6 Seconds To Secure A Placement

As regular readers of this blog will know, I'm a big fan of social media and an even bigger advocate of using it to support job searches. A few years ago, I was very excited to see a student securing a placement with RateMyPlacement, having gained a spot at their assessment centre through a single tweet. This week, I couldn't help but notice an opportunity for students to gain a summer internship, through submitting a #6SecondCV.

The role in question is a 10 week joint internship programme between Nestle and Twitter. Any budding marketing students or social media whizz should check it out, as the focus 'is to understand how Twitter and social listening can be used within Nestlé to help support and drive key business priorities. You'll also work with Twitter to develop a better understanding of user behaviours and other audience metrics.'

That all sounds pretty cool to me, but not only is the role catching my eye, the application process is something very different from your typical online form. Interested candidates are being asked to pitch themselves for the role using Vine, a social media platform that has grown in popularity in recent times, which allows users to upload short video content and share with friends via Twitter and Facebook.

So rather than spend hours slaving over a CV, checking cover letters for grammatical errors or tapping away at endless competency based questions, one lucky applicant will find themselves at an assessment centre next month, on the strength of a single 6 second video clip. The big question is, how does one go about scaling back all the words and detail from a traditional CV, and manage to sell themselves in a such a limited timeframe?

I'd love to be able to answer that, but as my feeble attempt at a #6SecondCV below demonstrates, I'm clearly not going to be the creative marketing guru that Nestle will be looking for!




So my future does not lie in creative marketing, but perhaps yours does. If you want to find out more about the role, check out the job description. You need to apply by 24 March and when posting your Vine on Twitter make sure to include the hashtag #6SecondCV

Here is a little bit more info

Applicants have the opportunity to impress and demonstrate their digital skills by creating a six second video through the Twitter platform Vine outlining why they are the best person for the position. The Vine entries, which will be judged on their level of creativity, will be considered when the applicants tweet their creations using the hashtag #6secondCV. The best Vine entry will secure a spot at the assessment centre, which will take place on 14^th April.

Time to get creative and who knows, this could be the most productive 6 seconds of your life.

I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again

God bless the BRIT Awards. Something memorable always seems to happen at them and usually not for which artists have won. Last night we had Kanye West putting in a potty-mouthed performance entirely at odds with the TV audience for the event, which was then almost entirely overshadowed by what can be politely described as a costume change fail for Madonna. If you've missed it, see here for yourself.

Even with all the best preparation in the world, things can go wrong. Here we have a global superstar who has been performing for over 30 years and in the midst of a high profile gig experienced what it is like when things go wrong. Being the pro that she is, Madge picked herself up, dusted herself down and the show went on. Full credit to her for doing so, but this performance will only be remembered for the cape and tumble.

There is something to be learned here for students in their approach for interviews and assessment centres. Even with the most meticulous planning and attention to detail, things may happen which can throw you off course. It could be a broken down train on the journey, a sickness bug, an overbearing candidate determined to have the last word during a group exercise. To share a personal anecdote, once upon a time in the days before my involvement with placements, I was on my way to a conference to deliver a presentation to a group of science teachers. Getting into a taxi my trousers split in a pretty catastrophic manner. A quick diversion to Marks and Spencer and finding a pair that vaguely matched my suit jacket later, I delivered my presentation, albeit slightly red faced from the shame of walking into a shop with my underwear on display for all to see.

Clearly I'm not AC Slater from Saved by the Bell but this is a pretty good representation of the wardrobe malfunction

The point is careful planning is all well and good, but adaptability in the face of the adversity is a valuable skill to hone. If you can regain composure and show to an employer that you will not be tripped up by a stumbling block, that can work to your advantage. And if things don't result in a happy ending, there is a lesson to be learned for the next time. I very much doubt Madonna will opt for the stairs/cape combo in the live performances any time soon. I learned that in a 50/50 decision, the wiser choice is to opt for the looser pair of trousers! Learn from negative experience to minimize risk for the future.

The next time you go for an interview, all the pieces could fall into place and you nail it. However, with so many variables, many of which are outside your control, things don't always go according to plan. Take things in your stride and you can still achieve the positive outcome you are looking for.

In the immortal words of the band Chumbawamba, who caused another infamous BRIT Awards moment, I get knocked down but I get up again, you're never going to keep me down. Motivational words that students would do well to keep in mind when encountering hard knocks in their search for a placement.

Three is the magic number

This week marks the third anniversary of Tales from the Placement Office and the creation of 'The Placement Officer'. What started out as an idle thought on a train journey home from the National Placement & Internship Awards has spawned the best part of 100 blog articles, built a Twitter following that many graduate recruitment teams would envy, and launched the #PlacementChat platform which has helped a huge number of students to engage with employers during their search for work experience.

I'd like to think that the time I've put into my activities over the past three years have been useful for others, whether they be students looking for some impartial advice or another university service on the hunt for good practice. Along the way I've had the pleasure of meeting some really great people who in all likelihood I would never have known without donning the mask of The Placement Officer.

Personally speaking it has been a pretty rewarding experience too. I've found social media to be the perfect tool to display my passion for placements and share that energy with a wider audience. The blog had drawn the attention of my peers working in Higher Education, and I received recognition from the broader industry in being awarded Outstanding Contribution to Work Experience at the National Undergraduate Employability Awards. As professional development projects go, I'm not sure it'll be topped any time soon.

J'ai trois ans

However, while things blossomed via an online persona, my career trajectory has failed to reach new heights. Three years down the line and I find myself in more or less the same role as I did when I penned that first article and typed the first tweet. I'll be honest and admit from the outset I had hoped the blog and all that went with it could open up opportunities for progression. Alas, two days after I unmasked to reveal the author behind the blog, at the precise moment I was hoping to seize upon my momentum and look to cash-in any credit I had acquired, personal events kicked ambition into touch. One minute I was riding high on the crest of a wave, the next I was confronted by a life altering moment courtesy of two short Latin words that were translated for me by a sonographer.

Life is too short for regret. I certainly wouldn't change what happened that day and every morning I wake up to a little miracle who brings unimaginable joy that eclipses any shiny new job title. I could talk what ifs until I was blue in the face, but the fact of the matter is my priority since then has not been to push onwards and upwards. That said it has been a little frustrating at times and there have been the occasional moment where I've contemplated the nuclear option by publishing an 'I'm The Placement Officer, Get Me Out Of Here' article or something to that effect. Much as I like a good rant, it probably would not have been the wisest professional move.

So what happens now in 2015? Well, first and foremost the blog continues and The Placement Officer will keep doing his thing on Twitter for as long as there is an audience that wants to engage. Three years is a lifetime on social media but I still think there is some mileage to travel yet, not to mention placement opportunities to promote. What happens offline is perhaps a more interesting discussion point.

I am looking to be challenged. In a couple of weeks time I'll be starting a short online course I have enrolled in via Future Learn with a view to increasing my own personal knowledge which I hope will aid in my ability to help students with their search for employment. My blogging provided a creative avenue for skills development; I'm optimistic that this proactive approach to learning will generate new opportunities to do the same. Exploration can bring fresh impetus to the cyclical nature of placements.

I've spent a lot of time over the last three years channelling energy into helping others. That is engrained into my DNA and unlikely to change any time soon. But over the coming months, I think it is time to redirect some resource into where I want to be in three years time. This starts with my course. Where it ends we will have to see.

Bon anniversaire le placement blog