Week 6 – Virtual Resume Completed

In finishing my portfolio, I decided to overhaul a lot of it and chose to use a more sparse streamlined approach. The trick is to put enough useful information, with the simplest description, but also create enough intrigue to grab the attention of an employer so they’ll feel a need to contact you. I did this by simplifying my about page to the main basics. On my previous experience page I made a simple list of all current and previous jobs and included a short sentence detailing the job. My work samples page is just 3 links to my most substantial work in three different fields: advertising, writing and marketing. And finally a simple contacts page. 

I didn’t go into too much detail on my personality or life as I thought that was a bit pretentious, employers aren’t looking to be my friend, they want info on their potential new employee. Likewise, I only included one photo, that doesn’t have enough info in it to inform a decision. I don’t like the idea that an employer will form an opinion of a potential employee based on a photograph. So I offered an ambiguous photo, so they will have to dig further to find more information. I like the finished product and I believe it will help me with job opportunities in the future.

Week 3 – Small Business Start up

In the final week of this workshop I was unwell, so I missed out on class. I decided to get some more firsthand experience with small business, by talking to my housemate Stefan Caramia. In 2012 Stefan started his own small business, Teledex, a music promotions community. Over the last 2 years the business has turned from organising small one off events, to promoting and organising some significant Perth gigs, festivals and arts projects. It was an interesting insight into an industry that I have always been interested in. One of the man problems he had from the start was juggling Teledex with his earning jobs, trying to find time to get the work done. Another problem he faced was having to do everything on his own, constant second guessing and a lack of traditional company support. But through his contacts and his natural talent for business, he was able to get Teledex off the ground. 

I was wholly impressed by what he told me and found a certain excitement in the idea of starting my own business. There is a lot of work that goes into it, but unlike most other work, it seems more rewarding because in a way you are creating something for your self. The best place to start is where someone else has already been.

Week 5 – Virtual Resumes Continued

This week I created my own Linkedin account (the first time I have done this). It was an interesting experience, as I had not realised how big the Linkedin network was. It was quite amazing to see how much information and opportunity could be accessed through this online business network. It also showed me how useful a virtual resume could be. The amount of jobs on offer from local to national to international was immense. Linked in paired with a virtual portfolio is an exceptional way to not only bring exposure, but it also means that you can set filters allowing relevant job offers to directly target you. 

After setting up my account, I selected several different fields of expertise and interest and also selected employment criteria. Within the week, I had already received 5 job offers and about 300 employment opportunities to view. Through experiencing this first hand, I was able to further refine my criteria so as to only get targeted by the most relevant companies. Linked in is a great asset to expose my virtual portfolio and I think I will greatly benefit from it. 

Week 4 – ‘ePortfolio’

The eportfolio seems to be an excellent way of exposing yourself in any industry, especially the creative ones. It looks better than a traditional resume, navigates better and is easier to access. I am surprised I have never thought of using one until now, but like any emerging idea or technology it can take a while to sink in. I think that the ePortfolio allows a greater understanding of a potential employee by allowing the employer to look further into the candidates life, through images, testimonial and design. It also allows candidates to control the amount of information an employer knows about them and tailor that information so that the employer will view you as you would like them to view you.

Week 2 – ‘Wild Goose Chase’

 This week we were given a presentation from the two young owners and operators of the urban adventure company Wild Goose Chase. This presentation was really insightful and gave a good image of what starting a small business is like. They started by detailing the birth of the company: its roots, their first jobs, etc and then explained their current capacity. It was interesting to see the evolution of the business go from not for profit and turn into something that could make money. They listed their day to day activities and explained the hours they worked. It was interesting to see how much responsibility they had to take on, in order for them to keep the business running at a satisfactory level. They then showed us their current list of achievements. In retrospect it was great to see two like minded individuals and peers, able to start their own business. It gave me the impression that starting my own business is not an impossible idea and is in fact a lot closer to reality.  

Week 1 – ‘Going it Alone’

This unit takes a look at small business and freelancing. Through discussions about what we already know in regards to working for your self, the tutorial managed to open up new ideas on the subject. In this first tutorial we looked at the differences between small business types (Sole trader, partnership, company) and the pros and cons of running each of them. We looked at this from the point of view of: legal, expenditure, profit gain, assets, licensing, etc. We then moved on to a conversation about the pros and cons of different office types, for example: home, incubator, rented or owned. The tutorial ended with a visit from a guest lecturer who related to us her personal experience as a graduate running her own business. This was quite an enlightening experience.

The tutorial left me with some new information about small business I was previously unaware of. On the outside it seems like a valuable unit, whether I decide to start my own business or not. I can’t say I have ever considered it. The amount of work, money and effort that goes into it is a little daunting. But I think that once this elective is over, I will be a little more confident if I ever do decide to start up as a freelancer. There are definite benefits of owning your own business, but it is not the easiest or the most lucrative of jobs. To really succeed, I would need to find a niche market and really saturate it with advertising.