Getting Young People Into Work in the UK (and Everywhere)

In the UK, there are more young people out of work than ever before. According to The Guardian, a record 18% of people between 18 and 24 don't have a job. For those of you outside the UK, these kids are being called the lost generation.

As we who have been unemployed before know, sending blind cv's to job sites usually bring no answer. If you're lucky, you get a polite form letter to announce receipt or your application or to say the job went to someone else.

So what can one do? My experience has been that times of crisis are opportunities for the enterprising and entrepreneurial. Don't wait for a job, make one.

More in the next post.

Working in Cambridge at Springboard: Great Teams

I've taken time off from blogging, and I'm back -- now to tell you about a remarkable programme in Cambridge, UK called Springboard.

Springboard is an incubator that gathers 10 lucky, accomplished teams at Cambridge University. Not only are the resources wonderful but you couldn't ask for a more beautiful place to spend a summer.

Jon Bradford, amazingly adept at shepherding start-ups through the challenges of getting investor-ready, has chosen some wonderful teams. Check out all the wonderful mentors who participate in Springboard as well.

Consider getting involved by filling out a Springboard application or becoming a mentor yourself.

Looking forward to two more rounds with the group this month.

Fits.me Fashion 2.0 Meet-Up Event - NYC

I attended a Fashion2.0 MeetUp in NY, sponsored by Fits.me, and it was hosted by the new New York sales representative, Erika Wasser.

Great fun. Aside from Heikki Haldre, Fits.me's CEO, the most articulate, compelling panel member was Alex Richardson. Fantastic stuff he knows and is doing for retail brands.

Here's a snap of Erika and me -- look out for more of these events if you live in NY and want to find out what's hot in web-based fashion thinking. Fascinating, innovative technology arising in retail that will transform the way we shop.

Strategy and Business: Hot Off the Press

Fits.me, a client of mine, is innovative, smart, and ripe for investment. Strategy and Business seems to share my opinion.

Mixing Metaphors for Better Balance, in Business and Elsewhere

Yesterday, I acted as a mentor at the School of Communication Arts 2.0, a pleasure under any circumstances. Bright, versatile, articulate and ready to jump deftly from one idea to another, the students are game for any new way of thinking.

It was delightful, if unsurprising, to meet the head of Ideapreneurship with exactly the same way of thinking, Andrew Missingham. He began as a musician, went on to business, and combines disciplines in a way that gives useful structure to improvisation.

New Industry, New Ideas

I acquired a client, Fits.me (http://fits.me), in September as a new business development gig.

I first worked with the CEO, Heikki Haldre, last year on communication skills and pitching for investment. Because they company has grown up, and I've taken on a new role, I've been underground learning about the industry for a few months.

Back this week with some of what we're doing. Crossing disciplines is the best way to remember what one knows, I find -- and to learn more about it.

The Chair: Interviewing on Camera

I went along to Canary Wharf with my friend Stewart Townsend the other day to see him interviewed about the remarkable schools he runs with his partner, Kirsty, outside Manchester. Stewart's soft-spoken approach enhances his powerful personality and tremendous ability to articulate persuasively -- this is very rare.

It's really a testament to Jez Kay and Ruth Elkins that they can bring out the best in people so different from each other as those who sit in The Chair.

This is the kind of work that is most important when helping people with difficulty presenting themselves:

Rather than turning them into someone else, how do you show help them show enough of themselves to engage in business to the same extent they do with people in the rest of their lives?

And voila -- here's Annette Kramer on film -- if you have a chance, take a look at all the videos and how Jez and Ruth got everyone in the same shot to look very different from each other indeed.