SEO? OMG! What is everyone tweeting about?


Uncategorized — admin @ 2:26 pm on February 24, 2010  

social media blog pic


AS a recent grad or if your graduation is on the horizon you will probably have gathered by now that companies are more and more obsessed with the online world, whether it’s SEO*, SMN*, or CPC* … it can all be a bit OMG*! The good thing is this is scaring everyone, even people who have been in industry for years. Online technology is moving at light year speed and companies are racing for their spot at the forefront.

There are some good reasons why everyone is loving online – you might think Twitter sounds a bit rubbish, but for companies that have had their advertising budget slashed with the recession, rather than opting for expensive ads in magazines, they can reach an online audience of consumers for free. If a business doesn’t have an online presence they are missing out while their competitors get ahead – does anyone still leave the house to do their Christmas shopping?

Savvy graduates will spot this as an opportunity to make their CV sparkle in a dim graduate job market. ‘But how?’ … I hear you cry. There are a number of things you can do to make yourself appear tuned in to online media. Here are a few tips

1) Facebook
Make sure your Facebook privacy settings are tight – this could be a school boy error! But it is a good idea to fill in the information section in a professional way and we are working on ways for you to opt in to share your WEXO profile with employers across the web.

2) Twitter
Create a Twitter account and follow people in the industry you are interested in. Even if you think it is a load of hype, I guarantee this will be worth it, if only for finding out about opportunities and getting up to the second news. We’ll happily be your first follower!

3) Blogging
This is the most important – Start your own blog. There is a section on your WEXO profile where you can link to a website, it’s a very good idea to link to a blog you have written. This not only shows you are competent with Blogging software, but it is also a chance to demonstrate (and practise) your writing skills and for your personality to come through. So it really doesn’t matter if what you choose to write about is unrelated to the industry you are looking to get into. We recommend giving it a try with either wordpress or blogspot.

4) Stick at it

Update your blog as often as possible. Most bloggers only keep it up for about 3 months so stick with it and you have a much better chance of getting a following.

5)Create a buzz
You can promote your blog using your twitter account and online news sites like Digg, Reddit and Delicious.

How far down the online and social media rabbit hole you go is up to you, there are entire professions emerging, but you have already made the first step with your Facebook profile (one in three Britons now has one).


Want to get some social media experience on your CV? Why not help us to spread the word about WEXO and we will give you a crash course on how to network. We can give you ideas on what to do and when, WHICH MEANS … you can then say you have some social media experience to put on your CV.


Click here to read more about how to get involved

*SEO – search engine optimisation
*CPC – cost per click
* SMN – social media networking
*OMG – oh my god!

Big yourself up in the face of adversity


General — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 2:08 pm on February 17, 2010  

cartoon1

The last few weeks have seen a lot of news items talking about things
getting ‘lost’ especially the ‘lost generation’:



According to the Guardian:
1 in 3 university places could be lost


Then there was the Prince’s Trust report talking about Losttalent costing the state £3.5m
each day in Job Seekers Allowance


On Monday The Times talked about ‘lost’ opportunity as companies auction off work experience for up to £3,700


BUT we don’t think Britain is lost yet. The UK’s most important UK corporate index, the FTSE 100 is up over 40% from its lows, sterling has defied expectation and rallied in recent months (largely at the expense of the Euro) and with the possibility of fresh leadership come the Summer we’re expecting the usual bust:boom transition to snap in to place soon. Barclays announced record profits and record tax revenue for UK Plc yesterday suggesting that we might see change sooner rather than later. Even more encouragingly, this morning’’s UK unemployment statistics showed an unexpected fall…



Amidst all this, we were pleased to have our efforts recognised here in the Financial Times last week. We are very proud to be able to offer companies across the UK tax efficient ways (and occasionally subsidies) to take on graduates on tax free employment schemes (Get more details here). We are now also putting the wheels in motion to lobby the government to incentivise small companies to take on more graduates. AGR research has demonstrated that graduates contribute around £1 billion a year of added value to the UK economy. The University of Lancaster have produced research suggesting that after three years, every £1 spent through
graduate recruitment schemes yields a return of £5.30.


From our travels to Cardiff University last week, we know there is clearly a lot of graduate talent about. But we know life is difficult at the moment. And while job rejections may not be any easier to stomach remember the words of Winston Churchill: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm”. Keep priming up those WEXO profiles and we’ will do what we can to big up your CV…

WEXO Team have a ‘Wales’ of a time in Cardiff


Uncategorized — admin @ 7:27 pm on February 10, 2010  

WEXO at Cardiff 001

Last Thursday Robin and I woke up at the crack of dawn to head to the Ideas for Work Experience event at Cardiff University. Robin had never even been to Wales before (talk about sheltered!). But first impressions were good – we loved Cardiff! Especially the Prince of Wales pub (huc hum).

We had a great time chatting to all the Cardiff students that came along and we got some fantastic feedback about what people think of WEXO and what how we can best help you get the careers you want.
We’re big kids here at WEXO and simply LOVE sweets. So when it came to choosing a competition for a £50 Amazon voucher we couldn’t think of anything better than that oldie (but goodie) guess the number of sweets in the jar. Thanks to everyone that took part, but congratulations to Jak Hambleton for bagging the fifty squid voucher! Keep checking our Facebook and Twitter for upcoming competitions.



We were both made to feel very welcome, so thanks Cardiff Uni, no wonder you guys have such a good rep!

Your Career in Journalism


Your career in — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 2:12 pm on February 3, 2010  

photo: ohpleasepeas - photobucket

photo: ohpleasepeas - photobucket


IT LOOKS as if the journalism industry might be going through a similar crisis to that of the music industry a few years ago. With so much available on the internet for free, nobody wants to pay for content at a time with an increased number of aspiring journos. Something has to give. The widely believed theory of if you work hard enough for something then you will achieve it simply cannot work for everyone, no matter how brilliant nor hard working you are.


That’s the bad news. The good news is that if you are looking for a creative, varied job where you meet lots of people, there are many different types of role out there. You can have a fish for various different media internships and practical experience here via the search on the homepage.


Whatever area of journalism that’s for you it’s becoming more and more likely you will now need a vocational qualification from the NCTJ (The National Council for the Training of Journalists).

Here’s there site – http://www.nctj.com/. Checking out their website should be your first stop in taking your career in journalism seriously. Even if you decide not to go for a post grad NCTJ course it’s a great place to get information about getting into the industry and the skills that look attractive to employers.



General Tips:

- DO work experience. If you can, try to get some work experience before you leave university when funding is less of an issue.
- DO speak to people in the industry you want to work in. BUT be very careful, specifics of how to get into the industry may have changed. A lot of people will say they didn’t need a qualification for example but the media industry is changing at a dramatic rate.
- DO lots and lots of writing. Start a blog and write as often as you can. Carry a notebook around with you and be thinking of ways to write about the things you see or inspire you.
- DO when you hear tips that could help… actually do them. Force yourself to write AND keep it up, you are guaranteed to feel the benefit. Thinking of ways to improve is one thing, doing it is another.
- DO become an expert in a chosen field. Whether it’s politics or fashion, expertise in a specific area is valuable and will make you more employable.


Where famous gonzo journalist Hunter Thompson wrote his best

Where famous gonzo journalist Hunter Thompson wrote his best

But of course as you know, there are different types of journalism. Here are some great places to start to develop your interest.

Newspaper journalism
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/newspaper_journalist_job_description.jsp

Broadcast journalism
http://www.bjtc.org.uk/

Magazine journalism
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/magazine_journalist_job_description.jsp

Speak to other students about anything (we love this site). Whatever you want to talk about, you can discuss it with other students.
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42986

Here’s another article with some great tips, but have a look around, there are lots. And when you find them post them up here for all to share!

http://www.studenttimes.org/st_career/article.php?article_id=423

Give us your own tips or tell other people about your experiences. We love to hear your comments.