Social Media

So here's another instalment from my PIU blog contribution!

• 12
• OCT
• 2011

Social media awaits the arrival of the CPO

Author: Kayleigh Ryan - Categories: Technology & Apps

Back in August my colleague Victoria Barnato wrote a blog post about how procurement can no longer afford to ignore social media. Two months later it seems that social media is still awaiting the arrival of the CPO. Operational-level procurement professionals seem to be embracing social media but the executive level seems slow to respond. What is holding them back?

I recently conducted a study on the extent to which executive-level procurement professionals are actively using social media channels. The long and the short of it is that they aren't. The few that are seem to prefer LinkedIn over other channels.

LinkedIn is positioned at the more professional end of the spectrum. Discussions are encouraged through LinkedIn groups created by members, but are predominantly centred on professional issues and debates. Unlike other social media channels, LinkedIn allows you to search like-minded professionals with whom to discuss common grounds in a professional environment. This is appealing to procurement executives. However, although they may be members of these groups and discussions, they aren't really contributors, but instead play more of a passive role.

Another social media channel that has exploded in the last two years is twitter. Twitter acts as a micro-blogging site, allowing its members to write and read posts known as 'tweets'. Its popularity is growing within the business world as businesses use it to keep their clients instantly updated. However, the twitter wave has yet to fully reach the procurement function. The Mattel case study that Victoria talked about in her blog post demonstrates the positive influence that twitter can have. However, during my study I struggled to find any executive-level procurement professionals using twitter regularly and convincingly. The same can be said for blogging - there are many procurement-focused blogs, but I have yet to come across any written by a current CPO. The fact that these blogs exist suggests that the executive level are reading posts, but have yet to create their own.

So why is the executive level so hesitant to adopt social media? While conducting the scoping calls for the PIU's recent event on social media and SRM in New York and Munich, I noticed a common worry among CPOs: privacy. Many of their experiences of social media have been via their teenage children's use of sites such as Facebook and twitter. Facebook in particular is a predominantly 'social' platform, where people can post comments, photos and videos. Unfortunately, this leaves its users open to undesirable consequences, primarily invasion of privacy. Similarly, twitter seems to carry a reputation as a platform for swapping celebrity stories and gossip. However, its refocus in 2009 to market itself as a 'news and information-strategy provider' has placed it as a key source of breaking news stories.

It seems that executive-level procurement professionals are wary of social media and are unable to yet appreciate its scope and use within the procurement function. Ironically, social media channels such as LinkedIn, twitter and blogging sites are full of procurement journalists, consultants and thought leaders. It cannot be denied that social media is becoming increasingly influential and important and I believe that social media is now where email was 15 to 20 years ago. I do not doubt that at some point procurement will have to embrace social media, but in the meantime the journalists, bloggers, consultants and intelligence providers will just wait for the arrival of the CPOs.

PIU blog post, number 2!

Following the success of my first PIU blog post, I decided to have a go at another. This topic was something entirely new to me, so go easy! Enjoy!

• 6
• SEP
• 2011

Who is responsible for suppliers' ethical standards?

Author: Kayleigh Ryan - Categories: CSR & Green, Risk

A recent PIU blog post on Apple's recent supply chain mishap written by my colleague Maggie Slowik caused quite a furore last week when blog contributors disagreed over who should take responsibility for suppliers' ethical issues. One standpoint was that these companies are big enough to accept social responsibility throughout the supply chain. Whereas another argument was that governments should be held liable as it is their responsibility to implement regulations to control manufacturers. So, are companies 100% responsible for their supply chain blunders?

First, it is important to question why large companies place factories in and use suppliers in developing countries. Lax environmental standards and low rates of pay, combined with lower health and safety standards make these countries extremely attractive to companies looking to save money in production costs. But, why do the governments of low-cost countries allow these slack standards to stand? The answer is simple - the system also saves them money and resources. Implementing regulations to improve health, safety and environmental standards, as well as legislation to introduce modest rates of pay is a costly business. Therefore, should companies from developed nations take responsibility to improve the working standards in developing countries?

Some would argue that companies that conduct business with or in developing countries have a duty to ensure that their products and services are produced in an ethical way. In recent years brands including Gap, Nike and Apple have come under the spotlight for the discovery of poor ethical standards in their supply chain. All three brands claimed that they were unaware that their factories were breaking ethical working rules. Since the discoveries, Nike and Gap have pledged to ensure that their factories improve their conditions and if not, the companies stated that they would withdraw from the area. Despite these assertions, discoveries like these can be extremely damaging for a brand's image, and companies need to question whether buying products and services at the lowest possible cost is worth the risk if their entire brand image could be destroyed.

The International Labour Organisation helps to establish international labour standards, although it cannot dictate a global base wage. It has been suggested that a global labour law should be introduced to address the issue. Similarly, it has been proposed that governments take total responsibility for monitoring manufacturing in their countries. This could include capping the number of hours worked, introducing health and safety regulations, introducing a base wage and ensuring a good level of environmental standards. Some developing countries are already beginning to introduce regulations to improve their working standards. This is particularly evident in countries like China, which would like to be considered as a growing economic leader.

Whether a company is responsible for ensuring ethical working practices or whether a government is accountable for working standards is a hot topic of debate. However, the issue isn't completely black and white, and placing the responsibility entirely on one side would lead to many 'ifs and buts'. In an ideal world, companies would produce their goods in a wholly ethical way and poor working standards and inequality would be eradicated, but unfortunately we do not yet live in an ideal world.

PIU blog post!

So my blogging has been pretty sparse recently, but I have been very busy with my new job. Part of my job is to write blogs, pretty difficult seeing as when I started I knew diddly squat about procurement! After a very steep learning curve, my first company blog was posted on Wednesday. I've attached it below so you can all have a look! Enjoy!

• 21
• SEP
• 2011

Mexico's supply chain - a risky business

Author: Kayleigh Ryan - Categories: Risk, Global Sourcing

Another day, another horrific story to come from Mexico. Yesterday a major road in the state of Veracruz on the eastern coast of Mexico was blocked by Mexican gunmen and 35 of their victims' bodies. Just last month the country saw its first direct attack upon innocent people when members of a drug cartel set alight a casino in the northern city of Monterrey. These are just some of many incidents connected to the drug war that has ravaged the country since 2006. But, what has this to do with procurement?

As mentioned in a recent blog post by Pasquale Gioia, Mexico's geographical location places it in a logical position to engage with the US supply chain. This, combined with lower labour and production costs of certain materials and goods, as well as cheaper transportation fees, makes Mexico a purchasing haven for certain US industries. However, as the drug war plagues the country, many foreign companies are weighing up the risks associated with their investment plans in Mexico. The increasing number of battles between drug traffickers and the Mexican army, which often take place on busy highways, are exposing foreign companies to the risk of employee kidnappings, cargo thefts and even death.

Cars, steel, aluminium, copper and industrial chemicals have become cargo thiefs' choice targets, costing companies millions of dollars every year. With all these risks to weigh up, it is no surprise to discover that according to JP Morgan, in 2010 Mexico lost $4 billion dollars in foreign investment due to drug-related violence.

The US is not only the foreign supply chain that is feeling the effect of Mexico's drug war. The country's own supply chain has fallen victim to its internal problems. The exportation and cost of Mexican limes and avocados have become increasingly more expensive as farmers are paying drug cartel members to ensure the safe delivery of their produce. Despite this, goods trucks are still being attacked. This, combined with increased border checks due to the rise in drug smuggling to the US, has meant that delivery takes longer and produce is often not delivered fresh.

Regardless of the increased risk, many foreign companies insist that they will continue negotiations with Mexican companies and this is most likely due to extremely low labour costs, fewer environmental standards with which to comply and the convenience of the location.

The question is: will the Mexican supply chain continue to support itself if the drug war continues?

Tabloid Shab-loid

So it's been a month since returning to cold, rainy Britain and time has flown by. I've been very slack recently in writing here, but now I'm back to normality (almost) I hope I can re-start a continual stream again. Today will just be a quick one as I need to get on with holiday preparations, that's right, I'm off again! Costa Rica this time, for three-weeks, I promise this is the last, well for a short while anyway.

I've spent the last month catching up on things that I have missed. Current affairs have been pretty jam-packed in the UK recently, but I can't go without mentioning the atrocious News of the World saga that has broken this week.

It has been discovered that journalists hacked the phones of not only celebrities and politicians, but those of murder and terrorism victims. This awful discovery have touched  the families of victims Milly Dowler as well as Holly and Jessica, awakening awful memories that I'm sure their parents have tried to put to rest. In the case of the Dowler family, the alleged phone hacking even led them to believe that Millie was still alive as voice messages were being deleted from her phone. Victims and survivors from the terrorist attacks in London were also targeted by these journalistic spies, searching for that attention grabbing by-line.

David Cameron has called for an enquiry and condemned the revelations. However, questions are already being raised about the future of the News of the World as well as the broader picture of the tabloid industry in the UK. Some have blamed the Brit's hunger for gossip and scandal which have pushed journalists to these desperate measures, whilst others have blamed it on the nature of the cut-throat tabloids where if you don't fetch a scoop, you're out. If our craving for gossip is to blame, what has pushed us to such extents of voyeurism? Many now call for greater control over the media and its output, but this in its own right leads to questions of media censorship and the nanny state. The UK prides itself on the notion of freedom of speech, but if our media was heavily censored, would this give greater control to government, and consequently infringe upon democracy? Whatever the decision and result, someone is culpable and I find it hard to believe that the previous editors were blissfully unaware of these sordid under goings......

Speak soon.

My Mate Marmite!

As the slogan goes, you either love it, or you hate it. I happen to love it. However it appears that the Danish do not!

News this week, has revealed that Marmite is to be expelled and removed from Danish shelves. Apparently the vitamins and minerals break Danish laws; I didn't know they were so offensive. Ex-Pats are in uproar and it has be claimed that this prohibition is in fact an infringement upon European Law.

The story is starting to be reminiscent of the 1979 Cassis de Dijon dilemma within the European Union when Germany claimed the Creme de Cassis from France could not be called a fruit liquor in Germany as its alcohol percentage was too low, which called France to accuse their German neighbours of breaching trade agreements. The result? The enforcement of state recognition. Which leads me to think, are the Danes really failing to recognise this great British delicacy!?

As an avid Marmite smuggler, any extended stays in Denmark would be now almost impossible. I hope for their sake that the ban is lifted, they really are missing out!

Honey! I'm home.

Well it's been over a month since my last blog, but seeing as I was travelling for over five weeks of that time, I think it's an excusable offence. I arrived back a week ago and am slowly settling back into the swing of things here in San Juan del Rio, although I do not want to get too comfortable as I will be leaving again in 10 days, but this times for good! That is volcano permitting, please keep all fingers and toes crossed.

I do intend to write up my adventures, and maybe I'll do it this week, but packing is fist priority!

Fingers crossed x

Happy Camper.

This weekend is the start of my second grand tour around Mexico and Central America. 6 weeks of sun, beaches and more Mesoamerican ruins, perfect! I thought I'd just give a quick run down of my plans, and then update my blog as and when I can.

It all kicks off on Tuesday when I will be heading north to the Mexican Peninsula, Baja California Sur. With plans to hire a car and travel part of the peninsula, I hope to experience all that Baja has to offer: Crystal clear turquoise seas, desert straits, mountains and cactus. The tent is already packed, which will ensure that I get to see the sunrise and sunset everyday, unless of course the "chelas" have already taken affect. I'm also looking forward to visiting some good friends in La Paz, who I haven't seen since October. We have also a arranged a trip to the notorious Los Cabos, playground of America's rich and famous, as well as spring breakers. Fingers crossed that it won't be as crass as Cancun....

The Central American tour starts on 26th April when we'll be flying to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Heading straight to the beautiful Bay Islands we're planning on spending 5 days in tropical paradise where coral reefs are of abundance.  From there we're heading in land to visit the ancient ruins of La Ceiba, then it's on to Guatemala. Copan Ruins, Antugua and Tikal ruins are just a few things on our list to do there, but hopefully there'll be time to squeeze in a trip the breath-taking Lago de Atitlan complete with volcanoes and Mayan Villages. From Tikal we'll be crossing the border and heading into Belize where we'll go directly to one of Belize's many Cayes. Another five days of snorkeling, sunbathing and sipping cocktails will be the perfect end, and of course, it'll be well deserved after all that travelling....

The Route.

So this is bye for now, but I'll keep you updated with how things are going.

A restless week.

This weekend I was struck down by the dreaded Mexican lurgy, the stomach variety. I'm laying blame on some very suspicious looking beef that I ate a few days ago, but I guess that serves me right. Moral of the story, don't eat suspicious looking beef....

Anyway, blog morale is still running low, hence the measly one post last week, so today I've decided to write a summary on a few things that interested me last week. Whilst asleep last night I dreamt of a fantastic idea for a post, but like all good dreams by the morning it was forgotten. So, apologies in advance for the lacklustre content, but I'll do the best I can with what I've got.

On Monday morning I was taken aback by the scenes of London on the weekend and the mass rally against public spending cuts, apparently the biggest protest since the Iraq war in 2003. What strikes me as the biggest outrage is the governments plans to privatise the NHS. Does Cameron not realise that the British NHS system is the envy of the world? It's a system that many countries strive towards and a system that many countries would do anything for. After living in a country where free public heath isn't readily available, I've realised the NHS is an indispensable necessity. Good health should be available to everybody, not just the fortunate. However, it has been reported that Cameron is due to make a U-turn this week on his plans in order to salvage the Tory's image. He's going to need a good PR campaign for this one, I have a funny feeling the damage has already been done. Honeymoon period, over.
Monday = British unrest.

The majority of the rest of the week has been dominated by Middle East anarchy. The domino effect of Middle Eastern protests is gradually spreading eastwards and protest rallies have now been seen in a large number of countries situated within the Middle East. But why are they protesting? Many of these countries are riddled with corruption and injustice. The situation within these countries has been contained within a boiling pot, brewing for many years needing just one catalyst to induce explosion, in the case of Libya, that catalyst was an uprising against Colonel Gaddafi. As we have seen over the past few months, this catalyst in many other countries has simply been the rumblings in neighbouring countries. People power in one country has rubbed of on the citizens in another and is gradually whipping out Middle Eastern leaders. Some of these leaders have been in power for over 20/30 year, allowing the country to grow stale. Since 2010 political unsettling has touched 12 out of the 18 countries within the Traditional Middle East, and that isn't including the ongoing situation within Israel and the Gaza strip. Often what all of these countries have in common are high poverty rates, low rates of literacy, a young population with high youth unemployment. According to the corruption index as mentioned on the BBC news websites all of these factors combined with the corruption ranking equates to an unrest index, a high unrest index results in protests.
Monday - Friday = Middle East unrest

Eruptions were also seen in the African country of Ivory Coast this week  International calls for the African leader, Laurent Gbagbo to step down have been ignored and fighting within the country has turned into a massacre. The question on everyone's lips is, is greater international intervention need? The UN has  been urging Gdagdo to cease power and UN soldiers are already stationed in the country, but is this enough? This weekend French soldiers took over parts of the UN mission, but the country is already feeling stretched with its leadership in Libya, so its hard to say to what extent it can contribute in the Ivory Coast. 

This weekend - Ivory Coast unrest

So it seems it' was a pretty shaky week across the globe, and I expect that this week will be much the same, but I hope that next time I'll have something a bit more positive to write about.

Fingers crossed!

Cheese please!

My inspiration is running a little low this week, and after three previous post attempts I've decided to go with this idea. It's not long until I'll be heading back to the UK and as the departure day gets closer, another home delight is added to my "I miss list". My list is complied of food treats, and, well mainly food treats, amongst a few other things. What do you think?

1. A roast lamb dinner (minus the broccoli but including the Yorkshire pudding).

2. Topshop. Mexican style just isn't the same.

3. Cod bites and chips (NB. not a whole fish).

4. Decent internet. 1MB just doesn't cut the mustard.

5. Indian/Chinese take away (I couldn't choose which one I wanted more)

6. Budget airlines. Spain in 2 hours, you couldn't even fly across half of Mexico in that      time.

7. Pickled Onion Monster Munch. Yum Yum.

8. Putting toilet paper down the toilet. It's not that I have poor hygiene, Mexican drainage can't handle paper.

9. Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. The best way to start the day.

10. Cheddar cheese. The poor orange American imitation is nothing more than that, a poor orange American imitation. 

There are few things I wanted to include but for one reason or another they didn't make the list. 

• Chocolate. (Cadbury's or Galaxy)
• Decent wine. "Pinot Grigio?" "Yes please"
• My car
• Taking money out without bank charges
• Wearing shorts without getting hounded.

All of this is making me rather hungry and homesick, but I'm sure once the leaving date arrives I will be very sad to leave. Maybe I'll even end up writing a post about Mexican treats I miss.....We'll see.

Bye bye sexism, well perhaps.

Yesterday was a victorious day for woman across Mexico, and just one step closer to defeating the problem of Mexico's machismo. The government has created a manual to be given out to work places in order to eliminate the use of sexist language. After living here now for over seven months it's clear to see that many women in Mexico fall victim to male chauvinism. I cannot say that I have been exposed to such extremes, but it is getting rather tiring being gawped, hissed and yelled at, every time I walk down the street. Obviously, my blondish hair aggravates the situation, however, it has been hard adjusting to a country where some men believe they can look at you however they want and say to you whatever they want.

The manual gives advice and guidance on how men should talk to women and encourages them to avoid derogatory words and phrases like, "you are prettier when you're silent". This comes just days after International Women's day on 8th March when the Mexican government acknowledged that "insults and harassments" are a big problem for women in Mexico. Sadly, Mexico also has an extremely high rate of domestic violence, and even worse, there's an increasing concern for the high numbers of female homicides, also known as "femicides". 

Let's hope this is just one more step towards gaining greater equality here in Mexico.

269 kilometres.

This Monday is a national holiday in Mexico, so rather than lazing around in San Juan for the weekend we decided to make the most of the extra day off and go exploring. Job hunting this weekend = none. 

On Friday we decided to hire a car and travel the length of the state of Querétaro and head into the state of San Luis Potosí to visit a small pueblo called Xilitla. We wanted to do this because, one, after living in Querétaro for nearly 8 months I had yet to go further than 50km north of the southern border and two, I wanted to see the magical work of the British surrealist architect, Edward James. Yes you did read that correctly, a surrealist Brit and Mexico in the same sentence, bizarre.

Desert : El Semi-desierto Queretano

Querétaro is the 27th smallest state out of 32, however I did not realise how much it actually had to offer. The biodiversity of such a small state is incredible. We took the highway linking San Juan del Río to Xilitla and witnessed some of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. Just 25km north of SJR you hit the desert. This is the first time that I have ever been in the desert and it was just as I imagined, and just as it is depicted in films. Initially the road seemed never-ending, just one straight highway cluttered with cacti here and there and not a soul around for miles. However, this didn't last for long and we were soon climbing and snaking around the mountains, and once we reached the top the vista went on and on. Miles and miles of dry inhabitable desert land that took the same formation as snow moguls. Incredible. After about two hours of rising and falling we were met by a small village called Muelge Verde (Muelge being the cactus used to make the drink Pulce). It was obvious to see why the town had being given this name but nonetheless the green cacti looked very incongruous against the sparse desert mountains. However, it was evident that water had found its way here. Just one more incline and a couple more u-bends and we were soon met by pine forests and temperatures of 15 degrees, a stark contrast from the 33 degrees we'd experienced just 30 minutes before. We were in the Sierra Gorda. It was clear that water was of abundance here and these scenes were ones that I was much more accustomed to. We continued to travel up and then down but the bends became less sharp and less frequent and it wasn't long before the temperature started to rise and the air became thick and humid. Pine tress were soon swapped for tropical canopies and the exotic chirp of the jungle birds could be heard. We dropped down in to Jalpan a town in the north of Querétaro, which would be our home for the night before moving to Xilitla the next day. Jalpan is a pretty town, with a surprisingly touristy feel to it. I get the impression it's a common stop-over for tourists travelling from the north of Mexico to the South, but nevertheless it still maintains a typical Mexican ambiance and is home to a beautiful church known as one of the Jalpan Missions.

Las Pozas

The Doll's House

After an early rise and drive through the mountains (again) we arrived in Xilitla, a village in San Luis Potosí built into the mountain-side and home to Las Pozas, the work of Edward James. The architect built a garden of surrealist forms filled with waterfalls, pools, sculptures and staircases that lead to nowhere. I thought of it as a adults playground. You could climb and explore all of the nooks and crannies and I'm sure that if this had been built in Europe there would be no chance that you would even be able to get within 10 feet of the sculptures; health and safety first of course.The jungle setting added to the overall effect; the swinging vines and plunge pools made you feel like you were straight out of a scene in Tarzan. We decided to finish our jungle adventure by spending the night in our very own doll's house. Located just next to Las Pozas is a small hippy-esque camp filled with small two-story cabanas, Casa Caracol. The camp had a very easy-going, relaxed feel to it and was scattered with hammocks and fairy lights. If it's not luxury you're looking for and you want to an alternative camping experience , these a perfect. And they come with hot water! A rarity in Mexico.

I was definitely pleasantly surprised by our trip through Querétaro this weekend and disappointed that the state isn't mentioned more in the guide books, it has so much to offer. How many places can you think of that can provide you with desert, pine forest and jungle all within a 3 hour drive? The Rough Guide to Mexico merely skims over Querétaro, mainly only to mention the state capital, and whilst the Lonely Planet guide is a little more generous with its description, its website only lists the capital and Tequisquiapan as towns to visit. Perhaps it's a good thing that it's not so overly publicised as it means that many parts remain a mystery to tourists, keeping that special magical feel. However ,on the other hand the locals are always happy for your custom and to hear your stories and I do wonder how the small restaurants and quaint posadas (hotels) exist when so little people know about them.

Nuclear - friend or foe?

Nothing new on the job front today, but I was taken by an article from the BBC talking about nuclear plans in Europe in view of the disaster in Japan, which is where I got my inspiration for today's blog.

In light of the catastrophic consequences of Japan's earthquake on Friday, many countries have considered a review of their own current or prospective nuclear plans. As Japan struggles to deal with the aftermath of an earthquake, tsunami and impending nuclear disaster, many European countries are now doubting whether nuclear energy is actually a smart idea. Yesterday Angela Merkel took the decision to shut down seven of Germany's nuclear plants over safety concerns and green campaigners are putting pressure on the UK government to reconsider the decision made last year to install 8 plants across the British Isles.

The question I propose is should Europe really reconsider its nuclear energy plans because of one natural disaster that happened thousands of miles away?

The unfolding events and increasingly likely nuclear disaster in Japan is devastating, and my heart goes out to the country that has already fallen victim to a nuclear catastrophe only 60 years earlier. However, Europe is not exposed to the danger of such extreme natural disasters as Japan. Japan lies well within the "Ring of Fire" and experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year. Europe isn't positioned on any borders of tectonic plates, so although we experience earthquakes, they aren't as intense.

France has been advocate of nuclear power for many years and it is currently the country's primary source of energy with over 50 plants. Although nuclear incidents have occurred in the country, these have not been severe enough for France to reconsider its nuclear strategy. So it raises the question, is nuclear energy really that bad?

When the words "nuclear power plant" are mentioned people immediately think "Chernobyl". The explosion of the nuclear reactor in 1986 caused devastating effects that we are still witnessing today, which is why the situation in Japan seems so grave. However, many of the deaths in this catastrophe could have been prevented if it wasn't for the secretive ways of the Soviet Union. The SU kept the explosion a secret for three days and it wasn't until scientists in Western Europe started to pick up heightened radiation that the Union had to come clean. The habitants of the surrounding towns weren't provided with any advice or precautions during those first three days and carried on as normal, leaving more time for radiation poisoning to kick in. The days of the Soviet Union are days of the past and I would hope that in the 21st century a situation like that would never occur within Europe. Similarly, the Japanese government has kept its public informed about radiation levels and sent out evacuation orders and advice to stay indoors. 

Nuclear energy is a relatively new form of power so it is difficult to assess the long-term effects of a small leakage for example, as has been seen in France. However, relying on fossil fuels is not possible forever, and with vital oil reserves lying in tempestuous areas such as Libya and Iran, Europe is in need of finding another solution to its energy dependence. As has been seen in the last month the price of oil rocketed as a consequence of the unrest in Libya. 

As we have seen the earthquake in Japan has not only affected one country, many other nationals are missing, and the consequences have sparked political debates around the globe. The question of nuclear power will indefinitely become a hot-topic in Britain again and has doubled the work-load of lobby groups, think tanks and PR agencies employed to promote nuclear energy. I guess it's just a case of watch this space.

"Santa baby slip a sable under the tree, for me", and a job in PR while you're at it.

Yesterday the job hunt continued but by evening my ideas and searches were running dry until I stumbled across a fun, quirky PR company that can boast the names of clients like 3 Mobile, Microsoft and TGI Fridays. After a perusal around their website I headed for the job section where I was expecting to find the ever so common, "We currently do not have any vacancies at the moment but we are keen to hear from talented individuals....." (those of you reading this probably know how the rest goes), however on this occasion I was met by something completely different.

The website simply said if you'd like to apply to work with us, please answer these questions. After reading the questions I wasn't quite sure what to make of them and was about to leave the site and make a mental note to return, when I saw question two; Tell us about yourself in rhyming couplets. I was instantly transported back to sitting in the classroom at 9 years old being told to write a poem that rhymes. I set to work straight away and in 10 minutes my rhyming self-depiction was down, and I was pretty impressed. Although I have chosen not to post it here as I don't want to kill you with the cheesiness....I'll keep it to myself and the poor person reviewing my application. Other questions included embarrassing moments, celebrities and sentences without nouns although my favourite was "What's your favourite Christmas song?" After spending a hot, sunny Christmas on the Caribbean coast without any Yuletide songs, I was quite happy to reminisce about the festive period and all it's jollies. Needless to say I chose Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby, a Christmas classic.

Anyway, the point of the blog was to express how refreshing it was to be able to show my creativity. It gets so tiring churning out cover letter after cover letter, which I believe doesn't actually really show who you are, it's merely just a list of your accomplishments. These questions allowed me to demonstrate my writing ability, comedic flair and individual personality. Whether or not I get a response from the company, it was pleasant to submit an application that was original and enjoyable. Although, I hope my answers will make at least one person think, this girl has potential, we'll give her a chance.

Back to the job hunt again tomorrow, although a positive link came through today which I hope will prove fruitful. Watch this space.

Fingers crossed!

A Step in the Right Direction

So after weeks of sending email after email with little luck, the job hunt gained some ground today.

One telephone interview and a work experience offer! Unfortunatly the telephone interview job for a well know PR company that deals with Techonolgy, Travel and Consumer PR, starts in April. However, I was assured that if I called in June after my return something could be arranged. The work experience is just a two week placement with a small boutique company, dealing with travel and tourism - perfect.

I'm hoping this good start to the week is a sign of things to come.

Fingers crossed!

I won't give up hope...

This is my blog attempt number 3, a little excessive I know. However, this time I think I've found my domain. I hope to use this blog to express my ups and downs  in the real world, where every graduate is searching for the same thing, a job!

I graduated in July 2010 and just one month later I flew to Mexico to take up a post as an English language assistant for the British Council. 7 months later and I have travelled extensively through Mexico, got stuck in a snow storm in Baltimore- USA, skied in the Canadian mountains, whale spotted in the Pactfic, swum with turtles in the Caribbean and have plans next month to visit Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Costa Rica.Phew! But, I'm now ready to come home.

I'm feeling increasing pressure from myself and others to find a job and get my first step on the career ladder. So last week I made the decision and listened to the wise-words of Grandma Johns and decided to head back to UK on June 4th to try and get one step ahead of the new set of graduates that will be looking for a job next summer. Add these new graduates to an already large swarming pool of graduates from 2010 and 2009, and you get a cut-throat world where everyone is out for themselves. The competition is going to be tough.

The race is on......