Social Media Guru

Name

Tori Gill

Profile name

tgi MEDIA

Occupation

MD of a marketing company

Is this your own enterprise?

Yes

How many years have you been doing this job?

Three. I started in 2014 but created a limited company in November 2015. 

How did it all start?

I never wanted to have own business and didn't originally intend to start one. At the beginning I worked for various councils in their Benefit departments as well as Home and Residential care. After that I worked for a marketing company where I learned a great deal of things.  I quite like doing Social Media and marketing so decided to set up the Jobs Darlington page on Facebook.

After a while I started to manage a few friends business accounts and then decided that I wanted to go on my own. Going into the private sector was scary but I knew it was what wanted to do. So with work's permission I started to take on some private clients. I was then asked if I would like to join Darlington Football Club as Commercial Director. It was by taking on this role that I really learned how to do business. However, my passion for doing Social Media on my own was calling, so I left the safety of working for a company and set up tgi MEDIA. In the beginning I had just 8 clients. It was relentless as I was working 7pm to 12 midnight 7 days a week for 16 months just to get things off the ground.  But it grew! Within a month of going Ltd I took on my first member of staff and now, just over twelve months later I have two full time members and 35 clients. 

What does the job involve?

We manage other companies social media accounts. You name it we will manage it on their behalf. We can take over their accounts and build up their following on social media and help to increase the digital presence for companies. 

What qualifications do you need?

I don't have anything relevant to do the job. I built up a few management qualifications from the council I worked for. I also have a Diploma in design which is nothing to do with marketing. It's experience that really is the key so on the job training is the best thing you can have, The people who worked for me did their application process through Twitter and have their own Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. 

What’s the best part of the job?

Flexibility. I love being my own boss because you can do what you want when you want. It helps me work around my children and go to their concerts or other events. 

What’s the worst part of the job?

Never really getting a break. I'm always working such as doing invoices late at night. I have holidays planned but they are working holidays - have laptop will travel. One day I'd just love to go to a spa for a day and turn my phone off with no worries but it just doesn't work like that. 

What advice would you give to someone who was looking to do this as a career?

You might think the grass is greener having your own business but it's very hard work so expect to have nothing to start off with. It takes months to build up relationships but it can be very rewarding too. 

About the interviewer:

David Walker spent over thirty years working as a technician with the Theatre, Film and TV industry before deciding to change career and move into journalism. He studied with the BCJ and received his Diploma in 2016. Now he works freelance covering online, print and radio broadcast. His specialist areas are Motorsport, Travel, The Arts and the Mars One Project, although he is never afraid to try anything new and relishes a challenge wherever possible.

To contact David please email davidwalkerfj@gmail.com

Click here for David’s LinkedIn profile.

Click here if you want to take part in this blog.

Calling all Cool People

In the world there are several Accountants, Teachers and Nurses but what about someone who’s a Sports lawyer, Aircraft re-fueller or Audiologist?

The purpose of this blog is to interview those who have chosen to take a career path different to the norm and tell their story.

We want to know what it’s like to do the role, what qualifications are required and why you've chosen to do it. The aim of the blog is to inspire future generations that you can be whoever you want to be as well as to provide an interesting and entertaining article for the reader.

So if you have an unusual job and you want to tell the world about what you do, maybe you have some good advice, or maybe you just want to inspire others then email here and we'll get back to you to arrange an interview.

In the meantime, click on the links below to see the latest cool kids on the block.

Peter Lythgoe

A man with his finger on the button

Brett Tapping

Lights, Camera, Action

  Krystyna O'Brien

  Queen of the Airwaves

Tori Gill

Social Media Guru

   John Rose

   The world through a lens

                                                                 

Paul Scully MP

In the Corridors of Power

Judith Jacob

Get up and Dance

Jonathan Wills

The Roar of the Engine

Sandra Palmer - Snellin

Down on the Farm

Emily Guilding

A Real High Flyer

Lucy Duffy
Helping others where they need it

David Wayman
Actor and Voice over Artist

Jimmy Cricket
Comedian

Gerald Ford

 Living the High Life 

About the Interviewer:

David Walker spent over thirty years working as a technician with the Theatre, Film and TV industry before deciding to change career and move into journalism. He studied with the BCJ and received his Diploma in 2016. Now he works freelance covering online, print and radio broadcast. His specialist areas are Motorsport, Travel, The Arts and the Mars One Project, although he is never afraid to try anything new and relishes a challenge wherever possible.

To contact David please email davidwalkerfj@gmail.com 
LinkedIn profile information Click here



Please note - no payment will be made for any interviews undertaken. Welcome to the Interview is designed to be a light-hearted topic to show others about a job that someone does. Nothing more, nothing less. If you take part in this blog you are agreeing to have your name and photograph on display as part of the World Wide Web but all other personal contact details will not be disclosed.

Queen of the Airwaves

Name

Krystyna O'Brien

Profile name

Krys O'Brien

Occupation

Writer, Radio Presenter and Actress

Is this your own enterprise?

Yes

How many years have you been doing this job?

Radio Presenting since 2007

How did it all start?

I started acting when I was in school - I played Alice in Alice Through the Looking Glass when I was 7. At the age of 14 I got my first professional job at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where I played the part of a girl called Anne. The production was called Final Wave by Stephen Bill and starred the actor Gordon Kaye, who's most famous for playing the hapless French cafe owner in 'Allo 'Allo. Whilst at school I was invited in to Sheffield Radio to talk about Shakespeare and loved doing it.

In 1984 I was awarded a full scholarship by the Polish Government to study Polish at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, for a year. I then returned home to do my four year BA (Hons) degree in Polish studies at SSEES, University of London. In 2007 I attended an interview on Meridian FM about my acting career. They got me to do a weather reading, after which I was asked to co-present a show.  My own shows followed after this and I became the station’s ‘Rock Chic’!  I've also done some Hospital Radio, joined Uckfield FM in 2013, who I'm still with, and then became a Traffic and Travel Presenter for Radio Jackie in 2016.

What does the job involve?

You need to be good at doing research as you have to be able to find material that is current and relevant to the days you are on air. Local newspapers are always a good source for this as they can cover all kinds of subjects for you to talk about. The playlist is done by the station manager so I don't need to worry about selecting tracks for my shows, unless I do an evening’s ’Specialist Show'. Depending on what shift I'm doing, there may be competitions to do, guests to interview - either live in the studio or via the phone - or on location during an outside broadcast.  There are also vox pops to record and features to create and edit. Alternatively I could be doing simple “infills” or “links" between songs. No two days are ever the same.  I also write, record, act in and sound edit radio plays. These are hard work but great fun creatively.

What qualifications do you need?

Although I have a BA Hons in Polish Studies it's not the academic side that's important in a job like this, although you do have to be technically competent to work the equipment. As long as you have a good personality, are able to present well and can “wing it" then you are fine. However, punctuality is a must so you do need to be self disciplined.

What’s the best part of the job?

Communicating with people. Knowing that you are someone's friend. Being kept on your toes and one step ahead of yourself, and of course the music! 

What’s the worst part of the job?

Getting up at 4am to do a breakfast show starting at 6am. Especially on winter mornings. And encountering huge egos, which seem to go with the territory.

What advice would you give to someone who was looking to do this as a career?

Find a local community radio station or Hospital Radio and see if they will take you on. In most cases you will be working on a voluntary basis so be prepared not to receive any income straight away. Make demos of yourself and send them out to stations. Another good place to start is on Student Radio at University. I love doing this job especially as it can give you a huge buzz which makes you forget all your problems when you are in the zone. If you are having a bad day when you go into the studio, you can end up going home a different person.

About the interviewer:

David Walker spent over thirty years working as a technician with the Theatre, Film and TV industry before deciding to change career and move into journalism. He studied with the BCJ and received his Diploma in 2016. Now he works freelance covering online, print and radio broadcast. His specialist areas are Motorsport, Travel, The Arts and the Mars One Project, although he is never afraid to try anything new and relishes a challenge wherever possible.

To contact David please email: davidwalkerfj@gmail.com 

Click here for David's LinkedIn profile. 

Click here if you want to be part of this blog

Lights, Camera, Action

Name

Brett Tapping

Profile name

On Stage Solutions

Occupation

Theatre equipment specialist Company Director

Is this your own enterprise?

Yes

How many years have you been doing this job?

  

Six

How did it all start?

I was working as a project manager in the same industry when the company I worked for went bankrupt. My colleague and I decided to finish the current job to ensure the client had what they needed and so I thought about carrying on my own. If other people can do this then, why can’t I?

What does the job involve?

  

The day to day running of the business covers a multitude of tasks including financial, health and safety, clerical, marketing / sales, installations and customer training. And making tea.

What qualifications do you need?

You need to have your basic English and Maths to ensure that you can communicate well with your clients plus making sure your quotations are accurate. More importantly however is you need to ensure that your invoices are right. In this industry, it helps if you have rigging and electrical design / installation certifications as they are a great advantage in this role.

What’s the best part of the job?

Working for myself. I get a real sense of satisfaction of seeing a project through from the initial design concept right through to the finish. I recently worked on installing the lighting equipment for a brand-new TV Studio in Central London which was a lot of hard work but looked great when we had finished.

Some of the jobs I do brings a focal point to the community. This can help people to enrich their experience with new facilities, which I also enjoy.

What’s the worst part of the job?

Working for myself – it’s a double-edged sword.

What advice would you give to someone who was looking to do this as a career?

It’s not just a 9 - 5 job. It can be very rewarding but you are not likely to get rich quick and at times it can be very frustrating and hard work.

About the interviewer:

David Walker spent over thirty years working as a technician with the Theatre, Film and TV industry before deciding to change career and move into journalism. He studied with the BCJ and received his Diploma in 2016. Now he works freelance covering online, print and radio broadcast. His specialist areas are Motorsport, Travel, The Arts and the Mars One Project, although he is never afraid to try anything new and relishes a challenge wherever possible.

To contact David please email davidwalkerfj@gmail.com

LinkedIn profile information Click here

Click here if you want to be a part of this blog

A man with his finger on the button

Name

Peter Lythgoe

Profile name

Zzipp Media

Occupation

Creative Producer

Is this your own enterprise?

Yes

How many years have you been doing this job?

Ten years

How did it all start?

It all started at school when I was around 15 years old. We got hold of an old Super 8 Camera and made a Sherlock Holmes movie in the classroom. After that we then made another film Escape from Colditz and utilised the School tennis courts as a prison camp. I really got hold of the bug and knew that I wanted to go into media so contacted a local newspaper and offered to write for them about where I live. They took me up on this and I did that for a while. After that I decided to go for it on my own and create community based podcasts and interviews.

What does the job involve?

Interviewing members of the local community and talking about their events. Putting together Podcasts and You Tube videos.

What qualifications do you need?

None. I had to learn how to use the software and taught myself so if I can do it then so can anyone.

What’s the best part of the job?

Reaching out to a wider audience. It’s mainly a community based project which started off in Dorset. I now have over 10,000 followers and receive messages from all over the world. I love helping others and recently assisted someone in making a Podcast for them as they didn’t know how to do it. You never know where it takes you as I even once had to do voice readings of Darth Vader and Robot ZX3. To listen to one of my recordings click here.

What’s the worst part of the job?

It takes up a lot of time to get everything together, particularly in the early stages. You could even say it’s quite a slog but once you get yourself up to speed with it all such as learning the software then it does get easier. And quicker.

What advice would you give to someone who was looking to do this as a career?

Do it! The internet offers great freedom to have your own say, your own voice and be seen to do it. It doesn’t pay that well but there are ways of making money from this. I love doing this and it gives me pleasure. I still get excited even after ten years when I get someone new following me. It’s a great feeling.

About the interviewer:

David Walker spent over thirty years working as a technician with the Theatre, Film and TV industry before deciding to change career and move into journalism. He studied with the BCJ and received his Diploma in 2016. Now he works freelance covering online, print and radio broadcast. His specialist areas are Motorsport, Travel, The Arts and the Mars One Project, although he is never afraid to try anything new and relishes a challenge wherever possible.

To contact David please email: davidwalkerfj@gmail.com 

LinkedIn profile Click here

Click here if you want to be part of this blog.