Job profile: Learning Support Teacher

I haven't posted a job profile in a while (and still have a few to post including mine!) so here is another from the lovely Sinead at Ditzy Make-up.

What is your job title and where do you work?

I’m a learning support teacher (L.S.A). And I work in a primary school.

How did you find the job? Did you have relevant experience which helped you get the position?

Well I was on placement at the school where the job came up, as I was then doing a childcare course in college. And the job came up and 2 years later I’m there, still doing it!

How would you describe an average day in your job? What are your daily activities?

Well in my job I work one to one with a child with Downs Syndrome, and its really really rewarding! So my daily activities are just adapting the planning to fit the named child’s needs.
I’ve been doing this job for 2 years now, and you can just see the progress, you just feel like saying, ‘yep I taught you that’ it’s just so so rewarding and amazing!!! I’m thrilled to have such a job like this, at such a young age!

Are qualifications important for this role? What skills do you need?

Yes, I had to go to college and get my childcare qualification. Also I had to have makaton training (Makaton is a system of communication that uses manual signs, graphic symbols and speech. It is used by and with people who have communication, language or learning difficulties) It basically a form of sign language.

What skills do you need, well you certainly need patience because someone with downs syndrome can have particularly challenging behavior. You also need to be well driven.

What do you enjoy most about the job?

I enjoy my job so much, I love telling people what I do because I’m so proud of it. I enjoy it because it’s rewarding, don’t get me wrong its super challenging. But no day is the same! I get a fulfillment out of helping others. And the little child I work with brightens up my day when I’m having a bad day, that’s for sure!

And what do you enjoy least about the job?

To be honest I don’t really not enjoy any part of my job, but if I had to pick something, it would be with waking up at 6am every morning!! Haha

What would your advice be to other people hoping to work in your industry?

I would say, if you was going to get into something like this, working with children with special educational needs, RESEARCH first, because every disability has so much more than you think. And if you’re going into a job like this with your eyes closed, you won’t get far.

Also, be firm but fair! That’s why I’ve learnt!

And finally what beauty product can't you live without?

It has to be mascara, mascara can do wonders!! You can still look awake and alive with just mascara on! Plus who doesn’t love long lashes!

If you would like to talk about your job please email me at cupcakeswithcherries@gmail.com or comment below with your email address.

Things I Love Thursday

Source

♥ Parcels in the post! This week I have received some great things in the post- the Liz Earle haircare, a dress from ASOS for work and my prize from Cat for winning her blog competition! Cat's prize was so generous- I received a MAC eyeshadow of my choice (mulch) and she also threw in even more goodies like a mini Batise, an ELF lipstick and the Aldi face serum which I've been wanting to get my hands on for ages! Thank you Cat!

♥ Sky lanterns. Last weekend my Aunt had her 60th birthday party which was held at a hotel. At the end of the night we set off 20 sky lanterns. It was so much fun! You have to hold the lantern whilst it fills with hot air and then when they feel ready you let them off into the sky. They were all different colours and it was so pretty!

♥ Holidays! Chris and I have finally booked our late summer holiday. We're going to Lanzarote in October for a week. We're going all inclusive which I've never done before and am really excited about. Unlimited food and drink? Yes please!

♥ A weekend in London. As we have Monday off for the Bank Holiday we've decided to take advantage and have booked an apartment in London for the weekend. Chris has never really seen the sights so we're going to act like tourists and are also going to Carnival in Notting Hill on the Sunday.

♥ Honourable mentions: Victor&Rolf Flowerbomb; driving the mini; my speedy laptop after installing more RAM; mint aero yoghurts; blueberries; re-highlighted hair; fun family time

Liz Earle Naturally Active Haircare

I had an exciting delivery this morning- a shampoo and conditioner from the new Liz Earle Naturally Active haircare range. This range has taken 6 years to develop and contains over 95% naturally derived ingredients. I have been sent to try:

Botanical Shine Shampoo (for all hair types) £7.50

This works for all hair types, as the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser works for all skin types. This contains ingredients including vitamin E, aloe vera, West African shea butter and apple and orange extracts. It is also SLS and SLES free.

Botanical Shine Conditioner (for dry or damaged hair) £7.50

I was sent this as I have coloured hair and so like to use a good conditioner for damaged hair. This is ultra-rich and contains West African shea butter for a really luxurious feel.

I am really excited to try these and will be sure to review them- especially as I find that the more 'natural' hair products don't have the best effect on my hair making it slightly dull. I'm hoping this range will be different and do great things!

On a side note, after visiting the website I've just seen that they're opening a new store in Leeds! I'm very jealous of all you people living in Leeds!

Review: Vichy Normaderm Tri-Activ Hydrating Care

Source

Product

Vichy Normaderm Tri-Activ Hydrating Care

Price

£11.50

I was sent this product for review and am not being paid to write this

What does it claim to do?

"This is Vichy’s first daily skincare product that combines the unique association of three peeling acids (salicylic acid + glycolic acid + LHA) to target imperfections in a really hydrating formula with active ingredients that help mattify the skin, mopping up excess sebum and shine… so it’s doing three jobs in one!" - Vichy

What do I think?

As soon as I saw the description for this product, I was keen to try it. It is available from September of this year and I was lucky enough to try it before it goes on sale.

I'm always interested in products for problematic skin. Even though mine isn't bad now, I used to suffer with spots and so am always interested in spot preventing/clearing products.

The first thing I noticed when trying this was how quickly it is absorbed into the skin- so super speedy! I'm not a fan of applying moisturiser and then having to wait ages for it to sink in, but this literally takes two seconds before your skin is primed and ready. It gives the skin a lovely smooth texture and as it says in the description- it really hydrates it. I just use this after cleansing in the morning as this is the recommended time to apply it.

In terms of spot clearing- I can't say for certain how effective this is but then I don't suffer from lots of spots. It definitely didn't make it any worse though!

And a final note about this- it smells lovely! Really refreshing! I am really enjoying using this.

Would I re-purchase?

Yes, although it is more of an 'extra' product than an essential.

Because everyone loves a puppy...

For three weeks in September we are going to be looking after a puppy whilst her owners go to Australia, so it was decided that we would look after her for a few days before they go. On Saturday at 10am this little bundle of cuteness was dropped off at our door...

Her name is Mae, she is about 3 months old and is a cross between a miniature daschund and a chihuahua. When I was first told this I imagined a long sausage dog with a tiny chihuahua head! But you can see that she doesn't look odd at all (unless you aren't unaccustomed to a sausage dog!).

She was really nervous at first and as soon as she saw my brother she started barking. Her owner (my Mum's friend) said that she is really protective over girls and barks at every man. Once we plonked her in my brother's arms she became quiet straightaway because she knew that he was OK.

At first we didn't really know what to do. Instinct is to give the puppy lots of love and cuddles, but the books (and Caeser Millan) recommends that you let the dog become used to its new surroundings and approach you. It was difficult but it seemed to work!

Once she'd gotten over her nerves she was so cute and so loving. She kept falling asleep on us (but was nosy that whenever she heard a sound her head would perk up!) and it was so fun having a little dog around.

Here are a few more photos of Mae (and her funny right ear!)...

I am definitely a dog person. I'm just not a fan of cats. Kittens are gorge, but dogs are so loving and loyal. Are you a cat or a dog person?

PS. If anyone is getting A-Level results tomorrow- good luck! I can't believe it was 5 years ago that I was anxiously awaiting mine!

July favourites

Even though it's now mid-August, I still wanted to do a post on the products that I have been loving recently.

♥ The Body Shop Love Etc...Body Butter. I actually got this free with Marie Claire magazine (its where most of my body butters have come from!) and I really love it. Sometimes I find the texture of their body butters a bit hard to work with but this has a slightly different texture (more runny?) and it smells divine. I love the scent of the Love Etc perfume that they do and am going to be buying another bottle of it soon.

♥ Benefit Erase Paste. I bought this recently as I'd seen it being raved about on so many blogs. It definitely lives up to the hype! I don't suffer from bad under-eye circles but this really brightens up the area and works a treat. I also like the texture of it. Another great thing is that you only need to use a teeny tiny amount so this pot will last a long time.

♥ Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara. My lovely Dad said he'd buy me something when we were out one day so I decided to pick up this. It has a unique wand which really helps to lengthen lashes. My sister and I are both using this daily. I find that you do need a few coats though to get the volume.

♥ MAC lipstick in Hue. I keep meaning to write a post about this lipstick but keep forgetting! It really is my favourite lipstick of the moment- and has taken over from creme d'nude as my everyday lipstick. I really love it because it's a nude with a pinky tone- sometimes nudes just don't work at all for me. This photo doesn't do the lipstick justice!

♥ Benefit Eye Bright. This came free with Glamour magazine recently (as most of you will know!) and I think it's a great product. I like to wear it on my brow and on the inner corners of my eyes. It really opens them up and is such an easy product to work with.

♥ Dove Summer Glow. This is my all-time favourite gradual tanner. It's ace! I'm really not great with fake tan as I find it such a faffy process and it always ends up streaky (with the exception of St Moriz), but this works so well. The scent isn't fantastic but it's bearable, and worth it for the lovely colour that it gives.

♥ Boots No. 7 Tinted Moisturiser. This has been my staple summer product- I haven't worn my Revlon Colorstay in weeks as I far prefer this for summer. It feels so lightweight on the skin but you definitely feel like you've got a base. It also gives a fantastic glow.

Job Profile: Senior Account Executive in Advertising

I promise to post more next week! It's been a manic one! Next job profile is from Lucy who is quite fantastic and actually now lives in my old building! You can visit her blog (and you should because it's brilliant) at www.misslucyloves.com.

What is your job title and where do you work?

Senior Account Executive in a big advertising agency in Leeds – I always like to make sure that people know that I don’t have anything to do with finance! I handle client accounts acting as the go-between between the creative studio and the client, and handling all media for the client. I work on one massive national account on the tactical team.

How did you find the job? Did you have relevant experience which helped you get the position?

As I was relocating, I applied for a specific job through an advertising website called The Drum. That application went straight to a recruitment consultant who phoned me up and we got chatting and he helped me to improve my CV so that I was name dropping clients I’d worked for rather – I’d thought that would be frowned upon, how wrong I was! I had three initial interviews at three different agencies and got three second interviews but only attended two of them as I’d been offered the job I wanted before I got round to the last one. I honestly thought that I was underqualified (no qualifications in advertising, I’ve got a history degree!) and inexperienced as had only had a year’s experience as an Account Executive in a small agency, but prior to that I’d done several paid work experience placements. I used to go out of my way for work experience!

How would you describe an average day in your job? What are your daily activities?

I’ve literally just started at my new job and it is so manic. I get in at about 8.30AM and check e-mails, the usual. When I get fully in to my new role I will be taking briefs from my client, writing briefs for the creative studio, visiting the client at HQ to present creative concepts or marketing strategies and coordinating media campaigns. This makes it sound so dull but it’s a really fun place to work and there are a lot of perks – today I got to have a back, neck and head massage!

Are qualifications important for this role? What skills do you need?

You don’t need a qualification in advertising/marketing to work in an advertising agency. Most of the people I work with haven’t got a degree in it, but most of them do have degrees in something. I think experience is paramount so if you can weedle your way into any kind of experience then it’s definitely worth doing.

I’m not sure if I’ve got the ideal account handler skills, but basically communication is the answer to all of your problems! You’re supposed to be a people person (not sure I am!) and be able to form lasting relationships with clients. It’s a front facing role but it’s really fun and agencies are amazing places to work.

What do you enjoy most about the job?

I love it when a client loves a creative concept. I’ve had a guy who welled up at a concept I presented to him. I immediately welled up too! That was a really personal piece of work and meant a lot to the guy. Not all clients are that happy!

Other than that I love the agency lifestyle and atmosphere. Everyone works insanely hard but also plays hard too. As long as you’re not visiting a client you can turn up wearing whatever you want and at this new company the perks are insane. So far, so good!

And what do you enjoy least about the job?

The stress levels! I’m a naturally stressy kind of girl which means that I don’t turn off - ever. Having a BlackBerry doesn’t help as I’m always working. Rescue Remedy is my friend!

What would your advice be to other people hoping to work in your industry?

Be prepared to work long hours if you work in a busy agency and you don’t need qualifications in it if you manage to get some experience.

And on an unrelated note- what beauty product can't you live without?

Nail varnish! I feel so scruffy if I’ve got naked nails. My favourite brands are Essie and OPI but I also love the Mavala nail strengthener that Daisy herself recommended on her blog!

If you would like to talk about your job please email me at cupcakeswithcherries@gmail.com or comment below with your email address.

OOTN- Outfit of the Night

I went out last night in London to celebrate my amazing friend Lucy's birthday. We went for a meal and drinks in Dulwich- it was lots of fun with a blast from the past too (so super random).

This is what I wore that night (with a cropped facebook photo so not the best quality):

Skirt- kindly borrowed from my sister Jess- thanks Jess! It was from H&M.

Top- also from H&M and really cheap. These tops are so useful

Waistbelt- Primark

Bag- ASOS

On a side-note- I've got a few Ebay auctions going at the moment- click here to view my listings.

Job Profile: Project Co-Ordinator

The next job profile I'm posting comes from one of my favourite 'Tweeters' Cat who you can find at http://llawnbreuddwydion.blogspot.com (her blog name is the welsh translation of her blog name "Pocket Full of Dreams" as the english version was already taken!). Thanks Cat!

What is your job title and where do you work?

I’m a project co-ordinator at a safety education centre based in North Wales called DangerPoint. I’m sure you’re probably thinking ‘what the hell is that’ and it does sound pretty lame, but it’s actually a really interesting job! DangerPoint aims to teach children and young people from across North Wales about everyday dangers that they may come across in their everyday lives and how to keep themselves and others safe! So rather than wrap the kids of today’s world up in cotton wool-we teach them what they should do in the face of everyday dangers for example we have a road section with working traffic lights where they get to cross the road in a safe environment! The Centre is like a film set so it’s very realistic and the children have lots of fun (even though it’s all about safety)!

How did you find the job? Did you have relevant experience which helped you get the position?

I have worked for DangerPoint since January 2006-I joined as a Ranger taking the tours of children around the Centre during my holidays from Uni (as it’s based close to my home). When I graduated, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my degree of Law and Marketing, so I applied for the admin job that was going. We have a very small team of full time staff, so I took on more and more responsibility and in 2009, I was promoted to Project Co-ordinator

How would you describe an average day in your job? What are your daily activities?

Like most people, I don’t have an average day-which is one of the main things I like about my job! Depending on what’s happening in the Centre, my duties will vary, but I will have an initial brief with the team of Rangers that I supervise before they go on the tour and then a de-brief afterwards! I tweet every morning welcoming the group that is in the Centre that day and any news stories that may be relevant to our work. I update our website and write all of our external communications. A big part of my day is organizing future events for the Centre, working with agencies such as the Police, Fire Service and Ambulance Service.

Are qualifications important for this role? What skills do you need?

It was specified that I had a degree and that either included marketing, or I had the relevant experience (I did Law & Marketing at Uni so worked out well with me)! I think the main skills needed for my role is to be proactive and being the type of person that will just get on with things! I also need to be quite creative in my role-thinking up new ideas for events at the Centre.

What do you enjoy most about the job?

I love the variety in my job-every day is very different which makes it much more interesting knowing that I won’t be doing the same old thing everyday! I also get to work with a number of different agencies so I am always learning new things-which I think is great for my own personal development!

And what do you enjoy least about the job?

I found this question quite difficult to answer as I really do enjoy my job, but I would say the thing I enjoy least would be constant pressure put on me. I work in an extremely small team and we all have very specific roles so there’s a lot for one person to do (but I also secretly enjoy this as I like to busy all the time).

What would your advice be to other people hoping to work in your industry?

I don’t think many people dream of working in my industry and it’s quite a niche area with not many around the country, but I would probably say that enthusiasm for the role is extremely important.

And on an unrelated note- what beauty product can't you live without?

Concealer-without a doubt! I have extremely bad under eye circles and do not leave the house with at least concealer on to help me

If you would like to talk about your job please email me at cupcakeswithcherries@gmail.com or comment below with your email address.

Outfit of the Day- work outfit

I'm always interested to see what people wear to work as I like getting ideas and inspiration. The dress code at my current workplace is smart-casual, edging more towards the smart.

This is one of my current favourite combos- it's so simple and easy but I always feel good in it.

Both the top and skirt were from H&M. The top was a recent buy and cost £15. The skirt was bought a few months ago in the sale and was reduced to £10. I wish I'd bought a few of them as it's such a handy skirt! I am on the lookout for more basic black skirts.

Cath Kidston presents

I mentioned in a TILT post that when I left my last job, I was given some really generous presents! Three of these were from Cath Kidston and I was so pleased. I adore Cath Kidston- I think that the shops are beautifully decorated and they just make me want to buy everything. I also think that it's a fantastic place to buy gifts as there is something to suit every budget.

I thought I would share what I received to spread the Cath Kidston joy!

This is the Bluebell Gift Set which comes with hand cream, hand balm and soap. I haven't actually opened this yet (it looks too pretty!) but I may review the goods at some point.

A lovely hardback notebook- so pretty and a nice size as it's slightly bigger than A5. I am such a stationery junkie- can't get enough of it!

The third present, and my favourite- was this gorgeous bag. The girl who bought me this actually went back and bought it for herself! It's so pretty and I love carrying it around- it also fits a lot in!

Are you a Cath Kidston fan? Any favourites?