The craziest 4 months of my Life

Since joining Catch 22 back in July so much has happened so quickly, it scary thinking about how much I've experienced during this time . Towards the end of my time at the academy I knew that a lot of my success was going to depend on me being in the right place at the right time and taking as much from each placement as humanely possible.

In my last post I wrote that I'd be starting my first placement at New Media Age and also promised that i'd would be posting entries more regularly. With the second declaration i did try, i really did.

During my time at NMA (coming up to 4 weeks now) I've had reviews published in all the issues I've been around for, contributed to the web site in the form of daily news stories, gone out with senior reporters to conduct interviews and been invited to launch parties. Oh yea and I've had a byline on the front page of the magazine.

Like i said the last 4 weeks have been hectic, but amazing. The team at NMA have been really cool and were keen to get me involved in the publications production from the moment i sat down.

Whilst I've been at NMA i managed to get another placement as an intern at MoneyMagpie.com, a consumer website run by a woman called Jasmine Birtles. Working here's been good as it's so different from what I was doing at NMA, I've been able to learn other aspects of journalism and can see how things are for a fledging publication.

This entry is going up on the last day of my time here at NMA so its kinda sad and as I sit here writing find myself reflecting on the stuff of done here along with the people I've met. Its sad because it marks the end of my time as an intern and the beginning of my career at New Media Age. Today I got offered and accepted the role of editorial/data assistant, so from the 4th of January 2010 I'm officially on the payroll.

Its that time of the week again....

And if I'm honest I'm not sure what to write. Do i bore you with events that have happened since my last post, horrify you with the weird thoughts I've been having recently or do I just ramble on and on about how much I hate my job, (decisions, decisions). Lucky for you I've decided to combine the best bits of all these things (minus the thoughts) in the hope that you find this entry mildly interesting enough to read until the end.

Since my last post i've applied to three internships. Although Catch 22 has been excellent in arrranging plaemetents for me already, i think that at the moment I need as much experience as I can get and applying for other internships is a way of doing this. Apart from the applications I'm still waiting to hear from the Centaur guys as to when I start my placement, so everyday at the moment involves me checking my emails and iPhone for some confirmation.

Although the induction period for Catch 22 has only been over for 2 weeks, I keep thinking I'm going to forget everything I was taught or my writings going to suffer because I'm not doing it as much. So everyday I have to keep doing exercises, (like the ones I used to do on Catch 22 ) in order to stay sharp. It sounds a bit sad I know but so far its actually working and unlike with real exercising I don't mind getting up that bit earlier to do it.

Before I go just two things I want to mention, that Glade advert for the toilet freshner stuff is the most weirdest and dumbest advert i've seen a while. It jsut doesnt really make sense, and if this is what people are being paid to actually come up with, then I think I'm in the wrong profession. See for yourselves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2T6YdEcp6w

See, Its Utter Pants.

And finally heres my quick ramble (see first paragraph) I really really hate my job (but for legal reasons cannot say who i work for).

Here's hoping the next posts a bit more eventful people. PEACE

"He seemed to sniff after every sentence"

Since my last blog entry I've used 1950s dating etiquette i to woo a girl, asked people in Camden what music they're listening to and was told by Trinity Mirror that I sniffed a lot, all in the name of Catch 22. Yep, all this and more has happened over the last 3 weeks which is why its been a while since my last blog entry. I have now finished the Catch 22 induction scheme and have been given a seal of approval by Sharon and Toks to go out and make a menace of myself, in journalistic sense of course.

The induction period gets its students to work on a feature with the aim being to have it published in the following issue, (so hopefully mine will be in the January 2010 edition). Referring back to what I said earleir about 1950s dating ettiqute, this was what i had to do my feature on. I had to take a girl out on a date and use dating etiquette from the 1950s in an effort to see how applicable they were today. Its probably the most embarrassing thing i've done, well at least whilst I've been sober anyway and thinking back on things now i think Toks, Sharon, Kate and Simi wanted to see me squirm.

A couple of weeks ago Tommy, Nike, Vanessa and had to go to Camden and get vox pops from people who were listening to music for a piece that was going to be published in the October 09 edition of Catch 22. This was one of my favorite tasks because we were out talking to random people who we thought would provide good sound bites. The only bad part of the day was when i got told by two shady characters (they know who they are) that I was rubbish for not knowing who The Dream was. What can i say Im a Garage and House guy at heart.

Now that we're ready to fly the proverbal nest that is the Catch 22 academy, it means getting placements. These placements are with one of Cathc 22's media partners and involve having an interview with which ever one you have applied for and working with them if you get it. My first interview was at Canary Wharf for Trinity Mirror, (the publishers of The Daily Mirror and The Sunday Mirror, the last bastions of great journalism). My interview with Trinity Mirror went bad, I scored poorly and got told I sniffed excessively during the interview (hence the title). I was the only person from Catch 22 who didn't get it. Bad Times

I remember when Sharon told me and thinking what the hell do i do now, because I had an interview the following week and wasn't sure how to go about it. To cut a long story short i stopped feeling sorry for myself made sure I was even more prepared for the next interview (which was with Centaur) and made sure i didnt sniff as much. I got the placement with Centaur and start next week, I guess sniffing really does make a difference

.....A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far Far Away

OK, so it wasn't that long ago, July to be precise, when I started the Catch 22 course but those weeks have flown by so quick that it almost feels like its been that long. Since being accepted onto the course back I've reported on a rape trial, been on a first date using 1950s etiquette and been to Seven Sisters police station....all in the name of journalism.

Catch 22 is all about championing young, undiscovered writers with a hunger to get into journalism, and helping them break into the industry through its internship placement scheme.

I'm 22 and graduated last year with a degree in ICT, yet despite people telling me the world was now my oyster I knew that it wasn't for me and so spent a year in limbo, doing nothing but working, (in retail of all places). However everything changed for me when I was told to get in contact with the course coordinator Sharon by a friend, a phone call followed by an interview later, I found myself sitting in a room introducing myself to the other Catch 22 inductees, thinking how the next year was going to play out now that I was doing something I really wanted.

For more dramatic and probably more colourful ways people have found themselves on the Catch 22 course click on one of the following links below to see blogs describing their initial experiences.

• http://yourtasteofindia.blogspot.com
• http://www.catch22student.blogspot.com
• http://skyecatch22.blogspot.com
• http://c22experience.blogspot.com
  

Toks the big daddy when it comes to all things Catch 22 (its his baby) describes the course as a virtual dojo where we practice using techniques and tools essential to becoming an established journalist. From my experiences so far I'd have to say he's right, because whilst on the course I feel as if I'm given a mental workout, from having to come up with a spin on a story from the daily press to being told to go and report on anything I want in the surrounding area of Seven Sisters.

We're constantly kept on are toes whilst at the academy, which makes the experience all the more challenging if a little unnerving at times.