Keeping It Real with Rory Auskerry - March 2009

Competing for a job

AS the nation sinks deeper into this recession it is difficult for students not to worry about their chances of gaining employment after they graduate. I understand that for families living close to the breadline, who have suffered a cut in hours or even redundancy, the plight of students is probably not at the top of their 'worry list'. Anyone looking for a job is at a disadvantage at the moment, unless you work for a company which organises repossessions. However, I think it's worth discussing the employment issues from a student perspective.

It is likely that by the time this year's university and college graduates hit the job market, the slump in the economy will mean there just isn't enough demand for labour for everyone to gain employment. This is going to be as much a problem for media graduates like myself, as it might be for business, engineering or any other graduate.

Students who are about to graduate should be giving consideration to all options available after the umbilical cord that is student life, is finally cut. I'm planning to apply for jobs in the hope that something might come up after the summer but I'm also looking at a contingency plan in case my employment fears are proved to be right.

I'm thinking about applying to do a one-year Masters degree course here in Sunderland to increase my qualifications, and therefore to buy myself another year through this recession. I'm hoping that I will get a job offer before September but I've never been one for leaving things to chance and I like to have a backup plan. I also feel that I'd rather remain in full-time education for a year than take up a job that's not related to my long-term career aspirations.

There is a third dimension for me because our student radio station, Utopia FM, will now definitely be going live as a full-time 24/7 community station from September. If I was to come back and do a Masters I would be in a perfect position to get really involved with its development. This would be really exciting and would offer the opportunity to do a regular show and therefore build up a considerable number of 'on air hours'. I would also be able to form part of the full-time management team and consequently gain valuable experience in radio station management.

Although the employment market does not look too good at the moment, I'm hoping that when things do start to improve again companies will be taking on more new staff than they would in a normal year. If this is the case then competition would certainly be fierce. I'm certainly interested to see where things will go over the next 12 to 18 months.

As part of the preparation process for gaining employment I've been preparing my CV. As this is something I've no previous experience of, yet it's something that could gain me that all-important interview, I have been taking extra care to try and get it right. I'm fortunate that several members of my extended family have seen a great many CVs as part of their jobs and they are therefore able to offer me some very useful advice and guidance. It has surprised me how long the process has taken already, and how many conflicting suggestions exist online for how the document should be laid out. It's not an easy thing to do and I'm very glad I started on it nice and early.

A couple of weeks ago I had the interesting and somewhat nerve-wracking experience of interviewing my first lord. Lord David Puttnam was at the university along with the Olympic running medal winner, Steve Cram, to re-name the Media Centre, the building in which most of my classes take place.

Lord Puttnam was responsible for producing several notable films including Chariots of Fire, Memphis Belle and Local Hero. One of the reasons why I liked Local Hero is because I saw in it several similarities with Orkney and its people, and the characters in the film. Everyone seemed to know each other, which is a feeling I often get in Orkney, and one of the main characters had several jobs, which also happens at home. If you haven't seen the film I would definitely recommend it.

David turned out to be a very pleasant man and an easy interviewee. In fact, far more concerning than his status was the fact that I had to interview him at the front of a lecture theatre in which were seated about 30 students waiting for David to begin his talk. Luckily my fellow students resisted the urge to heckle, probably out of respect for him rather than care for my recording.

I'm sure everyone is well versed on the Jade Goodie story which is tragically unfolding before us in the media. I admit that I never cared much for her on Big Brother; however I think it's shameful that there are people who criticise her now for what she's doing. Even though she has courted the media throughout her career, to me she is showing great bravery and courage in facing the public in her deteriorating condition. The fact that she is only a few years older than I is a scary thought, and I admire the fact that she is using her last strength to ensure some kind of stable future for her young
children.

I think people who still criticise her now are showing a very cold-hearted and unpleasant side to their character. However much we dislike her or her husband, surely the public and the media should show some compassion for her children.

Hit The Beach - Tracklisting - 04/03/09

Hit The Beach – March 2009


Joe Bonamassa – Sick In Love
Alison Krauss and Robert Plant - Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)
Jeff Healey – The Weight
Chris Rea – Stainsbury Girls
ZZ Top – Tush
The Hot Melts – Edith
Skalder – Kev’s Tune
Skeewiff - Man of Constant Sorrow
Jeff Beck – Where Were You? (Live at Ronnie Scotts)
John Martyn – May You Never
The Smiths – How Soon is Now