Posts Tagged ‘facebook’

« Older Entries

Use your social media presence to your advantage

July 7th, 2011

A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com found many employers use cyber-stalking as a screening tool, 35% of them eliminating applicants based on what they discover online.

For graduate internship and job seekers it is important to recognise the value of social media in the job hunt. Social media has quickly become an essential networking and recruiting tool so it is important to learn how to best brand yourself on the web so that your online presence can be used to your advantage. Having a strong social media presence can make a great first impression!

Firstly, if you aren’t already then get on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter!

Make sure you have a sensible Facebook profile image and set your account to private as you wouldn’t want a potential employer seeing your drunken university photos.

LinkedIn is your professional online image so if you are serious about furthering your career you must be on LinkedIn. To have a strong LinkedIn profile and give a good impression complete your profile to 100%, write your positioning statement and career goals in your ‘summary’, ask former employers and internship supervisors to make recommendations on your behalf, make connections and join groups relevant to your interests.

Be engaging and active on Twitter. People will follow you if you have a distinct Twitter personality so say hello, re-tweet content along with your take, tweet blogs/articles that interest you and generally be a member of the community. You should follow relevant industry leaders, companies you are interested in working for, and peers in the field. When writing your bio consider it as a selling tool for why people should follow you e.g. interests, degree or profession, goals, and what you tweet about.

Secondly, write a one sentence personal statement which can be used across your social media sites. This is a way to promote yourself so think of your strengths, knowledge and what you could bring to a company.

Thirdly, start a blog! This is a great way to show off your strengths and write about a topic you are passionate about. There are some easy platforms to use e.g. WordPress and Blogspot which can be created in minutes.

And finally, be consistent! Try to use the same personal bios and pictures on all social networking sites. Use the same or similar usernames for each of these sites for people to easily remember, obviously your first and last name is best. This will help create a stronger and more memorable online presence.

So now you know how – get networking!

No comments »

Posted in careers advice

Tags:

Becoming a social media superstar – guest blog

April 18th, 2011

Written by guest blogger, Jayne Read.

The main beauty of social media is that it is more often free and it is simple to use. Personally, I’ve been using social media since I was at school and I’m sure I’m not the only person who would admit to having been addicted to sites such as Myspace, Profilenation and many other forms of profile sites and forums. Our generation grew up with these kinds of sites and online networks of friends, we can see how they have grown and developed.

Back in the day, Myspace was great for chatting with school friends, keeping up to date with your favourite bands and showing off your marvellous one handed photography skills and impressive photo editing skill, that made you look really, really cool. Nowadays, Myspace has taken a back seat with Facebook and Twitter becoming the focus of our social media usage, for a wide range of ages and backgrounds.

Personally I used Myspace in the early days to begin my pursuit of photography and modelling, it was the time a great direct route to local photographers and models. Not the level of professionalism I was after, but it led me to discover a number of similar sites that were geared towards industry professionals.

I would say that Facebook is the more sophisticated version of Myspace, it lacks the fun of customisable html profiles, but benefits from being a simple interface and generally easier to understand and use. To really benefit from Facebook, I would say my top tips would be to not be shy about interacting with companies that you are a fan of on the site. One of the reasons I love social media is that it is the first opportunity we have had as consumers to converse and comment directly with brands and people that we are interested in. If you have a blog, Facebook is a great way to promote this. I have a Facebook fan page for Jayne’s Kitschen and use this to post my thoughts and also link to new posts, using the @ tagging feature on Facebook, this also allows you to share your blog directly with the companies that you have mentioned, this is great PR for them, for me and always has a positive effect on my pages views.

Twitter is not so obvious to the rookie social media user. When I first used Twitter I couldn’t grasp the concept, to me it was like Facebook status updates but to strangers and with the limit of a word count. However, after giving the site a proper go, I have discovered that the links to companies and celebrities that I love about Facebook are even stronger on Twitter. Again, a top tip for Twitter would be interacting with other users, whether that be a simple hello and introduction and a comment on something they have tweeted, retweets are also particularly beneficial, this will help build your followers, reputation and you never know what might come of it!

On my Twitter I take a friendly approach, offering help to companies and individuals that appeal to me and offer encouragement to fellow bloggers. This had lead to me gaining some great connections and allowed me to work with some incredible people. As mentioned previously I gained my current job via Twitter, so it just goes to show that this simple site can offer some giant opportunities when used properly.

If you’d like to find me on Twitter I’m @JayneJRead and please feel free to drop me a line if you think I can help with something, I’m very friendly! Also don’t forget to take a look at my blog www.jayneskitschen.com which will be of particular interest to any girly girls or vintage fan reading.

If you would be interested in writing for our blog please email us – marketing@inspiringinterns.com

No comments »

Posted in careers advice

Tags:

What is a Digital Marketing Executive?

April 14th, 2011

Companies are increasingly realising the importance of digital marketing in enhancing their business thus creating many new career paths and job titles. The ability to build an online connection to customers or clients is quickly becoming one of the most highly demanded skills in the job market.

A digital marketing executive is typically responsible for engaging a brand with customers or clients via the digital space, aiming to establish and manage the online presence. It is their job to keep up to date with relevant issues and latest news through articles and blogs to ensure that their brand is at the forefront of any industry developments.

An important part of a digital marketing executive’s job is to engage with the community through social media methods such as Facebook and Twitter. What was once pre-teen and student territory is now seen as a required skill to engage with customers and clients. The role also involves the analysis of website traffic flow and creating online adverts using Facebook and Google.

To get a better feel of the role of a digital marketing executive we asked Joe Kiddle who is currently doing a digital marketing internship at a web-based company. His day-to-day tasks included updating website content, helping design and maintain the weekly newsletter, SEO keyword searching, image optimisation, engaging with the community through social media and some print based design work.

He had this to say about his internship;

“Working for a web-based company has taught me a lot about what goes on behind the scenes; from the general maintenance and updating of site content to advertising, gaining a brand presence online through SEO, social media and web-based design. I enjoyed having my own input into various web and print based design aspects, as well as being responsible for the newsletter and social media areas. I think having this responsibility and input is important in an internship, it allows you to grow within the role whilst developing ideas and learning from your own mistakes.”

Do you have your own unique blogging style and killer online presence? If you live and breathe social media then why not think about a career in digital marketing.

Follow Joe on Twitter @JoeKiddle or check out his blog http://corneroftheearth.tumblr.com/

No comments »

Posted in careers advice

Tags:

Beauty of blogging – guest blog

April 1st, 2011

Introducing new resident guest blogger Jayne Read, University of Leeds graduate.

Being unemployed totally sucks, doesn’t it? Nothing to do and nothing to focus your energy on, you feel stuck in a rut. Often it feels like you’re stuck in a vicious circle because you don’t have the experience to get the job you really want or need, but you are struggling to get a relevant job in order to get the experience that will eventually progress your career.

For me, the advantages of working in retail for nearly two years after graduating meant that the hours were flexible, I was earning money to pay the bills and I was still interacting with interesting people. Working weekends, meant that I had weekdays free for exploring and pursuing personal interests. I dabbled in freelance photography, fashion modelling and writing. It was writing that eventually caught my full attention.

About two years ago I started contributing to local and online magazines and earning a little income from online article writing. However, it was my blog that captured my imagination, because I could write to my own briefs and my own rules!

Having lived with a boy (who is now my husband) for 6 years and being obsessed with browsing the internet for interesting fashion and beauty brands, I didn’t have anyone to share my exciting finds with at home, so I started Jayne’s Kitschen to share my enthusiasm for kitsch, vintage inspired and quirky fashion, beauty and baking!

For a long time, my little WordPress blog went unappreciated, with only about 5 to 10 views a day. After playing around and learning about social media, I began to utilise Facebook to promote my writing, this increased my reader numbers, and it also enabled me to link directly to companies I was writing about.

It wasn’t until a year ago that I reluctantly started using Twitter that my blog really kicked off! Twitter baffled me, I had no idea how to use it, but with some perseverance and research I mastered it and am now proud to boast nearly 300 followers! I use Twitter to promote my blog and also as a way to contact potential companies/ people to feature. My blog now gets at least 150 views a day!

Although I was working full time in a job that I knew I wasn’t going to be in forever, and although I had periods of unemployment, this constant interaction with the digital world and the skills I have used for this hobby and others, have lead to me gaining my first career role! After seeing a company director Tweet that he needed someone to do social media for his company, I replied and within a week I started my new job!

In addition to being hired via social media, I have made some fantastic contacts within independent fashion and beauty and have started making a name for myself. In the past few months people have started approaching me for features and guest blogs, it’s fantastic and gives me hope that I’m heading in the right direction now!

Blogging is a great tool to share your personal interest and views, to keep you busy and in the end will add to your CV and help you to network with relevant people.

You can follow me on Twitter @JayneJRead, check out my blog www.jayneskitschen.com and become a fan of Jayne’s Kitschen on Facebook. Please feel free to Tweet me if you have any addition questions!

Watch this space, my next guest blog will feature tips on using social media for internship and job hunting and the pursuit of personal interests.

No comments »

Posted in careers advice

Tags:

An Inspiring Internship

December 2nd, 2010

London under a blanket of snow

On Monday morning, a freezing central London greeted me with a tube strike and thus a 40 minute walk across town to none other than Inspiring Interns, where I began (you guessed it)…an internship!  Whilst this wasn’t my original intention when I applied to Inspiring Interns, it has definitely transpired to be exactly the internship I was looking for.

Having graduated this year and worked for a short while in recruitment, I decided that I wanted to gain experience in marketing and I felt that an internship would be the best way of achieving this.  So having left my job I got in touch with Inspiring Interns, who offered me a number of roles including one with them. Naturally I could only choose one…

So what exactly does being a marketing intern at Inspiring Interns involve?  Basically, anything and everything.  But it has certainly brought to my attention the importance of social media in promoting a company, regardless of the industry.  Seldom do we as a consumer actively investigate new brands the age has dawned where brands must access us.  And where better to access millions of potential customers at a low cost than social media websites.

Did you know that social media has overtaken pornography as the number one activity on the internet? FACT.  Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S.  FACT.  1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. met via social media.  BIZARRE.  Thankfully the latter two facts relate less directly to those of us based in the United Kingdom.  However, they do go a long way in highlighting that social media is definitely the way forward in business.

So where does this leave you?  Most probably, Facebook stalking.  But for those of you interested in marketing, PR or any customer facing role, then perhaps it’s time to consider actively building yourself an online professional face.  Not only is it useful for teenagers sharing photos of prematurely drunken experiences, but it is also a good way of building up what could be necessary experience for a future career in a social media orientated role.  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, a blog…it’s all relevant.

Ecommerce is the buzz word of the future: so get involved now.  And what better way to begin your career than with an internship?!

No comments »

Posted in Inspiring Office Antics, Internship News

Tags:

Why aren’t you on Twitter?

November 28th, 2010

As a thoroughly modern, cool, exciting (and very modest) company, Inspiring Interns spends a lot of its time browsing the Twittersphere, keeping a beady eye out for industry developments, potential clients, friends anything useful or interesting. Inspiring has found Twitter to be a great tool for connecting with people, following trends and spreading our own gospel.

So it came as something of a shock when news reached Inspiring Towers that Twitter has a low take up among 18-24 year olds compared to other social networks. The common accusation levelled at the micro-blogging site is that it is a poor mans Facebook status update, a mere forum for sharing your daily tedium (I had eggs for breakfast!! ;-) ). Undoubtedly this sort of post does make up a share of Twitter traffic, but by no means does it define it.

Twitter is about engaging with anyone who interested you. Not just friends (as in Facebook), not just professional contacts (as in LinkedIn), but absolutely anybody you feel might have something worthwhile to say or to share. That might be a celebrity (Inspiring Interns follows @stephenfry), a journalist (@jan_murray, education journalist), or something completely random (@sesamestreet ?!).

Of course, Twitter isn’t just for pleasure. Increasingly recruiters are using it as their tool of choice for sourcing candidates. When job hunting Twitter is also a great way to find and get in touch with key decision makers you might not reach otherwise. You can find some good tips here.

The reach and influence that Twitter commands is clearly increasing. Restricting anything to the now ubiquitous 140 character limit is, to use Twitter parlance, trending – from the Bible to CVs. There are even surveys demonstrating that Twitter users are more likely to get a job, so well-practised are they in the art of being concise.

T-Mobile is even running a competition where business owners and entrepreneurs can send a straight-talking pitch on why their business is so great in (you guessed it) 140 characters. With a first prize of £2000 and two second prizes of £1000, being an expert Tweeter could prove to be a very valuable tool.

So with all these benefits, the one question remains for 18-24 year olds: why aren’t YOU on Twitter?

No comments »

Posted in careers advice

Tags:

At least you don’t do this for a living…

October 5th, 2010

It’s no secret that things in the employment sector are pretty tough right now. People are being forced to take large pay cuts, those made redundant are applying for positions far below their skill and experience level, and reports showed last week that graduates are struggling to get above a call centre position.
Yet, as new MSN article ‘10 jobs no man would ever want’ showed, it could still  be worse;  far, far worse in fact. We did our own investigating here at Inspiring Towers and put together our list of ten of the worst jobs in the world (and no, we certainly won’t be arranging internships within them!)

Portable Toilet Cleaner

Anyone who’s ever been to a festival knows the worst part is the unavoidable visit to the porta-loo – so how would you fancy the job of cleaning it?  After a long, hot weekend with hundreds of thousands of ravers binging on fast food and discoloured alcohol you can only imagine the end results – brings new meaning to, ‘same crap, different day’ doesn’t it?

Roadkill Remover

Not only do roadkill collectors get to scrape off and pick up the decaying remains of dead creatures from the road, they also get to do it whilst braving oncoming traffic. Lovely.

Saddam Hussein’s Body Double

So we appreciate that this job is a little bit redundant now, but for years the Iraqi dictator and his offspring hired decoy lookalikes as a defensive measure (there were even rumours within minutes of Hussein’s televised hanging that they had put the wrong man to death!) With few still alive to tell their stories, it certainly often came under the ‘job for life’ category…

Brazilian Mosquito Researcher

Scientists fighting malaria must study the biting habits of the mosquito that spreads it. However, the Anopheles darling mosquito found in Brazil is too smart for conventional traps – so the scientists have to offer themselves as bait to catch the crafty little suckers instead. Considering that mosquitoes are credited with killing half of all humans who have ever lived, these scientists are certainly “buzzing” (Gettit?) for their cause.

Alaskan Crab Fisher

You’re freezing cold, you’re soaking wet, you could get crushed under the two ton crab cage during a storm, or have a king crab chop off one of your fingers. Filing in the office doesn’t sound nearly so awful any more eh?

Personal Assistant to Naomi Campbell

She throws phones, attacks airline staff and has been in and out of court for years over assault charges put forward by former employees. You might need a thick skull to stick out this job…

Guard at Buckingham Palace


Regarded as one of the worst jobs in the British army (quite extreme when you consider another takes place on the frontlines…) the Guards have to stand completely still, for hours, looking their best. Oh, and of course, they also have to keep straight faced and ignore the consistent antics of the British public and tourist alike as they try and break the monotonous stance (as if you’ve never tried…)

A Colonic Irrigation Administrator

So you hardly need a Sat Nav to figure out where the end of that tube goes, and will hardly be surprised by what comes out. Hailed as a miraculous alternative medicinal therapy, the procedure helps to remove faeces and toxins lodged in your colon and intestinal tract from times past (or even a marble as one guy found that he’d swallowed 25 years previously…!) Interesting stuff, but the fact is it involves a lot of poo, which is why none of us fancy the job…

Flatus Odour Judge

In the research labs of mouthwash companies someone has to test product efficiency, and unfortunately that means enlisting the help of some halitosis sufferers to blow in said ‘someone’s’ face. Nice. But if you think that’s bad, Minneapolis gastroenterologist Michael Levitt paid two plucky people to indulge repeatedly in the odour of other people’s farts and rate how noxious the smell was. We can only imagine how that reads on their CVs…

Sick Collector at Thorpe Park (or any theme park for that matter…)

After 619 ‘sick shutdowns’ last year at Thorpe Park, and an estimated 150 litres of sick kindly left by customers the year before, Thorpe Park were forced to employ 22-year-old Rhys Owens solely as the park’s vomit collector. It certainly wouldn’t be our first choice of employment, though Owens, apparently, is quite happy with his lot in life. Talking to the BBC, he said, “I’m a massive fan of rollercoasters, so I’ve pretty much been on it every single day. If all I have to do is clean up maybe one or two bits of sick throughout the day I’m not really fussed. It’s a dream for me.” Yes, it really is quite the dream…

What do you think? Got some more rubbish job you’d like to add to the list? Did an even worse job yourself?! Let us know in the comments below so we can all sympathise / laugh!

No comments »

Posted in Inspiring Office Antics, Just for fun

Tags:

Are you flexible enough?

August 2nd, 2010

A recent study by Orange has revealed that more and more job-seekers are flexible blog imageprepared to work flexible hours in their first job.

Out of the 1000 students that Orange questioned, over 53% said that they expected to work on a flexible basis, either working remotely or out of the traditional office working hours.  A further 69% said that this option was of high importance to them.  Gone are the days of graduates expecting the standard 9-5 working day for their first job – remote and mobile work has become such an integral component of corporate life that now there seems no need to even be in the office.

But what will this do in the long run to office mentality and general company well-being?  Will the annual Christmas party be a room full of people who have only ever communicated via conference-call or online, unable to recognise one another face-to-face?  Flexible working is undoubtedly a convenient way to work – you can chose your hours if your life is too hectic to fit to the 9-5 regime, or if you don’t have the means to get to the office, you can stay at home or go to the local Starbucks and login remotely.  Life no longer has to fit around work – today work can fit around your life.

These new statistics come at a time when Facebook has just revealed its worldwide population of over 500 million users, who collectively spend 700 billion minutes per month on the social networking site.  This undoubtedly confirms the influence of technology and the growing importance of social media in today’s world.  Access to networking sites in their first job also came high up on the list to graduates – 43% felt that access to sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn was integral to building up contact lists for their professional development.  Social networking is no longer confined to keeping in touch with friends and family; it’s fast becoming the most important way to connect with potential clients, business partners, and new employees.

Max Taylor, Director of Corporate Marketing at Orange, commented on his findings.  “Today’s graduates are far more digitally savvy than their counterparts of ten – or even five – years ago.  They expect to be able to work on the move and make use of tools like social media and the internet wherever they are.”  Yet despite the increased flexibility that social networks provide, there may also be some negative knock-on effects; social networking and modern technology may be doing a very good job at destroying the most basic of human abilities – that to communicate with other individuals.  In a world where technology rules, it is easy to forget how simple things like eye contact and body language make a huge difference in how a person is perceived, but these aspects are instantly lost behind a computer screen.  For the ‘flexible worker’, physical interaction between work colleagues may arguably be less important than the amount of Facebook friends or LinkedIn connections.  Is this the high-tech future we are heading towards?

Inspiring Interns is a recruitment agency that place students and graduates in internships with a view to full-time employment.   See http://www.inspiringinterns.com for all the latest news and vacancies.

No comments »

Posted in careers advice

Tags:

What is social media and is it a career for you?

June 10th, 2010

Inspiring Interns has placed many graduates in social media roles. If you have a flair for words you might be considering a job in copywriting or journalism, dismissing social media as a serious career option. In the past 24 months, this has all changed. Brands are crying out for talented, web-literate graduates with an innate understanding of social media.

The essence of SM is engaging and connecting with others- your peers, your friends, brands, communities, and celebrities. It allows you to share photos (Flikr/Twitpic), conversations (Twitter/chat rooms), your life (Facebook), knowledge (Wikipedia), videos (Youtube), your CV (LinkedIn) and your views (WordPress/Blogger). Social media is powerful. Facebook has 500 million active users and could hypothetically form the third largest country in the world. In May 2010, FB overtook Google as the most used website in the US.  FB captures an intricate insight into users’ views and interests, and its ads are therefore highly targeted and relevant.

Dell is a classic social media success story. They’ve used social media to engage with their customers, improve their products and improve brand loyalty. Their Twitter page has been used to provide immediate online support for their customers. Their acclaimed blog IdeaStorm has their customers sharing ideas and feedback on their products, which effectively helps Dell improve their designs for free. Dell’s SM has resulted in a significant increase in its sales.

Careers in SM vary widely. Every brand wants to harness the power of the masses. It’s cheap and it can be hugely effective if done right. Good social media managers are like gold dust and the industry is mushrooming.  SMPs can work in-house for a company/brand, as part of an in-house marketing team or for a specialist social media agency such as Alterian.

Social media professionals write blog posts, analyse audience’s reactions and act accordingly. SMPs need to be able to think on their feet, as timely responses are an imperative. You need rock-solid written and oral communications skills.  Because things are changing so rapidly in the ‘real’ world and online, you’ll need to be able to challenge thinking and create new solutions.  If you can create order from chaos and find clear pathways through disparate ideas, then social media might be up your street. It’s important that you have an inquisitive mind- that you are curious about the world around you and the social media industry as a whole.

Because social media is so popular with companies and graduates, it is usually quite difficult to secure a job with little experience. They usually hire interns or give the job to people who are already working in the company. Inspiring Interns can provide the perfect gateway into this industry, finding meaningful three month internships in social media roles that lead to full-time employment.

2 comments »

Posted in careers advice

Tags:

Inspiring Interns welcomes push for fair internships

March 9th, 2010
Graduate Talent Pool - help or hindrance?

Graduate Talent Pool - help or hindrance?

On Sunday evening Donal MacIntyre presented an investigation into unpaid internships in the UK on his Radio 5 Live show. The report highlighted the fact that some companies are using the government website Graduate Talent Pool to advertise unpaid internships that potentially break National Minimum Wage laws.

Inspiring Interns shares the concerns raised on the programme and, further, welcomes any move to draw attention to the exploitation of graduates by businesses using unemployed young people as free labour. As a company we go to great lengths to ensure that our placements offer the kind of professional experience that graduates require in today’s oversaturated job market; moreover we only work with clients interested in developing young talent, not taking advantage of it.

The other main issue that the programme raised was how expenses-only internships are deepening the class divide, with only the wealthy able to undertake longer periods of work experience on low remuneration.

Inspiring Interns agree entirely that internships should be open for all, and back the government’s current schemes to support those who might not otherwise be able to afford internships. We were also delighted to hear David Lammy MP announce on Donal MacIntyre’s show that a new initiative will launch in the summer to offer means-tested support for graduates who undertake placements. Inspiring Interns believe that by offering government financial incentives, graduates will be inspired to test the water by gaining valuable experience in their chosen fields. They also have the opportunity to work in areas which they may not have previously considered. By participating in short term internships in a variety of industries or sectors graduates can make a more informed choice when planning their career path.

Inspiring Interns would also like to express support for businesses offering genuine internships, and urge the government to avoid over-the-top intervention that could damage a very beneficial system. There must be official recognition that in the current economic climate some companies simply cannot afford to pay interns and do not have long term openings. However, by offering a placement they do provide essential experience for graduates and potentially create permanent jobs; either when the market picks up or, more exceptionally, where the intern performs so well that the company perceives there to be a business case with low risk to take the intern on full time.

Banning unpaid internships would do more damage than good, both to young people and to the economy. Therefore the government needs to clarify legislation on internships, and follow the recommendations outlined in Alan Milburn’s report on social mobility. For as Mr. Milburn argues, “Internships are an essential part of the career ladder [and] part and parcel of a modern, flexible economy.”  At Inspiring Interns we aim to provide a valuable service both to graduates entering the job market for the first time and to industry. We provide choice, experience and hopefully long term career paths for our interns, whilst at the same time offering a commercial, low cost low risk business solution for.

No comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

Tags:

Inspiring Interns Vacancies