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- Hi everyone, welcome to Real Life 101,
the show where you'll get the inside scoop
on real jobs, great career choices.
I'm Jillian and thanks for joining us today
as we show you three unique and cool careers
that could be in your future.
When works of art get damaged or faded,
especially when they're valuable
or have sentimental value,
it's a shame to just let them go.
Sean will visit an art conservator
and learn how she preserves and repairs art.
The way we get our news has evolved over the years.
We'll hear how a digital editor
manages a TV stations digital platforms
and keeps on top of breaking news.
When someone calls 911 for an emergency,
it is imperative that the person who answers the call
is able to assist in a quick and calm manner.
Sean will meet a communications officer
and learn how he handles 911 calls.
So stay tuned, we've got all this and more.
Today on RealLife 101.
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- Have you ever seen a painting that has become so dark?
You can hardly make it out.
Did you know that this painting can be brought back to life
through an intricate procedure?
Stephanie Conforti is an art conservator
who works with art museums and private clients
to repair and conserve art for generations to come.
Sean met her in her studio
where he was fascinated to learn
about her unique art career.
- What's up guys?
We're here with Stephanie
and you are an art conservator, is that correct?
- That is correct.
- So what does that entail?
- So our conservators are kind of the custodians of art.
We look after the preservation and make sure
that they're being taken care of properly
within museums and within private collections
or a historic home.
So wherever there is art,
there's usually an art conservator that is there
to make sure that everything's being done properly
so that it can live a full and long life.
- Yeah, so how did you get involved with this?
- I actually went to school in college for painting.
I want to be a painter
but then I realized that I was actually much more interested
in other people's art than I was on my own.
So I had to go back and go back for art history.
I had to go back for science
and then I went back and got my masters
in the conservation and preservation of paintings.
- Once you get a painting, how do you handle the work?
- Well, it depends on the damage.
There's a lot of things we can do.
A lot of times I consult with museums
and we discuss things like humidity, temperature,
how pieces are being handled,
how they're being transported.
Those are some easy ways to prevent any damage from occurring.
If a damage has already occurred,
then we start looking at what are the best ways
to treat that particular damage.
And that depends on whether it's a tear, a puncture,
if there's mold, if there's any sorts of structural
and stability is flaking paint,
there's a lot of different ways that we can treat
those sorts of damages.
- What are some skills that are needed?
- You need to have a material science background,
so most of us have gone to school
and have some organic chemistry
'cause we use a lot of chemicals.
So let's say a painting has a varnish on it
that has this colored or yellowed.
You need to know what materials make up that varnish
and what materials make up the material underneath,
like the oil paint, and how we can separate those safely
so that we don't remove original paint
while we try to get rid of some unwanted materials.
- Do you need any ongoing training
to stay on top of things in your industry?
- Yes, a lot of conservators are one part
of a national organization called
the American Institute of Conservation.
And they hold a lot of classes.
They also hold an annual meeting
that most conservators try to attend.
And then we will do things like workshops.
There's also some regional organizations
that you can attend here in the south.
We have the Southeast Regional Conservation Association
and they also hold meetings as well as workshops
so that you can brush up on your skills
and learn new skills 'cause it's kind of changing all the time,
especially as artists start to use new materials in their art.
So we're always having to kind of expand and learn.
And so it's a profession that requires you
to always be learning.
- So if someone's watching today
and they might want to get into this field later on,
are there things that they can do to prepare themselves
and these types of internships
or shadowing that they can do for anyone?
- If they want to go, there's a traditional route
before there were schools and master programs.
People would learn just by training
with another conservator.
Most museums these days, if you would like to work
in a museum or require you to have
the equivalent of a master's program.
And to get into one of these programs,
you really need a background in both hands-on materials.
So you would need to have, if you're interested in paintings,
take painting classes, if you're interested in paper,
maybe drawing classes, paper-making classes,
then you need art history and then you need science.
- So you need to have an equivalent of all of those
to actually get into one of the programs,
as well as then usually interning with an art conservator.
- Now is there a difference between an art conservator
and an art restore?
- Art restore is more of an old-fashioned term.
That's a term that was used earlier on,
probably in the 20th century.
And it meant for people who fixed art.
At that time, a lot of the materials they were using,
they were using a lot of the same materials.
So let's say you had an oil paint
and you have a tear in it or you have lost paint,
they would use oil paint to fix it.
Well, that's the exact same material.
So it's not reversible.
In conservation, it's really important
that whatever we do can be removed in the future,
can be identified as a different material
and hopefully stay visually the same
for at least 100 years.
So restores really weren't thinking about that.
They were also weren't thinking about the overall preservation
of a piece, the visual quality of it
was almost the most important element for them.
So the idea of restoration has kind of gone away.
It's more conservators have come forward
'cause we kind of feel like the idea of preserving it
is much more important than anything else.
- Well, thank you so much, Stephanie,
for taking time out into your day to speak with me
and keep up the good work making
and keeping the art looking as beautiful as it was created.
- It was great meeting you.
Thank you so much.
Back in the day, this was a trade that was learned hands-on
and today a person needs a master's degree
to become an art conservator.
Continuing education is also important
to keep up with advances in methods and technology.
If you would like more information
about becoming an art conservator, click on the link.
On today's episode synopsis at rl101.com.
- It's time for a break.
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We're back.
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- In today's world, we are used to getting information
instantly, whether we wanna be informed of breaking news
or to know what bands will be performing in town
over the coming weeks.
We simply go to our phone or computer and voila,
it's there at our fingertips.
Randy Klein is the managing editor of Digital
at WTSP in Tampa, Florida.
He spoke with Helena by satellite
about how he oversees the content,
that not only goes on the station's website,
but other digital platforms such as Facebook,
Instagram and mobile devices.
- We are joined today by Randy Klein,
who is the managing editor of Digital.
Thank you so much for joining us today, Randy.
- Certainly, great to be here, thanks.
- Now Randy, can you walk us through your day-to-day duties
as the managing editor?
- Yeah, as managing editor of Digital here at WTSP,
my responsibilities are overseeing
all the digital platforms that we have here.
Years ago, it used to be just a website.
The digital responsibilities have expanded to social media,
social media has expanded.
We attend every editorial meeting we have here.
We work lockstep with the broadcast folks
to make sure we're sending a consistent message
and that we're updated on all platforms throughout the day.
We work very closely with the MSJs, my team does,
and I oversee my team working with the MSJs
on making sure that we get content to our digital platforms
as soon as we can.
If we need to alert people through our digital platforms,
we do that, and that's usually under my guidance.
- So what kind of background or education do you have?
- I have a BA in communications from the University of Houston.
I came up as a promotion producer, first in cable,
and then I moved to broadcast in the late 1990s
and had been doing promotions at a broadcast station
for probably about five years
before moving over to the digital side.
And on the digital side, it was first just a website
and then sort of expanded.
So my background has been in cable
and then broadcast television and promotions
before I got into the digital side.
- So what would you say is the most challenging part
of your day-to-day job?
- I would say the most challenging part
of the day-to-day job is to be ready for anything.
At any time, I can tell you there have been numerous times
that it's been 11 o'clock at night
and I'm ready to go to bed
and I see something on my phone
and that something on my phone needs attention
or needs direct supervision or in some cases,
needs me to jump in and jump into the car
and head to the television station.
I think the absolute single most challenging thing
is just to always be ready and always be aware
of situations that are gonna need my assistance.
- And what's the most rewarding part of your job?
- The most rewarding part of my job
is being able to inform the public,
being able to use what we have here
to get good information out.
I can give you a great example is during Hurricane Irma
or any kind of tropical weather or emergency situation.
People needed to know information and time was critical
and we provided that service to get people the information
to keep them safe.
- What kind of advice do you have to give for anyone
who wants to end up in your field?
- The best advice I could give to somebody
who wants to end up in this field is make sure you love it.
Make sure you love the broadcast television industry.
Make sure you love the communication industry
because you're gonna have to put your whole heart
and soul into it.
And if it's not something that you know you love right away,
it might not be for you.
But if you do love it, if you are committed to it,
this is by far the most rewarding career
I've ever heard of.
- What kind of skills are absolutely necessary
to succeed in this industry?
- I think the single most absolutely necessary skill
is going to be your flexibility.
The ability to go from one thing to the next
and the ability to react quickly
because unlike some other professions,
you're gonna have things coming at you all day long
and what you're gonna have to do
is you're gonna have to prioritize
as different things come to you.
What's the most important thing to get out right now?
What can be put on the back burner?
And the entire day, you're doing this prioritization.
- What kind of qualities do you look for
when you're looking to hire someone for your team?
- Well, the first thing I look for is I look for a go-getter.
I look for somebody who's not gonna wait
for work to come to them.
I want somebody who's going out and finding this work,
who's going out and finding ways to make us better.
You know, what I'm not looking for
is somebody who's gonna come in and punch a time card.
What I am looking for is somebody who's gonna make
the time there here the most valuable time of their day
and the most productive time of their day.
And I wanna see creativity.
I don't wanna see the same old same old
because the same old is gonna get boring.
I wanna see somebody who's really pushing the limits
of what we can do and does it on a daily basis.
- Well, thank you so much for your time
this morning, Randy, and I definitely learned a lot.
- Well, thanks so much for having me.
- If you want an exciting career in media
that requires flexibility, quick thinking
and the ability to multitask and keep up with technology,
maybe being a digital content editor
could be in your future.
To see how you can start preparing now
and for more of what to expect in this career,
click on the link on today's episode synopsis
at rl101.com.
Want to know what the best overall
rated colleges and trade schools in America are?
Or maybe how good the food is at a school
that is important to you?
Niche is a website that rates colleges
in a variety of categories.
It also has information on scholarships and admissions.
Niche is just one of the many resources you'll find
on our Real Life 101 website
to help you in your college search.
So, before you spend time, money, and gas
to go on college visits, head on over to rl101.com
and click on the college tab.
You can narrow down your college search
without having to leave your home.
Real Life will be right back.
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- Break's over, back to more Real Life.
- What is the first number you call
in case of an emergency or crime being committed?
911, right?
It is the job of the person who answers your call
to get you the help you need quickly and calmly.
Robert Cruz is a communications officer
in the communication center
at the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
He gave Shon some insight into his job
answering the county's 911 calls
and relaying them to the appropriate people
to assist the caller.
- What's up guys?
- Hey, we are here with Robert Cruz,
and you were a communications officer, correct?
- Yes, sir.
- So, tell me what that entails.
- Pretty much what we do is we are the point of contact
for law enforcement when they're on the road working.
If they need assistance at all,
they will call us on the radio.
Also, we answer the 911 calls for all Seminole County.
- How did you get into this field?
- When I was graduating high school in 2006,
I really didn't know what I was gonna do.
I was torn between either joining the Army
before I went and met with the recruiter.
One of my friends says, you know what,
I haven't tried this job real quick,
and I started here in 2006, and I've been here ever since.
- So, what type of skills do you think
are important to have in this field?
- You gotta be a good people person to be able
to communicate and articulate what it is
that you want from the caller.
When they call, they tend to be in a high stress situation.
So, you gotta be calming, but you also have to articulate
the instructions that you need them to understand.
And probably the most important thing
is being able to multitask and handle stress very well.
- Take me to the process, like, when you get a call.
- Depending on the type of situation
they call in for 911, you try and just
most importantly get the address.
Because if they are upset and you're not able
to figure out what it is they need at that point in time,
least you know where they're at
so you can get help to them.
Once you get help to them, or once you find out
where they are at, you start going through your basic
instructions on how to keep them safe,
whether it's dealing with a disturbance,
trying to get them to separate from, you know,
the person that's calling the disturbance,
or if they're just observing it,
trying to get as much information about
what is going on, whether it's a suspicious person,
what makes it suspicious, or if it's, like I said,
a disturbance, you can get the description
of the two parties and also we can get to them quickly enough.
- Okay, and like, you work pretty much as a team
'cause you're pretty much relaying that information
to other armed forces.
- Yeah, we work with about a room for about 20 people
and we're all somewhat working together,
whether it's me, one on one with this type of call taker,
or this type of radio operator,
and then also with the road patrol as well.
What did you say is one of the most stressful parts of your job?
- When someone doesn't know where they're at,
or what type of help they need,
that's where I find the most stressful is,
'cause I'm so used to helping people
when being able to get it accomplished,
that I find that that can be very stressful
is when they don't know what it is they need,
and I'm trying to figure it out.
- And I mean, if you had to choose one thing,
what's the best part of your job,
or the most rewarding part of your job?
- I enjoy helping people and being able to free people,
but I like my work the same hours as road patrol,
so I work two on two off every other weekend,
so I get days off during the weekend as well.
- Okay, so like you said, when you got into it,
you didn't really know what you were doing at a high school,
that's what a lot of people that watch our show,
they have trouble with.
What are some things that they can start preparing themselves
right now to do if they want to get into this field?
- Well, they can, you know,
if they are interested in a law enforcement field,
the communications department is a good step inside,
you know, being, I think the most important part
is trying to be understanding of other people's
emergencies and situations, just being open-minded.
What we may not wait the day-to-day person
might not find his emergency.
That person calling you, they're having that emergency,
and it's a big deal for them.
So just being open-minded to the fact that
they need assistance and, you know,
you're there to help them.
- Do you need certification or any ongoing training?
- Now, when people get hired on,
they do have to take a state certification test.
But once you pass that state certification test,
you do take continuing education.
You know, courses here and there on how to stay
on top of the day-to-day training,
whether it's the new Texan I-1
or the new stuff that's coming in,
like dealing with blood **** pathogens and everything.
We also do, in Seminole County,
we do our CPR recertification every two years,
and we also do our FCIC and CIC recertification every two years.
- Okay.
- Do you get to keep up with the end result of your call?
- We are able to try and keep up on what may have happened.
Obviously, if it's a super sensitive topic,
we may not be able to, but for the most part,
we are able to, you know,
we can talk to the law enforcement officer,
hey, was this person okay?
And sometimes the people will call back
and, you know, thank us for helping them out.
- So regardless if a person's getting robbed
or maybe they might be dealing with someone
that's having a heart attack, they still get you,
but do you still handle the same thing
if it's maybe a health issue?
- No, see, from the Sheriff's office standpoint,
we are the primary call-in center.
- Okay.
- We get all the phone calls.
If you're having a heart attack,
we will transfer you over to the Fire EMS side.
And the reason why we do that is because they have
different type of pre-arrival instructions
than you would if you were getting broken into.
- My job is to be able to assist you,
describe who it is that's endangering your life.
The Fire Department and EMS side,
their job is to give you those pre-arrival instructions,
so you being the caller can give the,
whether you have to do CPR or be able to assist
the Fire Department when they get on scene.
- All right, well, thanks a lot, Robert.
It's a pleasure meeting you,
and I'll keep up the good work, man.
- Thank you, sir.
- Thank you.
- A communications officer,
also known as a police dispatcher,
or public safety telecommunicator,
must have good communication,
listening and decision-making skills.
They must be empathetic, stay calm,
and collect vital information often from frantic callers.
Then they coordinate responders
using mapping software and camera feeds.
Training to be a 911 dispatcher varies by state,
and many states require dispatchers to be certified.
For more information on this important career,
including training and certifications required
by each state, click on the link
on today's episode synopsis at rl101.com.
- Don't change that channel, we'll be right back.
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- Breaks over, back to more real life.
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- Well, guys, it's time to bring today's show to a close.
Join us again next week when we revisit
some of your favorite careers from last season.
If you've been in a simulator ride at an amusement park,
you know how realistic it seems.
We'll recall how simulation is also used in many areas,
such as training doctors, nurses,
pilots and people in government and other industries.
Plus, we'll take a look back at Helena's visit
with the program engineer,
who specializes in the science of nanotechnology.
They'll talk about how technology
is getting even smaller nowadays.
We'll also bring you an encore
of Shawn's visit to a lab
where he talked with a phlebotomist.
She told him what it takes to draw blood from patients
and what they do with the blood vials.
So join us same time, same place next week
for another great episode of Real Life 101.
It's your life, what career will you choose?
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