Hey blogettes!

I am very pleased to tell you that my dissertation is done! I am so relieved!

People keep asking me “how does it feel” and I honestly don’t know. I do feel that it was the right time to finish. Any more and I might have cried! It certainly was the correct time for the madness to come to an end. As much as I have enjoyed studying, indulging in books, reading in bed and sweating over essays I am ready – more than ready – for my next challenge.

So what will that be?

This blog has largely been about struggling through university and navigating the graduate scheme maze: however, as I face the end of my degree, I am conscious that the tone will change. I face my first round of interviews, and if I do manage to get a job, this wee blog will probably change in tone, style and content. We shall see. For the moment, I am content to share the journey of a budding PR and soon-to-be graduate.

Here are some lovely pictures of my celebration meal for you all to enjoy. I certainly did.

Bisous! xXx

I am wailing like a wookie. I am bleeping like R2D2. I am almost as annoying as C3PO…

If you haven’t guessed already, I’ve got the mother of all wisdom tooth pains. Again. Last time, it denied me the opportunity to go to the Red graduate scheme to which I’d successfully applied to. Now, I’ve already lost one opportunity to interview, and I haven’t heard back from the second. Oh, I’ve also got a dissertation to finish. Of all times NOW is the time my tooth decides to play up. Fate is cruel. ETC.

Seeing as Yoda isn’t about to Use The Force on it, and I should imagine my lightsabre is somewhat unwieldy and cumbersome for periodontic surgery, I’m just going to have to wait to be referred to hospital.

When I do finally get the little *insert colourful swearword here* out, I’m going to post a picture on here for posterity.

In the meantime, here is a funny picture of Anakin Skywalker for me to laugh at, until I realise that laughing makes my jaw hurt and I cry again.

Other things that irritate include:

> That ‘about me’ box and the generic things people place inside it. I.E being an obsessive about something, or liking tea or guardian reader just generally anything that is vastly repeated, vapid and highly stylised. I’ve put my job, 3 likes and a disclaimer, because my twitter is for work purposes. You may think your little phrase is cool, but it comes across grossly immature and stupid. “Spiritual hugs over half-arsed handshakes” indeed…

> Bad e-bayers. Don’t lie: I’ll be able to tell if it isn’t Topshop and is, in fact, Primark. Keep the selling tab relevant. ALWAYS put the size in the description. Don’t sell things as NWOT (new without tags) if there are wacking great holes in the back. Give me a refund if I complain.

> That generic ‘thanks-but-no-thanks’ e-mail from prospective employers. I would prefer a blunt ‘get more experience, then we can talk’ one liner rather than a rambling, bumbling excuse of an e-mail with a typo in it. Naming no names! (NB/ not a P.R. job. Something I applied to a little while ago)

Sorry, I’m feeling more than a little crabby today. I’m sure I will cheer up for my post tonight!

Bisous xXx

I saw this pop up on my twitter feed earlier today. I do agree with Sarah – the phrase is a tad well-worn. I can imagine that after reading that fifty times over in different applications that you would be secretly praying person no. 51 was a violent sociopath who excelled in their own boxed cell. I mean, you won’t hire them, and you certainly wouldn’t want to meet them in a dark alley – but it keeps it interesting, non?

I think this is part of a delicate issue. I don’t deny that you can clearly identify when someone has not put much effort into an application, or has very little to say that is interesting. However when we are looking to work in P.R – a job where, for example, being able to be brief and to the point with journalists on a deadline is paramount – surely the simplest things are sometimes the most effective?

I know I’m playing devil’s advocate here. Those poor words are trying to transmit a concept, but are so well-used it has gotten rather tired. Perhaps we need to find a new way to transmit the feeling behind that message.

‘I work well as part of a team’ could essentially mean many things. I am feeling cynical at this time of night (NB: very likely the person reading your application will be too!) so I could interpret that in a variety of ways. There are plenty of people who work well in a team – those, for example, who surf along on other people’s sweat, or guilt the most vulnerable member of the team into taking the brunt of the exercise. Instead, how about ‘helping others is part of my nature, hence teamwork comes naturally to me’ or actually giving an example as to how you have learnt to work within a team. For me, nothing beats the service industry. If you can work a busy eight hour shift in a coffee shop without biting  a customer’s hand or attacking your co-workers (!) you probably should start there.
‘I work well on my own’ sort of makes you sound like a recluse. Not meaning to offend anyone (I’ve written this phrase on job applications before) but an employer probably isn’t keen to hire a Single White Female. What you mean to say is that you are capable of self-direction – i.e you won’t ask questions every 20 seconds, and you will think intelligently about what you could be doing to help. Seems simple, but actually something many people struggle with!

Hopefully this unpacks a phrase that is rather loaded, yet actually means very little in the larger scheme of job applications!

Bisous xXx

I worked at The Hub at Kings Cross, which is one of the coolest places to work EVER. Lovely quirky signs, really friendly and charming staff, great coffee, cheap sandwiches and gorgeous decor.

Paul and Peter, my lovely bosses (and the apostles of PR) were adamant that I complete a total of 8 aims at the end of my internship. These were:

The first couple of days I did client-based research – from finding places for people to review products, to sending out invitations to interested parties. This sometimes made my eyes do the jizzy, but there is nowt more satisfying than finally tracking down that all-important name and e-mail.

I got the chance to do a variety of client-facing activities, something which many interns just don’t get to do: I attended a pitch, got to see some in-depth media training, and even got to run a photo-shoot, of which one of the pictures was featured in a Guardian article.

Peter is constantly brainstorming – an ideas machine! So I would say that every day spent working beside him was some form of exectution plan. It was really interesting to see how He and Paul worked together to form a coherant strategy.

I got to ring round a fair few journalists to secure reviews of a particular product. It was really good to actually get to ‘sell-in’ myself, although a little nerve-wracking to start with! My mum’s tried-and-tested method of writing down a mini-script really came into it’s own here, and soon I was flying.

As for sorting out a PR opportunity – I have personally began arrangements for one of the clients to speak at my university. A little odd, meeting with my careers advisor on a professional level! But something I definitely could get used to!

All in all, my internship has been really wonderful – I have got to work with two really experienced people who are really lovely, and have truly appreciated how things work in an agency – now I know why those JDs always specify agency experience!

Long may it continue!

Bisous xXx

This image is taken Olivier’s iconic depiction of Hamlet – the ‘Alas, poor Yorick’ speech in Act 5, scene 1. The scene represents an abrupt change of tone in the play – and provides the impetus for action that Hamlet so desperately needs, calling an end to that infamous indecision that plagues our hero throughout the play.

It is one of those magical moments in theatre which beautifully symbolises a myriad of ideas in a singular object – the exhumed skull, or the memento mori.

“Life is fleeting… remember you shall die…”

Sorry to be so grim on a Saturday morning!

However, life is important – and the memento mori does not have to be a gloomy reminder of doom, but of the joy of life and all the opportunities that are out there.

I had a bit of disappointing news last night, but after feeling thoroughly downcast all this morning I’m determined not to let it dwell any longer and derive the (many) positives from the experience. Life is too short to get hung up on getting – or not getting – a full time job. Bullying myself, and over-analysing what I did will not help. What I must do is remember I thoroughly enjoyed my work experience, and eventually there will be a job out there for me.

In the meantime, I have just under two weeks to complete my dissertation. I’ve decided to keep writing my blog as it is a good way to fight against writer’s block, and quite therapeutic too!

Bisous my blogettes! xXx

p.s I am aware that the title is Jaques from As You Like It – come on people! I study English

Hey all,

Just a quick one really. If you follow my twitter feed, you will be aware that I’ve been applying for an internship with Dynamo PR, as their #dynamocog.

Well I’m pleased to tell you that Paul and Peter liked me enough to take me on board. I start on the weekend of the 18th.

For the time being at least I won’t be working at the SU, and instead in one of the most awesome offices I have ever seen with really great people. I am beyond excited, and needless to say I got a little bit (read: very) emotional at work when I found out!

Regrettably, I had to put my first internship on hiatus earlier last week, as my workload and pressures from work nagging me to do more hours were leaving me physically and mentally exhausted.

However, this seemed like too good a thing to pass up, and Paul and Peter were very generous, kind and flexible in regards to my situation and ability to work. I don’t really want to say any more than that, but I am very, very grateful and I am going to work my little socks off to prove I’m worth it!

I think this is a case in point that trying hard really does get results. Even if it sometimes feels like everything is going wrong, keep trying. Then you may end up with a smile a mile-wide like me!

Right, this is definately my last blog post for at least a month. So check back around then, and I’ll blog about 1) my dissertation and 2) my internship.

Til then,

Bisous xXx

This wonderful piece of art by Hugo Logo I think perfectly sums up this month.

I have an interview tomorrow, an assessment day on tuesday, two essays and a dissertation to write. Oh, and a part-time job, a flat to find, and the usual financial concerns…

Unlike Wolfgang Petersen’s namesake, however, I aim to emerge relatively unscathed and happy.

I apologise if I am sporadic on the blog posting in the next couple of months. I promise to be back soon.

Reach for the stars grads!

Bisous xXx

I forgot to bring a towel…

Now I am sopping wet and covered in blue fluff from my jumper. Note to self: must bring towel to gym.

This week I’ve been working very hard: a combination of essays, preparing for my assessment day at Red, learning about PR in general, my internship and working at the SU has taken it out of me.

I’m exhausted, yet I cannot seem to sleep. Recently, every night I’ve worried myself into that horrible 3AM wide-awake-ness.

I want to get going in the current job market, but things keep passing me by. For instance, Truffle PR tweeted about a short-term internship today. I would have loved to apply, as they are a great company, but I can’t due to my essay deadlines. To say I was gutted would be an exercise in understatement.

I’ve got my assessment day for Red coming up too… I was very optimistic about my application – it was one of the more enjoyable ones I’ve done – but now the fear is sinking in. I’ve already fallen slightly in love with the company – so I’ve stopped myself from looking at the website and dreaming. That means if I don’t get the job (very likely, due to the sheer odds of graduate schemes) I won’t be completely devastated!

I think it is a combination of my end-of-degree dissertation (my ‘seminal’ piece of work and the last thing I will EVER hand in – sob) and panic about the current job market. It seems at the minute you cannot escape the DOOM AND GLOOM message of the news. GRADUATES FACE NEW HIGHS OF UNEMPLOYMENT… JOB LOSSES REACH RECORD NEW HEIGHTS… GRADUATES FACE 2 YEARS OF UNPAID INTERNSHIPS…

I think it is the last fact that really, really scares me. Simply put, I cannot afford to work unpaid for too long…

So how am I combatting this all-encompassing, overloading fear?

By SCRAPBOOKING.

No, I am not middle aged. But I love doing it! I got a fair amount of pretty papers and bits and pieces for my christmas presents last year and I’ve now slowly began scrapping my holidays. I’m currently doing Summer ’10s holiday to Barcelona.

It is helping me to find something else to focus on – it keeps me calm. I’m a very happy person, so feeling so stressed out is a really odd one for me! By concentrating on something else, I can forget the mountain of reading I have to do, and the worry about getting a job. Preserving those happier moments helps me to feel chipper when I feel sad.  Plus making pages look pretty works on my design skills.

I’ve started using it in the carrot/stick approach. If I get my work done, I reward myself by allowing one page to be scrapped. If I don’t, all the materials get packed away til I have got it done. It is proving to be quite an affective incentive!

What is more worrying is that I’m half planning a ‘scrapped’ cover for my dissertation… professionalism go hang, I want a PRETTY assignment!

On a more serious note, I hope that this helps anyone who is feeling a bit lost and generally worried about everything -  it is always nice to know you aren’t alone!

Bisous xXx

p.s I’m going to be posting images of my scrapping pages as I go – if you are a scrapbooker, I urge you to do the same so we can compare!

p.p.s good luck to my lovely friend Mia who is interviewing for a full-time position in consumer PR today! go girlfriend!