The Mentor Consultancy Blog
Relax - go to a Kite Festival
At Mentor we always say that a good work-life balance is going to make you a more all round happy and condident person so here's an idea for this weekend. Get down to Brisotl Kite Festival!
Date: 4 - 5 September 2010
Venue: Ashton Court Estate, Bristol
You will find an array of colourful display kites of all shapes and sizes flown by designers and guests from around the world.
The sky will be a constantly changing backdrop of colour and you can witness the spectacle of kites and banners close to the ground and talk to the designers and makers about their work.
Admission: Free
For more information visit: http://www.kite-festival.org.uk/
The Graduate guide to what Employers want: How to make your CV stand out.
It’s never been so competitive for graduates seeking jobs. The
Association of Graduate Recruiters says that with vacancies down by 7% and applications up there's an average of 69 people chasing each graduate job.
In response, 78% of employers say they now filter out applicants with less than a 2:1 degree. This seems a bit wrong headed when employers themselves say that it's something else that they really look for in a potential employee - a little x factor that goes beyond proof of academic ability, perhaps.
So how can young people give themselves the best chance of pinning down the post they dreamed they’d walk into after getting a degree.
First thing - do what ever you can to get an interview with a great looking and appealing CV.
If Employers are having to read 70 CVs for every vacancy they want to fill then you need to make yours stand out to be in with any chance of an interview. Here are some tips:
1. Keep it to 2 pages only. One is too skimpy, three too many. And make the layout attractive - lots of white space.
2 Make sure your CV is absolutely relevant to the post. Read the requirements closely and then research the organisation for hints about the culture there.
It’s too easy to fire off a standard CV but what employers want to see is real thought and commitment on behalf of the applicant. Clearly understand their needs and address them. A job is never there for you it is only about what you can bring to it.
3 Employers want people who are enthusiastic and reliable. Show how your qualifications and work experience have developed you and how what you have learnt is relevant to the employers business. For example highlight qualities like being responsible, self motivated, analytical, good time manager, good at customer service.
4 Highlight your key personal strengths, skills and qualities using whatever work experience you have as evidence – even if it has only been temporary summer jobs.
Show that you are a quick learner, a self-starter, a safe pair of hands, a problem solver, a good communicator, a team player. These are attractive qualities to the reader.
5 If you start with a personal paragraph make sure it says something special- for example mention any other languages you may have. Be honest but up beat. And show more of yourself in the interests section at the end.
The Graduate guide to what Employers want: Transferable Skills - what are they and why are they important.
To really shine graduates need to be aware that employers put a premium on transferable skills in the work place and their first priority is versatile and reliable staff.
Here are the seven essential skills shown in surveys to be most valued by employers, in order of preference.
1: Personal Communication. People who can present themselves clearly and articulately both in words and in writing are highly sought.
2. Being a team player. Somebody who gets on well with people and can be a supportive member of any team is regarded more highly than a person who demonstrates a strong desire to work alone.
3. Interpersonal skills. This means being a good listener and negotiator, as well as having the confidence and assertiveness necessary to put forward a point of view and influence a decision.
4. Organisation. Good organisers can work independently and assess themselves objectively. They are good at managing their time, overseeing projects, and prioritising.
5. Information gathering. Any boss would rather employ somebody who could use their initiative when it came to evaluating sources and data, working out what is relevant, and presenting information in an accessible manner, than somebody who was constantly asking for help.
6. Self teaching and learning. Employees who identify their own weaknesses and address them and who are willing to pass on skills to their colleagues, are always in demand.
7. Problem solving. Finding creative ways to solve problems , being assertive and decisive will see them through.
CIPR Pride Awards in the South West
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations is looking for entries across the region for the South West PRide Awards. Companies are being encouraged to view the awards list and nominate employees at the CIPR website before 23rd July.
The PRide Awards ceromony hosted by CIPR is on 29th October in Bristol. Find out more the
CIPR Website. CIPR membership is not required to enter.
Crisis? What Crisis?
The Sun journalist who wrote the headline above helped bring down the Labour government in 1979, following the ‘winter of discontent.’ This despite the fact that the man ostensibly quoted – Prime Minister Jim Callaghan – never actually used the words. The problem is that when it comes to crisis, public perception is the reality, regardless of the facts. And this applies just as much to business as it does to politicians.
If public perception can bring down a government, it can also ruin the reputation of a business and seriously undermine its future prospects. Studies suggest that just doing the right thing in a crisis is not enough – you have to be seen to do the right thing, and heard to say the right things. In other words, business recovery can often be as dependent on how you communicate with your stakeholders as how you actually tackle the problem.
Of course, the media provide the only universal means of communicating with all your key stakeholders at once – and in some cases, it can be instantaneous.
That word ‘instantaneous’ is important. People like me, involved in the world of crisis communications and planning, used to talk about something called ‘The Golden Hour.’ This was the period between the crisis first becoming apparent to you and the time when the media might be clamouring at your door. During that time, you needed to start taking action and also decide what to say about it.
Now, thanks to satellite TV technologies, You Tube and Twitter, that Golden Hour has dwindled alarmingly. When Weston super Mare pier burned to the ground in July 2008, the first video pictures of the blaze were on You Tube within 20 minutes of the call to the fire brigade. In 2009, despite severe censorship of traditional media sources, instant news of discontent on the streets of Tehran spread worldwide via Twitter.
My recent involvement in judging the CIPR Excellence Awards brought all this home to me yet again. The better entries in the Crisis communications category demonstrated real creativity in their approach to online media and real understanding of the relationship between the online world and traditional journalism.
Magnus Carter
Star Date - Awards
For all the CIPR Excellence Awards results go to:
CIPR Excellence Awards
Conratulations everyone!
Can you develop Charisma?
This was a question asked by Times feature writer Claire McDonald - and it's a good question because lots of people think charisma is something the chosen few are born with and if you haven't got it you never will.
Not true though.
Many mistake extrovertism and a wild image for charisma but when it comes down to it it's really the way people warm to you. Knowing how to build rapport with others is the key to charisma and the first step to doing that is putting yourself in other peoples' shoes so you really understand them.
There is a saying; 'treat others as you would like to be treated' but actually what's more effective is treating others the way they like to be treated.Because we're all a little bit different aren't we?
The more you understand another's interests and concerns the easier it is to communicate with them in a way that works for them. Yes, okay, perhaps some work in the enthusiasm department will help also. Think positive, act positive, smile and get animated - it really helps to make an effort with every one you meet.
And 'hey presto' they will love you - and that's charisma.
Crisis Communications must embrace social media
PR agencies are reporting that half their clients have experienced a crisis that has needed managing over the past year due at least partly to social media.
According to recent research by Dynamic Marketing, bloggers are mostly to blame and social networks not far behind. Use of social media is intensifying critical stories and makes for easy pickings for journalists.
"We have to fight fire with fire if we want to hang on to our reputations", said Magnus Carter, Crisis Communications expert at Mentor. "We have to learn to use the social media to our advantage to respond to and diffuse issues and combat crisis. It's got to be a crucial part of an organisation's continuity plan".
We're all media stars now
If you want to get a head in business you now have to be a media star!
Twenty first century communication demands that senior managers take their presentation skills to another level. Now, if you want to maximise the influence you have, you need to embrace the camera.
Websites offer a powerful forum for communicating with employees, investors, clients and the public using video and sound.
Public perception is everything and this communiction channel is more accessible than ever before.
Business leaders need to learn how to present themselves for Webinars, Podcasts and Vodcasts to optimise their internal and external communications.
Appearing on video that can be uploaded on your website is a new skillset though and needs special training.
Narrowcast interviews are as challenging as broadcast interviews and those who take up the challenge are advised to get the best
media training they can.
Digital media offers a relatively inexpensive means of raising your profile online. If you don’t have the expertise in house you can buy in a whole package that will organise your video shoot, advise on presentation, edit the video and upload it or provide the means for you to do that yourself.