Didn’t fancy Dropbox? Try Google Drive!
As you may recall, in an earlier blog post I discussed the importance of “backing up” for a university student, and suggested you look towards Dropbox for your online storage needs. If, however, Dropbox didn’t take your fancy for some reason, then perhaps Google Drive will suffice.
April updates – dissertations and job offers
Good news, internet. I have returned! No, wait, come back. Hello..?
Ah, good. You’re still with me. I thought I had lost you there for a minute. So, while I’ve got your attention, I feel the need to apologise for the unplanned hiatus that’s plagued this blog until now. But, as you will soon discover, I’ve been a rather busy chap!
The majority of both March and April has been spent travelling to-and-from London for assessment days and job interviews; a long, time-consuming and quite expensive process, but one that’s actually paid off.
I’m delighted to report I have now secured a permanent graduate role at a PR agency in London! I’ve chosen to keep the full details under wraps for now, as I’m sure you’ll understand, but I’ll divulge more information once everything’s finalised.
In other news, I handed in my dissertation at the beginning of this month. Upon penning the final sentence it felt like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders and although I was well prepared, in advance, for the hand-in date – I’ll never be accused of leaving a task until the last minute – I still experienced a bit of a mad rush towards the end, to guarantee everything went smoothly.
Again, I’m not in a position to reveal the full title, or any further details pertaining to my dissertation at the current time. However, I can tell you it concerns the delicate balance between super-injunctions and social networking websites. If all goes according to plan, I hope to publish my dissertation online via this blog once it has been graded.
Excluding the above, I’ve achieved very little except revise, revise, and revise some more. I’m back home for the Easter break, and each day currently consists of several hours of in-depth revision separated by the odd trip to the pub or a sprint around the local park with my dog. As you may have noticed, this lack of free time has also had an adverse effect on my blogs, TechCritic and AppCritic, which have both, regrettably, taken a back-seat until I’ve got these pesky exams out of the way.
Such a packed revision schedule sounds rather tedious (and that’s because it is rather tedious!) but here’s to hoping it will all be worth it in the long run.
Playing with words
So I stumbled across Wordle earlier this week.
It’s a free web-based tool that’ll automagically* create a word cloud from any text you drop into it, either by old-fashioned copy and pasting or through an RSS feed.
Essentially, Wordle allows you to visually represent trends within a piece of writing, with greater emphasis put on words that feature frequently. As you can see below PR, Dropbox and Twitter are three particularly common topics discussed on this blog.
It’s a fun tool to play about with, and I’d recommend that you give it a spin. If you haven’t got a blog, then try your Twitter feed, or even your CV instead – the results can be quite interesting!
* There’s magic involved somewhere in the creation process, I’m sure of it! 
Students, backup with Dropbox
As a final year student, feverishly plugging away at my dissertation, I currently split my time between working at my home PC and borrowing one of the university’s laptops when researching in the library. And it’s Dropbox that makes this work, by allowing me to access my files from any computer that has an internet connection, synchronising any changes that I make to the cloud.
Now I’m probably preaching to the choir by this point, as most students will have a backup system in place. You might even be using Dropbox already. But just in case, allow me to explain why this service is so very essential for both your academic career and beyond.
My three favourite PR stunts
As the age-old saying goes, “any publicity is good publicity”. And although this doesn’t always ring true when it comes to traditional communication methods, the PR stunt concept is most definitely an exception.
No longer designed to capture the attention of the media alone, YouTube and other content sharing portals, alongside social networking websites, are also being used to ensure the PR industry’s creative efforts go viral – the result of which is often free publicity.
I could talk forever about this topic, but if you wish to gain a better understanding for yourself then I’d recommend that you visit prexamples.com, where you can find a collection of the best PR stunts and campaigns from around the globe. For now though, I’ve listed my current favourites below:
#1 EA’s Mercenaries 2 fuel giveaway – back in 2008, EA took control of a petrol station in North London, and began giving away forty pounds worth of free petrol to any vehicle that turned up. Designed to promote EA’s new sandbox-style war game, Mercenaries 2, the stunt was most definitely a success – news spread rapidly and very soon EA’s actions caused gridlock as motorists flocked to the scene. The papers picked up the story, as did the internet, and it even received comments from a MP.
#2 Virgin pokes fun at British Airways – BA secured the sponsorship gig for the London Eye, but due to a technical problem they couldn’t actually erect it on schedule. Virgin then decided to fly a blimp over the site of the London Eye, with the world’s press waiting anxiously below, sporting the words “BA can’t get it up!” Cue free publicity and a positive spin on the Virgin brand.
#3 EA’s Mass Effect 3 government petition – returning to the theme of video games, last week saw news spread about Mischief PR’s cleverly presented (and official!) petition to the UK government, requesting the release of any information about UFOs or alien life (epetitions.direct.gov.uk). This stunt has been heavily reported on by gaming websites and blogs, and has also done the rounds on Twitter, no doubt dramatically improving awareness for the impending launch of Mass Effect 3.
QR codes: fad or fantastic?
Personally, I deem myself to be among the ranks of the few who are willing to argue, until blue in the face, that QR codes are nothing short of fantastic. But (and it’s a sizeable but!) it depends on the context in which they’re used.
Six tips to harness the power of Twitter for your job search
Social media has already transformed the way in which we communicate, discover new content and learn about breaking news. However, there’s another benefit to be gained from using such websites, particularly Twitter, in that they provide a great platform for networking with professionals in your chosen industry, alongside offering you the chance to showcase your achievements thus far.
Therefore, it’s important to present yourself in the best possible light. After all, you wouldn’t attend a job interview in a t-shirt and jeans, so why project an equally less than favourable image of yourself online?
After the jump, you’ll find six simple steps to give your Twitter account a professional overhaul, in order to best present yourself to a potential employer.
Student musings and PR food for thought
The academic year is rapidly approaching fruition, dragging with it the end of my tenancy agreement over the student house that I’m renting with five others.
This has led to a spate of viewings by future students; a massive inconvenience, if nothing else, as they stand awkwardly in the corner of the room, attempting to weigh up whether the place I’ve known as home for the past two years is worthy of a sizeable chuck of their student loan.
It’s also incredibly distracting to have complete strangers traipsing through the house all day. And so the five of us have grouped together, in an attempt to speed up the overall decision-making process, by collectively tidying the house. As a result, I’ve spent much of this afternoon clearing out the ridiculous amount of clutter that I’ve amassed over the past three years of further education, most of which falls into one of three very distinct categories: Domino’s pizza vouchers, coursework receipts or old magazines.
In doing so I came across a copy of PR Week, for 2nd December 2011, which held within its pages a two-page feature (now available online for those who didn’t catch it the first time round) concerning Hope & Glory’s Managing Partner, James Gordon-MacIntosh.
Instantly I remembered this particular article, not only due to Gordon-MacIntosh’s inspiring list of career achievements, but also because I had highlighted the following section from it:
“Just sometimes, it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.”
It’s a quote. Merely ten words in length, nothing more. But there’s a powerful meaning behind these words, for anyone looking to forge a career in PR – be bold, don’t be afraid to take a chance.
A rule to live by, perhaps?
The benefits of student blogging for graduate employment
Every student should run a blog. The topic isn’t overly important, although writing about your target industry would be ideal, but regular writing will allow you to demonstrate a number of key skills to any potential employer.
My experience of virtual internships
Gaining work experience is incredibly important for any job, particularly public relations. But when it comes to internships, do you actually need to be present at the office in order for it to count?
Most people, I’m sure, would argue that you do. I, however, would disagree. And that’s why I chose to intern at MEDL Mobile last summer; a mobile app development company that’s based in California.
- RT @jakemarsh: This is a genius tactic to encourage users to buy your app: http://t.co/lTXJixd9 1 week ago
- @Hardlydan in fact, don't worry. I just checked the timestamp on the DM, looks like you've already sorted it. :) 2 weeks ago
- @Hardlydan heads up - I just got some spam DM from your account. 2 weeks ago
- @MilesJolliffe Cheers, fella! :) 2 weeks ago
- It seems revision makes me a very dull chap, sorry for the lack of tweets. On the plus side, though, I've just finished my first exam. 1/4. 2 weeks ago