Call it Fall Fever, or September Sickness, but since schools are starting up I have found myself being engaged in debate and conversation surrounding education and its ability to provide a “real” educational experience to students. In all the conversations three topics continually arose: social media, health, and creativity.

On social media,  discussions usually had to do with ones ability to create a strong personal brand online. Students should be shown how to harness social media tools to develop their own personal brand and also deterred from particular activities that could destroy it. Whyhire.me is a leader in giving student’s the practical skills and knowledge to develop their brand while also providing a cool platform for them to integrate a variety of social media tools. More colleges and universities should be taking this approach, but at the same time students should be taking responsibility for their online appearance and persona.

With regards to health, a co-worker of mine brought up a valid point, we teach physical education to make sure people know how to be physically active and yet we do not teach cooking to make sure people know how to eat healthy and nutritious meals.I realize some may think this is a parent’s responsibility, but what if the parents don’t know how to cook nutritious meals? Being a graduate of BSc. Kinesiology and Health Sciences program, I know that healthy living is a combination of physical activity and proper nutrition. This is something everyone must learn and should be instituted at least at the high school level.

Finally,  CREATIVITY! I just received my NAC tickets for a variety of orchestra performances and every year I am shocked to see a limited number of youth filling the seats. Do you youth not appreciate the arts? If not, why not? Schools emphasize traditional subjects: math, science, English, history, and yet they neglect art, music, and drama. Check out Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk. This little talk really got me thinking about how important it is for students to have a well rounded education and how we need to feed creativity the way we feed the multiplication table to youth. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to explore all facets of education (arts, music, sciences, etc.). I think it gives a bit of an edge when solving problems.

 With all that said I think it is also important to note that education is not just in public schools, universities or colleges. It can also be found in extra curricular activities and clubs.The responsibility has to be on the student to explore but the duty should be on the community to provide the opportunities.

Well here I am again….another long time between blog entries!!! A combination of great summer weather, visiting relatives in Nova Scotia, helping friends move and a multitude of other excuses I find myself grooming my bad habit of limited blog entries. SIGH!

On the upside however, I have been actively involved in micro blogging. These are fast ways to share and gather information and take little to no time. The big names of micro blogging, twitter and Facebook, give me the ability to blog while being mobile. I can quickly post updates or share great links while I am basking in the sun, eating seafood in Nova Scotia or trying to maneuver a large book case into an elevator! Ok so perhaps the last one was a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point. To put an entry into my blog I would actually have to set aside 10-30 minutes to sit at my computer and write a full blog entry. While with micro blogging I can get across most of what I want to say in just a matter of seconds. Best of all I can get all the updates and industry information I need while still addressing current issues to specific users/ followers.

While I was thinking about my lack of attention to Macro blogging, I started to think about teens and their lack of micro blogging via twitter. The last few weeks I have come across many articles and blog entries stating that teens are not using twitter (Mashable being a large contributor to the social media chatter). At first I found this rather alarming since many of today’s 13-18 year olds are found walking around with their head down frantically texting one another trying to stay connected (ironically while they neglect the friend that is physically in their presence). I thought twitter would be HUGE with youth but I came to learn they would rather just rock out Facebook or SMS.

The more I thought about it however, the more it started to make sense. Teens are not looking to expand their current network. They are not looking for the latest industry news. They are not concerned about what their competitors are doing. And they could care less about the newest Nortel debacle. They are concerned about maintaining the current relationships and networks that they have. Could you honestly say that if your entire network was on one social media application and you were not looking to expand your network and were not threatened by competitors you would really look anywhere else?

So after much pondering and debate I have come to the conclusion… WAKE UP TEENS! You don’t need a network now but you will. I think a gap may form between the early adopters and the late adopters of twitter when it comes time for youth to hit the work force. In my opinion, youth looking to be successful post graduation should be using many social media tools now to start building their network, listening to industry news and trends, looking into what their competitors (other students) have to offer, and really building their own personal brand. The Summer Bon Fire pics on Facebook won’t get them a job, but I am sure a twitter profile boasting links and information on their chosen industry just might!

If I can find time to sit and blog, teens should certainly be able to find the time to tweet!

Ok so I know that I have committed the the biggest sin in blogging (my last entry was months ago!!!) however in my own defense, the past few months have been busy and productive. I have completed and passed in final assignments, polished off exams, began my first post graduate job and now I am only days away from my graduation ceremony at Algonquin College.

So what’s it like being a newbie? WONDERFUL! I am currently employed by a high tech firm specializing in telephony software, software engineering and professional services in Kanata called InGenius. When hired on by this firm their claim was that they were “FUN”. At first I chuckled thinking that “Fun and High Tech” never belonged in the same sentence but then I quickly realized that this company really was fun and not your typical stuffy high tech company. Its a place where the CTO shows up to work in a Hawaiian shirt, the CEO organizes Star Trek company movie nights, and the software engineers and account executives not only get along but actually enjoy each others company! Right away, I knew I would fit in…these people do not operate with an in-the-box mentality.

My official role at InGenius is Marketing and Support. I have only been there for a month and a half however I have learned a lot about product development, branding, event organization, product testing, and project management. As a new graduate I am gaining a vast amount of knowledge in a large number of marketing areas. My first passion is Marketing Communications and Advertising (particularly on the agency side), but working at InGenius has really developed my understanding and appreciation for marketing from the client’s perspective. InGenius is really helping me develop my marketing skills while providing me with a wealth of knowledge in various business areas.

My advice to any new graduate would be to find a job that will help you develop your skills as a marketer and as a future business professional. You may not be able to work in the exact industry or in the exact job you want right away, but gaining more business and marketing knowledge will only help support your progress to where you eventually want to be. I think it is also important to remember that as a new graduate we have a very narrow view of what career possibilities are available. Entering into a job that will support your learning and progress is the best step to realizing your own potential and opportunities as a marketer.

Finally, Congratulations to all the Algonquin College graduates!

During the past few months I have been involved in organizing and planning a networking event titled FRESH MEET, Young Talent You Can Sink Your Teeth Into! and I have gained a tremendous amount of insight into event planning, group dynamics and leadership. As the event draws nearer I am starting to get excited about the networking portion of the event. I am very excited to meet industry professionals that can provide some insight into career opportunities, describe what marketing is like within their business sector, and also give some advice on entrepreneurship.

I am starting to build my own little business network and I am finding out that it is a lot easier than I thought it would be. The biggest challenge is actually having the courage to follow-up and ask for help. What I am quickly discovering however is that many people want to help and are actually enthusiastic about providing you with more information or referring you to someone else who can give you more information. By hearing about a person’s experiences and obtaining advice from industry professionals we, as students, can gain a tremendous amount of knowledge that can not be gained in any classroom. On April 2, 2009 I am ready to learn more and meet new people.

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

It is hard to believe that I will be done college in just over a month! My mind aches with the amount of work that needs to be done before then. Lately I have been writing a number of e-newsletters for the School of Business that have had the focus on differentiating your self. Of course there are some conservative ways (such as the ones mentioned in my last blog) but there are also some really creative ways too. I was forwarded this blog posting on 51 Creative Business Cards That Will Make You Look Twice, and really started thinking about the creative ways that my resume and business cards could appeal to potential employers. I think the most important thing to remember is that the creative solution for the resume or business card has to align with ones brand or company. It is also very important to consider the position and company to which you are applying, you really don’t want to be cheesey! Over the next few weeks I am going to work on developing a creative business card and resume….I will keep you all posted.

As student about to graduate, I am constantly thinking about “WHAT’S NEXT”. In one of my classes entitled “Transition to the Marketing Professional” we learn how to differentiate ourselves from other students and employees by creating our own personal brand. An article by Tom Peters, “A Brand Called You”, was extremely helpful in conceptualizing the idea while a new software, whyhire.me, is in the process of making the brand more tangible. On April 2, 2009 our class is hosting a networking event, FRESH MEET: Young talent you can sink your teeth into, where we have the opportunity to network and learn from business executives across various industries while also showcasing our brands and what we have to offer employers.

I have been in a few interviews over the past month and the preparation I have received from Algonquin College has helped me set myself apart while also instilling in me a confidence about my diverse set of skills and abilities. What I am beginning to realize is that I am a unique brand and “WHAT’S NEXT” is really up to me.

With the economy in a downturn and marketing budgets getting slashed, hacked or cut all together you think I would be worried about the next few months following graduation. The reality however, is that this is the time when companies must grasp at the opportunities and take hold of the volatile market to capture more market share. It is as if the economy has put businesses back to basics where the focus is on ROI! The market is now more competitive and dynamic and employers must take a strategic approach to recruiting and selecting employees that have a unique brand of offerings. Like the old Chinese saying “May you live in interesting times”, I believe as a fresh graduate seeking employment these times are indeed interesting but also the driver for change. What we new grads offer is a unique set to technological skills, but also a new perspective on business and business opportunities. I am not worried about the next few years of economic turmoil, I embrace them knowing that I have a brand that thrives on competition and change but most importantly will deliver a solid ROI.