employment

I was part of Digital Mission to New York, and picked up some great tips for UK businesses wanting to take a bite out of the Big Apple and beyond.

Here’s a round-up of the key things you need to know before heading Stateside.

When it comes to telephone interviews you'd think that something as simple as talking on the phone would be easy but with a lack of visual signals and having to rely just on auditory feedback it's difficult to stay focussed. They can be tricky things.

We've put together a few pointers to get you in the right frame of mind before taking that career-changing call:

1. First off it would be helpful to record a mock interview so you can detect any little niggling things that could work against you. You'll be able to hear any "ums", "uhs" "ehs" that you might not realise you're doing.

In 2009, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport reported that 1,978,400 people were employed in the creative media industries and that this sector accounted for over seven per cent of GDP – a contribution of £60 billion per annum to the British economy.

In recognition of the sector’s importance, last year the Labour Government set out in Digital Britain its developing strategy to ensure that the UK remains a global leader in the creative industries.

Social media is the bread and butter of customer relations management and there's no doubt that for companies, employees who communicate well online hold a certain cache.

Any personal blog or website you have could be owned by the boss and the trouble lies where personal and work collide and whether blogging takes place in the office or at home.

If your blog mentions company-related news, who owns the rights to it, will be difficult to ascertain. In theory, working for a prominent organisation and mentioning their developements within your personal site is treading on terra-infirma. Should the site become successful, things get even more complicated. Once revenue is involved who gets a share of the profits?

This Autumn could be a testing time for some of the 400,000 graduates looking for a digital career, with the number of vacancies taking a dip, competition will be hotter than ever.

Internships and work placements, when well executed well, can be a fast-track way to getting a dream job as well as providing employers with seasoned recruits.

We're big fans at Chinwag with two interns currently learning about the industry and providing valued help in a busy environment.

News of another great scheme has reached Chinwag Towers. Creative digital support agency Northwest Vision and Media are working to help make the region’s new talent make the right start - and partnering with agencies keen to find them.