Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Mark works at a very famous theatre called The Globe. His job title is the Technical and Buildings Manager.

What does he actually do? Mark has two main jobs to make sure the plays are fun and safe for everyone:

1. He helps put on the show: Mark and his team look after the technical stuff. This means they control the lights to make the stage look pretty and interesting, and they run the sound desk so you can hear everything perfectly. They even help actors with quick costume changes and sort out their food.

2. He looks after the building: The Globe is a really big place! Mark works with a maintenance supervisor to make sure the building is safe for the audience and that everything is working properly. He jokes that if anything is broken, it is basically his fault.

How did he get this job? When Mark was a teenager, he loved acting and went to university to learn how to be an actor. But while he was there, he started enjoying the work that happens backstage (behind the scenes).

His very first job was at a theatre in York, where he was a “follow spot operator.” This means he controlled the big spotlight that follows the actors around the stage. He did this for a show with a famous man named Ken Dodd. He realised he could have a great job in theatre without actually being the one standing in the spotlight.

What is the best part of his job? Mark loves that no two days are the same. Every show is different, so there are always new challenges and wonderful new people to meet.

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Meet Gemma. She has a very important job as the Ticketing and Sales Manager at a theatre called the Stockton Globe. She also looks after tickets for a smaller venue nearby called “The Link”.

What Does She Do? Imagine trying to sell thousands of tickets for a big concert! Gemma’s job is to get all the tickets ready and make sure they are sold at the correct price. She works hard to sell as many tickets as possible.

When a show is on, you might see Gemma helping customers get into the building. If anyone has a problem, she is there to fix it. She also works closely with people who might need extra help (she calls them “access customers”) to make sure they have a really enjoyable visit.

Before she worked at the theatre, Gemma worked at a football club! She looked after tickets there and helped the football supporters. She decided to take her current job because it combined the two things she loved doing most at the football club: working with tickets and helping people.

To do a job like Gemma’s, you need to be good at a few things:

• Problem-solving: Figuring out how to fix things when they go wrong.

• Listening: Paying attention to people and reacting to what they say.

• Being Organised: Planning your time and knowing which jobs are the most important to finish first.

Gemma likes her job because every day is different. It isn’t boring where you know exactly what you will be doing every Monday morning. Every artist or show that visits the theatre needs different things, which makes her job very interesting.

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Meet Josh: The Man in Charge of Fun!

Josh has a very special job at the theatre called a Creative Learning Officer, but he says his real job is doing “all the fun stuff”. Instead of boring work like selling tickets, Josh spends his time running around, smiling, and being a bit “daft” (which means silly!).

What does Josh do?

• He gives musical tours: Because Josh loves music, he often brings his guitar to work. If you go on a tour with him, he will play the guitar and sing songs for you while showing you around the building.

• He gets spooky: If you visit during Halloween, you might see Josh dressed up as a ghost leading a spooky tour of the venue.

• He works with everyone: Josh loves meeting people from the local town. He creates special projects for everyone, whether they are young children or older people.

How did he get this job? Josh has been a musician since he was little- basically since he was old enough to hold a guitar or drumsticks. He loved joining community groups when he was growing up, so when he left college at 17, he started leading music groups himself. Now, he works at this important venue because he is a “people person” who loves teaching and learning from others.

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Maria has a very busy and exciting job as an Assistant Food and Beverage Manager. This means she helps run the department that handles all the food and drinks at her workplace.

What Does She Do All Day? Maria says that no day is the same because she does so many different things. Here are some of the jobs she does:

• Serving Drinks: You might see her making coffees or “pulling pints” behind the bar.

• Helping with Shows: She helps make sure the shows at her venue run smoothly.

• Looking After Her Team: Maria is like a leader. She looks after all the staff, takes them for chats to see how they are doing, and even interviews new people who want to work there.

• Office Work: Sometimes she has to do serious work like writing reports about money (finance) or going to meetings.

How Did She Get This Job? When Maria was in college, she originally wanted to study law and politics. But, she joined a project about hospitality (which means looking after guests) and decided she loved that instead. Before her current job, she worked at the Manchester Arena.

What Skills Does She Need? To be good at her job, Maria needs to be:

• Good at Communicating: Because her team is very big, she needs to be good at talking and listening to everyone.

• Calm: Sometimes work can get stressful, so she has to keep a “level head” and stay calm.

• Super Positive: Being happy and positive is very important.

Maria loves that every day is different. The best part for her is looking after all the different shows and dealing with new challenges that come up.

Spark Tees Valley

In Summary:

Meet Ryan. He has a very exciting job as a Project Engineer at a company called Intelect.

Ryan’s job is a bit like being a professional problem solver! Here is what he does:

• Talking to people: He meets with different people (called clients) to find out what they need help with.

• Drawing and Planning: He does design work, which means he helps plan how things should be built or fixed.

• Counting the Cost: He also does pricing, which is figuring out how much money a job will cost to finish.

Ryan didn’t start as a boss right away. He began his career as an electrical apprentice, which means he was learning and working at the same time. Because he worked hard, he moved up to be a supervisor, then a junior manager, and now he is a full project manager!

Ryan says his company is great because they really look after the people who work there. As a special “thank you” for doing such a good job, he gets a company car to drive and bonuses, which are like extra rewards for working hard.

Spark Tees Valley

In summary:

Meet Jack. He has a very exciting job as a mechanical design engineer.

Jack’s job is to design the big structures and frames that hold heavy machinery in place inside factories. But these aren’t just any factories- they are food factories! He helps build the places where some of your favourite treats are made, like KP snacks and McVitie’s biscuits.

To get this job, Jack went to university to learn all about how things work. After he finished, he found a job advert and decided to apply. He says he “fell into it,” but he really enjoys what he does.

One of the best things about Jack’s job is that every day is different. Everything he designs is “bespoke,” which is a fancy word for “specially made.” This means he is always working on something new and interesting.

And, as Jack asks: “Is there anything better than biscuits?”

Spark Tees Valley

In summary:

Meet Jordan, who has a very cool and busy job as a fabricator welder.

What does a fabricator welder do? Jordan uses metal, like stainless steel and mild steel, to build all sorts of important things. To do this, he uses special tools like a welder (which uses heat to join pieces of metal together) and a grinder (which helps smooth the metal down).

What kind of things does he make? Jordan builds many different items that we use every day, including:

• Tables.

• Platforms (special raised floors or stands).

• Conveyors (the moving belts you might see at a factory or even at the supermarket checkout).

How did he get this job? When Jordan finished school, he started an apprenticeship to learn how to be a fabricator welder. He decided to do this because his dad worked as a mechanical fitter, and watching his dad work inspired him to try it too.

Why is his job exciting? Jordan says his job is very “hands-on,” which means he gets to work with his hands and build things himself. No two days are the same because he is always learning new things and getting to visit different places to work on-site.

Spark Tees Valley

Spark Tees Valley

Spark Tees Valley

Spark Tees Valley