Friday, 8 June 2012
Blue,purple, brown.......forget it!
My views on recycling are fairly mixed. On one hand of course I don't want my great grandchildren to live on a giant landfill world where only those on the rich list can have unpolluted land (although if the current economy continues they may find themselves picking through the cesspit for things to sell like the harrowing images we see from India and Bangladesh regardless!) On the other hand I am slightly dubious about exactly what happens to goods recycled and if I am truly honest most products made of recycled goods are a poor version of their shiny new counterparts-recycled paper is not quite right, recycled glass looks a bit like a school project and recycled toilet paper, don't get me started! I am sure there are some great recycled products out there but until the quality and price mirror the new market I will hold off on a handbag made of old zips thanks! When the day comes, and I'm sure it will if for no other reason than to steal and tax more,when I have to pay by the kilo for landfill waste I am contemplating anarchy or making according concil tax deductions for the drop in service.
With that in mind some might call me a mercenary when I took a (handsomely paid I admit) job helping refuse collection companies simplify and streamline the populations recycling.
The day started pleasantly enough with coffee and shortbread- are those recycled paper napkins?- and we were given a brief. Unlike so many other random jobs I have done where all the victims were young and skint, there was no "we're all in this together" vibe. In an effort to make sure the whole community would understand they had recruited all sorts of people. Differing ages, nationalities and worst of all people who took it very seriously. These people really cared and found my cynical asides to a like minded boy,in it purely for the cash, offensive and were not afraid to tell us so! Brief explained we were each given a bag of rubbish and 5 coloured buckets representing the bins households were to receive. I would call myself relatively intelligent, certainly in comparison to some, so although I'm never going to find the cure for cancer, separating glass from paper seemed straightforward.
The job was not unlike shape sorting for the Eco minded adult. Green bucket for non recyclables-naughty manufacturers. Blue was for paper and card. Brown was for garden and kitchen waste. Purple was for glass and cans. Red was for plastics. See I told you, easy. Except it wasn't. Envelopes are paper in my world, except it turns out it isn't if it has a window then the window has to be removed to go with plastics. Juice cartons too have to have a surgical procedure to remove the plastic pouring spout. I felt as though I was making an 80s Blue Peter project and longed for sticky backed plastic. Jars must have their metal lids removed- "some places pay you by weight, with cash"( as opposed to what I wondered I thought pine cones had ceased to be currency centuries before) Eco warrior one-let's call him Stig(of the dump)- tells me. "if you save enough you can make as much as £10!" jeez, I'd rather sell a kidney! In addition turns out they can't recycle and don't like it if you throw out a Chistmas tree with the lights still on it. In my defence the lights were broken and it makes such a mess removing them it hardly seemed worth it(Bad materialistic consumer). Add into the mix that you have to wash recyclable items and it all seems like too much hassle.
Once we had all finished we had another coffee despite my suggestion it might be 'wine o'clock' while they collated data. Results in and it turns out 60% of people had as good as failed the test. The system was too complicated and time consuming. No surprises then. However when the scheme was rolled out they only made the tiniest changes so I imagine that there is still vast quantities of incorrectly sorted rubbish being recycled by well meaning suburbanites.
The following week I had to laugh as land services delivered giant bags to my new build of flats. The man looked perplexed and mildly irritated as I refused to take one on the grounds they would ruin the look of my open plan kitchen/living space. I mean really large plastic bags reminding me of my diet coke addiction and Sauvignon habit doesn't do much for an interiors feng shui. Recycling is all well and good for people in houses with easy back door access to their bins but maybe some rethinking neds to be done for those in flats and open plan spaces.
In conclusion recycling is up there with low energy bulbs. When I flick a switch I want instant light, if I want to walk into a dark room I wouldn't have bothered turning on the bulb. Doubt I'll be sporting dreadlocks or campaigning against motorways any time soon-what's that about anyway they are so convenient and traffic causes more fumes so surely more roads is a sensible solution!- and as research shows I was just too stupid to shape sort!
Monday, 28 May 2012
"Collect points here.......em no!"
I am a lover of loyalty cards and sign up to just about any store scheme promising me something for nothing. I,like many others figure if I have to spend time and money battling a supermarket it seems only fair that I should be rewarded with vouchers and offers.
One loyalty card in particular has on more than one occasion provided me with fake tan between paydays and even rewarded me for shopping elsewhere provided I go through their e-shop. Whilst you can redeem points in many places it doesn't mean you can necessarily redeem them there, strange I know.
So one weekend I found myself working in one such store. I had been sent all the materials and there was a shiny stand positioned by the door for me to corner people on arrival to sign up for the card. I had a daily target of sign ups to achieve in order to make the pittance salary less of an insult. I started the day enthusiastically but an hour in I realised the many faults in the assignment. Firstly the scheme was far from new and as a result the main thrust of target audience already had a card, then there was overcoming people's belief that any smiley blonde at a pop up stand brandishing plastic was likely trying to sign you up to a high interest credit card and finally the main flaw the company had failed to spot. Whilst you could redeem points within the store in which I stood you couldn't collect them. As I explained this for the umpteenth time I grew weary. " yes it would be good if you could get the points on purchase of your trampoline." " I know you would have got a lot of points for your £2000 worth of garden furniture" " I don't know why they don't allow you to collect points,it's just the way the scheme works" and so on. For the most part I could see their point. If you are going to sign up for a loyalty scheme in store it's likely because you are going to get some sort of instant gain.
The day dragged on. I checked with staff if they had a card,most did the remainder didn't shop at said supermarket and many were too young to even sign up. I picked on the most vunerable looking shoppers, the type who just want someone to talk to and those who I was sure I could sweet talk or get a pity sign up from. Needless to say that on a hot day people just wanted to get their new BBQ fired up or their swing set assembled! I had a lucky break when a group of people I knew came in, we did the 'catch up' before practically begging them all to fill in the form. Thank god for their garden furniture shortfall!
As finishing time/freedom approached I filled in the paperwork, complete with feedback. My sign ups reached a respectable level, although short of an overly ambitious target( likely intended to avoid paying bonuses) they didn't find my feedback helpful suggesting that I should have emphasised that a year of collecting points would result in great savings redeeming points on similar purchases next year!! If only the world all worked with such forward planning!
It was no surprise to me that a friend completing the same job in the supermarket the scheme originated from had a lot more success, although strangely enough she failed to receive a bonus either due to the card remaining inactive in the following month! Groan.
You would think I would learn!
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Urban princess becomes Disney princess
I am an Urban Princess. I don't live in a castle and wear a tiara-excpet on my birthday when I always have a new one!- but I am most definately. In my previous job I had several suppliers who actually called me princess and addressed emails this way to me too. I demand respect, sparkly gifts and to be treated in the best way and for the most part I am pretty lucky in these respects. Being an Urban Princess is lovely but doesn't compare to being a Disney Princess.
Why would any girl not harbour the dream of being a Disney Princess? The benefits are endless.
She never realised it was someone she knew and excitedly told me how Aurora had come to her party. This was the best result, why not prolong the belief and magic for as long as possible. Disney life is much more fun and far easier than reality. Princess Mum (Queen?) informed me the feedback from other mums was great, am I missing a trick, should I be spending weekends recreating Princesses for little girls with the belief in fairytales?
As for Princess Eloise, she is still as much of a princess as ever. A more ladylike 4yr old you are unlikely to meet. Softly and politely spoken, paints her nails perfectly (the only time I have seen her cry was over a nail polish crisis, I can sympathise theres nothing worse!), crosses her legs and tells off adults. She is a lady. I have no doubt she could marry Will and Kates offspring if she so desired or marry into the Monaco royal family. She can do anything but one thing I am sure of is she will never be the girl in a velour tracksuit, sucking on roll ups, screaming at 'the weans' -well unless she is in disguse and confusing the paparazzi or her adoring public! (Think Princess Jasmine). I wonder if she could even give Ms Middleton tips.
So thats my fairytale of how I became a Disney Princess if only for the day!
Why would any girl not harbour the dream of being a Disney Princess? The benefits are endless.
- They are adored by everyone (apart from the token baddie who will inevitably get what they deserve in the end)
- They don't have to job hunt, run for tubes, scrabble for change for parking meters or worry about anything really.
- They live in castles (with apparently no mortgages or expensive repairs) and go to balls.
- They maintain perfectly coiffed hair, immaculate make up and petite figures with seemingly no effort( Pochahontas I am willing to admit did do a lot of running!)
- They all have theme songs.How much fun is that!
- Most enviable, they all met perfect Princes and fulfilled their dreams by the average age of 21 leaving them a lifetime to enjoy the fantasy life, no soul destroying speed dating for Princess Jasmine!
She never realised it was someone she knew and excitedly told me how Aurora had come to her party. This was the best result, why not prolong the belief and magic for as long as possible. Disney life is much more fun and far easier than reality. Princess Mum (Queen?) informed me the feedback from other mums was great, am I missing a trick, should I be spending weekends recreating Princesses for little girls with the belief in fairytales?
As for Princess Eloise, she is still as much of a princess as ever. A more ladylike 4yr old you are unlikely to meet. Softly and politely spoken, paints her nails perfectly (the only time I have seen her cry was over a nail polish crisis, I can sympathise theres nothing worse!), crosses her legs and tells off adults. She is a lady. I have no doubt she could marry Will and Kates offspring if she so desired or marry into the Monaco royal family. She can do anything but one thing I am sure of is she will never be the girl in a velour tracksuit, sucking on roll ups, screaming at 'the weans' -well unless she is in disguse and confusing the paparazzi or her adoring public! (Think Princess Jasmine). I wonder if she could even give Ms Middleton tips.
So thats my fairytale of how I became a Disney Princess if only for the day!
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
I'd just like to get through today,forget rollerskating
Everyone knows the ads, you can find the confidence to rollerskate,climb a mountain, beat boys at sports and so on if you want to the minute you use the product. The fact that the reality is during this period(no pun intended!)you are more likely to: display frayed temper, get unexplicably drunk on two drinks, keep Cadburys in business or generally be the person people say yes to due to fear, delete as applicable. Not to mention the fact I don't climb mountains due to fear of altitude sickness and an aversion to waste holidays for anything not involving sun, frozen cocktails and shopping. Beating boys at sport, recipe for relationship tension!
That said the feminine hygiene market was rumoured to be worth £13billion in 2010 and with the world developing and girls reaching puberty earlier this is set to continue rising! Therefore marketing departments would be foolish not to keep their profile high and keep women buying. With stores producing cheaper 'own ranges' big brands have to pull something out the bag to keep consumers purchasing. From free lipglosses to discounts at online retailers everyoine is vying for their market position.
This all contributes to how I found myself wrestling a gigantic box out of an mx5 in the middle of August heat-thankfully dry as the roof had to go down to accomodate the box. When the agency had asked was I able to take delivery of few items of promotional stock to take to store I had envisaged the usual t-shirt and flyers, instead I was greeted by a massive box containing a self-assembly cardboard wardrobe!Groan! Not even sure how to store it in my flat or how I would get it into my highly impractical car I smiled weakly and signed for the delivery.
Thursday came around and I miraculously managed to find a parking space not a million miles away from the store and wrestled the box out of the car. unfortunately as the store was on a pedestrianised street I had to lug the blatantly branded box along to jokey comments and blatant innuendos! I arrived, found the spot and set to work assembling th 'wardrobe' and filling with all products. The schoolboys sniggering around the condoms I could handle-not even I am mean enough to tell the overweight and acne ridden ones that the condoms will expire before they use them. They are harmless but the men with wedding rings, you have a wife and potentially children surely sanitary towels aren't that amusing?Or women, really need I say more! The 'wardrobe' was of poor quality and almost collapsed many times. I over stuffed the various products into the 'wardrobe'. I watched people pretend to not look at the deals and offers. As the day drew to a close I collated the number of menstruating women/planners who purchased.I had engaged women in conversations about their 'flow' needs and various other things only a gynecologist should be party to-certainly not someone on £8/hr. It was definately the day which should end in a large glass of Sauvingon Blanc.
Imagine my "amusement" when the agency told me the sales figures were not in line with the national average!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry about that can't really dictate when people menstruate! No bonus so a cringe worthy day on minimum wage. Love it!
On an aside my best friend JT had signed up fo the same job on Scotlands East coast but on seeing the boxes she did what any sensible person would/should do she refused delivery!
That said the feminine hygiene market was rumoured to be worth £13billion in 2010 and with the world developing and girls reaching puberty earlier this is set to continue rising! Therefore marketing departments would be foolish not to keep their profile high and keep women buying. With stores producing cheaper 'own ranges' big brands have to pull something out the bag to keep consumers purchasing. From free lipglosses to discounts at online retailers everyoine is vying for their market position.
This all contributes to how I found myself wrestling a gigantic box out of an mx5 in the middle of August heat-thankfully dry as the roof had to go down to accomodate the box. When the agency had asked was I able to take delivery of few items of promotional stock to take to store I had envisaged the usual t-shirt and flyers, instead I was greeted by a massive box containing a self-assembly cardboard wardrobe!Groan! Not even sure how to store it in my flat or how I would get it into my highly impractical car I smiled weakly and signed for the delivery.
Thursday came around and I miraculously managed to find a parking space not a million miles away from the store and wrestled the box out of the car. unfortunately as the store was on a pedestrianised street I had to lug the blatantly branded box along to jokey comments and blatant innuendos! I arrived, found the spot and set to work assembling th 'wardrobe' and filling with all products. The schoolboys sniggering around the condoms I could handle-not even I am mean enough to tell the overweight and acne ridden ones that the condoms will expire before they use them. They are harmless but the men with wedding rings, you have a wife and potentially children surely sanitary towels aren't that amusing?Or women, really need I say more! The 'wardrobe' was of poor quality and almost collapsed many times. I over stuffed the various products into the 'wardrobe'. I watched people pretend to not look at the deals and offers. As the day drew to a close I collated the number of menstruating women/planners who purchased.I had engaged women in conversations about their 'flow' needs and various other things only a gynecologist should be party to-certainly not someone on £8/hr. It was definately the day which should end in a large glass of Sauvingon Blanc.
Imagine my "amusement" when the agency told me the sales figures were not in line with the national average!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry about that can't really dictate when people menstruate! No bonus so a cringe worthy day on minimum wage. Love it!
On an aside my best friend JT had signed up fo the same job on Scotlands East coast but on seeing the boxes she did what any sensible person would/should do she refused delivery!
Monday, 21 May 2012
Lara Croft was not a Whore!
Managing a bar is awesome. Every young person should do it at least for a while. Best not to do it as you get older and are less able to get by on a few hours sleep and you start to lose your days. Becoming nocturnal does nothing for the other aspects of your life and the bags under your eyes will severely affect your tips! If you are young however the perks are endless:
So the night comes around and a 'shot girl' down I began trying to ask/bribe/manipulate employees into the costume, but as luck would have it my 20year old thighs and butt were the perfect fit :-(. I love a bit of dressing up, Halloween, parties with friends and so on but having to dress up and sell myself-I mean sell shots- lay slightly less comfortably. To put you in the picture the costume consisted of Daisy Duke length hotpants, a belly flashing vest, aviators (helped conceal the rolling of my eyes) and ammunition belts! All topped off with the neccessary belts to carry the bottles and plastic shot glasses. Not my finest outfit. On it went though and the evening began.
After a fairly tame start, sober 'suits' disecting their days and making half hearted attempts at networking and little interest from anyone other than the youngest employees in throwing back shots, gave way fairly quickly to carnage. The pints swilled in empty guts and the chardonnay went to tired heads. All of a sudden it got busy, bottles were replenished we pretended to throw back the shots they bought us and the money belts brimmed. As one of the organisers suggested we up the ante a bit it was clear where these men thought the evening would head. Most were fairly harmless so we flirted a little, poured freely and threw in a bit of 'cocktail' style dramatics. As evening turned to drunken night these men took on personalities few people who knew them would recognise and propositioned. Boy did they have some ideas, many of them I took to be fairly ambitious given the inebriated states they were in and I doubt many of them could have delivered what they slurred. To them it was another drunken night out where they could revert to being boys, to me just another farcical night in my working life, not so differnt to each other really! As some took offence to being knocked back they shouted, "but you are lara croft" and there it was. Lara Croft was not a whore! Even the Angelina Jolie version wasn't, a home wrecker maybe but never a whore!
- Generally your work force will be a mix of young people, frequently students and often attractive if you pick the right bar, therefore you have a ready group of 'mates' to have a laugh at work with and people to go out with when you finish at 1am who aren't already hours into their night.
- The cash tips come in very handy for taxis home, drinks and generally meaning you don't have to eat into your wages day to day. People who buy you drinks help to get your night started.
- If you are lucky to be located in a city centre most clubs will let you in for free on showing a payslip.
- You don't have to start early in the morning.
- If the bar serves food you generally get dinner for free.
- Finally, from a management point of view your workforce are probably enthusiastic due to the afore mentioned perks.
So the night comes around and a 'shot girl' down I began trying to ask/bribe/manipulate employees into the costume, but as luck would have it my 20year old thighs and butt were the perfect fit :-(. I love a bit of dressing up, Halloween, parties with friends and so on but having to dress up and sell myself-I mean sell shots- lay slightly less comfortably. To put you in the picture the costume consisted of Daisy Duke length hotpants, a belly flashing vest, aviators (helped conceal the rolling of my eyes) and ammunition belts! All topped off with the neccessary belts to carry the bottles and plastic shot glasses. Not my finest outfit. On it went though and the evening began.
After a fairly tame start, sober 'suits' disecting their days and making half hearted attempts at networking and little interest from anyone other than the youngest employees in throwing back shots, gave way fairly quickly to carnage. The pints swilled in empty guts and the chardonnay went to tired heads. All of a sudden it got busy, bottles were replenished we pretended to throw back the shots they bought us and the money belts brimmed. As one of the organisers suggested we up the ante a bit it was clear where these men thought the evening would head. Most were fairly harmless so we flirted a little, poured freely and threw in a bit of 'cocktail' style dramatics. As evening turned to drunken night these men took on personalities few people who knew them would recognise and propositioned. Boy did they have some ideas, many of them I took to be fairly ambitious given the inebriated states they were in and I doubt many of them could have delivered what they slurred. To them it was another drunken night out where they could revert to being boys, to me just another farcical night in my working life, not so differnt to each other really! As some took offence to being knocked back they shouted, "but you are lara croft" and there it was. Lara Croft was not a whore! Even the Angelina Jolie version wasn't, a home wrecker maybe but never a whore!
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Networking is the new dating
Every girl knows 'The Rules' when it comes to dating. So why do all of these rules go out the window when we network. The intent may be different but many of 'the rules'can be applied. Whilst all women network the savvy ones 'datework'.
DATE:We have all actively pursued a man. Whether you have merely googled or actively stalked them, you know more than you would have learnt on a first date. If/when he asks you out it's best to keep this to yourself. Don't be the creep who tells the barista how he likes his coffee when he has never consumed one in your company.
NETWORKING: If there is someone you are dying to meet the chances are you have done your research. Business news sites, professional listings and key details are all helpful to understand the person and the way they work. However if they have a facebook page or you are party to rumours or gossip about them these are details to never divulge. You will look unprofessional and a potentially great contact will fail to return your emails. This is especially important if a friend of yours sets up the opportunity to meet. They too will look like someone to be wary of. The exception to the rule (almost) is celebrities. They are aware people know a lot of personal information about them, but even then isn't it better to hear about them, from then than appear to be someone who needs to be restained!
DATE: As a female you are brought up to believe it is best to make men wait. As you get older and start to attract male attention your mothers suggestion to 'wait till you have a ring on your finger' is exchanged for the worldly accepted '3 date rule'. Girls all over the world put in a little extra effort and preen head to toe in advance of this notorious evening. The more you like the man the more important this is thought to be. This allows for the dates with beautiful yet deadly dull men you never wish to waste an evening with again, to end in a passionate and hugely satisfying (hopefully) night at his.
NETWORKING: As a rule networking events should never end in sex. I do know of occassions which have done to various ends. Of course this doesn't equal the end of your career but generally it's best avoided and an aspect of your personality to keep separate. Industries are all smaller than you think and do it more than once and find yourself with a reputation. Sex aside the concept holding out remains. It is best to appear interesting, motivated and capable without divulging too much. Once someone is interested they will contact you to find out more if your businesses are compatible. Give them a card or your preferred contact and then move on. If you bombard someone on a 1st meeting with a million contact details- CEO's will not be instant messaging or skyping you anytime soon-links to every online domain where you appear and a copy of your cv that you carry 'just in case' ,they know everything they wanted to know and a lot more besides and are unlikely to contact you. Work on the basis of leaving them wanting more.
DATE: In general boys can drink more than girls, especially in a date setting where nerves and appetite suppressing butterflies play their part. It's best to try not to match drink for drink a 16st rugby playing hunk if you happen to be an 8st girl on the atkins diet! We've all drank too much on a 1st date at some point but most of these dates probably ended the same ways: boy was a gentleman and saw you home, you staggered home alone nauseous and proceeded to vomit, you spilled way too much personal information and regretted it, or you woke up at his the next morning with hazy memories and proceeded to do the walk of shame/stride of pride depending on how well you wear your hangover. Maybe you saw the guy again or maybe you didn't. A lot depends on how much he drank and his attitude towards drinking. Until you know each other a little better it is best not to test it. Anyway if it's a great date and the start of something it is nice to remember it. That said some great dates have been had when you are on the tipsy side but a lot of it is knowing your audience.
NETWORKING: A lot of specially set up events and corporate entertaining involves free flowing alcohol. This is a test in my opinion 'we dare you to stay sober enough to make this productive'. I even wonder if this is how small companies lure big names to help sell tickets "there's a free bar, any real timewasters will drink themselves into incapacity and you will never hear from them." It may seem like everyone around you is drinking all evening but those in the know cheat. Sparkling water with wedges of lime imitates g&t's. To make the most of the evening watch the consumption. You are unlikely to hear from any desired contact if you pull out a business card and in the process the contents of your handbag. It's hard to come back from having to pick a tampon out of their drink and a slurred apology. And for those who really do drink all night and stay sober, they probably arent powdering their noses the traditional way. Two words Keep Away.
DATE: Will he call/text/email/message/tweet/bbm? (life I imagine was easier when you only had to monitor 1 method of technology for signs of communication) Should you be the first one to make contact? The rules have relaxed. During a recent conversation with a friend awaiting a guy she liked to contact her, it was suggested that she could text him. Afterall if you have left things well and they like you it is pretty far fetched to believe that this would change if she sent a casual message. Aren't we too old for this game now anyway?
NETWORKING: If you found yourself really connecting with someone and ended your conversation on mutterings of getting in touch, feel free. If they happily handed over their contact details they are probably interested in hearing from you again, this is more positive than if they solely took yours. Keep it casual and follow up on your meeting, if nothing else it keeps you fresh in their mind. A quick email is fine.If you can ask an appropriate question that prompts an answer then great but this isn't always possible. A friend recently got a job she was underqualified for just by hand delivering her cv and following up with an email, she was the only candidate who went to the trouble. In the words of Destiny's Child do not become a 'bug-a-boo' and fill up peoples mailboxes!!!
DATE:Sometimes the best dates come from the worst situations. On a horrible day involving parking tickets, loss of keys and breaking a heel causing a fall, a close friend met her husband when he stopped to help her up. Coffee led to cocktails and subsequent dates and marriage! Sometimes the guy is wrong but if you both agree he might have a perfect friend or colleague. Internet or speed dating works for some. The key is saying yes and taking opportunities. Never underestimate a chance meeting.
NETWORKING: Pre-planned opportunities to network are great but don't overlook opportunities in life. People with great companies do temp jobs to cover quiet periods, maybe a mum you car pool with has some great contacts in your industry from her time as a PA. I met a great friend and business partner through answering an ad on gumtree for casual work. Yes we now work together but that was chance we hit it off as friends first. However let these meetings happen and relationships evolve naturally. If you go for dinner with a great guy who really seems to like you don't start dreaming about marriage and where you'll live before he finishes his first pint or there will been a tangible air of desperation that will scare him off. Similarly if you meet someone who may be connected in your area of interest don't spend all your time trying to download their phonebook and email contacts. Take time too to listen and enjoy their company.
Take every opportunity where it's offered because times are hard. People are generally happy to help but in business and even more importantly in life follow these rules to ensure long and happy relationships: Never take from people more than you are prepared to give and NEVER, EVER use people! Karma comes around so if you break the rules best keep one eye out!
DATE:We have all actively pursued a man. Whether you have merely googled or actively stalked them, you know more than you would have learnt on a first date. If/when he asks you out it's best to keep this to yourself. Don't be the creep who tells the barista how he likes his coffee when he has never consumed one in your company.
NETWORKING: If there is someone you are dying to meet the chances are you have done your research. Business news sites, professional listings and key details are all helpful to understand the person and the way they work. However if they have a facebook page or you are party to rumours or gossip about them these are details to never divulge. You will look unprofessional and a potentially great contact will fail to return your emails. This is especially important if a friend of yours sets up the opportunity to meet. They too will look like someone to be wary of. The exception to the rule (almost) is celebrities. They are aware people know a lot of personal information about them, but even then isn't it better to hear about them, from then than appear to be someone who needs to be restained!
DATE: As a female you are brought up to believe it is best to make men wait. As you get older and start to attract male attention your mothers suggestion to 'wait till you have a ring on your finger' is exchanged for the worldly accepted '3 date rule'. Girls all over the world put in a little extra effort and preen head to toe in advance of this notorious evening. The more you like the man the more important this is thought to be. This allows for the dates with beautiful yet deadly dull men you never wish to waste an evening with again, to end in a passionate and hugely satisfying (hopefully) night at his.
NETWORKING: As a rule networking events should never end in sex. I do know of occassions which have done to various ends. Of course this doesn't equal the end of your career but generally it's best avoided and an aspect of your personality to keep separate. Industries are all smaller than you think and do it more than once and find yourself with a reputation. Sex aside the concept holding out remains. It is best to appear interesting, motivated and capable without divulging too much. Once someone is interested they will contact you to find out more if your businesses are compatible. Give them a card or your preferred contact and then move on. If you bombard someone on a 1st meeting with a million contact details- CEO's will not be instant messaging or skyping you anytime soon-links to every online domain where you appear and a copy of your cv that you carry 'just in case' ,they know everything they wanted to know and a lot more besides and are unlikely to contact you. Work on the basis of leaving them wanting more.
DATE: In general boys can drink more than girls, especially in a date setting where nerves and appetite suppressing butterflies play their part. It's best to try not to match drink for drink a 16st rugby playing hunk if you happen to be an 8st girl on the atkins diet! We've all drank too much on a 1st date at some point but most of these dates probably ended the same ways: boy was a gentleman and saw you home, you staggered home alone nauseous and proceeded to vomit, you spilled way too much personal information and regretted it, or you woke up at his the next morning with hazy memories and proceeded to do the walk of shame/stride of pride depending on how well you wear your hangover. Maybe you saw the guy again or maybe you didn't. A lot depends on how much he drank and his attitude towards drinking. Until you know each other a little better it is best not to test it. Anyway if it's a great date and the start of something it is nice to remember it. That said some great dates have been had when you are on the tipsy side but a lot of it is knowing your audience.
NETWORKING: A lot of specially set up events and corporate entertaining involves free flowing alcohol. This is a test in my opinion 'we dare you to stay sober enough to make this productive'. I even wonder if this is how small companies lure big names to help sell tickets "there's a free bar, any real timewasters will drink themselves into incapacity and you will never hear from them." It may seem like everyone around you is drinking all evening but those in the know cheat. Sparkling water with wedges of lime imitates g&t's. To make the most of the evening watch the consumption. You are unlikely to hear from any desired contact if you pull out a business card and in the process the contents of your handbag. It's hard to come back from having to pick a tampon out of their drink and a slurred apology. And for those who really do drink all night and stay sober, they probably arent powdering their noses the traditional way. Two words Keep Away.
DATE: Will he call/text/email/message/tweet/bbm? (life I imagine was easier when you only had to monitor 1 method of technology for signs of communication) Should you be the first one to make contact? The rules have relaxed. During a recent conversation with a friend awaiting a guy she liked to contact her, it was suggested that she could text him. Afterall if you have left things well and they like you it is pretty far fetched to believe that this would change if she sent a casual message. Aren't we too old for this game now anyway?
NETWORKING: If you found yourself really connecting with someone and ended your conversation on mutterings of getting in touch, feel free. If they happily handed over their contact details they are probably interested in hearing from you again, this is more positive than if they solely took yours. Keep it casual and follow up on your meeting, if nothing else it keeps you fresh in their mind. A quick email is fine.If you can ask an appropriate question that prompts an answer then great but this isn't always possible. A friend recently got a job she was underqualified for just by hand delivering her cv and following up with an email, she was the only candidate who went to the trouble. In the words of Destiny's Child do not become a 'bug-a-boo' and fill up peoples mailboxes!!!
DATE:Sometimes the best dates come from the worst situations. On a horrible day involving parking tickets, loss of keys and breaking a heel causing a fall, a close friend met her husband when he stopped to help her up. Coffee led to cocktails and subsequent dates and marriage! Sometimes the guy is wrong but if you both agree he might have a perfect friend or colleague. Internet or speed dating works for some. The key is saying yes and taking opportunities. Never underestimate a chance meeting.
NETWORKING: Pre-planned opportunities to network are great but don't overlook opportunities in life. People with great companies do temp jobs to cover quiet periods, maybe a mum you car pool with has some great contacts in your industry from her time as a PA. I met a great friend and business partner through answering an ad on gumtree for casual work. Yes we now work together but that was chance we hit it off as friends first. However let these meetings happen and relationships evolve naturally. If you go for dinner with a great guy who really seems to like you don't start dreaming about marriage and where you'll live before he finishes his first pint or there will been a tangible air of desperation that will scare him off. Similarly if you meet someone who may be connected in your area of interest don't spend all your time trying to download their phonebook and email contacts. Take time too to listen and enjoy their company.
Take every opportunity where it's offered because times are hard. People are generally happy to help but in business and even more importantly in life follow these rules to ensure long and happy relationships: Never take from people more than you are prepared to give and NEVER, EVER use people! Karma comes around so if you break the rules best keep one eye out!
Have you heard of chocolate?
The link between going to the cinema and eating your body weight in candy is fairly well known. If you live in the USA you probably enjoy a rom-com with milk duds or Mike and Ike's, here you are more likely to go for Malteasers or Minstrels. Well known makers of chocolate like Cadbury's and Galaxy are household names and their products famous. They even have their own facebook pages!
At a recent check Minstrels facebook group had 358,916 members with 2932 people talking about them Cadburys combined pages rack up more than 3.5million members!
Every summer has its must see movie and as summer 2008 commenced a chick flick which was much awaited opened in cinemas. There was such an air of anticipation and hype that promoters and marketers would have been fools to ignore the hungry audience. So with a clear link between candy and movies, not to mention the one between women and chocolate, chocolate company A decided to do some promotion.
The opening of the movie unfortunately did not coincide with any new product launches so an old but popular one was to be used. This was how I found myself in Scotland's least swanky cinema in a brown polyester catsuit on the hottest day of the year. After putting 1 tiny morsel into tiny plastic cups-made way more fiddly by the fact the chocolate was starting to melt as I worked- they were transfered onto a faux chocolate tray. I then had to wander around the foyer offering the 'treat' (I use the term loosely as by now the chocolate was almost molten in the unairconditioned cinema) to the groups of women. As I offered them a cup I had been instructed to engage with them asking them if they had tried product x.
As I wandered around handing out the testers peoples expressions ranged from confusion 'Is this a new version?' 'no', to mild annoyance 'How could we not have heard of product x?'. Most people looked at me as though I had emerged from a cave or a parallel universe. People had most definately heard of confectionery, especially chocolate all the evidence pointed that way. The strange thing was people took them, ate them and then I heard multiple people saying to friends 'this is really nice'. Was it that they had just rememebered that they enjoyed the product, maybe the softened form tasted better, or perhaps the excitement of the occasion heightened their enjoyment. This could be a potential study into human behaviour, but sadly there would have been no further payment had I conducted this study on the company's behalf.
As the women filed into the cinema, giggling and smuggling pre mixed cans of cocktails I retreated with the empty plastic cups. The cinema manager- he can't have been older than 14, ok maybe 18-came through to the staff area. I was just about to open the bin lid to dispose of the plastic in a manner which I deemed to be responsible when he motioned for me to stop. I assumed they had some recyling incentive as many businesses have, but no. This jobsworth teen wanted me to wash and individually dry the cheap plastic thimbles in order for them to be used again in the future! I inwardly groaned but as an outsider representing another company I headed for the sink. 20 cups washed and 10minutes of my life that I will never get back into the task, his equally pedantic co-worker (also health and safety guy) popped over. He needed to check I had received the health and safety brief for the 'kitchen' area. As I furtively shook my head he looked terrified and horrified all at once and instantly led me away from the sink. Thank god for the world in which health and safety has gone mad.
I imagine the cups were thrown away in the end, or some poor,underpaid saturday employee was left with the remainder to wash.
Another day another dollar I say. :-)
At a recent check Minstrels facebook group had 358,916 members with 2932 people talking about them Cadburys combined pages rack up more than 3.5million members!
Every summer has its must see movie and as summer 2008 commenced a chick flick which was much awaited opened in cinemas. There was such an air of anticipation and hype that promoters and marketers would have been fools to ignore the hungry audience. So with a clear link between candy and movies, not to mention the one between women and chocolate, chocolate company A decided to do some promotion.
The opening of the movie unfortunately did not coincide with any new product launches so an old but popular one was to be used. This was how I found myself in Scotland's least swanky cinema in a brown polyester catsuit on the hottest day of the year. After putting 1 tiny morsel into tiny plastic cups-made way more fiddly by the fact the chocolate was starting to melt as I worked- they were transfered onto a faux chocolate tray. I then had to wander around the foyer offering the 'treat' (I use the term loosely as by now the chocolate was almost molten in the unairconditioned cinema) to the groups of women. As I offered them a cup I had been instructed to engage with them asking them if they had tried product x.
As I wandered around handing out the testers peoples expressions ranged from confusion 'Is this a new version?' 'no', to mild annoyance 'How could we not have heard of product x?'. Most people looked at me as though I had emerged from a cave or a parallel universe. People had most definately heard of confectionery, especially chocolate all the evidence pointed that way. The strange thing was people took them, ate them and then I heard multiple people saying to friends 'this is really nice'. Was it that they had just rememebered that they enjoyed the product, maybe the softened form tasted better, or perhaps the excitement of the occasion heightened their enjoyment. This could be a potential study into human behaviour, but sadly there would have been no further payment had I conducted this study on the company's behalf.
As the women filed into the cinema, giggling and smuggling pre mixed cans of cocktails I retreated with the empty plastic cups. The cinema manager- he can't have been older than 14, ok maybe 18-came through to the staff area. I was just about to open the bin lid to dispose of the plastic in a manner which I deemed to be responsible when he motioned for me to stop. I assumed they had some recyling incentive as many businesses have, but no. This jobsworth teen wanted me to wash and individually dry the cheap plastic thimbles in order for them to be used again in the future! I inwardly groaned but as an outsider representing another company I headed for the sink. 20 cups washed and 10minutes of my life that I will never get back into the task, his equally pedantic co-worker (also health and safety guy) popped over. He needed to check I had received the health and safety brief for the 'kitchen' area. As I furtively shook my head he looked terrified and horrified all at once and instantly led me away from the sink. Thank god for the world in which health and safety has gone mad.
I imagine the cups were thrown away in the end, or some poor,underpaid saturday employee was left with the remainder to wash.
Another day another dollar I say. :-)
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