Are shifts allocated when you get there and register or on the Wednesday morning briefing? Also do you get to choose your shifts or do they give you set shifts. I'm just wondering as I don't really care what shifts I do apart from Friday (as I want to watch FNM). If I arrive 8am Wednesday what is the likelyness that I'll be able to avoid a Friday afternoon/evening shift?
Just to let people know this is my first year so I don't know how things work, but am really looking forward to being a CAT and seeing the festival from a different perspective!
Shift Allocation?
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- Last Post 15 August 2009
Elazarus
posted this
15 August 2009
M13UGS
posted this
15 August 2009
The shift times are fixed and everyone does the shifts in rotation :-
Night : Midnight to 8.00am
Early : 8.00am to 4.00pm
Late : 4.00pm to midnight
Depending on which team you chose determines how your schedule pans out...
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Post edited by S Newman:
Due to the ever changing nature of volunteering at a Festival, shift patterns can vary right up until when we are onsite. For this reason, we cannot confirm the exact shift patterns until you get to site; but as M13UGS has stated below ? shift patterns will be displayed in the CAT office for everyone to see so that you can state the Team you would prefer to be on when booking in. We ensure that each Team allows for 2 event evenings free and adequate time off to recuperate following a shift and Teams are allocated on a first come first served basis.
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The shift pattern/timetables will be at the CAT office on site, you will weigh up the pros and cons for the team that best suits you... then when registering, you'll be asked which team you want to be on, subject of course to it not already being filled.
Arriving early on Wednesday should give you a good choice of teams/shifts.
Welcome to your first experience of CATting... I'm sure you'll have a great time....
MattSawyer
posted this
17 August 2009
what is the earliest you can arrive to register? and what is a decent time to arrive to get the shift allocation that you want? also the shift allocation are there LOADS of options or only a few and you do one of the set? if u could clear it up it would be great! thanks :)
M13UGS
posted this
18 August 2009
Second that, think at least 5 or maybe even 6... and from past experiences and from some of Tavis's earlier posts in other forum topics and from other controllers/managers... there are sometimes spaces available on all the shifts even on the Wednesday late arrivals... but... key thing is...
First come first served...
That's why Chris is there tonight.... ;)
And I'll be there tomorrow... ;)
Mark
posted this
18 August 2009
There are 5 CAT shift patterns at Reading - this as there are 5 teams, each working 3x8hr shifts.
Rob - you were thinking 4 from Latitude, there are only 4 teams thus shift patterns at Latitude as it's a shorter show.
There are 2 HAT shift patterns at Reading, again as 2 teams of 3 shifts.
MattSawyer
posted this
18 August 2009
anyone got a clue what shift patterns these are ? i was expecting to turn up and be able to work on the wed night, thur late and sat morning as i want to see all the days on fri and sun but only late on sat.. but if there are only 5 sets then this sounds highly unlikely.. and if there are only 5 sets of teams how do all the campsites get watched? i guess a pack would be easiest but as im on a mac ive tried downloading that PDF file but i have no way of reading it so i cant download it.. wld have been easier as a microsoft office doc for me but then i dont spend loads of money on applications for my mac.. eeek.
Mark
posted this
18 August 2009
- Last edited 13 November 2023
The Adobe Acrobat reader is a free application - this is what you need to read a PDF. Works on both PCs and MACs - this is one of the main reasons people use PDFs; as they are cross platform.
You can download it here: http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/
bags666
posted this
18 August 2009
i'll be there for around midday on the tuesday
MattSawyer
posted this
18 August 2009
ahh i downloaded it! however now when i go back to the original link i just get a grey screen with a loading sign.. its not gonna be my day, well we were planning on coming on wednesday but if the shift allocation could be done before then, then we will be coming on tuesday too to ensure we get the shifts that we want :)
Amymeister
posted this
18 August 2009
As far as I'm aware, pretty much every shift pattern is arranged to ensure that you get 2 festival evenings off. This means it's fair on everyone. At the end of the day you are getting a free ticket to the festival and much bette camping facilities, it's worth a little bit of sacrifice for that.
MattSawyer
posted this
19 August 2009
argh.. makes sense but its annoying cus i really wanted to see all the headliners and its gonna be hard to choose! also at amy.. we get our cash back alright but we are working fo 24 hours so its not exactly free ;) and the shift pattern i want wont exactly be available now - arghhh.. wish id known this all before.. someone must know what shift patterns there are already? its next week, i kind of want to see them before i get there so i can make my mind up to what im seeing.. I want to do my late night on wed tbh but if we cant work late on thur then id love to have done morning on thur but that wont be on the shift set as its 16 hours.. isn't it possible to do the late on wed? someone want to get back to me? :D cheers guys! lol. and also anyone got their pack yet? i know there is still 2 days but im just pondering :D
lepus
posted this
20 August 2009
matt
You have the info. You stand a good chance, but not a certainty, of working through one headline evening.
Start making plans to cope with that now, anything else will be a bonus and you will not be as disappointed when your shifts are finalised.
It does seem to me, kind of reasonable, that if I am working at a festival, I will be working when the festival is, but I am just a simple soul with all the experience of one Latitude behind me and nothing to do with the organisation.
M13UGS
posted this
20 August 2009
Matt, as stated above, there are 3 shifts, an Early, a Late and a Night; everyone works one of these in their chosen TEAM.
The rotation of these has already been very carefully worked out to ensure fairness across all the TEAMs and are fixed; you do however, get to chose which TEAM.
TEAM selection is strictly first come, first served.
Last year, it was possible to work a late Wednesday, this was however a 10 hour shift but with 2 x 1 hour breaks, bringing the working time down to 8 hours. The shift started at 2.00pm although you had to be there for log-in and briefing 1 hour before and the shift finished at midnight. The next shift for this TEAM commenced midnight on Friday, but again, you had to be there 1 hour beforehand for log-in and briefing; this shift finished at 8.00am on Saturday morning.
The final shift for this TEAM started at 8.00am on Sunday morning after log-in and brief 1 hour beforehand and it finished at 4.00pm Sunday evening.
So, you can see how the rotation works, there are about 5 or 6 TEAMs and ALL will do 3 shifts from 2.00pm Weds until 4.00pm Monday.
One of the key things to pick out from all this is TEAM..... we work in TEAMS, we work as a TEAM.... the TEAM is like a machine... and if the TEAM breaks down, then the machine breaks down.... and we can't have that.
I suggest you work out who you really really, really really wanna and gotta see the most and then chose the TEAM whose shift pattern doesn't clash with the most.... i.e if you really really really have to see the headline band on Friday night, then don't chose the TEAM where the shift ends at midnight (commences 4.00pm Friday) or the one that starts at midnight (ends 8.00am Saturday).
It's not rocket science, you can't see all the headliners, you can't see all the bands... but you can see hell of a lot if you chose your TEAM carefully.... if you did wanna see all the bands, then you should simply have bought a ticket !
Even if you did buy a ticket, you probably wouldn't have seen everything you wanted to... so...
relax, chill out... enjoy the festival working experience and also enjoy the festival in your 'free time'....
I have had the CAT pack via downloadable pdf, but not the hard copy as yet, there is however industrial action by postal workers so there could be a bit of a delay.
MattSawyer
posted this
20 August 2009
alright well thats great, im not having a go at anyone just wanted to get the info as its not in the pack on PDF and was just interseted.. i intend to work or i wouldnt have become a CAT i was merely getting the info as its my first year and i wanted to know as much as i can about the festival before i get there and i think that thats fair enough. i understand the fairness of the teams and i respect that but thanks for the info guys - bit more happy now and it will save dissapointment later so thank you!!!
M13UGS
posted this
20 August 2009
You're welcome, hope it was of some use and you feel a little more informed, but do bear in mind, TEAM allocation/selection is based on first come first served.
And... that last year's shift pattern and number of teams is not a guarantee that they will stay the same for this year, and as Steph included in my earlier post, the nature of our working/assisting at festivals is subject to change and different requirements at short notice.
Welcome to your first year CATting, it is a great experience and one that you won't regret (or shouldn't do anyway), I'm sure you'll have great time.
Good luck.
Amymeister
posted this
20 August 2009
Matt the only advice I can offer is to get on to site as early as you can either Tuesday or uber early Wed and get booked in as soon as you can, that way you will have your pick of the shifts and more likely to get a shift pattern to suit but please remember, everyone is there for the festival and therefore Mark, Jo, Steph and Adam have to make things as fair as possible for everyone. Yes that does mean you may have to miss a couple of the bands but it's an awesome opportunity to go to Leeds without paying extortionate ticket prices and having the benefit of better camping, toilets and showers AND a chance to meet some fantastic people. It's a small price to pay, take it from someone who has been doing this for 4 years now and loved every minute of it!
MattSawyer
posted this
20 August 2009
well i was a normal festy last year and i loved it but the CATs were having such a laugh and all looked so sparkly clean in their nice little enclosure that i wanted to be one the next year and help out - mainly cus it looked like a blast so il be CATing this year and if i like it, it wont be the last time I CAT - thats for sure! Cant wait.. 4 days till i leave =] WOOP!
febodyed
posted this
23 August 2009
I was just wondering, with the new HAT shift patterns that have been added, when we arrive, will we all choose from the 5 CAT shift patterns and 2 HAT shift patterns, making a total of 7 different shift patterns to choose from, or has it already been decided who is going to be a HAT? I ask this, because I got a place in the reopening of applications which I understand was done as Reading had asked for HATS again this year. Does this mean that I'll be a HAT? I hope not, as although I was a HAT last year and enjoyed it, I much prefer being in the camspite helping people!
Tavis
posted this
23 August 2009
There will be 5 CAT shifts and two HAT shifts, which will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so you won't have to be a HAT if you don't want to.
picklelilley
posted this
23 August 2009
[:0] we can be HAT's again?
ooooh now I dont know what I want to doooo!
Elo
posted this
23 August 2009
this may sound really silly but what is the difference between a CAT and a Hat?! I am new to all of this - can't wait to meet everyone :) xxx
