Jason Norris’ Blog

Entries categorized as ‘Lifestyle’

Graduates in Birmingham

August 5, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed that a number of people have come across my blog using a Google search, namely the key words Graduate and Birmingham.  That has made me think a little bit.  What are they looking for? Do they want to know what its like to be a graduate living in the city? Do they want to find graduate jobs in Birmingham? I’m not sure.

I can however, offer my experience of being a graduate in Birmingham, as its actually something I have been asked about a lot this year in my role as the Apprentice.  Its probably best that I provide a little background first though.

I am not a true Brummie in that I was born and brought in in Devon, Torbay to be precise.  It is a great place to grow up, but in truth, the opportunities are somewhat limited.  I knew pretty early on that if I wanted to get on, I would have to move away.  It will always be home, but its home in a sense that its great to return to and catch up.  The pace of life is slower, some people like that, but I needed more going on.  I went to University at the other end of the country, in Durham, which again, was a brilliant experience.  I loved the collegiate system, and got involved in as many aspects of student life as I could.  My girlfriend, Laura, studied Law at Birmingham University, so my first experience of the city was through her.  When Laura was offered a training contract with Eversheds, we made the decision to move to the Midlands permanently, and I began my job search.  I was offered the Graduate Apprentice role in August of last year, and moved to the city the same month, so thats how I’m here.

Twelve months later, I have had time to really think about what it has been like to live and work in Birmingham.  If I had to pick one thing that has made the experience an truly positive one, then it would have to be the people.  I have been in a slightly fortunate position this year in that I have had contacts opened up for me through the Apprentice, but each and every one of them has been there to offer support and advice on my career path.

So what is it like to work here first of all? Well, pretty much all of the major professional service organisations have some presence within the West Midlands, so Graduates of all degree types come to the city each year.  However, Birmingham also has a vibrant creative community, lots of smaller organisations who bring so much to the city.  It is perhaps this creative and independent thinking which make up a significant part of the city’s personality.  They also make a significant £1bn contribution to the local economy.  The business community itself is small and closely connected, but its a much more open community than others that I have heard about or been part of.  Birmingham Future offer a number of ways to meet new people, as well as organisations such as Creative Republic who bring creative individuals together.  In terms of job prospects, the region continues to grow.  For me, Birmingham gives the opportunity to be a big fish in a small but significant pond, rather than get lost in the sheer number of graduates heading to London. 

Living in the city has also been a positive experience for me.  I think I have a great work life balance… I work hard, but there is still time and the ability to enjoy what the city has to offer.  We live within walking distance of the city centre, and the local nightlife, so its easy to pop out for dinner, or to meet friends for a drink after work.  The city is built around a working canal system, which means there are plenty of places to chill out by the water with some food, which is great for me, having been brought up by the sea!  The best thing is that living within walking distance of work does not cost us a fortune, and that is a key factor.  There is plenty of choice of accommodation, and its all close to where young professionals want and need to be,

Birmingham is a great place to live.  Sure I’m biased, I work and live here, but the fact is that I can choose to work and live here.  There are opportunities to get so much from the city, depending on how much you want to put in.  There are young professionals here who are passionate about what they do, on both a personal and professional level.  The personality of the city is a welcoming one, a diverse community with open doors.  If you want to get involved then you have the chance to be able to, its as simple as that.  

I’m told by many that the city has changed, but of course all I know is the new Birmingham.  Birmingham is evolving in my eyes, new buildings are going up all the time, and new people are finding out that it is a great place to be based.  Laura and I will be based here for many years to come, and I hope that I will be a part of the city for a long time… one thing is for sure, Birmingham does give me the opportunity to do so, and not everywhere can say that.

Categories: Birmingham UK · Lifestyle · Personal
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Being a tourist

July 27, 2008 · Leave a Comment

When I used to live in Devon, part of you dreads the summer when the roads get packed with people carriers and caravans, when you can go to the shops because you know your going to queue for a week and when parking anywhere thats not your driveway becomes a nightmare.  But at the weekend, Laura and I returned home to what turned out to be a very tourist like weekend, and it was fantastic.

Saturday was spent at Paignton Zoo, which has changed a lot in the last ten years or so.  I used to do some work experience at the Zoo, part of my ambition to be a vet, but that didn’t work out.  It was also famous for the BBC’s Zoo Keepers programme, which made the little field behind my house very famous one summer.  I do mean behind my house as well, at feeding time, you can hear the lions roar… its amazing.  You used to be able to creep into the back of the Zoo without paying, sliding right past the back of the lion enclosure, but thankfully, security is a little better these days! Below is my favorite photo from the trip, mainly because Elephants are fantastic, and secondly because my new camera definitely paid for itself with some of the shots I was able to get.

The second part of our weekend was spent in glorious sunshine taking a trip up the River Dart.  We hired a little cabin boat, and having my RYA licence, I was Skipper for the day.  The sunshine was fantastic, and thankfully this time I remembered the sun tan lotion, and we were able to wind our way all the way from Dartmouth up to Totnes.  We dropped anchor on the way back and had some lunch, which was a brilliant afternoon.  It only worked out at about £20 a person, which is actually a reasonable day out.  Below is the photo of Dartmouth Castle, the point at which the river reaches the sea, and at which you turn round or get swept out to France!

It was again a great weekend back in a fantastic part of the country.  I was truly lucky to have grown up in Devon, and it hold memories for me which will last for ever.  For young professionals, its fair to say that the opportunities are limited, but that takes nothing away from the area.  I love heading home, catching up with family, and spending some time in the country, quite simply a great weekend.

Categories: Lifestyle · Personal
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The Adverts on the Wall…

June 26, 2008 · Leave a Comment

I wanted to share an advert with you which I think is pretty cool… I’m not going to buy a car as a result of it, but it is a clever use of marketing.  Its on a wall where pretty much every morning there is traffic, so if your in your car and thinking that it might need replacing, you see this advert.  BMW Mini have made a big thing out of their car being fun, so I imagine that adverts like this are just an extension of that concept.  Either way, it impressed me enough to take a photo and post about it, so at least its reached one person!


Categories: Lifestyle · Personal
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So I’ve Finished My Book

June 8, 2008 · 1 Comment

Today was a good day, it was bright and sunny, I spent the morning clearing the paperwork and popping into town and then the afternoon was spent reading on the balcony.  I don’t get as much time as I would like to read anymore, which is probably why it has taken me so long to finish my current read, but I am glad that I stuck with it to the end.

The book has been mentioned before, as its one which I have been dipping in and out of for a while.  Its called ‘And Death Came Third‘ by Andy Lopata & Peter Roper.  The title comes from a study which ranked death as the third biggest fear, behind speaking in public and walking into a room full of strangers.  My mentor, Graham Nicoll, recommended this book to me at the beginning of our mentoring process, as one of my objectives for my year as the Apprentice was to develop my networking ability, and to understand more about the key role that relationships play in the business arena.  Networking was completely new to me in this sense, my only interaction with others before had been on a social basis.  However, it soon became clear after involvement with Birmingham Future, that networking plays a vital role in who you do business with, and therefore, I was sure that I needed to make myself the most effective networker I could.

Lopata & Roper’s book is an excellent starting point in this process, and through a range of tools, tips and techniques, it gives a fantastic overview of exactly how you can improve your ability to network.  A lot of people view networking as simply selling, and sign up to every event going in order to pick up a pile of business cards to then email with the corporate pitch.  However, I have never been comfortable with this tactic, perhaps because at heart I’m not really a sales person, but secondly because I don’t believe that I could sell to someone I knew nothing about, or sell a product which I was not completely comfortable with.

My year has actually worked very well in terms of networking, because while I attend a number of events, I actually have nothing to sell, so my only viewpoint is to talk about what I am doing during my year as the Graduate Apprentice, and to therefore effectively sell my role.  Its has been about building relationships with a number of people within the city, from a variety of organisations and professions.  It has given me a unique insight into these firms, and hopefully I have begun some relationships which will develop into business over the coming years.

A lot of the information in the book could be deemed as common sense, but then again, and a point well made by the book, how often is ‘common sense’ actually common knowledge.  There are some fantastic tips for presenting yourself, ensuring that you manage the conversation effectively so that the person opposite you goes away remembering you.  I still have a lot to learn, but I am hoping that the multitude of skills I have learnt this year will benefit me in future life.  Either way, networking is a ‘people skill’ and ultimately wherever I end up, I will be working with people, so its a skill that I am sure to need.

So if your looking for a little advice on how to networking more effectively, whether its new to you or something you have done for years, I would highly recommend the book.  Its well written, to the point and contains information that you can actually use in the day to day environment… it may also increase your sales! 

Categories: Graduate Apprentice · Lifestyle · Personal
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Working Outside of the Box…

June 4, 2008 · Leave a Comment

The third placement was billed as the one which would through up interesting working arrangements… for a start, I would be based with Stef in his apartment, with his 18 month old daughter and his partner Emily.  The apartment is also a studio for baby shoots meaning that work has to fit around the multitude of other things happening.  The first two placements were regular 9-5:30 roles, so its actually a breath of fresh air to have a irregular routine, it encourages a very productive way of working.

However, to keep things fresh, Stef and I have been doing a lot of Co-Working.  This is basically a group of individuals who usually work alone coming together in a new place, sharing ideas over coffee, and generally ‘mixing things up a little’.  Its a growing trend across Europe and the states, and of late, the production team for Stef’s new idea have been getting a lot of work done outside of the office.

There are obviously a few requirements for this to be effective… Free Wifi, a comfortable setting with ample supply of coffee and cakes, and somewhere where it it is quiet enough to take a phone call if needs be, or at least pop outside to be able to do so.  I have found a few great places in Birmingham over the past few weeks, and as I’ve mentioned, breaking from routine has actually led to some very productive days.  

The Central Library is quiet and you can pick up the McFreeWifi from downstairs if you sit on the right side of the first two floors (I used the iphone to search for the network before setting up).  There is a great little place in Kings Heath, the Kitchen Garden Cafe, where you can also pick up some greenery to brighten your garden (or balcony in my case).  We spent today working in the restaurant at Malmaison.  This was a really nice space, but we only got 6 hours of internet access before the system kicked us out.  I have also found that Cafe Bebo, at Paradise Forum.  The also offer 15% student and OAP discount… Places like Starbucks and some of the bars in Brindleyplace also offer the hotspot facility, so these are other options.

I am sure that there are plenty of other places around the city, and with new free wifi being offered almost every day, I am sure that Co-Working will continue to be a popular way of breaking from the norm.  I’ve found it great, it just breaks the day and even if you do work in a regular office, there is nothing better than a change of scenery when you need to focus.  I know that the creative community of Birmingham are frequent Co-Workers, but perhaps it should be something that other sectors consider, it could provide positive benefits…

Categories: Graduate Apprentice · Lifestyle · Personal
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Living in the Real World

May 28, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Back at the beginning of April, I was asked to complete a questionnaire on what it was like to be a graduate living in the West Midlands, something which is actually very new to me, but something which as the Graduate Apprentice, I have a unique opportunity to shout about.

I am passionate about the area, living in the city centre has been fantastic for both Laura and I to date, and I could not recommend it more highly to anyone.  I described living in Birmingham as “Offering the perfect balance between a professional and personal lifestyle” and I stand by that.  If you want to get involved in the city, there are a number of ways you can, but if you just want to work hard and play hard, Birmingham has the answers.  Anyway, I was lucky enough to be featured in Real World Magazine, something which goes out to graduates across the country.  It even features the name associated with the Apprentice, Sir Alan, on the front cover.  I would just like to point out that the Graduate Apprentice is not part of the BBC programme, its something totally different all-together.  But it does provide some great press coverage for what is a fantastic role, so who am I to complain.  You can read the full magazine here, scroll through to page 36 to see the interview.

Categories: Birmingham Future · Graduate Apprentice · Graduates Into Employment · Lifestyle
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Delightful Devon

May 11, 2008 · 1 Comment

I am lucky enough to have grown up in a quiet little place of the world called Torbay.  In Torbay, life is a little slower, the average age is a little higher, and generally most places are only open in the Summer.  The people down in Devon don’t all speak like farmers, although some still do, but you will find that they are all very friendly and very proud of what is affectionally know as the English Riviera.  The place has changed a lot over the past few years, but then again where has remained the same. 

Last weekend, Laura and I travelled back to Devon to a family wedding, and the whole weekend reminded me of just how much you take the beach and the Sea for granted.  I grew up on the beach, spent all of my summers since I was 14 working on or next to the beach, and never lived more than 10 minutes away.  It was always so easy to take the dog for a run, or to go and watch the waves crash over the sea wall at high tide.  The weather at the weekend was fantastic, and while I should know better, I turned a little pink after mistakingly working in the back garden for no more than an hour!  But it was great to be home, great to get a little sun (even if it is a little sore now) and its always great to know that Devon is not that far away.  There is something about the beach, maybe because I have spent so much time there, but there are always happy memories, and there is always a place to be alone with nothing more than your thoughts.

If you are looking for your next holiday, I could not recommend the beaches of Torbay more highly… its come a long way since Fawlty Towers.  The picture below (if it works) is of the view from the Imperial Hotel in the middle of the day… absolutely fantastic.

The View Over The Bay

Categories: Lifestyle · Personal
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Handmade Burgers and Graduates Into Employment

April 23, 2008 · Leave a Comment

I’m just back from another great evening out, again made by the company.  As the Apprentice, I’m fortunate enough to sit on Birmingham’s Future’s Graduates Into Employment Committee.  The group of volunteers aim to address the challenges faced by new graduates to the city, and to run events and workshops which encourage them to stay and help develop the way the city works.  They are responsible for the running of my job, The Graduate Apprentice, as well as the Welcome to Birmingham Event mentioned in previous posts.

Tonight, however, was not about work, and was a chance for us all to catch up over a Handmade Burger and a drink.  I choose the venue, and Mike from Marketing Birmingham was incredibly kind in picking up the bill. It was  a great chance to find out a little more about people, like how some like to surf, others play netball and all of us seem to be worried about when we are having kids… or rather our parents are! I’m only 23, so mine are way off yet, but at least I have chosen the names.

In all, it was again a great evening in a great city.  I know that I do rave on about it, but I really do believe that Birmingham is a fantastic place to be, a place made by the people within it.  Everyone involved with Birmingham Future are involved because they want to, and because they believe that they can add to the fantastic city that it is.  I spent an evening discussing where young professionals could live in the city, how difficult it is to find somewhere in the middle, with all of the benefits of a house, but still close enough to walk into the city centre.  We all decided that the lack of recycling in Birmingham is an issue, one which could be quite easy to address.  I guess the old phrase ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ springs to mind, but not allowing a tenant of a building to recycle commercial waste because the skip would create an eyesore is a problem… is no-one thinking about the long term?

I’m lucky to be in Birmingham, a few changes along the way and I would not be, but now that I am here, I am determined to make my mark on the city.  Birmingham Future, and the Graduates Into Employment Committee are one piece of the jigsaw, and again I am proud to be involved.  No other city can offer young professionals the chance to become involved in so much, as well as giving them the chance to build networks which grow and develop their business.  

In all, Handmade Burgers and like-minded young professionals are a great combination to fill an evening.  There truly are some fantastic people in Birmingham, with some fantastic ideas, and I look forward to a future where those ideas are realised.  

Categories: Birmingham Future · Graduate Apprentice · Graduates Into Employment · Lifestyle
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Food & Wine, LMM Style

April 21, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Friday evening saw the first LMM social event to take place while I have been with the company.  I had heard various stories of random evenings or Go-Karting, which all sounded like fun, but I had yet to be part of the infamous evenings!

The plan was to head for a quick drink at Bluu… a trendy new bar just off Summer Row, and then head to Pizza Express at Brindleyplace for some food.  After that, the evening was less planned… but in-fact, we might as well have made no plans at all! Bluu was really nice, nothing too fancy, but kind of understated and impressive at the same time (I do realise that makes no sense, but take a visit and see what I mean) and full of young professionals all doing what they do best on a Friday night.  Those who know me well know that I only drink on very special occasions, but that didn’t stop me admiring the impressive range of spirits behind the bar.  The bartender knew he stuff, made a cosmopolitan in a new but interesting way, and the atmosphere made it easy to sit back and contemplate a long week.

This was the point where it started to go a little wrong… the half past six reservation at Pizza Express soon became seven, then seven thirty, and then it was cancelled.  The menu at Bluu (not to mention the two bottles of wine needing drinking) meant that we moved to the restaurant for food.  Again, the staff were excellent, and added to a fantastic evening.  The food was great, again in keeping with the understated simplicity of the venue.  The steaks looked like a steak should, with plenty of garnish and giant real potato chips on the side.  Each was cooked exactly as ordered, and all the food arrived at the same time, which at a table of 13, can be a challenge.

More wine, sambucca, cocktails and in places water followed the food, all complemented by waiting staff always willing to take a few minutes to see how we were and to have a chat.  As the evening drew to a close (for some not all) I made my excuses and headed off home. 

Turning up on Monday morning there were still a few sore heads from a weekend spent recovering, and some great stories relating to various journeys home.  In all, my first social with LMM was a great one, and I hope its not my last.  Being the Apprentice does mean that I have to move on every sixteen weeks, and while that provides the exact challenge that I need to bring out my best, it also means that I leave some great colleagues behind at each employer. 

In all the evening was made by a great venue, great staff, great food and fantastic colleagues… cant get much better than that.

Categories: Lifestyle · Personal
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Lands End To John O Groats

April 8, 2008 · Leave a Comment

In the summer of next year, I am planning to cycle from one end of the country to the other… it will affectionally be known as LEJOG. It is approximately 1000 miles, dependent on the route that we take. We will be my friend Tom Kay who I have known since secondary school and who has already made his way across America on a bike, and me, a bit of a fitness nut now that I can’t row and someone who gets bored easily so wanted to plan a trip! As a warm up cycle, I will be taking part in the Forest of Arden Cycle on the 27th April, the 60 mile route. This ride will be in aid of Action Medical Research, but will also be a test of how fit I really am… results will no doubt follow! Details on the ride can be found here:

http://www.action.org.uk/get_involved/forest_of_arden

Categories: LEJOG · Lifestyle · Personal