THE ART OF BLAGGING by Gemma Corden

So you haven’t got an endless supply of cash and resources – looks like you’re going to have to blag for your supper… Blagging has a bit of a reputation for being a cheeky student leisure pursuit and, like the majority of habits acquired as a student, you never really shake it off. I spent most of my time at uni blagging club entry, drinks, cabs and money…and still do (ahem). But blagging your way through life can really get you places. Age-old blag tactics can be successfully applied in the professional, proper grown-up working world, and can help you to gain knowledge, contacts and hopefully land you the job or deal you want. It can come in especially handy in the shark-infested world of networking. Here’s a few life floats to get you started. 1.THINK FABULOUS If you don’t feel confident, you won’t come across to others as the competent and capable individual that you are. Remember – cool, confident but friendly. Before an important meeting or networking event, think of all the wonderful things people have said about you and things you have achieved that make you feel proud and accomplished. Do whatever helps to make you feel good. Wear an amazing pair of shoes – which brings me nicely on to my next point… 2.DRESS TO IMPRESS When on the battlefield of blag, resist the temptation to dress yourself in your own unique and eye-grabbing suit of armour – the best recipe for a successful blag is conformity. Make sure your get-up complements that of your prey. For example, if you’re trying to blag an interview with a firm in the city, dress like the rest of the city slickers (suit, tie and all that jazz) even if it’s not something you’d normally wear. You need to look the part as well as act it. 3.SPEAK THE SLANG The way you present yourself verbally will make or break your blag. Good manners are essential. Give the other person your full attention and retain eye contact. And stop being so British! The word blag originates from the French blageur, meaning to joke – so loosen up that stiff upper lip, adopt a European air and inject a bit of humour into your conversation - it’ll do you good, honest. 4.BECOME AN INSIDER Try and befriend someone who’s in the know. It doesn’t have to be the most important, famous or good-looking person in the room – target the person you think is most likely to help you get what you want. You have more chance of making an ally of the bosses’ PA and making steps from there, than jumping right in at the deep and making a lunge at the bosses’ neck. It’s all about making a good impression and getting the person on your side. 5.ACT LIKE A SPY Unfortunately this doesn’t involve high-speed chases on jet skis and hot scantily clad women. Watch the best blaggers in the game and see how they do it. What qualities do they have that gets them what they want? Everyone knows some annoying individual that seems to do this effortlessly – but take heart – it’s not an innate quality, it takes a lot of work. Even the best blaggers had to start somewhere, floundering in the pool. At this point it might be a good idea to hang around with the experts at the game… dirty blood-sucking students. 6.ACT THE PART It helps to be a good actor. As anyone with the gift of the gab will tell you, pretending to know everything can help you a great deal. You are instantly looked upon with more respect, gifting you an air of importance. Act like the person you are trying to impress – it will encourage them to believe that you share a common ground and will give you the power to get what you want from them. 7.BE A BIT CHEEKY If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Try your luck. The worst that can happen is, they say no. 8.CAUSE A SCENE Although outrageous dramas of the alcohol-induced variety may get chins wagging, I think they are best left for the bar. But doing something memorable can pay great dividends. Make sure it’s something that fits with the time and place, but don’t be afraid to get the attention of the room, or even just a few key players. This could jog their memory at a later date and you never know, you may just get that all important call. If all else fails, you could always resort to ‘Blag – The Game’…a bargain at £19.95. Gemma Corden is a writer with hybrid:arts in Leamington. Hybrid:arts WHO ARE WE? Hybrid:arts is a refreshing take on mainstream education. We provide an innovative training programme geared towards creativity and self-expression – a welcome and rewarding break from the results-driven conventional classroom environment. Hybrid:arts trains young people who are not currently engaged in mainstream education. We work by the ethos that young people, some of whom have failed to benefit from the usual educational process, can be motivated and inspired by involvement in the creative technologies. By focussing on creativity and self-expression, our training harnesses creative potential and provides young people with the confidence to enter into further education or employment in the creative industries. Hybrid:arts aims to address issues of disaffection in the current education system by targeting youngsters who find it difficult to apply themselves in mainstream education and who are at risk of being marginalised from society. By engaging in creative technology, young people are empowered to work and communicate maturely and positively, and are able to use these skills in their everyday workings within their communities. WHAT DO WE DO? Hybrid:arts provides training in music technology, video production, digital imaging and graphics, and 3D animation. Our young people have access to studios equipped with industry-standard hardware / software. Here they have the opportunity to demonstrate personal creative expression, developing their key and basic skills in the process. The delivery of the service is with one trainer and five trainees working on five apple Mac computers. The sessions run for between two and a half and five hours. - Visual production: video, drama, documentary, comedy, and news, camera operation, storyboards and scripts, editing and digital effects, music for film, motion graphics and final production for VHS, DVD, www. or CD-ROM - Graphic and photographic production: graphic design, page layout, photo editing and manipulation, 3D modelling, installation and printing techniques - Music technology: sampling, sequencing, recording and digital mixing, and music production THE FACTS Formed on January 14th 2003 from a combined background of 30 years of arts practice, development and education, Hybrid:arts is a not for profit organisation. We are based in Leamington Spa with training studios in Rugby and Southam. Hybrid:arts brokers support from agencies dedicated to creating opportunities for young people. Hybrid:arts have the capacity to bring out hidden talent and confidence in young people who have not had the opportunity to foster their creative talents before. LINK: Hybrid:arts