Top 5 Tips for Managing Your Online Presence

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It occurred to me that many of my readers would have their own individual online presence/image – hence this blog post on how to manage it. Unsurprisingly, prospective employers will check up on your online image/presence, and this will undoubtedly have an effect on your application. With much emphasis on digital media, having your own online presence will certainly boost your application. However, if you don’t manage your online image effectively, then expect the consequences.

1) LinkedIn

Consider LinkedIn your online CV. If you haven’t set up an account yet then set one up. If your still a student or recent graduate, make sure you include all the work experience you have, as well as any relevant involvement in extracurricular activities. Try to complete your online profile as much as possible – LinkedIn has a wizard to help you do this. To boost your profile, try to get a few recommendations from other people.

2) Other social media

Don’t forget about the other sources of social media. This obviously includes little social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Some recruiters are known for checking out your Facebook profile AND the friends you have on there - so be wary of the impressions that you are sending out. To avoid a faux pas, increase your privacy settings to make it harder for people to access your complete profile.

In addition, be cautious with what you’re tweeting on Twitter, if you wouldn’t like a potential employer to read it, then chances are it’s not worth tweeting. Like with Facebook though, there are privacy settings to avoid this issue.

3) Email

I’ve spoke about email signatures before, and I reiterate that they are important when sending out professional emails. Currently, my email signature incorporates a standard closure of ‘many thanks’ including my twitter handle and blog URL.

In addition, some email accounts set up email profiles e.g. Windows Live Mail. This profile is connected to your MSN Live Messenger (if you’ve ever used it), and features your most recent profile picture amongst other things. If you suspect you may have a Windows Live profile, then it is something to check up on as search engines will definitely pick it up.

4) Search Engines

It is healthy to check your name in search engines from time to time. This will ensure that your online presence is professional with no blunders.

5) Personal Websites

If you haven’t already, it may be a nice idea to set up your own blog and to use it as an online portfolio of work. For example, if you’re a creative writer then you can upload your work, and thus create an online portfolio. Everyone likes to browse at other people’s work, and even better if a potential employer spots you.

I hope some of you have the above useful. It is certainly important to maintain and improve your online image. If you have any questions about this post, please feel free to send me an email – I’d love to hear from you.

Are you looking for a publishing placement? (6)

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Intern Opportunities

This vacancy is for a paid internship as a Digital Media Assistant. Please see the link below to find out how to apply.

http://www.inspiringinterns.com/interns/internship-offers/Digital-Marketing-Media/Central-London/internship/Digital-Media-Assistant/1995/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Tweet&utm_campaign=Digital%2BMedia%2BAssistant%2B1995

Do you want a flexible internship?

cdclifestyle.com is looking for fashion/style and health/beauty bloggers.

To find out more information and apply visit: http://www.studentjob.co.uk/vacancy/6106/Fashion-Style-Health-Beauty-blogger

Are you looking for your first job?

The National Magazine Company is seeking a new PA for the publishing management team. This is a full time role and it will be an entry point into the publishing industry.

To find out more information and apply visit: http://www.hearst.co.uk/magazines/011-405-PA-Publishing-Director-Weeklies-Group.html

Please remember that all the vacancies above can be found on my Twitter profile page - @steff_lever

Keep yourself up to date with intern opportunities by following me on Twitter.

Competency-based Interviews: STAR Q&A's

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Although it is rare, sometimes you will have to attend an interview as part of the application process for an internship. Previously, I have written two other blog posts on interviews, which are ‘preparing for intern interviews’ and ‘surviving intern interviews’. Both these blog posts provide basic advice that offers a starting point for completing a successful interview.

As you already know, the publishing industry is a tough one to get into, especially if you have zero contacts. This is why I have created blog posts that not only apply to students seeking internships, but also graduates that may need advice when looking for full time work. In particular, the interview will be the main part of your job application, and will make or break whether you are the person to secure the internship/job. This is why over the next month or two, I shall be creating a lot more blog posts, which tackle the fundamental part of the recruitment process.

As some of you may have found out from my Twitter page, I’ve currently been brainstorming new ideas for upcoming blog posts. These future blog posts inevitably mean that I’m going beyond my current knowledge of recruitment advice, and turning my attention to the stuff that I don’t know much about. In order to achieve this, I’ve been taking my own time to research various career based topics, which include expanding my interview based blog posts and specifically, competency-based interviews Q&A’s.

STAR is a method that most if not all employers are familiar with, and it is a popular way to structure your interview answers. STAR allows you to answer behaviour-based interview questions in a structured and coherent manner.

STAR interview questions, typically are questions that seek out a candidates level of competency and behaviour. For example, a sample question would be ‘Describe a time in which you have had to work as a team?’ These types of questions give the interviewer a feel for how you have acted in the past, which provides a good indication to how you will act in the future. To make sure that you don’t slip up on STAR questions, give your interviewer a STAR answer.

The STAR acronym consists of:

Situation – Describe the situation that you were confronted with, including the context, and any other relevant information that is useful to your story.

Task – Describe the task that you needed to accomplish. Make this concise and informative. If the question is about teamwork, then explain the task that you had to undertake within that team.

Action – This is the most significant aspect of the STAR structure. Now that you have set up the context of the situation, make sure that you are now describing your performance, personal attributes and highlight the skills that you have gained. This should include the standard details of what you did, how you did it and why you did it.

Result – Describe how the situation ended, what you have accomplished, and relate it back to any skills that you have learnt.

This universally recognised way to communicate will be valued by your interviewer, even if they haven’t directly been trained in STAR technique. As a result, your answers and the information given to your interviewer will be competently delivered in a concise manner. Please be aware that there are plenty of websites offering an array of sample STAR questions and answers. Do your research and impress your interviewer.

Top 5 Tips for Surviving Intern Interviews

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How to survive intern interviews, is certainly an important aspect of your intern application process, which could secure you the internship. Below, I have listed 5 top tips for surviving an intern interview. These tips will cover when you enter the location of your interview, right through till when you leave.

1) Reception Area

Once you enter the location of your interview, your interview has basically started. This is because you don’t know who is watching and where, so be professional at all times. Remain this way even when greeting the receptionist as some receptionists are told to record their initial impressions of the candidate. This will apply to all other staff that you may meet before you meet your interviewer.

2) Initial Interview Questions

Usually, interviewers will asked you the standard initial questions, which essentially are all about your knowledge of the company. This is when your preparation and research will be under scrutiny. For instance, if you have applied for an events internship, make sure you do your research about the company first (check out the ‘About Us’ page), and then check out what events they host. This would be the standard preparation for your interview, and obviously the more you do, the more knowledgeable you become, which leads to better answers, and creates a good impression for your interviewer.

3) Standard Interview Questions

I’ve never had an intern interview go beyond the questions ‘why have you applied?’ and ‘what experience have you got?’ – These questions are standard, right? However, in the graduate world and the internships with stiff competition, then there will be other typical questions that employers will ask, such as ‘What are your strengths?’ and ‘What are your weaknesses?’ These types of questions you can prepare for at home, because many interviewers ask them frequently. Make sure that you’re honest with your answers, but at the same time, make sure that you are clever with them. For instance, you’re not going to set a good impression if you tell them that your weakness is time management. Don’t slip up on these standard interview questions.

4) Body Language

Keep eye contact and don’t cross your arms. People do notice body language, from how you sit, down to how you talk. Make sure that you are aware of what impression you’re giving off.

Control your voice. Sometimes we get a bit nervous and our voice starts to suffer because it. Stay calm and speak in a coherent manner.

Make sure you use your ears properly and listen to the question. Don’t worry if you take a second or two to answer.

If you initially don’t know how to answer an interview question, then create an educated answer. For example, I once had an interviewer ask, ‘If I want a red ladder how would you get me one?’ my initial thought was that I had no idea what I would do. Subsequently, I rushed my answer and it wasn’t thought through correctly. However, had I of stopped to think then I would of said something along the lines of, ‘I would see if the company had any contacts, or I would ask another member of staff if they would know what to do’. So be smart, even it means admitting to not knowing everything.

5) Once the Interview has finished

Similarly to my first tip, don’t forget that you are being scrutinised before and when you leave the interview. Always think about the impression you’re giving, even if you aren’t directly giving it to the interviewer, as they are bound to find out any you say that may be classed as ‘unprofessional’.

Lastly, keep your happy face on and be professional throughout the interview process.

Don’t forget if you want to contribute to this blog email me at steff.lever@gmail.com