Applying....

Placements narrowed down and at the ready. Now it’s time to sort out your CV over the summer...

Re-vamp your CV there are templates online, but are they relevant to you? If you’re applying for a more creative role, maybe you should change the style of your CV to appeal to the company you are applying for (make it creative- go on take the risk). Ensure that your CV is tailored to the various jobs you are applying to, they must be personalised, don’t be lazy change it!

 If possible, if you can get hold of the job description of your desired role, pick out the key words and try and include these into your CV. (Employees usually spend less than 30 seconds looking at a CV and now, new software can screen your CV checking for those important key words. You have been warned... include those key words!

After completing your CV, it’s time to do your covering letter. I did this over the summer at the end of my first year. Within my CV, I expressed my passion for marketing, why I felt I’d be a key asset to the company and my real passion for working for the VAG group. Use a creative example to help you, express your passion and show your enthusiasm (this is what I did). NO spelling mistakes, check over it, get someone else to check over it, your friend, your Mum, your Nan, who ever, just make sure it’s concise and engaging.

Now you’re in your second year. Wow. November time has struck, time to start applying.

With most placements, they ask various questions. Before submitting, type out the questions on to word (to check spelling/grammar mistakes) and save the documents. Once you have completed the questions, get someone to read over them. Once you’re happy, submit the questions. Make sure you keep to the word count and try to express yourself clearly. Let your passion shine through and be confident in what you’re saying. Never lie and make sure it’s you, if someone else has wrote the questions for you, the ‘big guys’ are going to know.

Find out the deadline date for submission. You don’t want to do all the hard work and then miss the deadline date. Be organised, put it in your phone, diary, stick it on your wall, on your forehead...anywhere as long as you remember!

In the application, they will ask you questions about you, current issues, what you know about the company, why you want to do a placement, you extra-curricular activities etc. So make sure you have these questions nailed as they are your first encounter with the company. You need to come over strong and competent. Do not come over as if you know it all because you don’t, remember you’re not even graduated. Come over confident but express the fact that you are passionate about learning new skills and how the industry works etc. Being confident or a big head are two different things, get the balance right and you should be sorted.

First stage over fingers crossed....

(Do not let placements take over your University work. If you do, you’ll feel the consequences. Make sure you manage your time effectively. At the end of the day, if you’re letting your Uni work slip, you could end up doing your second year again. So focus and have a good balance. I cannot stress how important it is to prepare over the summer months for placements. Trust me, it will really pay off!... It did with me.) I wish you the best of luck...

Read my 2^nd blog for the next stage in the placement process.....

Getting Started...

Tips on getting a Marketing and PR Placement...

To apply for a placement, you cannot be a normal student. You need to have some pazaz about you. If you don’t have any of the following, then try to adopt these skills ASAP:

·         Work Experience

·         Part of a society at University (Business, Photography)

·         Part Time Job

·         Contributed to the University somehow (i.e Open Days)

·         Sport Club (Football, Netball, Rugby)

·         Certificates

·         Volunteering

·         Charity work

·         Etc........

First things first, we know that your first year results do not count towards your final grade in 3^rd year...but don’t be fooled. Oh no, to do a placement most companies look at your first year results. Most, if not all, want you to have a 2:1. So have fun in your first year, but not too much. Work hard, play hard.

Attend all of the PDP sessions, if you’re serious about getting a placement- trust me this really does help. Don’t be lazy either; you have the chance to write a reflective log towards the end of the year, this is so that you gain a certificate for PDP- if you don’t you’ve wasted all that time for nothing. Although PDP is not a module-it is an additional skill/achievement. Employees like this. So get the award to stand out.

Right so now, you’ve finished University for the year, you should have got your grade back and got a 2:1. Brilliant!

Now here is where some people go wrong. You have so many weeks off in the Summer... So get hunting for your ideal placement NOW! Do not make the mistake and do it in your second year, no no, no! In your second year, you have to start reading the chapters, seminar work, journals, extra reading etc. There is no time to faff around. Get organised and write a list of the placements you want to apply to.

It’s important that you read the job titles advertised for placements, so in the summer if they say they want work experience (which they will).... get out the yellow pages and start trying to find some work experience (RING AROUND, DON’T BE SHY). Work experience is so important, it teaches you so much and without it you won’t know what role you really want to apply for.

So now you’ve got your list narrowed, find out where there head office is. If you want to live near to University, home, then research it first.

Look at the website; see if this is a company you want to be a part of. If you don’t it will show through in your interview, the company wants someone who is passionate about the brand. You need to love, breathe, live the brand values!

A helping hand.

Hey all.

I want to help out fellow University of Lincoln students. How I want to do this, is to pass on my knowledge and tips for when applying to a placement/s.

In June 2012, I shall be taking on the role as VW Marketing Assistant & I cannot wait!

Hearing from others, I can understand how hard it can be to get a placement. So I've decided to do this blog to give you people a helping hand. I really hope it helps, fingers crossed for you guys, let’s hope this helps you secure a placement.

Today is 'The day'

Time for a last minute rehearsal!

This is where we finished last minute slides, and ensured that what was being said, met the objectives of the brief. As a PR agency, it was essential that we followed CIPR regulations. CIPR regulations, state PR practitioners must “maintain the highest standards of professional endeavour and personal conduct” CIPR code of conduct (2011)

Particular group members shone when delivering the pitch. Understanding that not everyone felt as comfortable to pitch, hints and techniques were passed along to help others when presenting.

Within a group it’s not about yourself, it’s about the team and how you can pass on your strengths to help someone overcome a weakness. Our team worked well together showing a good sense of teamwork and moral. Belbin (1981) states “The constitution of the group itself is an important variable in its success” highlighting the importance of group activity, and how we should work together to ensure success.

When working within a team, the leader/s have specific expectations, which they need to live up to. I believe I am correct in saying that most people would like direction, motivation, advice, criticism and democratic leadership style from their leader/s.

The three factors that a successful team must obtain are: integrity, competence and confidentiality. Team members must also be good at communicating and should have outstanding time organisation skills. This is to ensure that they are chosen again by their clients, reflecting and ensuring that they gain an outstanding reputation.

Westfields Fashion Poster

Chloe's Creative Posters

Light at the end of the catwalk

Today was interesting. The day before a presentation is always a peculiar meeting. With each group member having a last minute panic, debating whether or not we felt that we’d meet the brief... it was time to get motivated!

Each group member put forward the work that we had done. Chloe did a fantastic job, she successfully devised some background research reflecting on who, what, why questions about why we decided to host the fashion catwalk in Westfield’s London. Shrada, put forward a creative mood board, which included a mock press release. Kirsty and I worked together on comprising the slides, and did extensive research around the brief to ensure that we had met every aspect. I worked on the layout and the visual aids of the slides and carried out more research with concerns to the budget alongside Kirsty. Kirsty and I, really cracked on with the presentation over the holidays. Together we really pushed the boat out to come up with more creative ideas to help aid the fashion show.

Each of us worked well, to help each other amend last minute slides. Delegation of tasks occurred once again with each group member being assigned a task which needed to be completed for the next morning.

You learn someting new every day

EMBRACE new TECHNOLOGY!

Turning to Facebook

We set up a group on Facebook called the ‘PR Pitch’ this is where we would communicate any queries about the roles we would have to work on. Facebook allowed us to keep on track and the page enabled us to see the progress of others work, it also helped manage and appoint group meetings.

As we all lived in various places amongst the country; and were not able to meet face to face during the holidays we used Facebook to communicate the success of the delegated roles which had been appointed to us.  Facebook is the most popular social media tool, with “More than 800 million active users”Facebook (2010), explaining why we decided to communicate online using Facebook, as we knew that every group member would have and check it regularly.  Facebook allowed two way communications, as members of the group were able to comment on what had been written on the page, helping to clarify any queries. Meeting face to face is less time consuming yet, the advantage of Facebook is that information can be delivered to everyone is a quick space of time. Any comments that were made, allowed others to go back to and view at a later date. Facebook was very handy as you could see if group members were online, this helped evaluate whether or not you would get a quick response. Facebook really worked well in our favour, and was the next best communication tool.

Time is Ticking...

Looking at time constraints in more detail with regards to our PR project, time is very much one of the main factors that we should constantly be looking at. As a group we decided to realistically evaluate whether or not our ideas could be achieved in the time frame given to us.  There were time constraints with regards to the campaign, yet, there were also time issues with regards to our group meetings. As the group task had been set over the majority of the Christmas period and the fact that we had two deadlines before Christmas, meant that we had to communicate via social media to achieve our group meetings. Time management is always an issue; The Chartered Management Institute (2008) argues that:

“Good time management has always been an important skill, but it is now increasingly essential, as factors such as information overload and the need to balance private and working lives have put pressures on [us] to squeeze more out of the working day”

When planning an event, the best advice I could pass on is to ‘think of plan B if plan A goes wrong’ as a group we decided to do this, therefore we looked at our past ideas which we had brainstormed as a backup.

Practitioners passed on advise commenting that we should manage our time effectively and that we must also look at our budget consistently. We need to think about all the materials that we should use, who we would be working with, who would be involved and look over the main objectives set by our clients.

Bluewater Shopping Centre Catwalk

Our Shopping Centre Catwalk- Inspiration

Chanel  prêt-à-porter "Chanel" Autumn/Winter 2011-2012

Our Inspiration

Passion for Fashion

Enthusiasm struck when each group member found out that we would now have to devise a pitch for the fashion brief. We were ecstatic to take on the brief as we were four girls with a passion for fashion. Mc Gregor’s theory would argue that due to the fact that our team is motivated towards the task set, we would have experienced ‘Theory Y’ management, as “People will exercise self-direction if they are committed to the objectives (they are NOT lazy)” Nwlink (2010) . I believe that if you are interested in the tasks and enjoy the work that you are doing, you become more self motivated and the quality of your work will increase, which is exactly what happened.  

As a team, we understood that we wanted to work to the best of our abilities, so that we could deliver an outstanding piece of work. There were no exceptions, time to crack on and get stuck in.

It brings to my attention that “the way the team is managed reflects upon the reputation of the service it provides” Crofts 2011, Lecture 3. Empire PR, therefore, had to ensure that the most appropriate management style was taken on board. As an agency we understand the importance of team work and co-operation. We decided that the best form of leadership style that the agency should adopt is a democratic leadership style, this is where everyone has the opportunity to voice an opinion, allowing all members to contribute to ideas and voice what they believe should change.

As a PR agency, it is essential that all creative ideas are voiced and expressed amongst the group. Empire PR achieved this by brainstorming our thoughts, highlighting how we could meet our client’s expectations. Brainstorming “involves the group adopting a ‘freewheeling’ attitude and generating as many ideas as possible, the more wild or apparently far-fetched the better” Osborn (1963). It is crucial that team members come on board and contribute their thoughts. As a PR agency we welcome wacky thoughts with open arms! ...With four creative ladies, this was no problem. If you didn’t know, brainstorming helps with the co-operation of the group, this is seen to improve and reach a desired result. Thankfully, this is exactly what came about from the brainstorming meeting. Go us!

When deciding upon our catwalk idea. We decided to fairly delegate tasks amongst the group. Tasks were delegated so that the presentation could be devised within the time frame given to us. Many managers regard delegation to have created higher quality and standards amongst project deadlines, demonstrating the importance of effective meetings. Knowing this information, this is something that we implemented, which worked exceptionally well.

The pitch which was delivered to us by our clients highlighted many key facts. Yet as an agency we understand that within our work we must complete four very important aspects which are:

v  Achieving what had been outlined

v  Ensuring that we complete the tasks in the time frame given

v  Keep to the budget set

v  Complete the tasks to an impeccable standard

Understandably the client and agency must have a working relationship, meaning that they are able to liaise with one another; if any questions were to arise.  Communication and relationship between client and agency is very important, this is so that both teams have mutual understanding, ensuring that they both are reliable and that they can trust each other. On several occasions, when trying to contact the clients, we had no response. Personally, I feel that the client felt that they communicated well enough via their presentation; yet, this was not the case in certain areas. Tench and Yeomans (2009, pg, 331) agrees arguing “good communication skills can sometimes be confused with good presentation skills , when in reality a wide variety of communication skills are needed to deal with the large and small groups”. The lack of communication from our clients led us to a disadvantage as they were not able to fully verify our thought process. We found the brief to be vague in some areas, which is why we needed the extra communication. From this, I understand that clients are busy, and have other tasks on their hands. Yet, when communicating, I understand the importance of getting back to someone as soon as possible. Potentially this is when misinterpretations could occur, and deadlines could not be met. As a result, this is something that I will bear in mind for the future.

Don't pop, otherwise they'lll ask you to stop  

Maybe give it a second thought?

[Crack] ing On...

First things first, time to meet the group and get know each other’s strengths and weakness.

As arranged we decided to meet up as a group in the evening, as other key members of the group had other commitments throughout the day; resulting in time organisation to be of an issue.

When successfully meeting up all together, we read over the brief to ensure that everyone understood the task and that we could all communicate thoughts together equally.

I’m going to sound geeky, but I enjoyed the pitch that we had to devise. The presentation we delivered acted as us to be an In-House agency representing the Fire, Police and the Health Service. Our pitch looked at drug driving, therefore, we wanted a campaign to prevent and inform publics of the arising issue. The topic was extremely interesting, as drug driving has become a key issue featured on the news recently. With dramatic figures rising, this has caused concern for the UK.

Due to myself having to attend to a business event on the day of the presentation, I underwent various solutions in which would allow me to overcome the problem. Subsequently, this meant that I was not able to present our brief. In order to resolve this problem, I carried out extensive research about the situational analysis, looking at how drug driving was a cause of concern for the government. Furthermore, I wrote up notes which I handed over to other members in the group.

Understanding that I would not be there on the day, I knew that I needed to pull my weight and go the extra mile to help out my group and not leave them in the deep end. Being known as “Miss Pedantic”, I had to live up to my name. The next day, I looked for help from an external group member; they helped me to record my reason as to why I was not able to attend the presentation. Being a girl, to have a plan for a plan, I ensured that I carried out my delegated tasks prior to the presentation. A Strength of mine is time organisation; this helps me to keep on top of tasks and in control. My strong optimistic personality helps encourage other group members to become motivated. Being a perfectionist works in my favour as I like to complete tasks to the best of my ability, however, this could be seen as a weakness as I can feel pressured at times, making my full focus on the topic in hand.

Bringing up the conversation regarding my absence meant that, as a group we went “off topic” with conversation, this meant that group members lost focus and started talking about other unrelated topic areas. To retain focus, I re-gained direction by cutting the conversation and motivating others on the task that had been set. Furthermore, I suggested that we should delegate tasks amongst the group, from this we all decided on what key features we would like to include in the brief. From here on, this is when the creativity began, four inspirational minds worked together at planning ideas, mind mapping key thoughts and thinking outside the box.

A well known and widely used theory reflecting upon team roles is Meredith Belbin, he designed nine team roles including a test. Within the group, there was a formation of very strong personalities. Before individuals of the group assigned themselves to team, we all completed the Belbin Test. The test, asks numerous questions in which individuals answered. When tallying up the scores they would signify what your team role is. 

“A team role is described as  a pattern of behaviour, characteristic of the way in which one team member interacts with another whose performance serves to facilitate the progress of the team as a whole” .Mullins (2010, pg 342)

 Interestingly, each of the group members scored very different scores. We found out that there were various dynamic personalities in the group. We had a Shaper, Completer, Finisher and Resource Investigator (Shrada), Team Worker and Co-Ordinator (Kirsty) and a Shaper (myself). I believe that I am a true shaper, as the definition of a shaper clearly states :“Challenging individuals, known as Shapers, provided the necessary drive to ensure that the team kept moving and did not lose focus or momentum”Belbin (2010)   which is something that I did on a regular basis. I do not like to waste time, talking about irrelevant tasks. As an individual I like direction and enjoy getting stuck in with work as soon as possible.

As there were two shapers in the group, I felt that at times there was a clash of personality. Luckily there were different personalities within the group, which balanced out the clash meaning that conflict did not occur. Having three very strong personalities in the group meant that at times it was hard to voice an opinion, yet we had to contribute and make sacrifices to let others use their thoughts and ideas within the campaign. This did not affect our group work as our group’s main goal was to complete the work that had been set to a high standard. I believe that the Belbin test cannot really highlight the truth of an individual’s team role, as in some situations people can talk the talk yet not actually meet the truth when being faced with a task in reality. Meaning that, the team role you score on paper, may not be a true reflection of yourself in reality.

In the meeting key decisions were made, key points of our presentation were thought upon and we communicated when to meet up again for the next group discussion.