Portfolio of Evidence Olivia Dexter Proffestional Practice Level 6: Fashion Marketing C3495511
List of Images
Contents
1. Olivia Dexter wordpress portfolio [Online Image]. Available from: https://oliviadexterblog.wordpress.com/ 2. Olivia Dexter LinkedIn profile [Online Image]. Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-dexter-377573143/ 3. Jen Holcroft LinkedIn profile [Online Image]. Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-holcroft9368a4159/ 4. Chelsea Hughes [Online Image]. Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelshughes92/ 5. Profestional Instagram Olivia Dexter [Online Image]. Available from: https://www.instagram.com/inspirationolivia__/ 6. Pinterest page Olivia Dexter [Online Image]. Available from: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/oliviarosecdext/
1.0 - Introduction 2.0 - CV 3.0 - Online portfolio 4. 0 - LinkedIn 5.0 - Job advertisment and sample job application 6.0 - Assesment centre-test 7.0- Reflective report on industry event 8.0- Social media links 9.0 - Keyword infographic 10.0 - References
1.0 Introduction Our professional practice module was designed to give students the opportunity to study their chosen career path in depth. In the module, we were given the time to constructively develop our employability skills and explore what we aspire to do in the future. In the process of this developing an updated CV, LinkedIn profile, online portfolio and social media pages, contributing to employability following graduation. These are items which I will look to utilise when applying for graduate jobs, throughout the term I also had the opportunity to take part in a mock interview and mock assessment test. Both of which were comparable to a real industry set up. Allowing me to identify where my strengths and weaknesses lie for future reference. Within this portfolio, I am also going to be reflectively considering what I learnt from the industry day in October, during which numerous industry professionals came in to talk to us about their personal experiences — considering how this has influenced my decisions going forward.
2.0 CV “Your CV is the most financially significant document you will ever have, when it works the doors of oppurtunity open for you.(Yate, 2018)” First impressions are important; when I was designing my CV, I looked to consider what the employer would want. I considered how other people in positions I aspire towards had constructed their CV’s and LinkedIn pages, what experience they had. Yate (2018) explains how when creating a CV. It is essential you understand your customers, throughout the development of my CV I wanted to utilise my skills in InDesign showcasing my creativity however ensuring the design doesn’t overshadow the content in my CV. https://oliviadexterblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/ cv-olivia-2018.pdf
PROFILE
Fashion Marketing Graduate Leeds 07928639091 oliviadexterblog.wordpress.com oliviadexter04@gmail.com Dexter Olivia E D U C A T I O N BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing Leeds Beckett University 2016 - 2019
A final year student Fashion Marketing Student at Leeds Beckett University. Alongside studying I have been working part time at Spectrum Market research, a market research facility and market research agency in the city. My role involves dealing with clients and ensuring the general running of the facility. I have been able to build strong experience dealing on a regular basis with professional clients including ASDA house, Google, Deliveroo Sky Bet and Superdrug. This role has made me confident in presenting myself and shown me how to juggle different
OLIVIA DEXTER
tasks at once. Furthermore, I have been keen to take an interest in sports at university joining both the Lacrosse and Swimming team which I thoroughly enjoy. Prior to university I took a year out and spent time teaching English as a Foreign language in Cambodia, a very challenging role which took me far out my comfort zone but allowed me to grow independently as a person. During my time at school I spent my summer holidays interning with one of the women’s wear buyers at TU @ Sainsburys, an opportunity which gave me an insight into the running of a major fashion house. Working on the launch of Gok Wans first collection in a very pressured dynamic environment.
EXPERIENCE STUDIO HOST
Spectrum Market Research, Leeds & London / December 2016 – present My role at spectrum covers a wide range of different tasks. Primarily it is my responsibility to ensure exceptional levels of customer service are maintained, dealing with important clients daily. This has taught me to be a good communicator and furthermore a quick problem solver dealing with customer issues whilst maintaining the smooth operation of the facility. It is also my responsibility to handle recording equipment and monetary incentives, within my position I am responsible for undertaking administration task and office duties such as undertaking phone calls and responding to customer needs. Furthermore, we work with strict GDPR standards because of the nature of the research it is essential I maintain these. My position as front of house has also allowed me to build and maintain long term client relationships through ensuring
Ratcliffe College
excellent levels of customer service are maintained throughout a client’s stay.
School & Sixth Form
2002 - 2015
SKILLS P C / Ma c S y s t e m Mi c r o s o f t O f f i c e E X P E R I E N C E ( C O N T I N U E D ) P r e miee r P r o E X P E R I E N C E ( C O N T I N U E D ) Wo r d P r e s s / S q u a r e s p a c e e A d o b e C C P h o t o s h o p Adobe CC InDesign
Adobe Illustrator & Light Box Photography
TEFL – TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
English teacher, Cambodia / Feb 2016 – May 2016 During my year out, I spent 7 months traveling however 3 of these were spent teaching English as a Foreign language ‘TEFL’ within a community in rural Cambodia. Within this role my position was to independently motivate students aged 11-16, helping them to absorb and value English language. Producing a variety of educational materials for in class activities. Establishing basic comprehension of conversational dialogue whilst creating a bond with the students.
WOMENS WEAR BUYING INTERN
TU @ Sainsburys, Milton Keynes / 2016- 2015 During my summers in sixth form I spent time working with one of the women’s wear buyers at
TU Sainsburys. During my time their Gok Wan launched his ‘Gok Wan x Tu’ collection, my time at Sainsburys gave me an insight into the important factors which contribute to a successful business such as Team Work, Innovation and adaptability. Within my role it was
3.0 Online portfolio Wordpress is the World’s favourite content management system, powering a quarter of all websites (Athow, 2018). I wanted to use WordPress for my portfolio as to shows potential employers I am familiar with the software. Within my portfolio I wanted to include my favourite work from my time at University, furthermore including my work from industry projects such as when I worked with retailer ‘Flo & Sang’ and some of the digital campaigns I produced for them.
Image 1 My online portfolio
https://oliviadexterblog.wordpress.com/
4.0 Linked In profile
To Matt,
I am applying for the position of Marketing Assistant, as I would love to be part of
Image 2 My LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn is the number one personal branding tool,
your content team. At current, I am in my final year studying Fashion Marketing at
as social media takes over connections have never
Leeds Beckett. I love to work creatively and believe I specialise in content creation. I
been more vital (Elad, 2016). The site provides an
have included my CV and a link to my online portfolio for you to have a look at. As a
opportunity to showcase skills and attract contacts. I
person, I have always worked as part of a team, having previously worked on the shop
have looked to utilise the site connecting with people
floor I have a strong sense of trend turn over and have gained an insight into the way
whose careers I aspire towards. Furthermore, gaining
industry operates on a daily basis.
an understanding of what paths people have taken to
Furthermore, from my current job at a market research agency I have become very
get to where they are now.
confident in communicating with important clients on a regular basis and speaking
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-dexter-377573143/
in front of large groups of people. Currently, I work three days a week in between university and am responsible for coordinating up to 80 respondents and 40 clients’ every day. The stressful turnover and constant demands and changing nature of market research mean no day is the same. This role as a studio host is something I thoroughly
5.0 Job advert & application
enjoy.
Within the module, we had the opportunity to develop a
I believe I should be considered for this role because I have the required skills in
cover letter and CV to send off for a marketing role at We
programmes such as Adobe. Furthermore, my education CV shows evidence of my
Are Vista a creative agency. I looked to adapt my CV and
creativity which I believe would be a valuable asset to your business. I Love working
write a cover letter to tailor my interests towards the role.
with people and very much consider myself a people’s person. I enjoy maintaining a busy lifestyle and look to give my all in every situation.
I would really love this opportunity and to be considered for a role as part of your team!
Thank you for your time, I look forward to hearing from you Olivia
6.0 Assesment centre test
7.0 Reflective report on industry event Reflective learning is an essential process of how humans learn (Ashkar, 2018). This report is an opportunity to gain an understanding of stepping back from the learning experience and allowing the development of critical thinking skills and improving on future performance by analysing expertise, allowing for learning to move from surface to deep learning.
The industry event which took place in October was an opportunity for students like myself to gain perspective on potential career paths. At the time of the event I wasn’t sure where I specifically where I want to move forward within the industry, I was hoping the day would give me further clarity on the subject. Gilda Smith was the first speaker of the day from Leeds City Council, followed by numerous notable women and men within from the creative industry.
I took place in a mock assessment centre test, at Leeds Beckett in December. The test was hosted by Equifax, a data and analytics company. Within an assesment centre there is a combination of tasks and activities that test your suitability for the job (Prospects, 2019). Providing a chance to demonstrate a wider range of skills you wouldnt be able to during a face to face interview. The day aims to ensure youre the right fit for the job, the large variety of tasks allow you to compensate for poor performance in one task by excelling in another. Our session was hosted by Equifax and was the same as the one used in their in house recruitment process. In this, we took part in 2 group activities designed to gauge our understanding of a group interview situation and one individual task. The first task was a group ice breaker creating a tower out of spaghetti sticks, following this we were
A few days on from the Industry Event, I came to write this report and consider the key things I can take away from the day and what really inspired me. Jen Holcroft was a speaker who I found particularly engaging. Jen studied design and art direction at Manchester Metropolitan graduating in 2009 with a 2:1. She explained how her route to where she is now as Lead stylist at JD sport wasn’t smooth, initially working as the sample coordinator at Boohoo. This position allowed her to showcase her abilities and make contacts which allowed for progression in the company. Two years on from Boohoo Jen was offered the job as Lead Stylist at BANK fashion a Clothing chain based in Manchester. Maintaining her position, the businesses collapse in 2015, which saw a progression within the company to JD where Jen works initially as Senior Stylist and now Lead Stylist.
separated into five groups of 3 given a brief of the companies budget and asked to delegate it between departments through a discussion. This situation was something I struggled with, due to a lack of numerical skills in the group environment. The group activity looked to identify our skills in influencing and negotiation. This was followed by an individual activity which identified skills in coding and programming. This was also something I struggled in. From the assessment centre test, I learnt I need to be more confident in my abilities, and not allow myself to be overshadowed by louder characters. Furthermore, it was a great experience in an industry based environment. Image 3 & 4 LinkedIn profiles Jen Holcroft & Chelsea Hughes
8.0 Social media links
Listening to Jen talk about how she had faced an initial struggle to get to where she is now was inspiring. She emphasised how she worked her way up from the bottom, working as a wardrobe stylist at Boohoo giving her the opportunity to showcase her skills working her way up through working hard and gaining promotions in
Having a social media portfolio is becoming increasingly prevalent in creative industries. Platforms such as
the business. For me, the ultimate goal would be to work on an editorial team for a magazine like Elle, ASOS,
Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest are frequently being used by professionals to showcase work and sources
Conde Nast traveller etc. To get there, I would look to work my way up, showcasing my creative potential where
of inspiration. I considered how my personal Instagram could be used. However, some of the content isn’t
possible. In my final semester, I have considered how I can develop my work to be unique within a crowded
applicable to a professional environment. I looked to develop an Instagram account (@inspirationolivia_ ). I
market, setting my portfolio apart from the rest.
looked to take inspiration for my account from some of the people I aspire to, e.g. Gus & Stella, and how they share images of their work and what inspires them. I have also included the link to my Pinterest which I regularly
Another speaker who I found engaging was, ‘Chelsea Hughes’, graduating from Leeds Beckett in 2015 with a
update, featuring content for I enjoy and inspires me.
first-class honour’s degree in Photographic Journalism. She explained how her academic skills provided a stable platform to develop a prosperous career in an editorial role. In which she based most of her modules on a career in an editorial position. This is something I have tried to do in my final year, tailoring the content created in my modules to my career aspirations. At current Chelsea works at Glamour Magazine UK, as the digital picture and multimedia editor. Her energy and enthusiasm for her position was apparent; she had secured her dream job. This is a position everyone wants to be in and is undoubtedly a position I aspire to be in, in the future.
Victoria Ruddington is the Founder of Fashion Marketing agency Fashion Pony, based outside of Leeds. The company specialised in branding, Photography, fashion show production, Videography, Social media and PR to name a few. Victoria started her career as working at an advertising agency while studying English at Sheffield.
https://www.instagram.com/ inspirationolivia__/?hl=en
She went on to work at publicists, then looked to set up Fashion Pony which has gone on to be very successful. In her speech, she defined how we could get into the industry. Image 5 & 6 My proffestional Instagram profile & Pinterest profile.
1.Visioning, pick a time frame and send yourself to the future. 2. Your Passion. How do you get there, SMART goals? 3. Get out there, work experience, make connections and seize every opportunity.
Victoria’s approach that you can do anything you set your mind to was inspiring. She encouraged us to follow our passions, one aspect of what she said that resonated was her approach that you can do whatever you set your mind to and should look to take any opportunity you can. This is something I am going to bring forward with me in the future.
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ oliviarosecdext/
10.0 References Elad, J. (2016) LinkedIn for dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: For Dummies. Martin, J. (2018) Ultimate CV. 5th ed. London: KoganPage. Mills, C. (2009) You’re hired! Cornwall: Trotman. Moon, J. (2004) A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: Theory and practice. 1st ed. London: Routledge Falmer.
9.0 Keyword infographic
Prospects (2019) Assessment Centres [Online]. Available from: <https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/ interview-tips/assessment-centres> [Accessed 18th January 2019] Tech Radar (2018) What is wordpress hosting learn more about the worlds most popular CMS Online]. Leeds. Available from: <https://www.techradar.com/news/what-is-wordpress-hosting-learn-more-about-the-worldsmost-popular-cms> [Accessed 18th January 2019] We Are Vista (2019) About us [Online]. Leeds. Available from: <https://www.wearevista.co.uk/> [Accessed 18th January 2019] Yate, M. (2018) Ultimate CV. 5th ed. London: KoganPage.