Lock The Locks

i

May 17th 2011 was the date of my last ever hand-in at university. This final hand-in was a thankfully painless experience, marred only by an almost crippling hangover from a night out with my course mates. I have now completed my time as a Public Relations & Communication student at Southampton Solent University.

ii

Finishing a degree is a very unusual sensation. A mixture of happiness, relief, melancholy and sadness are the emotions currently filling my head. The last three years, but especially the last six months, have probably been the most challenging in my adult life. I currently feel a little bit empty, having worked almost flat out (often waking up early and continuing late into the night) for the last six months trying to get everything done.

iii

Trying to avoid thinking about what I could have changed in bits of my work is currently at the forefront of my mind. Whatever degree classification I end up with will be probably the final result I ultimately deserve (barring some incredibly harsh or unfair marking). I have given my all in every task, with the time that I had available and can do no more.

iv

In the last three years I have met some incredible people; the whole ‘friends for life’ cliché is one which applies here, and there are people who I will miss incredibly. Distance dictates the probability that I will not see those faces on an almost daily basis, but there are people I definitely wish to keep in touch with in the future. I simply wish to thank anybody who has been a positive influence throughout the last three years, no matter where you are from.

v

Thoughts now turn to what happens next. I have work and housing commitments in Southampton until the end of June 2011, after which I will return to my hometown of Trowbridge. I am still in the process of seeking decent employment, and there is a strong probability that when I find it, it will be in London. The #airtaylor project I recently ran has been a better success than I first thought and I have plenty of people still to contact. There will likely be a follow-up blog about the results in due course.

vi

In the meantime I plan to relax and enjoy myself. I have plenty of DVD boxsets (24, The Thick Of It, Arrested Development amongst others) that I wish to revisit. My desire to play Football Manager again after a six month hiatus will be sated. I also have tickets to several gigs and festivals including We, The People, Glastonbury and Reading.

vii

This blog is also something that I wish to keep going in the future. Writing sharpens my mind and avoids my imagination being dulled by daytime television, and I will likely try and get involved with Muso’s Guide again. The banner at the top of the page will also need changing, something I will get round to soon.

viii

Despite however much I’ve moaned about some of the locals, I will really miss Southampton. There is always a feeling that something interesting and exciting is happening either from the music scene and venues, the variety of nightlife, or the recently promoted football club. I will always have fond memories of the city, and I’m lucky that I (currently) live in a relatively close proximity.

ix

Thank you for reading this, it’s been a difficult piece to succinctly write for a variety of reasons.

Paul

#airtaylor

Hello there, prospective employer!

First off I'd like to use this opportunity to welcome you to my blog. This is something I try and keep updated around my university work (so at the moment updates can be pretty sporadic!)

Theres a good chance you're here because you've been sent an envelope in the post, had a look at the contents inside, and felt compelled to visit the weblink, or scan the QR code which was affixed onto the wing of the plane...

I also hope you enjoyed both making the plane, and (presumably) flying it round your office afterwards! I know many graduates have tried loads of various different approaches in order to catch the eye of potential employers, such as making self-promoting videos and sending specially made cupcakes with their Twitter usernames written in icing...

Maybe sending out toy planes to PR companies in the hope of a job is also a bit gimmicky, but I hope that its a different approach to being noticed, as I want to be a high-flier in the industry one day (awful pun, sorry!)

Whilst you are here, perhaps you could take the time to have a look at my CV (either as a separate PDF here, or embedded below). Id hope you also take the time to have a look at some of my other posts, as this will give you more of an idea about my writing style and opinions as a PR student soon to be entering the job market.

(Edit - CV updated as of 13th July 2011)



I am currently monitoring the Twitter hashtag #airtaylor on my Tweetdeck, so please feel free to pass this blog entry onto others (sadly I haven't got planes for everyone!) who might enjoy it.

I will be leaving Southampton in June, so will be looking for employment or paid work experience within the PR industry over the summer and beyond.

If you think I would 'take off' in your company and would like me to be a part of your team, please get in touch with me (using the details on my CV), via Twitter (either using @paultays or #airtaylor), or using the comments section on this blog entry.

Thank you again for reading,

Paul Taylor