Phone conversation with Joanna....

Last night I had an interesting phone conversation with Joanna. I had contacted her to ask her for a short phone interview as it was advised that I should also interview someone from the BAPP course to obtain a different perspective on my topic.

I chose to ask Joanna because I know that she is undergoing career transition and attempting to break into the television industry. We discussed how she has found the transition so far and her reason for wanting to go into television.

One of the most interesting responses that came up was her answer to the question ‘Do you feel this BAPP course has helped your transition?’ (Less, 2011) She replied ‘There are elements which have been helpful...it has opened my eyes to more possibilities, given me more drive, taught me skills such as networking and taught me not to become complacent in my career’ (Adeyinka, 2011). This was particularly interesting for my inquiry as I have been looking into the importance of education and qualifications in making a smooth transition. Everything points towards the same thinking....that new skills, qualifications and specialist knowledge are one of the most important things when attempting transition.  Joanna has again backed up this theory by talking of the benefits of increased knowledge.

Also, an interesting area we discussed was when talking about the skills necessary to be a good television presenter. Joanna states ‘It is a skill to be genuinely interested in what you’re presenting on...if you’re not interested in it then get interested in it, learn about it.’ (Adeyinka, 2011) This is another thing which has come up repeatedly during my inquiry from all sources. I have found that if you specialise in a particular area or have expert knowledge then use it. If not the advice has been to learn about things in depth, so you are not just saying words someone else has written but you are actually adding to the program. Joanna suggested this is one of the most important things needed for a presenter to be genuine and likeable. She was again able to reinforce viewpoints gained from other sources and also provide a perspective from inside the course.

Overall, it was really useful to talk to Joanna on the phone and she has now helped to inform my inquiry. Her viewpoint is helpful as she is directly involved in career transition so it was interesting to hear of her experiences so far. Many thanks to Joanna for helping me out with a phone interview! Much appreciated!