My student job at a festival
During this academic year, we're meeting student job seekers across the country. Learn more about their experience and their daily life. For this edition, we met Marie-Flore who recently worked as a blogger for the Francofolies de Spa.
First name: Marie-Flore
Age: 18 years old
Studies: Communication
Job: Technical and graphic coordinator, journalist for a blog
Location: Spa (Francofolies)
Why did you do it?
Marie-Flore: It's a kind of opportunity that presented itself. Around October 2015, while a friend and I were looking at the prices of the passes for the Francofolies de Spa festival, we wondered if it would be possible to work there. After a few emails, it turned out that it was possible to apply to work at the festival, but working as a 'bartender' wasn't really what I was aiming for. Being a blogger and a social network enthusiast, I asked if there were any community management positions available. One positive answer from the team of this department later, I was part of the festival. Having the opportunity to work as the technical coordinator and graphic designer of the Francofolies de Spa blog, I must admit that I was fifteen times more excited than spending my days at the cash register of my Delhaize. It was such a fulfilling job that made me realize what I really wanted.
Typical day?
Marie-Flore: Of course we had to create this blog, which required several meetings with the web team and many hours of work. But a typical day during the festival rush was more or less like this: after waking up at 10:30 am, it's time at 11:45 am to join the team in our office in the Radisson Blue Palace hotel. We review the concerts of the day, who has to take care of the Facebook publications, and each journalist takes his post and takes care of one or two scenes to cover all the musical shows and transcribe a short summary or appreciation. At 3pm, it's on: the concerts start, and the back and forth between the stages and the office goes on. Reports, press conferences, interviews, everything goes on. At 11:30 pm, most of the concerts are over. Everyone closes their articles and the chief editor corrects them before validating them. As for me, my job has to wait for the end of this correction, so it's time to party a little in Spa! 2:30 am: Back home and tired, I now have to post all the articles of the day and take care of the Facebook shares before going to bed.
Qualities developed?
Marie-Flore: Reacting in stressful situations, being concise and precise, finding and researching sources and information in order to give a small appreciation to a concert, working in a team and being punctual (for concerts).
Advantages?
Marie-Flore: I was able to meet a lot of people coming out of communication studies, to discover branches that were unknown to me until then, unlikely jobs. But also to do interviews with Alex Germys and Nicolas Testa in the company of a professional, advice that I will keep warm for later.
Disadvantages?
Marie-Flore: The exhausting days and hours after a week, I lacked training.
Easy to combine with studies?
Marie-Flore: On this point, I would say no because I think that I would not have been able to invest myself in this project if I did not reorient myself. The fact that I didn't have any exams to take and no courses to take at the end of the year allowed me to take part in it.
First experience as a jobist?
Marie-Flore: It was not my first experience as a jobber, but it is the best and most interesting one so far! I've already been a children's creative arts instructor, a photographer's assistant for weddings and small events, a streetmarketing hostess, jobs that are quite out of the ordinary, I think!