Acuity vs. Acumen – The Rematch!

2
1 year ago
by jon55mcc in

Now this title may seem familiar for some readers. Reading the title myself, it takes me a moment to figure out what the words actually say. I could’ve sworn I wrote a blog post like this back in July last year.

Yes I did! I’ve just checked, it’s available here ~

http://www.jonisastrugglingpublisher.co.uk/blog/2010/07/05/acumen-vs-acuity/

But don’t read it yet! I haven’t finished typing.

Have decided to revisit this subject, as I’ve had this on my mind for a couple of days now. Having dragged myself through hardship and toils of university, tiring waiting jobs, moody women (humbug) and unhappy bank managers, am I now in a position to expulse my ability to deliver the goods? The worry here is whether I will be showing acute acumen or even worse interbred flagrant acuity.

Sometimes in life it’s all about your ability to leap. If there is ever a sign of err or negativity to a plan some people either leap away or leap into it. Reminds me of some of the terrible dates I’ve had over the years. Some nights you’d be happy to climb out of the restaurant toilet window from the seventh floor, and then there are others where you’d be happy to fly to the Elvis Chapel in Vegas and get married before the sun comes up. Of course, in actual fact neither is in reality a very good idea, but that doesn’t dispel the emotions and feelings you have at the time.

I’m out job hunting now, sharing my CV with all and sundry, hoping someone might read it. I haven’t as of yet got to the point where I’m apply for every job going, even those that pay on the bread line, but I may have to soon. It’s been six months since I finished my masters degree, so I’d best be in a paid position real soon. If I leave it any longer prospective employers will be asking why I’ve failed to find work. It’s all very well and good blaming a slow downtrodden job market or the UK’s limp economy on your troubles and woes, but I’d much rather come through this on the other side with a few positive notes. Would be lovely in some years time to look back on my time as a work experience intern dogsbody with a few fond memories. With the ability to say, “Do you remember the ‘Credit Crunch’, the ‘Wall Street crash of the Noughties’? You do? I tried to start a new career back then with half an education and an Icelandic bank account. The stories I could tell you!”

I think I’m going to go for a few leaps now. Wish me luck!

WEnotes

Work Your Work Experience

0
1 year ago
by jon55mcc in

On the 24th February a great event took place at the Pearson Building – UCL, the Society of Young Publisher’s ‘Work Your Work Experience’. I managed to get the time off of work at the last minute as I was looking forward to hearing from Suzanne Collier, Publishing-Careers-Expert-Extraordinaire. There were also other panel members from varying publishing sectors including -

Sam Edenborough: Director, Intercontinental Literary Agency Ltd
Sarah Sandland: Publicity and Marketing Manager, Michael O’Mara
Daniel Crewe: Publisher, Profile Books

I was most keen to go to the event as I had been looking for some work experience for some time with no luck. I say no luck, but what I really mean is sod all luck. A lot of open avenues, but sadly for me, a lot of closed doors at the end. Through pulling strings with those at the university I managed to get in on the Cambridge University Press work experience scheme. It was on the 17th of March, some 10 weeks since I started my search that I managed to start some temporary, part-time work experience in the Science Technical & Medical Marketing department.

It’s taken me a long time to actually get this blog post done, purely because of the amount of time work experience actually takes up. I’m currently on day 11 out of 13 without a day off. Work experience is all well and good, and of course a great boost for your CV, but mouths still need feeding, rent is a bit of a bummer and so too is the impending Council Tax bill I’m now afforded due to my current lack of student status. I’ve been trying to fit a weeks worth of work around my work experience, and although I’m enjoying it, I’m beginning to feel quite glad they only offered me two days a week over five. I’m not too sure I can keep the bank manager happy with all this voluntary work I’ve been handing out willy-nilly. I get to enjoy Thursdays and Fridays at CUP and Monday to Saturday at Loch Fyne. I’ve wangled Sundays off with the restaurant manager, but as per usual in the hospitality industry nothing is set in stone, and I’ve had to do a couple of 7 day weeks so far. Mother’s Day, Easter and the mass collective of bloomin’ Bank Holidays seem to be having a spanner tossing fight over my schedule plans.

I realise my case as an intern differs greatly to that of most interns, I’m lucky enough to have a job as a waiter in order to get some income, and I think I most definitely have much higher overheads than your average graduate. My cosy little home may suit my needs, but I do wish it wasn’t so expensive!

Regarding the SYP Work Your Work Experience event, it really was the best thing for me to sit through just before I started at CUP. Each panellist explained what he or she thought work experience should be used for, and each had a tale to tell regarding their own, or that of the last miscreant to offer their office services. Some examples of poor interning were great to hear and amazing all at once. Everything from late interns, drunk interns, shoddy interns and moody interns. Kind of made me realise, whatever the intern experience and whatever is thrown at you, the most important thing is to take out of the placement as much as you possibly can. Some intern placements are a dream with the perfect job waiting for you after wards, whereas most are just days filled with tea making, filing and mail drops.

There was one other major note to take from the event, which was this; whatever you do and however tough you think it may be the main primary reason for doing work experience is to put yourself in a position to get a paid job – a permanent position. With today’s burgeoning job market it has become ever so difficult for anyone with a degree of any kind to get onto the bottom rung of the ladder. Work experience should be used as a stepping stone only, but with loads of people with years of experience sat unemployed it is not only the graduates that are willing to take up entry-level jobs. The market is tough, so make the most of it, and remember the primary goal – get a paid job.

As I sat through the event all bleary eyed after another full days work, I decided I would probably benefit from taking a few notes. Here are the notes pages I jotted down on my mini iPad. Probably won’t make much sense to you all, but it gives you a good idea of the key topics covered.

 

I hope you’ve found that informative reading. I’m off to finish a little archiving project regarding the 2009 Darwin Festival and what appears to be someone’s Christmas family videos. I don’t get to choose what jobs I do on work experience, but I do have to make the most of it.

Salt Logo

All with a pinch of…

0
1 year ago
by jon55mcc in

Argh!

So much to write in such little time!

I do love blogging. Makes for great reading a few months down the line.

As explained in my previous post, permissions have been granted to share the application I built for my final major project. I realise some months have passed since I completed this project, but I wanted to wait before sharing it. Primarily because of the ©opywrite content, and secondly just in case I received a really bad grade!

http://jonisastrugglingpublisher.co.uk/Main.html

Please click above to see the microsite I have uploaded to this domain. The site is a copy of the Adobe AIR application built in Flash Catalyst and the rest of the Creative Suite. The build began when Flash Catalyst was just in the Beta stages but gladly the program was well settled by the time I needed it for this project. Looking back in hindsight I wish the Click of Time site was up to the same standards, but unfortunately my knowledge of the program at that stage was a little limited. Gladly I feel with this project my skills were honed a little better.

So what is it? This application is marketing portal mocked up as a faux newsletter. I chose a local Poetry-cum-Romance publishing house from Fulbourn. Salt Publishing and their business model have long been admired in publishing circles, and seemed like the kind of company that would be interested in anything innovative and new.

The Adobe AIR applications are available on any desktop computer and now mobile devices through the Android and iOS4 application systems. These applications take the monthly newsletter or press release to the next level. They are rich in media content and can be shared quickly and easily through email, text, micro-blogging etc. The most exciting part being the mobile application route, as you can link someone up to your company details through a smartphone ‘bump’ or electronic business card. The way I see it, if we as consumers can be accessed directly through our mobile devices to buy take-away pizza and groceries then absolutely any business should join the bandwagon and fish for sales through the same method. For too long publishers have been seen as technophobes, always late to keep up with modern marketing trends, well now should be the time for a publisher’s revolt! Although that may seem a little extreme, publishers should at least keep up their public profile and not expect Amazon or Waterstone’s to be their main source of sales.

Regardless, I’m ranting now. I’m off to work, doing what I do best(!). I hope you like the application/microsite. Any questions please do drop me an email.

A huge thank you goes to Salt Publishers and to the poetry authors used for the piece. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your work, and I hope you keep the poetry standards up!

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