Case study: Box Office Assistant

Sarah McEwen is a box office assistant. She studied drama at University and is considering a move into arts education.

Job profile

Q: Can you explain what you do?

A: I sell tickets & merchandise over the telephone & face to face with customers. I also provide a welcoming & informative reception service. What else? I help out with the displaying of promotional materials and also liaise with large groups/schools regarding bookings.

Q: Describe a typical working day. What did you do today?

A: I sold tickets over the telephone & provided general information regarding the theatre & future shows. I made sure the theatre bookshop was well stocked, also providing information to passers by on other local attractions. I signed for deliveries arriving at the theatre and greeted visitors who were attending meetings in the theatre bar.

Career Journey

Q: What did you do before this?

A: I was at university for 3 years. Following graduation I worked at The Bush Theatre as an Administrative Assistant then moved to the Royal Albert Hall to work as a Steward. I have also worked for the Ambassador Theatre Group in box office.

Q: What training/education did you go through, and do you consider it to have helped you in your career? If so, how?

A: I studied Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies combined with Film Studies for 3 years at University. I feel that my time there was of use as it did confirm to me that I wanted to be involved in the arts after graduation but it didn't directly help me with the job that I do today.

Q: How did you learn your trade/craft? Who helped you?

A: On the job training provided by supervisors.

Q: Did you get any funding or financial assistance that enabled you to support your career development? If so, where?

A: I took out a student loan whilst studying, but have not had funding or financial assistance since then.

Q: Would you have imagined you'd be doing what you do now five years ago? Ten years ago?

A: I would have imagined that I would be working in a theatre but not necessarily in this role.

Q: Looking back over your career, what (if anything) would you have done differently?

A: I was more interested in the performance side of working in the arts so I probably would have attended a drama school post A Level, rather than university which provided me with more theory than practical experience.

Professional Development

Q: Have you taken any useful training or personal development that has helped your career?

No.

Q: Who have been your mentors?

A: Fellow colleagues at my current employment & a couple of university lecturers.

Q: How important is professional development to you and do you know where to go to get this?

A: It is important to me as it would provide a feeling of progression with my career, but I wouldn't know where to go about getting this.

Advice to others

Q: What advice would you give somebody interested in getting into your industry?

A: To be aware that there is a lot of competition & that there are a lot of different job roles involved in running a theatre other than just actors, crew, artistic director...

Q: If someone was applying to work with you what skills and qualities would you be looking for?

A: Someone who is approachable, good with people, understanding, has good common sense, able to work well under pressure & is able to assert themselves.

Q: Why do you think so many struggle to get into your industry?

A: I think there is a lot of competition for the same jobs & therefore a lot of rejection so this can put people off after a while. Also, often the work involves unsociable hours & not much money in return!!

Q: If you could offer one piece of crucial advice for people wanting to progress further in your industry, what would it be?

A: To try & get plenty of work experience as it is often having the right contact that can secure you an opportunity later on.

The Industry

Q: What do you think are the issues affecting your industry at the moment?

A: Lack of funding.

Q: What do you think needs to be done to tackle these issues?

A: A re-assessment of government funding.

The Future...

Q: What do you see for your future? Where would you like to be in five years time and what do you think you will need (training, skills, contacts, networks) to get there?

I hope to still be working in the arts but in a different role, possibly to do more with education & the arts. This will require some more work experience & possibly on the job training.