Rebecca Bench
221 Elm Grove, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 3EL Telephone: 07786068637. Email: [email protected]
PROFILE I am currently working towards my Media degree at The University of Brighton and I am interested in a placement in the journalism sector, particularly in newspaper journalism. I have good IT skills and enjoy being creative, having made a music video using final cut pro which was displayed in Somerset House. I have experience working in a team through my time as a catering assistant with Whipsnade Zoo, and have been developing my teamwork and leadership skills further as a unit Leader in Girlguiding. This is building on the experience I gained helping lead the cleaning team at Luton Sixth Form College. I also have experience working with the public, particularly through my retail assistant positions and my work as a volunteer with ActionAid. I believe that these skills will be helpful when gaining connections in the industry, and will make me a valuable addition to a journalism team. The positions I have held have also given me good organisational and time management skills which enable me to meet deadlines and work under pressure. I have chosen to write a blog as I am interested in politics and ethical issues and I want to voice my opinions on the subjects I feel are most important to me. I’ve also been using it to further develop my writing skills. https://ihavebeentoldthat.wordpress.com/ https://www.dropbox.com/s/06w44lwit4uo7id/Friday%20I'm%20in%20love%20music%20video.wmv?dl=0
EDUCATION 2014 – Present: University of Brighton Media Studies BA (Hons)Critical Approaches to Media (A-‐) Media and Popular Culture (B+) Producing and Consuming Social Media (B)
Understanding Television (A-‐) Film, Language and History (B+) Media, Culture and Change (B+)
2012 – 2014: Luton Sixth Form College A Levels Media Studies B English Literature C Philosophy C 2009 – 2012: Manshead Upper School GCSEs 11 GCSEs grades A-‐C including Maths and English
WORK EXPERIENCE Oct 2015 – Present Leader Girlguiding I am currently volunteering with the 3rd Brighton Rainbow’s Unit. This involves leading and caring for a group of girls and working with the larger GirlGuiding organisation, as well as managing my unit’s finances. This has improved my skills in communication both with my co-‐workers and clients, as well as their children. I’ve also become more organised and have been developing my leadership and administration skills. I will also be receiving first aid training. July 2015 Festival Volunteer ActionAid As a volunteer at Latitude Festival, my duties included selling merchandise to festival goers, promoting DJ sets, resetting the tent and using RFID to sign festival goers up to the cause. I gained skills in communication through promoting the #RebuildNepal campaign, as well as skills working as a team. I also gained a greater understanding of the impact of social media being used to promote charities.
June 2015 Ticket Gate/Box Office Rhythms of the World Festival As a volunteer at Rhythms of the World festival, my duties included handling money, allocating tickets and providing guidance to the public. This improved my skills in customer service and communication within a busy environment, and developed my ability to work quickly and accurately.
EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE May 2015 – Present Sales Assistant University of Brighton Student’s Union As a sales assistant with the Student's Union I have spent a lot of my time interacting with the public and handling sales as part of a small team. The shop raises money for the SU and as a visible member of the SU team I promote the SU’s campaigns, which has given me the skills to communicate confidently to the customers I serve about charitable causes and develop my abilities as a brand representative. June 2015 – Sept 2015 Catering Assistant ZSL Whipsnade Zoo As a catering assistant I worked up to five days a week including weekends and evenings in a fast paced environment, alternating between the restaurant and cafes. I gained skills in working in a busy environment which taught me to prioritise more effectively and showed me I could work well under pressure. I was punctual and never missed a day of work. I also learnt how to deal with difficult customers whilst remaining polite and friendly which I feel are positive skills to have. Aug 2013 – Sept 2014 Cleaner Luton Sixth Form College As an Internal Cleaner my duties included cleaning the college for everyday use and additionally laying out the rooms for Parents' Evenings and Open Evenings; working to health and safety standards and working as part of a team to meet demands in a short time frame. I was occasionally given the responsibility of supervising a small team of co-‐workers and liaising with external contractors. This role has enabled me to develop my skills in time management and punctuality, as well as my competence at both leading and being part of a team.
IT AND TECHNICAL SKILLS • Competent in using Microsoft applications including Word, Excel and Power Point. • Familiar in the use of Adobe, including Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere and Dreamweaver • Familiar in the use of Apple’s Final Cut Pro
ACHIEVEMENTS & INTERESTS I have been part of Girlguiding UK since 2003, both as a Brownie and a Guide and have volunteered as a Young Leader since October 2009. The organisation has made me much more confident and as a result I have become a leader of a group with more responsibilities and qualifications. From November 2011 -‐ May 2012 I attended the National Art and Design Saturday Club at Dunstable College which led to my work being displayed in Somerset House. The course taught me skills in photography, design and video production. I enjoy photography and still mai§ntain it as a regular hobby. I won an award for Best Music Video at school and run a media and politics focused blog in my spare time. I'm a vegetarian and love cooking, and like helping out with small local charities when I can, such as my local soup kitchen. I regularly attend the cinema and music concerts and I also enjoy musical theatre. I have been to see Television shows being recorded and I enjoy live comedy. I am a creative person and have been learning new crafts including Decopatch and polymer clay modelling, and have been making progress on speaking German as a second language.
REFEREES Academic: Theodore Koulouris, Lecturer, University of Brighton, Watts Building, Lewes Road, Brighton,
BN2 4GJ, [email protected] Work: Daniel O’Dea, Student’s Union Moulsecoomb Shops, University of Brighton Student’s Union,
University of Brighton, Cockroft Building, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 4GT