Folks
I have migrated to wordpress - jonathanhirst.wordpress.com - all new posts will be on there
Many thanks
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
PR Graduates in a Recession http://tinyurl.com/dd8b62
Having read Jed Hallams latest entry to his blog (http://www.rock-star-pr.com/ - read it - you might like it!) I am concerned he is giving a distorted picture to these eager graduates just about to embark on an exciting career. Graduates should be seriously worried about their prospects of getting a job and what it will involve.
There are two main reasons I say this, both of them taking in to account the current economic climate.
Firstly, many graduates (if not most), do not have the necessary basic skills clients are looking for. Simple grammar and spelling can be a real challenge for most graduates - just look at the blog entries for new entrants in the market - differentiating between "your" and "you're" for example...am I just old fashioned in thinking these things are important? Blogging as if you are sending a text? WTF? OMG? - Extreme examples I know but just take a look at some of the blogs of the junior staff in the leading social media PR agencies - is this acceptable? Are these posts a chat between friends or a professional statement on behalf of a commercial entity. Don't get me wrong, we all make mistakes but fundamental grammar and spelling has to be right.
The second is work ethic.
What do graduates think happens when you go to work? Is it all fun and games, long lunches, early finishes, working out on the grass when it's sunny, jotting a few notes on a blog and getting a hefty salary? Afraid not. (I digress slightly but did anyone else see the recruitment consultant on BBC breakfast on Tuesday morning at about 7:15am discussing entry level salaries for graduates suggesting £25k was the least they should be considering...I despair!) It's about hard work and often, mundane tasks that then, if you're lucky, lead to some really interesting work.
Jed makes a good point that social media is a growing area (and I am equally passionate about it) but it is still incredibly small in comparison to any mainstream marketing disciplines and therefore to the overall job market. Social media will need to show ROI to the client and for many at the moment it's still an interesting concept that businesses are trying but it hasn't got the empirical evidence to prove it works for everyone. One of the biggest pulls for most clients at the moment is that it is cheap - however, you often get what you pay for...
Good luck to all new graduates looking for challenging and interesting first step on the career ladder - it's going to be tough but if you're (your?) really good there will be something out there for you.
There are two main reasons I say this, both of them taking in to account the current economic climate.
Firstly, many graduates (if not most), do not have the necessary basic skills clients are looking for. Simple grammar and spelling can be a real challenge for most graduates - just look at the blog entries for new entrants in the market - differentiating between "your" and "you're" for example...am I just old fashioned in thinking these things are important? Blogging as if you are sending a text? WTF? OMG? - Extreme examples I know but just take a look at some of the blogs of the junior staff in the leading social media PR agencies - is this acceptable? Are these posts a chat between friends or a professional statement on behalf of a commercial entity. Don't get me wrong, we all make mistakes but fundamental grammar and spelling has to be right.
The second is work ethic.
What do graduates think happens when you go to work? Is it all fun and games, long lunches, early finishes, working out on the grass when it's sunny, jotting a few notes on a blog and getting a hefty salary? Afraid not. (I digress slightly but did anyone else see the recruitment consultant on BBC breakfast on Tuesday morning at about 7:15am discussing entry level salaries for graduates suggesting £25k was the least they should be considering...I despair!) It's about hard work and often, mundane tasks that then, if you're lucky, lead to some really interesting work.
Jed makes a good point that social media is a growing area (and I am equally passionate about it) but it is still incredibly small in comparison to any mainstream marketing disciplines and therefore to the overall job market. Social media will need to show ROI to the client and for many at the moment it's still an interesting concept that businesses are trying but it hasn't got the empirical evidence to prove it works for everyone. One of the biggest pulls for most clients at the moment is that it is cheap - however, you often get what you pay for...
Good luck to all new graduates looking for challenging and interesting first step on the career ladder - it's going to be tough but if you're (your?) really good there will be something out there for you.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Annoying Spam
I don't want to actively publicise this company however I will have to in order to demonstrate this most annoying point.
What on earth is a publication like The Drum (not that I hold them in very high regard) doing selling the names of subscribers (not even live ones) to a software company who then spam everyone with a dubious email offering a freely downloadable white paper. You try to download it and the form you have to fill in is reminiscent of applying for a UK passport.
Guys - you are spamming me and now you want even more of my personal/business data!
Sorry - no way.
And you purport to be working in the PR industry...granted software for that industry.
Something's not right here. Just calling the Information Commissioner...
http://tinyurl.com/c8jr3k
Your views?
What on earth is a publication like The Drum (not that I hold them in very high regard) doing selling the names of subscribers (not even live ones) to a software company who then spam everyone with a dubious email offering a freely downloadable white paper. You try to download it and the form you have to fill in is reminiscent of applying for a UK passport.
Guys - you are spamming me and now you want even more of my personal/business data!
Sorry - no way.
And you purport to be working in the PR industry...granted software for that industry.
Something's not right here. Just calling the Information Commissioner...
http://tinyurl.com/c8jr3k
Your views?
Friday, 3 April 2009
My Review of Maintenance Kit for Roomba® 500 Series
Maintenance Kit for Roomba 500 Series includes replacement bristle brush with end caps and bearings, flexible beater brush with bearings, side brush with screw, three reusable filters and a brush cleaning tool. Compatible with all Roomba 500 Series models
Roomba 500 Series and Maintenance kit
Jonathan Hirst North Yorkshire, UK 4/3/2009
Pros: Extends Functionality, Easy To Use, Easy To Install, Increases Performance
Best Uses: Smaller Rooms
Describe Yourself: Busy household, Pet Owner
OK - Roomba is like a member of the family - he's not perfect but then none of us are. He comes out regularly and picks up the nmajority of dust/dog/cat fur around the ground floor of our house that is stone tiled with a large rug in the kitchen/diner.
When he goes from floor to rug he can leave dust on the edge of the rug but that can be picked up. He has got lost very occassionally and sometimes gets himself locked in a room when he closes the door as he's cleaning then can't open it again.
He's more of an interim - keep the pace neat - type of robot than a full clean.
The replacement brushes were a breeze to replace and have massively improved his cleaning abilities - he seems much happier now.
Hope this helps!
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Digital Recruitment Sheds Light on Lazy Headhunters
Just read a blog posting by Will Hawkins - http://ow.ly/1Ss2 so - as a 'headhunter/recruitment consultant (don't ask me what the difference is - pleeeeasse!) I thought appropriate to respond.
It's hard not to become defensive when reading articles about recruitment consultancy - on the whole they are emotive pieces usually written by people who have had a bad experience and want to get things off their chest. Another reason you often see these articles would be because a PR hasn't got anything else to write about and wants to ruffle a few tail feathers and make the headlines.
Thankfully with Will's article it seems to be much more balanced. I can't quite understand in a blanket 'not using headhunters to recruit new staff' - there are good reasons why companies use recruitment businesses and perhaps the engagement between recruiter and client hasn't been the best in this instance - it's impossible to say who is at fault. However he makes a very good point about the use of social networks to source/attract new staff. As recruitment consultants we have been doing this for some time and, if done sensitively, can produce good results. The likes of LinkedIn, Plaxo and now twitter have enhanced the way we target potential candidates for our clients. However, this is not the be all and end all, merely just another channel.
Most decent recruitment business (and I'm not going to drop our name now just to demonstrate we are one of these - decide for yourself...) have a number of sources from where to attract candidates. They'll be advertising across a wide variety of job boards, not just the Monsters and Jobsites of the world. They may even still be engaging in some press based activity. There's likely to be an SEO strategy or ongoing PPC campaign which will drive awareness and some form of social media strategy although strategising in something that is changing so fast is difficult! They may have engaged a PR agency to raise awareness - call it a traditional TTL marketing campaign if you will.
In addition they should have a relational database that is kept up to date and accurate - most don't. They will have built up a team of consultants with 2+ years of service each who have built relationships with candidates and clients – most don’t. These relationships are the difference. The knowledge, empathy, interest and enthusiasm generated by dealing with someone over a period of time or acting as a candidates' career manager goes far beyond the traditional perception of recruitment consultants that they are just in it for the money. I have been in recruitment for the past 15 years. It’s never been about the money – that followed the enjoyment of the job and success that it brought.
Finally (do I hear you sigh with relief) remember that recruitment businesses are agencies - as are design, digital, advertising, PR, travel and estate agencies. As individuals, we could do all of these things ourselves - we could book our own holidays, sell our own houses, design our own adverts - but, we don't. We leave it to experts who do it for a living. Pick the right one and you will get added value.
It's hard not to become defensive when reading articles about recruitment consultancy - on the whole they are emotive pieces usually written by people who have had a bad experience and want to get things off their chest. Another reason you often see these articles would be because a PR hasn't got anything else to write about and wants to ruffle a few tail feathers and make the headlines.
Thankfully with Will's article it seems to be much more balanced. I can't quite understand in a blanket 'not using headhunters to recruit new staff' - there are good reasons why companies use recruitment businesses and perhaps the engagement between recruiter and client hasn't been the best in this instance - it's impossible to say who is at fault. However he makes a very good point about the use of social networks to source/attract new staff. As recruitment consultants we have been doing this for some time and, if done sensitively, can produce good results. The likes of LinkedIn, Plaxo and now twitter have enhanced the way we target potential candidates for our clients. However, this is not the be all and end all, merely just another channel.
Most decent recruitment business (and I'm not going to drop our name now just to demonstrate we are one of these - decide for yourself...) have a number of sources from where to attract candidates. They'll be advertising across a wide variety of job boards, not just the Monsters and Jobsites of the world. They may even still be engaging in some press based activity. There's likely to be an SEO strategy or ongoing PPC campaign which will drive awareness and some form of social media strategy although strategising in something that is changing so fast is difficult! They may have engaged a PR agency to raise awareness - call it a traditional TTL marketing campaign if you will.
In addition they should have a relational database that is kept up to date and accurate - most don't. They will have built up a team of consultants with 2+ years of service each who have built relationships with candidates and clients – most don’t. These relationships are the difference. The knowledge, empathy, interest and enthusiasm generated by dealing with someone over a period of time or acting as a candidates' career manager goes far beyond the traditional perception of recruitment consultants that they are just in it for the money. I have been in recruitment for the past 15 years. It’s never been about the money – that followed the enjoyment of the job and success that it brought.
Finally (do I hear you sigh with relief) remember that recruitment businesses are agencies - as are design, digital, advertising, PR, travel and estate agencies. As individuals, we could do all of these things ourselves - we could book our own holidays, sell our own houses, design our own adverts - but, we don't. We leave it to experts who do it for a living. Pick the right one and you will get added value.
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