A graduate from Athlone IT has been awarded an internship with one of Ireland’s leading production companies for his involvement in a prestigious national internship competition run by the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA ).
The competition, Best in Show, which is run on an annual basis invites digital content and technology students to submit samples of their work to be judged by industry experts. The best submissions under five category headings win internships in relevant businesses.
Keith Bogan, originally from Co Laois, was among the graduates awarded internships for their submissions to Best in Show this year. The 2011 winners were announced at a skills seminar at The Digital Hub earlier this week organised to mark the culmination of the competition.
Keith Bogan’s entry, Carousel, was selected as the winner in the film/ video production category by Areaman Productions, a production company based in Dublin which specialises in using video to tell stories. Keith Bogan will now go on to do an internship with Areaman Productions as an award for winning the film/ video production category.
Dr Stephen Brennan, director of marketing and strategy with the Digital Hub Development Agency, congratulated Keith Bogan for securing an internship with Areaman Productions and commended him on the quality of his work.
During the skills seminar in The Digital Hub, Dr Brennan encouraged the Best in Show winners to use their internships as an opportunity to gain high quality work experience; to network within their chosen sector; and to gain valuable on-the-job skills. He also highlighted the need for interns and job seekers to work on their soft skills to help increase their chances to gain a valuable edge in the jobs market.
He advised the graduates to hone their communications skills and work on their CVs to help further their career: “A major turn-off for business owners is when job seekers neglect to tailor their approach,” he said. “They don’t make their cover emails relevant to the business in question, they don’t say why they want to work for that business in particular, or they don’t highlight their relevant experience.
“Another common mistake - particularly in our sector - is when job seekers don’t include links to their online profiles on their CVs. If you’re applying for a position in computer gaming, software development or animation, one of the first things the business owner wants to see is samples of your existing work. So post a show-reel online and include a link to it in your CV.
“Another thing to bear in mind is that job seekers need to be brave and to stand out from the crowd. Daunting as it may seem, it’s often well worthwhile to just pick up the phone to the owner of a business where you’d like to work, and explain to him or her what you could bring to the table. Even if they don’t have something on offer right now, they might bear you in mind for future vacancies or offer you a work experience placement as a result. Many employers in our sector admire a more forthright approach.”
Gary Mullan, co-owner of Prosperity Recruitment, which specialises in recruitment for the digital and creative sectors, delivered a keynote address at the Best in Show skills seminar. Mr Mullan has worked in recruitment for over 10 years, placing more than 500 people in roles with clients such as Google, EMI, Disney, and Sage. In his address, he encouraged job seekers to use internships and free online tools to further their careers.
“The people who do well in the digital media and creative sectors are the people who have a genuine passion for what they do,” he said. “Yes, have a good CV, but also have a fantastic online presence. Join Twitter or maybe start a blog - share your knowledge, flaunt your expertise, and insights. Enhancing your own brand online is a very good idea. It proves to a prospective employer that you are walking the walk.
“If you do an internship, get testimonials from bosses and colleagues and place them on your LinkedIn profile. And use any work experience you get as an opportunity to network, build links, and create a good impression amongst people who have the capacity to further your career.”
