Regular readers of this blog will have become accustomed to me getting excited by technology and how it relates to employability issues. I've championed the use of Twitter for student/employer engagement through #PlacementChat, tried my hand at a 6 second CV on Vine, and proved there is more to Pinterest than cats and crochet. However, in this technological age, nothing lasts forever and it is important to keep a close eye on what may be the next big thing.
The new kid on the block which is giving me goosebumps is Periscope, a live streaming app which allow users to broadcast from their mobile/tablet to a worldwide audience. Built by Twitter, Periscope is user friendly and ties in with your existing network of followers. Quite simply, press record and whatever you see on your camera goes live to whoever wants to watch. This includes turning the camera on yourself and speaking about whatever topic comes to mind. Viewers can ask questions to the presenter, making the broadcast interactive.
Given the recent rise of video interviewing technology like Sonru, Periscope seems like a logical extension for how students can put themselves in the eye of employers, or vice versa. For example, rather than utilise expensive webinar software, a recruiter could use Periscope to talk about placement opportunities at their company to interested candidates, with the viewers able to type questions about the scheme live as it happens.
I'm personally excited about using Periscope for my placement activities. This week there is a #PlacementChat scheduled from 4-5pm on Thursday (18 June) and I plan to use Periscope throughout to answer questions that are posed, breaking the shackles of the 140 character limit to provide insightful responses. I hope that my face for radio won't scare people off!
Find me on Periscope and Twitter using @PlacementBlog and we'll see how it works on Thursday!
Monday, 15 June 2015
Monday, 13 April 2015
Moving Without Shaking - Book Review
I must admit I was a little intrigued when I was asked if I
wanted to review Yelena Parker’s excellent book, Moving Without Shaking: TheGuide to Expat Life Success (from women to women). It wasn’t that I have no
interest in the area (I do!), or didn’t think that it would be of interest to
readers of this blog (it most certainly should be), but as a 34 year old man
who is well rooted in the UK and no realistic aspirations of taking my family
overseas, I couldn’t feel any further from the target audience of the author.
To ensure I was reading Parker’s book with an open mind, I
decided to take it with me on short trip abroad over the Easter period, so that
I would approach it without the shackles of the daily routine and with that
little bit of overseas adventure in my blood. While my kids napped between
morning and afternoon sessions at Disneyland Paris, I tucked into the pages of
Moving Without Shaking to see what I could learn. I needn't have worried though, as it became abundantly
clear from the early pages that this book is accessible for all and while its
goal is to provide peer support from women to women, I didn’t at any point feel
detached on the basis of my y chromosome.
What Parker provides in a little over 250 pages is pearls of
wisdom based on her own experiences, and those of other women who have been
successful in working overseas. In 10 concise chapters, we learn about the
factors that have gone into helping the author and her friends in their journey
across the globe. A lot of this isn’t rocket science. If you want to work at a
high level, a strong educational background is vital. If you want to live in
another country, you may get by with speaking English in the workplace, but
becoming proficient to conversational level in the local language is going to
be important when you need to speak to local tradesman or have to ask for
directions in a strange city. There are chapters dedicated to Networking,
Attitude and even Relationships. Whatever your reasons for wanting to work
abroad, or whichever factors are holding you back from taking that leap right
now, they more than likely have been covered by Parker and her associates, and
documented in the pages of Moving Without Shaking.
Of particular interest to students for whom working internationally may seem a long way off, are the pages dedicated to studying abroad. If it is an option for part of an existing course or something that you may wish to consider for future study, there is some really useful information contained within the pages of this book which you can adapt from the idea of working overseas.
As somebody who works with a lot of female students, I will
be encouraging them to put this book on their reading list. In recent years I
have seen a surge in events aimed at encouraging women into business, from the
likes of the ITs Not Just For The Boys, to the PWC Aspire to Lead series. While
I have been keen to promote these opportunities, I have often been taken aback
at the relatively small uptake of the students on my courses who want to get
involved. I can’t quite put my finger on why that may be the case. There could
be cultural factors at play, or maybe a lack in confidence to attend such an
event. Whatever the reason may be, Moving Without Shaking provides the reader
with strong role models to see what can be achieved by women who wish to pursue
an international career. If a young
Yelena Parker can make her way from a small town in Soviet era Ukraine to work
in over 20 countries, why can’t a Sonya from Slough or Hamila from Hemel
Hempstead follow a similar career path?
Moving Without Shaking is available to buy from Amazon and other online retailers.
Yelena Parker is on Twitter @yelenaparker and @movingwtshaking
Thursday, 5 March 2015
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
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 14th
April.
Time to get creative and who knows, this could be the most productive 6 seconds of your life.
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