The Outcome: Interviews

A couple of blogs ago i mentioned going on my first interview of 2013. Well a couple days after that I had another one. This blog i will talk about the outcome of them and a brief detail of the job role I applied for.


Social Media Assistant- I applied for a part time position at a charity run sports gym based in Manchester. The job description was extensive, so you can imagine my face when i started hyperventilating when I scrolled down and realised there was two pages. I decided to print it out and highlight the key information and tailor my cover letting to the requirement! (Always save a copy you never know you might be able to use it again or the ingenious might come back to quickly).
Within 2 days of applying i received a phone call to be brought in for an interview. Preparation commenced I learned the ins and outs of the company, everything they offered to their customers, how many other clubs they had, what their vision and mission was. Everything i could possibly learn so i would be prepared for the interview. As i was googling whereabouts the gym was it dawned on me this distance it was. This was the OUTSKIRTS of manchester, like motorway. Luckily my friend to offered to take me, i could of got public transport, leave 2 hours before and get two buses. Even in the car it was 30 mins. The interview went well i was really nervous, which usually i am ok in a interview enviroment. When it was my turn to ask questions, the pay was minimum wage, it was only 12 hours a week and the social media aspect of the business was none exist even though the company was over 10 years old and this particular site was open a couple months. When I asked their objectives for the next 12 months for the gym site it wasn't really in-line with their companys mission. To cut the long story short I didn't get the job, on reflection i'm glad financial the money would of just covered my travel to get there.



Digital Trainee Support - The dreaded moment when you realise they don't want your cv, they don't want a cover letter it's an application form!! It's safe to say it took me two days with breaks in between to complete. It was another charity based company and this one was actually based in the city centre. This interview came in three parts. 1. 45 digital test (creating a poster in a program that  I personally never used, never heard of and don't know anyone who uses it)  2. 5/10 minute presentation on a product, project or blog i was involved in. 3. Questions from the interviewers.

They were very impressed on the project i mentioned, they were astonished how much i accomplished, how i got a team together, free publicity and artwork done without costing a thing. After the interview i felt very confident and started spending the monthly wage on getting rid of debts and starting living life again.  Two days later i received the phonecall...... my heart dropped. I didn't get the job. I haven't been upset about not getting a before but her reasons were like a dagger to my heart and a character assaisnation. I took it out on the people closest to me or who came  i into contact with that day. In a nutshell she said ' You were really good, however we feel you're not much of a team player and more of an independent in a good way that probably doesn't make sense. The girl we chose we could just see she would really just fit in perfectly (in a very enthusiastic voice). Don't give up your ambition and drive is great. It was very close you came second though. '
 I pride myself on being a team player and for that not to come across was really upsetting. Telling me I came second and mentioning how great the other candidate was didn't make me feel any better. I kind of got what she was trying to say but how she was put it across wasn't the correct way to do it.


A couple of days after i was in a state of ' cant be bothered to try and get into the field I want to work in, i'm just going to apply for normal jobs' mode. You cant help but imagine yourself in a company you're applied for because of all the background research you've do on a company before you even apply. It takes a lot out of you.  I've got back on the saddle, however with only £70 in my account dream job vs survival job is now kicking in.

ARS: Insight on how to make your presentation more interactive & gain feedback

Another Tuesday is upon which means another piece of technology I have to spiel about. Today it's the very clever iml connector device. 

Twitter is a beautiful thing and this is how i found out this device by a retweet from a person I follow. Rachel Klien  posted an article about this genius bit of technology. The article was about how to get the most feedback out of an event you put on. This would work well for a person who teaches, if you were putting on a debate or doing workshops.

Know who said what in real time! This is great when looking back at your invite you can pinpoint peoples reaction to the exact statement who you're presenting.  The user can also take a picture of themselves, so there's a face to the comments which is great for networking afterwards.


'IML's smartcards provide a simple and efficient way to identify and track individual's responses. 100% accurate and secure, smartcards are personal ID cards that automatically link audience members to their keypad activity.

Individuals simply insert their smartcard into the IML Connector and the system will automatically identify their responses.'








The iml connector has a wireless microphone. No more running around to pass around the microphones to the audience. All the do when chosen to speak ( I dont know how that works but I'm guessing theres a button the people press giving their interest to speak and then the speakers choses a name, which in turn the person uses their individual connector to speak into)

There is a texting option, where the audience can participant in the conversation or ask a questions. Everyone's responses would be projected onto a screen an the front of the stage.





Now this feature is where the majority of the crucial feedback comes from. I love this feature sooooo much!

"including multiple choice, value, rating, prioritisation, text response, XY matrix and resolution voting. Receive greater audience participation and honesty through anonymity or track individuals' responses via smartcards - perfect for auditing, training and certification."


Like I said before this piece of kit doesn't have to be for an event this could be used anywhere!







They've thought of everything! You can even have your logo or sponsors information imbedded onto the device, just to give it that special touch!

Other feature including recording the seminar and listening to the seminar in a different language. This is a nifty piece of kit and I don't doubt it pretty expensive for one! I don't whether there is an option to buy as i've been searching and nothing! Maybe they only offer on a rent basis?  I hope there is an option that yo can print out transcripts of your event and the polling results.

All in all if i was a millionaire with my own company or teaching workshop I would grabs these!

Hope you enjoyed this Tech Tuesday!

#Hashtag Twitter Chats

I've been on twitter for almost 3 years and has never followed and be involved in a 'hash tag twitter chat' until now!  A couple weeks ago I followed chat, it was all about how to market your business around holiday events to drive sales. i.e valentines day, christmas, easter. The main focus was around Valentines day as it was approaching. It was sponsored by Amazon and had people who were experts in marketing, business owners, graduates, students and ordinary folk from around the world answering 9 questions that were put to the participants.  If you want to look back at the chat the hash tag used was '#smbvalentine'

Anita Campbell,  a Forbes Top Influential Woman for Entrepreneurs had some great answers as did the other participants; so much i downloaded the whole transcript. Whether I set up my own business, a consultant to a start up or working in a agency these tips and tricks would going to come in handy. 


As I didn't major in marketing, it has been a learning curve and the chat pointed out some things i would of never thought about, for instance a marketing calendar. Here's one i found displayed as an infographic. Note that when you make a generic calendar and list all the holidays doesn't mean you should use them all some may not compliment your business. Another tip I learnt, you don't have to be so obvious marketing ideas around Valentines day doing a ' love your customer event'  'Wrap your purchase with love', realtors using Valentine’s Day theme “Fall in love again … with a new home.”

. If you were using location based strategy you could collaborate with a restaurant or flowers shop ' Spend over £30 and get 20% off at Fiona's flower shop' 

I never knew that Facebook allows targeting based on relationship status for laser-focused ads. All in all i really enjoyed the chat and best of all it was free and I didn't have to leave my house or change out of my pajamas! 

This got me thinking also if you were a small business getting feedback from customers and potential customers would be key. I have in the past have started a blog on projects, however as a really small team it was very time consuming but hold a tweet chat every month on different fun topics that would entice them and in turn get you get feedback you can analyse is a win win. Plus you would be creating a community through social media.


As this blog is called Get a life I would love to host a twitter chat on a hot topics so we can all bounce and learn of each other.

What's this blog about anyway?

 You may be thinking that my blog posts are pretty erratic. One minute i'm talking about different apps and software technologies I use, the next minute i'm talking about my first interview of the year and my months abroad in Barbados.  Well in essence, I'm trying to do exactly what the title of this blog is called. I'm showcasing to you the public what i'm all about and the steps i'm taking to succeed, my interests and how they could benefit me in the long run. Researching and finding out about new technologies helps me keep in the loop and on top of trends. I have an entrepreneurial spirit so I can use these techniques I've learnt in my self- directed projects.


We envole as individuals everyday, which could lead to different career paths, life paths, love interests. Our wants and needs change constantly, we may have some type of plan in our heads but it doesn't mean it will turn out that way. So it's best to keep your options and mind open to change. People study science at university and end up in business. You just never. Some think they will stay in their hometown for lifetime but end happier on the  other side of the world. There's so many opportunities nowadays, the possibilities are be endless.



I hope this blog interests you in some way, whether that's opening your eyes to a piece of technology you never heard of before, making you think about your career choices or relating to someone in the exact same boat as you.



So i want to open you a dialogue with you guys! Either comment on a post or get in touch

First Interview of 2013

Yesterday I received an email regarding a job I applied for two day prior! It's a perfect job to gain more experience in my chosen career. For those who don't know what that is it's..... well a mixture and marketing strategies, idea generation with a hint of social media. This job, is a social media assistant role. Its part - time 20 hours which is ok as it gives me time to concentrate on this business idea my friend and I have. 

The company is a registered charity and aim is not encourage disadvantage families and individuals in the community to turn to physical activities and exercise to improve their quality of life.  

I've done what your suppose to do before an interview and that is research the company and also write some questions as all interviewers say at the end ' have you got any questions?'  Never say no always have questions it shows you've really thought about the role and thought about working with them.

Well wish me luck!!! A progress report will come soon! 

To teach or not to teach?

Now for the last couple months teaching has been on my mind. Even when i'm start on the beach with a rum punch in my left hand, my right is scribbling down a rough workshop curriculum. It would kind of be like my course i graduated from the University of Salford. It would be an open class to an array of people who are either design led or business/marketing led. For example on my course there was graphic designers, fashion designers, account managers, UX designers, photographers, 3D designers, set designers. You get the jist. We all were different but we learnt the same principles. How to get from having an idea to conception. This included a full investigate research, from questionnaires, looking at the competitors, interviews, group work, presentations, how we would market it, mock ups and so on so forth. We weren't just creatives', we are creatives' with the ability to investigate which is an asset to a company, we can do more then just design. Unfortunately the course has been cut due to budget cuts which is a real shame.

Are you as confused as me?

I would if i did teach, adults I feel some of the older population has got talent and want to make it on their own. The last 20 years technology has been progressing at a alarming rate (but great) and i feel that they just don't where to begin. I would consider doing after school sessions with secondary children because when i was at school the only 'design' was art class which i was told by the teacher not to take it up as a G.C.S.E because i was bad. charming! I did a SWOT analysis and things that would hinder me starting it up would be not having a reputation and a teaching certificate. But as i said this is just a thought.






I came across this website via twitter called Go-On, their main objective is to get the older generation using this fantastic technology that we have access to. They help the communities around manchester with the help of volunteers to teach them the basic IT skills and also how to use social media. The volunteers range from local businesses or individuals like you and I. I've put my request in to help out maybe it will help me to figure if teaching, if in my spare time or part time is for me.

I have never wanted to be a teacher, i've always wanted to be the one to keep learning. A friend of mine graduated from university the same time and wanted to work with the youth offenders. She tried and tried but couldn't get anyway. September of 2012 she started on a teaching programme and will finish this year with probably a guaranteed job offer. Dont get me wrong she enthused with what she's doing now, its her life and she loves it.  I dont want to be  disingenuous to the teaching profession, as a know a good few people who have gone into nursing and teaching because the majority of the time its guaranteed work.  I want to have the passion and the drive in the profession i choose and not be in it just because. However things are getting hard and it is time to start working and saving up for my pension! Lord knows David Cameron's not going to help with my heating bills!!


Either way i need to start working it been too long now.... lets hope the many jobs i've applied for something comes up!