Behind the Scenes of Social Media May 13, 2013
Posted by TCG Info in : Industry Focus, Marketing, career profiles , add a comment
You’re part of the Internet generation; you’ve grown up with Facebook and communicating online is second nature. But aside from using social media to chat with friends and share your photos, it’s a vital tool for businesses to both promote their services and build relationships with customers. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, creative career social media could be the perfect industry for you. Sedge Beswick, Social Media Executive at ASOS, shares her story and some tips on how to bag a job in social media.
Firstly, how would you define social media?
Social media for me is an online dialogue between two parties – it’s based on their needs and ours. You could say its social democracy.
What made you get into social media?
How I got involved in social is quite a funny story. I entered a competition on a whim where you had to get the most fans on a Facebook group for a brand, to win £25K to throw the best party ever. I was thrown in as the entrant to make the competition look ‘normal’, up against DJ’s, event organizers – the works! I came second, (everyone at the time hated me as it was all I talked about and completely spammed everyone I know!) rallying together 6K fans within 5 days.
The agency that worked on the competition offered me a job there and then. I said no as I was still at uni, but the brand (Three UK) offered me a job as soon as I graduated.
There are so many different social media channels, the obvious being Facebook and Twitter, but what do ASOS use?
ASOS are on A LOT of social channels, I’m kept nice and busy! We have Facebook which has 2.3 million followers; G+ with 1.5 million followers then we have 67 Twitter accounts, Instagram, Vine, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Spotify, YouTube… The list’s really quite endless but it’s what I love, we like to test things out to get a real feel of our customers wants and needs – once we work out what they’re engaging with, we can then put a strategy in place.
For someone thinking about a career in the industry, what do you love the most about your job?
The thing I love the most about working in social media is that it’s instantly rewarding. I know within a matter of seconds whether something has gone down well and whether it’s been a success. I can take that insight and immediately implement it into other pieces of activity – I hate to say it but I’ve become a numbers girl, I love looking at the reach, the revenue, the engagement. It’s fascinating!
You got into social media in an unusual way, but what tips could you give to others looking for a job in the industry?
Set up a Social channel, whether it’s a blog, a Tumblr account or a Flickr channel that you really focus your time on – this is the first place to look when I review CV’s.
There’s nothing worse than someone promoting Twitter accounts on their CV when they haven’t tweeted in months (sometimes even years!).
Social also takes a lot of TLC and dedication – it never sleeps so you need to know that people can really commit to updating something. I think LinkedIn is really important too, you have to sell yourself. Go get yourself some recommendations.
So if you’d like a career in the industry, set up a social media account and make sure to update it regularly. If you’re not comfortable sharing your personal opinions online, set up an account focussed on your interests, such as fashion or sports and publish updates on the latest hot topics. The main points are to engage with others and show your dedication, and that you’re willing to put the time and effort into it. Additionally, it’s important to keep up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry by reading social media news and blogs, such as mashable.com
If you can, getting some professional industry experience with a brand or agency will put you ahead of the competition. Seek out internships or part-time work in your area. This will enable you to get hands on experience, giving you an insight into what it’s really like to work in social media – not only for the experience but also to work out if it’s the right career for you.
This is an interview with Sedge Beswick, Social Media Executive at ASOS, one of the UK’s largest online fashion retailers.
Getting an internship after you graduate May 15, 2012
Posted by Andrew Falconer in : Marketing, Publishing, career profiles, employability and skills , add a comment
Internships have traditionally been targetted at penultimate year students but increasingly graduates are seeing them as a useful means of gaining professional experience. Indeed The Careers Group has a specific internship programme open only to graduates.
At a recent conference for employers, the benefit of having a graduate internship was stressed by Middlesex University alumnus Abdul Ahad who undertook an opportunity with Dennis Publishing. Abdul had already undertaken paid positions in other organisations but decided that he needed a career, not just a job.
In this video Abdul explains to an audience of employers and professionals why he found his graduate internship so valuable.
Going digital – The future of working in marketing… March 22, 2012
Posted by Kirsti Burton in : Marketing, The Careers Group Blogs , add a commentOriginally posted at QM Jobs Blog
Are you interested in working in marketing? Marketing has moved far beyond billboards, magazine ads and radio and television commercials. Like everything else the marketing industry is getting increasingly digital and data-driven. Marketing is all about finding the target audience and increasingly, like you reading this now, marketing has moved online. Advertisements can be found cleverly woven into blogs, social media sites, emails and text messages.
What does this mean for your future jobs?
As marketing becomes more and more focused on digital content, the marketing industry is looking to recruit people who have experience and a clear understanding of the potential of digital marketing. Being able to understand and target your particular demographic via Facebook, blogs, and Google searches is now a crucial skill for many marketing roles. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a fancy name for where your website ranks in Google searches. Companies of all sizes are spending a lot of money to ensure their website ranks high and grabs visitors.
Digital marketing also gives marketers endless data to analyse and use in order to target their key audiences. Google Analytics for example, can tell a business who looks at their website, what they looked at, for how long and when (among many other details). Marketers use these details to target their campaigns like never before.
How do I get digital marketing experience?
The plus side of digital marketing is it’s not just for the big brand names. Companies of all sizes are using Google Adwords or Facebook ad campaigns to get their businesses recognised. Google Analytics is free for any website. Any organisation or person can create a Facebook, Twitter or blog. Employers will be impressed if you’ve done any online marketing for clubs, societies or events. If you are working part-time at a shop or restaurant you can always ask them if you can help with their social media or website.
Our Top 10 Top Posts December 30, 2011
Posted by Andrew Falconer in : Languages, Law, Marketing, Marketing, Advertising & PR, Media, advertising and PR, arts administration, career profiles, city jobs, civil service, diversity, employability and skills, entrepreneurship , add a commentFrom creative CVs to interviewers wearing pjyamas, this blog has covered them all this year. When we write these posts we think about our target audience of University of London students, but are mindful that people all over the world access these pages and may need different things.
Many of the ideas for posts come from conversations with students. Issues such as being put off during a Skype interview because the interviewer was sitting on a bed in a hotel room wearing boxer shorts. Or navigating the graduate job market with a lower degree result than you were hoping for. Other posts come from campus workshops we facilitate, including my interest in LinkedIn and social media as a career development tool.
Whilst most of the (unpublished) comments are offering cheap viagra, instant Facebook fans or very personal cosmetic surgery, others have provided genuine debate on the issues. It’s nice to get comments and to be able to respond to such queries.
So here is our Top Ten Top Posts of 2011 based on readership, with a bonus 11 and 12 thrown in as a holiday special. Have a great New Year!
Design the new front cover for the Finalist Directory August 3, 2011
Posted by Andrew Falconer in : Marketing, The Careers Group , add a comment
The Careers Group, University of London is holding a competition to design the new front cover for our annual publication, The Finalist Directory. We are looking for something new and exciting that will stand out and attract the right audience.
The Finalist Directory is distributed to University of London College Careers Services in September each year and has a shelf life of approximately 6 months. The content includes several careers related articles, an A-Z listing of employment opportunities, an A-Z listing of postgraduate study opportunities and careers event listings.
Producing a winning design for the front cover would be an ideal addition to your portfolio and also ensure exposure of your design to a range of employers, as well as approximately 12,000 finalists from the following colleges: Goldsmiths, King’s College, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, School of Oriental & African Studies, Specialist University of London Institutes & Colleges, St. Mary’s College and University College London. The winning designer will be acknowledged at the beginning of the publication.
Requirements:
- Size – A4, portrait
- Title – The Finalist Directory 2011 / 2012
- Tag line – The essential guide for graduate opportunities and postgraduate study options.
- Logo – The Careers Group logo should be in the bottom right hand corner
- Colour – full colour
How to enter: Email us to initially express your interest and we will send you a copy of The Careers Group logos and our brand requirements. Then send your design in high resolution pdf format by Tuesday 30 August at 5pm. Please remember to include your name and contact details, as well as a short paragraph explaining the ideas behind your design.
