"I want to change the world"

Something a little different from the other talks I attended was the "A career in writing" talk given by Debjani Chatterjee. I have recently discovered the idea of a career in Publishing, as I love reading and wanted to find a way to incorporate this into my everyday life. I've also always been someone who writes at every opportunity. What I didn't realise, and something Debjani made clear in the talk was how competitive writing is. Even though she had always been interested in writing, she did not become a full time writer until the 1990's, and before then , Debjani had many jobs that did not relate to writing at all (for example, working for British Steel.) There are many different ways to get into writing, from travel writing to writing greeting cards, and as a writer, you are most likely to take any job you can to earn money. Something I was not aware of was that most famous writer are usually the ones to stick to certain, popular types of genres, however most writers tend not to write this way. I also learnt that a job as a "writer in residence" is something popular for writers, and Debjani noted that she has worked for various museums as well as W H Smiths teaching people to write Valentines Poems. A few top tips that Debjani gave in relation to becoming a writer:
1- Start whenever
Writing isn't age related. Whether you're 8 or 80, you can start writing.
2- Develop a thick skin
You will face a lot of rejection as a writer, don't let it knock your confidence.
3- Have a passion
A passion for your chosen career will get you far, enjoy what you do.  

"You're only as good as your last job"

Working in TV and Film is something I have always been interested in. Ever since I went to see The Million Pound Drop being filmed, I decided I would like to spend my days in a studio, essentially playing with equipment. The talk from Candu Media made me realise that, as fun as working in TV may seem, it's actually extremely hard work. Even as a Media graduate from St Johns College in York, Neil Shand still had to wait 10 years to finally get his dream job at ITV Yorkshire. One thing I found really interesting was that, even though you may have a degree, it's the life experience and the relevant experience that will help you seal the job that you want. It's become a recurring theme from the Employability and Enterprise talks that volunteering yourself for free work experience is the biggest, most important thing you need to do to boost your CV. Even when a job came up at the other side of the country, Neil accepted it just to boost his knowledge of what he wanted to do, and give his CV something above the other graduates. Some great tips from Neil:
1 - Research
find out who it is you need to apply to, find that hirer and firer.
2 - Don't bother with a clever CV
They waste the time of the employer. Instead, show them you're experienced.
3 - Travel anywhere
A la Neil, go anywhere for the jobs you want, they'll be worth it in the end.

"Zeal - Passion and enthusiasm"

When I attended the Zeal Media talk on Monday, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had never been that interested in starting my own company, and I wasn't sure what was involved in working in this type of industry. However, I can officially say I left the talk thinking about all the different careers that are a possibility to me, as long as I put my mind to it. The first piece of advice that seemed simple yet so useful to me was to go and see a recruitment consultant. Jane (the woman who started up Zeal Media) said she visited one when she realised she wasn't enjoying her job, and it lead her to working in the media. She also gave a run down of the different types of jobs there are available in online media companies. these included; SEO, PPC, Social Media, Account Management, and Designer/Developer. Having heard of these different positions and what they entail, it has left me thinking about a possible career in this industry. Here are Jane's top tips for boosting your chances of getting hired in her type of company;

1 - Look into your own social media

No-one wants to hire someone with half-naked drunk self-portraits splayed all over Twitter and Facebook.

2 - Intern/work experience

Offer to work in companies for free, you can almost guarantee they won't say no to free workers.

3 - Approach agencies in the right way

Send them something interesting and make it creative!

The Start!

I'm going to use this blog to write about the interesting talks I attend during E&E (Employability and Enterprise) week.
So far I've seen the titles of the talks that are happening during this week and some have already stood out as one's I would really like to go to. In particular the one about summer opportunities abroad!