Richard Brennan:online resume/curriculum vitae: journalism and web content management

Of course, as I learn new skills and obtain more experience, I will update this post:

My online curriculum vitae:

Richard Brennan
E-mail: richard-brennan@hotmail.co.uk

I am working as the Online Networking Coordinator for ISEAL Alliance in Angel, North London.

My work for ISEAL has involved helping to create and maintain an online community, carrying out two online consultations and setting up a backoffice system, as well as providing support to staff located in various countries in using online tools.

I have gained valuable experience managing contractors, improved my knowledge of HTML and CSS, edited audio and video created by other ISEAL staff, created and sent out online surveys, sent out email mailings to ISEAL members, helped draw up a draft contract and policies relating to the Online Community, and created wikis and blogs for various staff.

As part of my role, I have learnt a great deal about the uses and limitations of online tools, including how these can be used for intraoffice communication.

I have also gained experience in understanding how backoffice communications work, including how a small organisation uses a file and printer server, how online tools can be used for meetings, and how communication can easily take place with staff in other countries.

In preparation for ISEAL’s Annual General Meeting, I also planned out two workshops, which I also presented, and an after-dinner quiz. I also organised other staff for the purpose of documenting these workshops. This gave me an excellent experience of organising events and managing other staff.


I have completed a Perodical Training Council-accredited MA (vocational) in Journalism at Westminster University, and researched the future of newspapers in order to help build a website for the course using Dreamweaver, as well as learning shorthand, writing for the web, and news and feature writing.

I was on the Periodical Pathway, which is print-based. My specialism in business journalism, although I also have a keen interest in social networks and technology journalism.

I have passed the short course Introduction To The City And Financial Journalism at City University, Central London.

I have been Webmaster for the student news site Westminster News Online, and have learnt to use Joomla.

Also, I am skilled in the following:
Adobe Photoshop,Adobe Indesign,Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint, Adobe Fireworks and Microsoft Excel.

Competent using both Macs and PC's, I have experience of desktop publishing.

I am competent with Soundslides, Flash and Photoshop, and understand the challenges that journalism faces in a Web 2.0 world.

I also contribute to the Smoke student paper.

I am able to use CoolEdit , and recorded this interview at an explosion in Harrow on Friday 15th February.



During May I was chief sub-editor for a magazine our class created and wrote as part of our degree. This also allowed me to gain further experience of using Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop.

QUALIFICATIONS
BA DEGREE:
I graduated from Sussex University in July 2007 with a 2:1 in English Literature. While there, I wrote for the Badger student newspaper, and also proofread and helped publish it.

A-LEVELS OBTAINED:
English (A), Media Studies (A), Biology (B),General Studies (B)

WORK EXPERIENCE:
Daily Express: June 2008:
Assigned to the Online desk, I wrote stories for the site, created picture galleries, moderated the Express' comments section and uploaded content from the paper. I also uploaded and edited market reports and stories for the Daily Star Online.

Sky News: April 2008:
Assigned to the New Media section, I wrote copy for the web, used Photoshop to crop pictures, used a CMS, filmed shots and went on location to watch the filming of tech show Technofile. I also helped test a graphic map. Examples of my copy can be seen under April 2008 in my blog. I used Getty, Reuters and Mediapoint to source most of the pictures.

NUJ: January-February 2008:
I was on placement with the NUJ's Journalist magazine for four weeks, and also wrote articles for the web site.
I have written on Pakistan, the Milton Keynes Citizen strike (which I also covered in the field) and Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh.

“Bucks Herald”: August 2006 :
I proofread the paper, followed a journalist on his beat and wrote copy.

"Swindon Advertiser": July 2006:
I carried out a telephone interview for an article I was writing, went with a journalist to Magistrate’s court and did various vox pops. I also wrote copy.

I also completed the course “Introduction to Writing In Journalism” at City College Brighton and Hove in late 2006.

OTHER ACTIVITIES:
I have been involved with the Sussex University Amnesty International Society.

HOBBIES:
I have written for both the Smoke and Badger student newspapers, and enjoy country walks, crosswords and reading literature, as well as taking photographs when I get the time.
I blog daily as well.

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