WEEK 2: Being a Box office assistant and Being a Stage Technician

I watched the video on "Being a Box office assistant" and completed the quiz where I successfully completed all sections:

Being a Box Office Assistant:

A Box Office Assistant is responsible for selling tickets for productions at their theatre and providing customer service to members of the public. They may also be responsible for helping with marketing strategies for productions and events being held at their theatre. Box Office Assistants need to be friendly and meet the needs of a customer’s questions and be able to give customers advice.

The training and/or experience required for a Box Office Assistant include experience in cash handling (such as working in a job where you are handling cash regularly) and being proficient with computer software and has strong IT skills to ensure that the person can effectively use the ticketing software. As a box office assistant spends their time helping the general public they must be polite and courteous both when taking face-to-face with customers as well as on the phone. It is important when working in the box office that they can work with accuracy and pay attention to detail to ensure no mistakes are made during ticket sales.

Work experience could include previous jobs as a Box Office Assistant as well as previous experience when you contact customers via the telephone, this previous jobs would show that the person has a vast experience and would work effectively in a theatre Box Office. A business course at college/university would be a good starting point when training to be a Box Office Assistant as Business Administration would be helpful when working in a Box Office as handling money is a must and you need to be able to administer information correctly.  

A Box Office Assistant does have the ability to progress their career. They could progress to a supervisor or box office manager which could lead to broader responsibilities. Their work load would then include sales, marketing, events management and venue management responsibilities. They could then use these skills to work in venue or event management in the performing industry or develop their skills in marketing and sales, this could lead them down the road of joining a production company.

Below is an example of the qualifications and experience needed from an applicant wishing to apply for a job as Box Office Assistant:

This chart shows that specialist qualifications are not necessary to be a Box Office Assistant but they look for applicants who achieved 5 A*-C GCSEs and are interested in those who took their education higher by taking A levels or equivalent. It is experience and knowledge of the trade which proves to be of more importance as this shows that the applicant has prior knowldege and experience that they can bring to the job. Experience is important in a job like Box Office Assistant as the person need to be efficient in their job as they are constantly interacting with customers and need to be able to work effectively when with a customer.

I then watched and completed the video/quiz on "Being a Stage Technician", where I got 6 out of 6:

 

Being a Stage Technician:

A Stage Technician is responsible for making sure that all set and props are in order on stage and backstage. A Stage Technician’s job is to help change scenes by bringing on and taking off set and props. The job may be at a local theatre or be employed to work on a different production every week to coordinate the technical aspects of a production. Stage Technicians are needed throughout a productions run, from unloading the lorries before the first show, setting scenes during a performance and then dismantling all equipment after a productions run.

It is important for a Stage Technician to have a good understanding of the Health and Safety procedures so as to keep themselves and others safe. They should be comfortable working at height and know proper ladder safety as well as being trained to safely work with power tools to ensure that no accidents occur.

A Stage Technician is expected to be knowledgeable of all stage operations so training/experience in working with sound and lighting is of use, as well as having basic carpentry skills if they are needed to help create scenery or props. However no specific qualification is required but would be helpful as it would allow the applicant to gain an excellent understanding of the intricacies of stage productions and expertise in the operations behind the scenes. Being qualified as an electrician is a good basis in becoming a Stage Technician though and some theatres would also look for a First Aid at Work certificate. 

A Stage Technician could choose to progress their career by choosing an element they wish to specialise in, such as lighting. This would start by them becoming a trainee and learning on the job from experienced lighting technicians. They could also attend training courses to develop their skills. Once they had gained their experience they could then take further specialist courses, such as pyrotechnics or rigging. These specialist skills would open them up to more opportunities in the performing arts industry, as they could be part of a lighting team for a show that uses lots of pyrotechnics. They could even expand their opportunities into the music industry and become part of a technical team for a touring concert.  

http://online.dudley.gov.uk/dudco/oppor/jobopps/jobspecifics.asp?jobid=5324&title=Theatre%20Technician - Job details for a stage technician

The job descriptions are laid out in sections, such as duties, experience, qualifications/training skills. An applicant's qualifications and training skills are important in helping them get a job as a stage technician as they need to have the appropriate technical and professional training (for example: L3 Diploma in Electrical Installations) as well as GCSEs or equivalent. They also need to have the appropriate Health and Safety training and qualifications. Experince of technical work in a theatre, as well as experience of rigging and operating sound and lighting equipment would also be appropriate.

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Below are the set of questions that I will be sending out to people who are willing to participate in my case study of the performing arts industry:
 
·       Job title?

·       When did you decide to go into the performing arts industry?

·       What interested you about this line of work for you to choose it as a career?

·       Describe the training and qualifications you have undertaken, if any?

·       What has been your biggest career achievement since leaving education?

·       What was your first professional job?

·       What advice would you give to someone trying to get into the business?

·       Do you enjoy your job?

·       What is the most difficult part of your job?