Okay I had to write that disclaimer, because this week I posted a Facebook status saying that I was about to start my first internship application, adding the words "Bullshit cap ON". Upon reading this, a friend warned me against posting such honest statuses when companies could judge me by my Facebook posts. Of course, my Facebook statuses are only viewable by my Facebook friends, to protect me from paedophiles and beggars (despite me being 21, and beggars probably not having access to Facebook. But hey, it seems everyone has it these days!) so I didn't have to worry there. But my friend made a good point - and this sucks!
Why are companies looking at our social media? What are they hoping to achieve? Of course, most of our profiles aren't going to be very flattering from a career perspective, what with photos of drunken antics, crude wall posts from friends, and other things that show that Facebook is what it is - a SOCIAL network! Yes, it is a good way for marketing companies to judge your 'social influence' but isn't that what the Klout score is for? And what about assessment centres etc?
So a profile without anything that may hinder the candidate's chances of employment. Hmmm... what could that look like? How about this?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003114301784
Now of course my real profile isn't like that (much) - because when I say 'bullshit cap ON', I don't mean 'lie' - I just mean extend the truth somewhat. The art of bullshitting incorporates the inherent ability to tailor your achievements and experiences to the values and requirements of that for which you are bullshitting, may it be a company, a seminar tutor, or a Warwick Advantage Award application (I managed to get an award to demonstrate my contribution to extra-curricular activities at Warwick, which should hopefully give my CV a boost). Bullshitting is not a bad thing, it is simply a colloquial term to describe the art that all candidates should practise. So even if the companies about to receive my applications did see my status, they should understand that I would not be lying to them, as that would be illegal (and cheating - and I don't want to get anywhere in life not on my own merits).
So yeah, moving on. This week has been my much-needed week off. No classes, no annoying 8:15am starts, no boring entrepreneurship lectures, no-thing! I was going to go home for the week, see my family and friends, and watch the rugby world cup final in Cardiff if Wales had made it there (as was our right). Or I could have gone with Cam to see Kai in Rome, which he tells me was beautiful and awesome (he's already returned). But no, I decided to save my money, stay in Rennes and focus on one thing - getting these internship applications started and out of the way so I could focus on my 32047 group projects and exam revision.
Did that go to plan? Of course not.
Why, you ask? The truth is, I'm scared. I'm scared of investing hours of valuable year abroad time on each application, only to be rejected by each company. I've read their job descriptions - the people they're looking for, and the experiences that they need. I'm scared. I only scraped my 2.1 last year, I wasn't an official exec member of any society, and the only work experience I have had is making and serving pizzas. I'm not 'Employable Ollie'. I don't know much about fancy economics graphs, I don't really care about fluctuations in the Dow Jones market, and I couldn't tell you what major factors affect the yield on a corporate bond. But I can tell you this - I love dealing with people. It gives me a buzz. But that's not very impressive for a Warwick business undergraduate.
For a first internship, it would be great to have a great brand name on your CV. It would open so many doors. I'm looking at consulting, because I'd love to try it out and see whether or not it's for me. I'm also backing it up with HR and marketing positions at other companies. I need to apply to many companies to increase my chances of getting something, so it's a massive task ahead of me. Naturally, Prokey's been hanging out with me loads this week. We've watched a whole season of How I Met Your Mother together.
So yep, this week was totally wasted. Went nowhere, did nothing. But at least I'm relaxed. If you're also applying for internships, or have completed internships in the past, feel free to comment below to share your experiences, give tips (would be greatly appreciated) or just say anything you want to about this topic. Best of luck to those who are applying!
Rant over
Ollie
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