Getting that dream job, sometimes requires more than a straight-forward job hunt, application and nailing the interview.
As an extension of a marketing discipline, it's all about understanding your audience and targeting them with an effective campaign. That's exactly what Alec Brownstein did using ingenuity and the grand total of $6 on Google Adwords.
The result? A gig at Y&R New York. Here's how he did it...
UPDATE: 10% discount, use code 'Chinwag' when registering.
Don't say we don't spoil you!
On 1st July, The Guardian's Activate Summit is back, and we've hooked up with the lovely folks at Guardian Towers for a competition to win two tickets to this high-profile conference, worth over £600.
After an incredible first year, this powerful gathering of global visionaries returns for a day of ideas and inspiration, providing insight into how the web and associated technologies are reshaping our world.
Search Marketing Expo Advanced hits London next week, and the lovely folks at SMX Advanced have offered up free tickets for two lucky Chinwag readers.
The program put together by search gurus Danny Sullivan and Chris Sherman from SearchEngineLand, this conference lifts the lids on all aspects of advanced search marketing with a packed agenda.
The opening keynote features Barak Berkowitz, Managing Director of Wolfram|Alpha, the UK's very own computational knowledge engine examining the future of search.
To win the tickets worth hundreds of pounds, simply fill out the form below and we'll let you know on Thursday (13th) whether you're one of the lucky recipients.
Can't Wait? Grab your tickets now, save £200 by registering in advance. For more info and to register, check out the SMX Advanced London website.
The lovely folks at the Social Media in Business conference (SMiB10) have offered up two free tickets to their next conference taking place on May 21st in London.
The conference examines how social media culture and social networking platforms are having a major impact on business communication, practices and processes.
Enter the competition now, just fill out the simple form below and we'll let you know next Fri (30th Apr) if you're the lucky winner, getting your hands on two tickets worth £345 each!
The One Small Step competition from Barclays Business will see ten businesses collar £50,000 in funding for their startup.
With funding hard to come by, this looks like a good opportunity to secure that crucial initial cash to get the ball rolling. The competition has a broad remit:
"The brief is open - it could be a lifelong ambition or a recent
brainwave. It could be a personal experience or a distant dream. Even a
revolutionary concept that changes the world. It’s an open invitation
and anyone with a great business idea and the drive to make it happen
could win."
In an X-Factor meets Dragon's Den move, the One Small Step competition will sees the public vote on a shortlist of three companies from each region drawn up by the judges. Expect to see plenty of Twitter and Facebook canvassing for your vote over the next few weeks.
If you're interviewing with a start-up, in digital there are thousands, there are a whole bunch of interview questions you should ask.
It's not just a chance to make yourself sound smart, but to find out if the company who are interviewing you are going steady, not just in the financial sense.
It's something you'll want to know before you commit yourself.
Interviewing; it's just like dating.
Things like burn rate, financial backing and their current profit/loss situation should all be subtly investigated. Here's our list of the top questions to ask in a start-up job interview:
As brands steadily move into social media and online PR Facebook and Twitter et al are no longer dirty words in the office.
But it's applicants who are
missing a trick. A random CV sample by digital recruitment firm Major Players has found that social media mentions are missing in the majority of applications.
The survey sampled 4,500 CVs over the last two
years. Only 6% referenced social media, 9% mentioned Twitter, a tiny 2%
talked about blogging and only 13%
included Facebook (often only highlighted in the interests section).
Chinwag's street cred has just taken a dip, with the news that the lovely Juliet is leaving our ranks to concentrate on her totally wicked music blog/A&R project, itsfreestyle.com (see earlier street cred reference)
We're going to miss her lots, especially her exasperated look, when I try and make a convincing argument that The Thompson Twins were the hipsters of their time, or cite the artistic merits of Girls Aloud.
This also means we're on the hunt for a new member of the Chinwag team. It's a part-time role, that requires that special blend of organisation, efficiency, unflappability, brain power and occasional banter.
Working with our little gang, this person will be a critical part of keeping our multitudinous projects including Chinwag.com, Chinwag Jobs, Digital Missions and lots more running smoothly.
