A Real High Flyer

Photo credit: 
www.neo-falcon.ch

Name

Emily Guilding

Profile name

Aerosuperbatics

Occupation

Wingwalker

Is this your own enterprise?

No, the company is owned by Vic Norman who's been doing this for 30 years. 

How many years have you been doing this job?

I'm now going into my fourth year

How did it all start?

My sister joined the team 6 or 7 years ago and I was amazed with what she did. She joked that I would never have the guts to do it. So I applied and got the job. 

What does the job involve?

On a show day we go to the air show and do press activities, meet the organisers and other participants. We then take some time to do all of the advance preparation we need and then do the display which takes just under 20 minutes. After that we then go and meet the crowds and chat with the children. Some people like us to sign their programs or have a picture taken with us. 

What qualifications do you need?

You don't need to have any official academic qualifications but you do need to have a gym or dance background. Doing wingwalking requires lots of upper body strength as the display is very physically demanding on your body. When you are up there you are travelling at 150mph so core strength and neck strength are also required. It helps if you are a small person as that assists the pilots to make good tight manoeuvres. You also need to have good balance, be level headed and safety conscious as a lot of training goes into place before you can go and do a display. And of course you need to be bubbly and friendly so you can talk easily to people and in front of cameras. 

What’s the best part of the job?

Getting to travel and see new places from a unique perspective as you fly across various different cities. Since doing this job we've done displays in China, Japan, Dubai and Europe and it's awesome. 

What’s the worst part of the job?

The Great British weather. Flying in the rain is an awful experience, the pain is terrible but that wasn't as bad as a hail storm we had in Ireland. As I said, when you are travelling at 150mph and you are hit from all angles with the hail it was horrible. The weather was fine when we took off but it started when we were half way through the routine so we decided to carry on. 


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

Get involved in lots of sport, especially gymnastic and dance. Keep an eye out on the website www.aerosuperbatics.com and follow our social media on twitter and Instagram pages. We accept applications from all over the world so you don't just have to come from England to be a wingwalker with us.

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.

Down on the Farm

Name

Sandra Palmer - Snellin

Profile name

Farmer Palmers Farm Park Ltd

Occupation

Director

Is this your own enterprise?

Its a family run business

How many years have you been doing this job?

Since January 1998

How did it all start?

My Dad and brother came up with the idea of a visitor attraction in the kitchen one day as a way of keeping the family farm stable for the future. 

What does the job involve?

The learning curve was huge when I first started. I did a small job in advertising at the age of 18 which is now one of the favourite parts of my job  My brother Phillip and I work intuitively well together but he is not a fan of the paperwork so I do all of that with my team. I've had to learn how to do everything from  setting up a shop, right through to Accounts, Marketing, running the Restaurant, health and safety, legal, planning and all HR related matters. We are still a farm and we work with DEFRA with all the animals and movement licences. It's a very long list that never seems to end. We grew from humble beginnings to a family brand in Dorset.

What qualifications do you need?

You don't always need academic qualifications, but they definitely help. The first and foremost thing you need is confidence and Life skills People learn by experience, however, you do have to have a good personality which is a real must Good customer service skills will enable you to engage with everyone around you. Running a business is so diverse so you really need to wear a lot of different hats ranging from legislation through to project management. As things grow you can then delegate which does make things easier.

What’s the best part of the job?

Being able to have the flexibility to do many different jobs within the business is what I see as important. I love to see the smiles on children's faces and know that we are helping to create great memories to both parents and children alike. Children are so dynamic and I enjoy that Farmer Palmers is part of their growing milestones as they go on in life e.g. such as saying tractor for the first time or learning how to walk. It's an awesome feeling inside. 

What’s the worst part of the job?

My lack of work / life balance. Because I do so many jobs at once I'm always on the go and trying to think of ways to help push and promote the business. I think most business owners struggle to switch off and try to give everything. I need to improve my delegation skills.

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

Get involved with as many things as possible to get different life and social skills. Make sure you are comfortable and able to interact with the public. If you are happy in what you are doing you will be very good at it. 

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.

The Roar of the Engine

Name

Jonathan Wills

Profile name

Cotswold Classic Car Restorations

Occupation

Classic car restorer

Is this your own enterprise?

Yes

How many years have you been doing this job?

First started restoring cars in 1994 which makes it 23 now.

How did it all start?

I was working on a farm and accidentally wrote off an MG Metro on a Devonshire lane. I re shelled and rebuilt it which I quite enjoyed doing although I've always been interested in racing and Motorsport. I went to a local body shop to get the car resprayed and at the same time asked if they had any jobs going - which they did. So I ended up working at a body shop / restoration place in Taverstock, Devon which is where I started to learn my craft. 

What does the job involve?

At CCC we are a fairly sizeable business so I now do more of a managerial role rather than the vehicle restoration. This involves a great deal of liaison work between staff, clients and Suppliers. You have to ensure that you get the right person to do the right job as staff are very particular to specific roles. For example, you can't have an electrician painting the bodywork.

What qualifications do you need?

Actual academic qualifications kind of take a secondary place. You have to be very good at organisational skills and be a very good people person. The ability to encourage and get the best out of people is a skill worth having and be good at delegation. 

What’s the best part of the job?

I love seeing the completion of a project after having done what the client has asked. You can get a real satisfaction of a job well done. I also enjoy overcoming some of the problems you get and of course I love the cars. You have to be really careful as some of these are incredibly expensive. 

What’s the worst part of the job?

Sometimes a supplier will want to charge a lot of money for an item, which a client may not understand why a particular job can cost so much. You then have to explain the reasons and ensure that the client is kept happy. When you are running your own business you have to deal with all the aspects that come with it, such as handling clients through to time management, legalities and costings. This can get to be quite stressful.

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

A person needs to think about what they enjoy doing with their life. Decide what standard of living they want and are happy with. Are they energised by creating an entity they can call their own, or do they want life to pass them by? Or are they prepared to sacrifice all things to keep going? Think carefully as to what gives you pleasure and organise it.

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.

Get up and Dance

                           Photo credit: Tony Atill


Name

Judith Jacob

Profile name

Judith Jacob

Occupation

Actress and Fitness Instructor

Is this your own enterprise?

Yes - I work freelance as an Instructor and have several different venues that I work at. 

How many years have you been doing this job?

Longer than I realise, probably over ten years. Maybe twelve or thirteen.

How did it all start?

I've always trained and done martial art / keep fit. A friend suggested I do a course at college so I did. I enjoyed doing it so I did another. I never really intended to set out and go and teach others but because it was something I enjoyed I ended up doing quite a few courses which eventually led me to teaching.

What does the job involve?

You have to work with a person to gain the maximum amount of benefit for them. Because everyone is different I usually work closely with them to find their strengths and weaknesses so as to help them achieve their goal. If a person has an injury then this can change the dynamics slightly but you can usually work on various aspects of their body, so that they can keep fit whilst at the same time not aggravate the injury. I also run Spin classes, Boxing and High Intensity Training (HIT). In addition I help people do Body Weight Training which is where a person gets to the stage where they are able to lift up their own body weight.

What qualifications do you need?

Things have changed since I started. There's a whole variety of different courses you can attend where you would normally do 3-4 things in one go. There's no single course that will cover everything as different educational establishments do different things. But it's definitely a good idea to get more than one course under your belt. It's not just a case of doing fitness as you need to know about nutrition too. I did that part at Morley College. 

What’s the best part of the job?

I like to see someone who is determined at the beginning of their fitness trial with me and watch their transformation as time progresses. It's also amazing watching someone who think they can't do something and teaching them how to achieve something. It's usually the women more than the men who say this such as being unable to do a press up. I show them how to do it and they usually shock themselves when they give it a go. This happens quite a lot. 

What’s the worst part of the job?

Every day you are somewhere else. Knowing what you are doing on a particular given day and focusing on what you are doing can sometimes be a little confusing. 

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

Get as many qualifications as possible. You have to have a passion for fitness otherwise you will leave, especially when your body says no more. Be prepared to carry on breaking the barrier and you will love the outcome. 

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.

The world through a lens

Name

John Rose

Profile name

John Rose Photography Ltd

Occupation

Commercial Photographer / Photo Journalist

Is this your own enterprise?

Yes

How many years have you been doing this job?

11

How did it all start?

I'm actually a qualified Groundsman and worked in schools for 25 years prior to starting my own company. I did photography as a hobby which included the schools that I worked at.

In 2007 I was asked to do a friends wedding, which is where the commercial spark was lit and now I do it full time as my job. 

What does the job involve?

On a commercial basis I shoot everything from client headshots to products, events and promotional images for large corporate companies and small businesses.

My photo journalist role involves getting a request from a newspaper or magazine such as Salisbury Journal or Salisbury Life to cover an event. This role means I cover Salisbury FC home games for the sport pages in the paper, plus I get to cover a lot of Wiltshire's social events. 

What qualifications do you need?

None sadly - you can go and buy a camera, set yourself up and call yourself a photographer. That is one of the main problems. However I am qualified and continue to train with some of the top photographers. I also have a photographic and business mentor.

The technical side can, and should be learnt before considering it as a career; however getting a person to relax and creating a rapport with them in just a few seconds is a skill that cant be taught.

What’s the best part of the job?

Being able to do something I love doing and the freedom that it offers. 

What’s the worst part of the job?

The business part of running your own business. I'm a photographer, my passion is to take pictures.

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

Learn the technical side and don't just think you can do it because a couple of friends have said you take good pictures. A good photographer needs to be able handle every situation. Digital cameras, although good, cannot do this, only knowledge of light and camera skill can.

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.