Task 1a - Professional Profile

After reading through the documents on Reader 1.0 and the Module 1 Handbook I thought I would try to begin the first task of the module. I have been scowering  through quite a lot of fellow students' blogs who are on Module 2 and 3 and looking at their very first few posts in regards to the module. I wanted to see how fellow peers had approached Task 1a and found a variety of different ways in which different people had adapted their CV's into a professional profile. Some people have incorporated images of their actual CVs into their blog posts whilst others have made the professional profile more personal and incorporated more of their life into it. I found being able to use the blogs a great resource to visually see how others had adapted their CVs into the professional profile and it has really helped me personally to decide how I would start the module.

After taking time to look at both of my CVs I have found that my working CV for a regular job is worlds apart from the CV I used when training at performing arts college. A regular CV should incorporate all your skills,  achievements and personality qualities that would make you an attribute to whichever job you are applying for; whereas the CV I used when going to auditions whilst still at college lists a completely different set of skills. It incorporates what accents I can do strongly, all the dance genres I am trained in, and all the performance experience I had already obtained before and whilst being at college. I found trying to change a CV into a professional profile quite taxing due to the layout of my CV originally. Even though the CV I have includes all the information it needs to there is nothing about me personally included in either of my CV's, both work and performance. I had to bullet point the elements of my performance CV that I wanted to include in my professional profile. Which I would then turn into a more descriptive, personal and in-depth post that is more enjoyable, and hopefully interesting for others to read. I also opted with my professional profile to go for a more personal take, as I feel it's easier to express myself by giving a bit of background about how I began in the arts in the first place. I feel this is relevant as if I hadn't of pursued a career in dance I would genuinely not be here studying the course I am now, and furthering my education to lead me onto a new chapter. I am very excited to be furthering my studies and I am enjoying this new way of learning with Web 2.0 sites featuring heavily throughout the course, as I use the internet heavily on a day to day basis and really enjoy learning that way. 

Task 1a - Professional Profile

My name is Shona Beggs, i'm twenty two years old and I originate from Cheshire. I began dancing at the age of three when I asked my mum whilst on a family holiday to take me to ballet classes. Nineteen years later and every element of performance is still a huge part of life. I trained from the age of three until I was ten at the Olwen Grounds School of dance in Widnes. It was then that my love for ballet and performing really took a grasp of me and I knew it was more than just a hobby. I wanted more ballet classes to improve my technique, and more intense training as I had decided I wanted to further my career and become a professional dancer. I moved to Elliott Clarke Theatre School at the age of eleven where I trained most nights after school and loved every minute of it. I joined the Cechetti ballet associate programme; where I met some amazingly diverse teachers who improved my technique in ballet and contemporary dance, in more ways than I thought was possible.  At the age of sixteen I gained a full scholarship to Bird College in London and moved away from home for three years to study professional musical theatre.

Whilst my training at college was very tough and very disciplined, I wouldn't have changed my time there. I had some amazing experiences including representing the college at the MOVE IT festival, performing each July in our end of year shows at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford and performing on the one show for BBC. I found my third year at college very taxing and as a result of this I decided I wanted a break from anything to do with performance once I had graduated. I graduated in July 2013 with a higher national diploma level 6 and for a while after graduating I was stuck with trying to decide my next move, and what I wanted to do. As dancing had always been such a huge part of my childhood and growing up, it was very difficult to try and find out what else I could be as passionate about, and would want to do as an alternative career that I would enjoy. Dance had always given me strong discipline, confidence and something to put all of my focus and energy into. I still love dance and performance and it will always be a huge part of life. 

I obtained a job shortly after graduating and began working in financial services as I wanted to support myself after being so independent and living away for three years. It was a big adjustment to move back home again and I have been working in financial services for the past year and a half. This has given me great customer service skills, working as part of a team, handling accounts, dealing with data and different computer systems that I had never even heard of previously. I do now have a wider knowledge and understanding of the use of finance. My nineteen year old self, prior to this job role, didn't even know what credit or finance was; working in finance has helped me with my understanding towards it and will help me in future situations in life.

I am now hoping to go into teaching once I have completed my BAPP course at Middlesex University, as I have a passion to share my knowledge, experiences and hopefully be able to help others learn and progress.  I would love to hear any comments underneath about the blog post.