Employment

Hello there,

Welcome to the ‘Employment’ page – whether you’ve been redirected here via my personal website, or you’ve come here directly because you’re curious, this page contains a brief rundown of my professional experience. This page is mainly for prospective employers and/or anyone looking for a summary of what I can do. Consider this an online CV of sorts!

Profile

I am a multi-skilled, passionate professional who’s spent 6+ years working in the videogames industry. Experienced in three main disciplines – Writing/Journalism, PR & Marketing – areas I’ve worked in include: editorial, content management, web-publishing, social media, Streaming/Podcasting multi-media, community management, PR, and Advertising and marketing. I’m resourceful, able to work under pressure and to strict deadlines, and I’m also a bit of a (self-proclaimed) one-man think tank.

Professional Experience

Self-Employed Writer, PR & Marketing Consultant (March 2012 – date)

I am currently a self-employed professional working in a number of fields. For writing, I’ve been commissioned by sites like Rock,Paper,Shotgun, PCGamesN, VG247 and the GamerZines E-mag, along with other specialist publications. My work here can range from events coverage and features, to more standardised editorial like reviews. I am also working on my first novel.

Marketing wise, I remained in charge of the Strategy Informer account for ad sales and marketing up till May 2014, and helped further develop the site’s business connections and revenue streams. I was also heavily engaged as a creative consultant during the development of a new website that is planned for roll out late 2014.

In PR, I was involved in the campaign for gaming app GamePlan, and have been engaged as a consultant on several occasions, mainly for pre-release analysis (or ‘mock reviewing’ as it is commonly known).

 Strategy Informer (May 2008 – March 2012) – Staff Writer, Deputy Editor & Marketing Manager

 I was first employed as a staff writer, where my duties involved simply generating editorial content for the site: news, interviews, previews and reviews etc… I was also the go-to person for press events.

In March 2010, I was promoted to Deputy Editor and Marketing Manager. In addition to generating content for the site and going to events, I was also in charge of:

• Editorial & Staff Management (co-ordinating both mine and the other’s content, publishing etc…)
• PR & Client Relations (finding new Ad clients, co-ordinating with PR’s over coverage etc…)
• Advertising & Marketing (booking clients for advertising campaigns)
• Engaging with the community through game sessions, competitions etc…

The site went through a period of evolution and change during my tenure, as well as increased revenue, better relations with PR, and more content. I felt I performed my duties to a high standard.

The Wire (October 2006 – May 2009) – Staff Writer, Online Editor

I was actively involved in my university’s student newspaper for the full three years I was enrolled. I started off as a staff writer, and then became Online Editor for the website in my second & third year.

My duties as Online Editor involved:

• Writing, producing and sourcing exclusive content for the website, as well as adapting select pieces from the paper magazine.
• Creating and producing a podcast for the website.
• Spearheading the site’s multi-media development.
• Assisting with the on-going design and maintenance.

I was the only person working on the website, so for content I used a mixture of editorial I generated myself, some freelance submissions, as well as co-ordinated content from the print team.

GamesTM (October 2008) – Internship

This was a two week work placement at Imagine Publishing, working on their multi-format magazine GamesTM. My main duties were: assisting with the standing pages, assisting with research for front-cover features, and learning from the environment with regards to how a magazine is produced.

I was also allowed to write several low-key reviews and previews, as well as a two-page feature on Digital Rights Management. These articles were published across issues 76 and 77 of the magazine.

Qualifications

NCTJ Level 3 Journalism Certification

Bournemouth University (2006 – 2009)
BA (Hons) in Multi-Media Journalism
Grade:  2:1

3 GCE A Levels: History [B]; Law [B] and Philosophy & Ethics [C]
9 high grade GCSEs, including English [A A]; Science [B B] and Maths [C]

References & Samples available on request.

If you would like to contact me regarding any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact me on: joe@just-communication.co.uk