Are you Thinking Big about your career?

If you're a young, aspiring professional trying to get a foot on their desired career ladder, you should already know about the great site that is Go Think Big... 

If you didn't then now you have no excuses! 

Start searching, reading, practicing, applying, and generally using Go Think Big to improve your chances of employment. After all, it's there to help you better your professional chances and opportunities! 

So, who are Go Think Big and why are they helping us?

The teams behind O2, KISS, Kerrang!, Grazia, Empire, Q (...and more!) have come together in response to young people's challenges in the field of work. It's hard to know where to start so Go Think Big have set out to make it that bit easier. But don't worry, it's not all boring business jargon... check out their Twitter page and you'll see they're not immune to some silliness and fun. 

If you're still wondering why you should check out Go Think Big (there can't be many of you!) then I can recommend it from some great firsthand experience... 

As a recent graduate and someone who is actively pursuing a career in the music industry, live events and media fields, Go Think Big has been invaluable. From little things such as 'what to wear to an interview' to huge things such as securing an internship with Bon Jovi's Tour Management, they cover it all! 

There's written features offering advice and inspiration, opportunities to develop your CV and skills, and tools to help you get closer to your dream job. 

Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong! 

It's all on Go Think Big, so what are you waiting for?

Get ahead in that big, bad world of employment! 

Dotty about Business Cards

I can't help but love business cards. They're functional and fun, especially with the range of creative designs and styles available. I love handing them out while networking! 

Not only are they easy to use and great for developing and maintaining an important contact base but they can be effective in creating a lasting impression if done well. Think of your business card as an extension of the 'professional you' which, if given to the right person, could land you with an exciting opportunity! 

After being pleased with the quality of the Moo.com cards produced for Sundae Promotions, I decided to turn my hand to making some for myself following my graduation from university and transition into the world of job hunting. 

My key tips for effective business cards are:

1. Easy to read - This includes font and colours but also the content of the card. You don't want to bombard your contact with information. Make it short, snappy and straight to the point. You want the reader to know who you are and what you're about in a glance. 
2. Know your field - Design your card to suit or stand out in the career field you are heading into. Perhaps have a look at other examples online or at networking events to get a feel for the style. You want the design to represent you and your skills at a glance.  
3. Attractive design and colours - Of course this depends on what style suits your career field. However, I think having an attractive or eye-catching card is just as important as the content. For example, with my business cards, I am hoping the bright colours will draw the attention of the contact. Remember they may have a pile of business cards but if yours stands out then you're in with a better chance of being remembered. 
4. Vital information - Name, skills, telephone number, email and (if you have one) website. Remember that a business card isn't just there to look pretty. You want this little treasure to develop contacts and provide opportunities. So, the reader needs to know who you are and what you do but your contact details are just as important. Make sure they're all up-to-date and correct before you hit 'Order'. 

Here's my finished product...

If you're going to the effort of designing an attractive and well thought-out business card then make sure you give them the storage they deserve! A flashy little tin card holder keeps your cards crumple-free and safe. You don't have to go rummaging in your bag or purse... they'll be easy to find and easy to give out to those important people. 

What are you waiting for... start creating and networking! 

Degree Results

Over the past few weeks I had been preparing to receive my results and overall degree classification on July 2nd so it came as a great surprise when, on Monday 1st July, I received a text saying the results had gone live.  

Three years of hard work had  been building up to this moment and I am absolutely ecstatic to announce that I will be graduating from Birmingham City University with a First Class BA (Hons) in Media and Communication!   

Safe to say I have spent the last few days celebrating with friends and family!  

Exhibit This 2013: Day One!

So yesterday saw the launch day of Exhibit This 2013!

It was a long and rainy day but the students of Birmingham City University's School of Media made the best of it. We're thankful for all the people who came along and showed their interest... I believe the cakes and sweets on offer made the travel down to the Custard Factory much easier!

Here's myself with my team partner showcasing our work on Sundae Promotions -

We were also happy to be able to work again with one of the great artists from Access to Music (Birmingham), Mike Scarrott, at the exhibition. His acoustic performance welcomed our guests into the exhibition space. 

Don't forget, if you missed out last night then you can still get involved tonight!

Head down to the Custard Factory from 6pm and see all the great media talent on offer. 

Exhibit This 2013: Media Talent of BCU!

On the 28th and 29th of May, the Media and Communication students of Birmingham City University are inviting the public to come along and experience the great talent they have to offer! There will be exhibitions from all of the specialism so there's guaranteed to be something you'll be interested in. 

I will be exhibiting Sundae Promotions with my team partner, Amy McArthur. Say hi and get yourself one of our stickers!

The exhibition takes place at the Custard Factory, starting at 6pm and ending around 9pm. There will be refreshments available too.  

We hope to see lots of people there to celebrate and see all our hard work! 

Put the date in your diary! 

To keep up-to-date with Exhibit This 2013, please follow our Twitter or 'like' us on Facebook. Confirm your attendance here! 

Sundae Promotions

Welcome to my new project!

Sundae Promotions is a Creative Live Events Project Management Team set up and run by myself and my team partner, Amy McArthur. Our mission is to challenge the perception of unsigned music and promote Birmingham's creative industries. We're going to do this by putting on a live event experience in a creative space rather than a 'traditional' venue. 

We want to bring back the art to live music and involve people in new music experiences as we feel live unsigned nights have become a little boring and standardised!

Not only are we working with and supporting Birmingham's creative industry but we want to offer platforms for talented young individuals and groups in Birmingham to showcase their talent - be it musical or media based! We're currently collaborating with music colleges around Birmingham and various university media projects to ensure Sundae Promotions is a creative community project that brings a little excitement back to Birmingham's music scene. 

I've been super busy working on this project for the past few months and we're really hoping it's going to be a great success and an event that people will remember as offering something different! 

You can keep up-to-date with the project on Facebook and Twitter. Please check these out as we'd really appreciate your support and as always, any feedback is welcome! 

Watch this space!

Talent: How to Use Twitter Professionally

I love using Twitter to update friends about my personal life (I'm a self-confessed tweetaholic!) but also to update about my professional life. Twitter is a great way to create awareness of projects I'm working on, work I'm involved with and following accounts related to my career interests. Therefore, when my friend and fellow media student, Grace Montgomery, asked me to get involved with one of her pieces about using Twitter with a career focus, I was more than happy to do so!

As a media student, I am aware of how important it is to have an online presence and Twitter offers a great platform to interact with people in your desired career field and create awareness of your skills and the work you do. A bit of self-promotion never hurt anyone! 

If you haven't got a professional Twitter account, get on it! While you're at it, don't forget to follow me and check out Grace's tips on How to Use Twitter Professionally (featuring some words from me). 

Grace writes a whole host of interesting articles for Talent, "a dynamic and innovative youth & entertainment project aimed at improving the life chances of young people in the West Midlands".

Interested? Check out the site here and don't forget to follow Grace's Twitter for updates on her work! 

Do you have a professional Twitter? Follow & tweet me so I can check out your profile and work too.