference. Not just for you but for the team your interning for.

You can never go wrong with a smile and asking questions. At the end of the day, if your struggling to do a task or the printer is not being your best friend, smile through it because it's not by force to be there. I always say that despite being chosen to assist you can always be replaced. Additionally, asking questions to make sure your doing the right thing, saves you from obviously doing the wrong thing. One of my biggest regrets was not asking enough questions, I was in a room of people who are doing jobs that I want to get involved in and I didn't ask enough questions - maybe due to them being extremely busy. You don't want to harass them with questions but a few here and there will give you some insight. Worthwhile. 

Showing you are keen and interested is important, always be alert because fashion professionals are too busy for people who aren't. I hope this helps anyone looking or currently in an internship.

Good luck!