Right, so I'm running the London marathon in 2018. I've flirted with the idea for years but it remained an idea as less enriching avenues and pastimes were pursued.

Now I'm older, wiser (don't laugh), married and happier, priorities in life have changed and I am genuinely as excited about the relentless training and positive changes this will have on my health and well-being as I am about the big day itself.

The British Heart Foundation was always going to be my first choice of charity after what happened to my dad and I am delighted and honoured to have been allocated a spot to run for such an amazing organisation. https://www.bhf.org.uk/

In short, I really need your support for this guys and if you could help by sponsoring me and the British Heart Foundation, I will be grateful in the most soppy and pathetic way imaginable. I'll be an embarrassing sight and it will all be worth it.

Adam Dineen

Moriati Managing Consultant – Ad Tech | Programmatic | Agency Sales

Bon appétit! Mon Plaisir

London's oldest French Restaurant Mon Plaisir a family owned business established by the Viala brothers during the 'forties' acquired by the Lhermitte family in 1972.

Mon Plaisir boasts one of the best cheeseboards in London. The cheese is brought back from France every week and the board will usually hold a selection of 25 different cheeses.

Moriati Mentions:

"The onion soup is mandatory with robust cuts of French bread and slices of grilled cheese!"

"The duck or the steak? You can never go wrong with steak at a French restaurant but alternatively, the devilishly delicious duck was incredible!"

"The Crème brulee is oui, oui, oui!"

The Mon Plaisir set lunch menu from £18 is great value for superb dining.

Mon Plaisir atmosphere is relaxed and buzzing with an authentic French hideaway feel. The staff are helpful and aim to please. Aline Lhermitte (proprietor) will ensure you are in good hands.

Charlie Curtis MD Moriati

Legacy: What does it mean in Media?

Legacy. It's an interesting word. Not often one associated to the digital media space. It's more synonymous with the likes of monarchs, celebrities, heroes and athletes of days gone by. However, we are all the main character in our own story and by proxy are entitled to our legacy, whether it'll be remembered by the masses or not.

The most direct and comparable example for me is sports, specifically Football. It's something I live and breathe. Football, in most recent years, is something that has forgotten legacy and malformed into a fickle sport, so it's the perfect stomping ground to play devils advocate.

I'll ask you three questions.

Can you name a one club player?

If your answer is Lionel Messi, think of another one!

With the club you support...what's the longest time a manager has been in charge?

Manchester United fans and Arsenal fans...sit down. There are exceptions to any rule.

What's more important to you? Success or loyalty?

I think you may see what I'm going with here...

Success Vs Job Satisfaction

You are Alan Shearer. Fresh out of the academy (education) and ready to take on the world. After a few good years at Southampton (your first job) your value has been seen by the rest of the industry and now people are out to bring you into their organisation. A good side Blackburn Rovers (your stepping stone) come in for you and spend big money, offering you a sizable pay rise and a promise of longevity/glory. It's a four year spell here. The first year is shaky and it takes you a while to adjust but you stay afloat. The second year you come to life smashing your personal targets and breaking records left, right and centre (with a perfect hattrick!). The third year is the crème de la crème. You win it all and you win big. Everybody in the organisation knows you, you've defied expectations and managed to pry away the prize of the year from your biggest rival in the market. Can it get better than this? No. Sadly not. This is the peak. The following year isn't as good. You are still performing well and smashing targets but sadly the rest of the team are letting you down. You start to think...am I happy here anymore?

You make a move. A move that's right for your career and your happiness to Newcastle. You move to a organisation that you've admired your entire life (the job you stay at until you retire) and it's safe to say things go well. You smash targets, you win personal accolades and even though you don't have the reach that you previously had into the market the team is consistent and you are happy. You play out your days here. You are a legend in the industry and a benchmark for young up and comers to aspire to.

As I'm sure you are aware, I have so ham-fistedly compared Alan Shearer's footballing career to an idyllic career journey for the digital media space. Job satisfaction mattered most to Alan. He flirted with glory. He got a taste, but at the end of the day, he'd rather try and win it all with a company he believed in and loved rather than one that would bring him instant gratification, but work him to the bone and who he feels uninspired by.

On the opposite side...You are Zlatan Ibrahimović. A legend in your own right but one who values success over loyalty. Some may call you an individualist but you don't care because you get results. You proclaim, "Zlatan doesn't do trials. Zlatan only closes.", and people find you enigmatic and eccentric. There's a buzz around you in the industry and you quickly move from your small organisation to an industry giant (Ajax). There is no easing in period, you continue your self-assured success until you attain all you can at your second job before moving to the heights of an even bigger industry monolith Juventus (your third job) which offers a huge platform to showcase your abilities as well as a sizeable pay rise (which doesn't hurt!). Your team wins big again for the next two years before you sense an opportunity with your team's direct rivals Inter Milan. Although you are cautioned against it you decide to forgo that and strike out with your gut instinct. It pays off. Even though people at your last job won't speak to you anymore you go on to four years of success, winning award after award and finally, the biggest organisation in the game comes in for you. Barcelona. The iconic offering that promises you prestige, trophies, exotic lands and high wages.

This is the pinnacle in terms of when it comes to career gratification and esteem. From this point on the only thing that can entice you is further is money and the financial security of your long term future. After a couple of years at the top you move on again. This time for double your salary and the promise that you will be the main player at this new team, not just one talented cog amongst the many and your petition secured beyond a doubt. For years you are the star...but like all stars you start to fade and burnout. You make one last move in your career to another big club (Manchester United) who are struggling a little, counting on your experience to carry them back to the top. It doesn't quit work out as you or they had hoped, but you are loved and well paid.

As stronghanded as my first attempt, I plotted the career path of a budding employee who values success over job satisfaction. At a lot of these clubs, Zlatan was unhappy, whether it was with his team mates or what the clubs were offering or arguing with his manager. Zlatan wanted to win. He wanted to succeed and he did. 33 trophies over the course of 16 years rivals even the best players in the world at the top division level he plays at. It's commendable! Iconic even, but lacks longevity.

So let me ask you a fourth question. What's more important to you?

The key thing to highlight is that both paths lead somewhere rewarding. Both of these players are legends and have laid down a tremendous legacy for others to chomp away at.

Here at Moriati Media Recruitment we understand that each candidate is different with varying wants and needs. There are plenty of ways to compare employment to different walks of life. Media and Football have been doing a symbiotic tango for years so it's a natural comparison. The real crux of this post is that each candidate is unique. Your USP is that you are YOU. Whatever you may be, whether you may be a goal scorer, a playmaker, a legend in the making, a journey-gender-neutral-man or someone undervalued in the reserves looking for the chance to make their impact. You control your legacy. Whatever you are we have the foresight, empathy and market awareness to help you find the right move for you. Best thing? No bloody agents bogging up your move.

So, please don't hesitate to get in touch with any of us over at Moriati. We know talent when we see it.

#ThierryHarley

Just left college and thinking about the future? You may think University is the only route for you, however that is not the case. Maybe your parents have told you that going to University is the only option, and that you'll fail in life if you don't go...
But what's the real honest truth – is it worth going to University in our day and age?There's big pressures on our youth to go to University, after all it's the best thing to do... right?

University now costs more than it ever has, and nowadays experience means more to a lot of potential employers than a degree does. This means that many students finish University and go back to their part-time jobs, as they still don't have the experience to jump straight into their dream job (damn).

The truth is that to start climbing up the career ladder of your chosen path, you need experience, degree or no degree. Wouldn't you rather skip out on three years of studying, save out on a hell of a lot of debt and stress, by jumping into work straight after college?
Of course, it all depends on you, if you want to go to University that is awesome too but it is definitely not necessary anymore.

One of the benefits of getting straight into work after college is of course, money. And who doesn't want or like money? If you can land yourself a great trainee position, you'll be earning money whilst learning at the same time, win win. This way you're gaining key skills in the industry you're passionate about, and earning money instead of paying off student debts and loans.

As someone who went straight into work after college, I can truly say I have no regrets. I bagged myself a brilliant job at Moriati with no previous recruitment experience, and now having been here for 5 months I am definitely happy I decided to skip the whole Uni thing and go straight into a full-time job! I've received some brilliant hands on training and learnt a hell of a lot, and have been treated exactly the same as someone with a degree would be! I've learnt so much about recruitment and the media industry, and gained skills that would be useful in any career!
One thing that people assume about students who went to college instead of sixth-form is that they aren't smart, or as hard working because they took a course. No idea why this is still a stereotype as there is absolutely no truth in it, there is no reason that you would be less intelligent because you took a course instead of A-Levels. Just wanted to clear that one up, as its a real misconception that needs to fade away.
So to sum this long old post up, for some University may be exactly what they want. Somewhere where they can chill out away from mum and dad, socialise, and gain a degree at the end of it. But there are definitely too many pressures on our young people to go to Uni.

So I just say stop with the pressures,and let our young people do what they want to do!
All the best,
Kat.

Kat Smyk
Moriati Ad Ops Recruitment Specialist

And that's a wrap. 2017 has (nearly) come and gone, and before we've really had a chance to catch our breath; 2018 is going to slap us across the chops like one of Santa's soggy socks. As with every year, it's a chance to reflect upon what has gone well but equally the learning's we can take in to the new year and beyond. This goes for all walks of life - I've started off a little preachy here, let's change tack slightly and get to the point. As I'm sure you're aware, I'm no Saint Shep; far from it. But I do enjoy helping talent progress in their careers, and in the name of Christmas I've delved in to my velvet sack and pulled out a winner for my loyal following. So grab a glass of wine, snuggle up on the sofa, admire your baubles and get a load of this...

Finding that dream job is a testing time - the job market can fluctuate, your face might not fit or a handful of different factors. As a recruitment guru, I see some of the frustration job seekers go through first hand - most of which is completely out of their own hands. However that being said, there are a number of things that candidates can do to improve their chances; after all as ChumbaWamba once famously said 'I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down'. Here's my list of 'to do's' which will (hopefully) help you get that dream job in 2018 - most fairly obvious, but some often forgotten!

1) Prepare, prepare, prepare. I'd be a millionaire if I was given £50 for every time I got the feedback- 'I liked them but they didn't prepare enough'. Alright, not quite that often; but this is the most frustrating feedback. The balls in your court, you're only letting yourself down.

2) Match your skills with the Job Spec. Take your time to go through the Job spec. Everything the hiring manager is looking for in their perfect candidate is on that piece of paper. Take the time to match your skills with each point and illustrate them with examples from your CV/experience. Tick the boxes on the JD and you'll stand in good stead moving forward.

3) For heavens sake, turn up on time! Scrap that, turn up 10 mins early - first impressions can often be hard to shake. Plan your route and aim to get to the area 30 mins before hand. Grab yourself a cheeky Costa, take a minute to relax and delve through the history of #ShepShouts articles.

4) And Breathe...What's the worst that can happen? Chill out. Enjoy the process, it's an exciting time. You'll learn so much from just speaking to different people and seeing different environments. It's a hard thing to do but let the moment take you and demonstrate you have the right skill set for the role. You won't do this if you get your knickers in a twist.

5) It's not all about you. Any interview I've led, the most successful candidates have always asked about me and the business. Although the interview is about you being right for them, it's also about the business being right for you. Ask questions, be interested. Dig deep and see what you find!

6) CLOSE. Hard one this - once gave this advice to a friend of mine, they turned around and said he was useless and they wouldn't employ him in 100 years. If the interview has gone well, tackle their reservations there and then. Do they have any? This will prove 2 things - your ability to close deals/ask the right question at the right time & that you want to impress. If they come back with negative feedback, it gives you a chance to prove them wrong.

7) Always follow up! Send an email of thanks through to the interviewer and members you met. This showcases a real sense of professionalism, whilst also taking the time to appreciate their sacrifice in meeting with you. No matter how well or badly the meet went - this is a must!

This is the small print part - the part where I claim I'm not responsible for any unsuccessful interviews. So please don't come and hunt me down. What I will guarantee though, is if you implement these points in to your interview technique you'll be in a better position to land that job!

By the looks of it you've drained your glass of vino, the dogs run off with one of your baubles and you're probably a little dissatisfied with your Christmas gift from me. Unfortunately this is non-returnable.

All that's left to say is that I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Take care and see you all in 2018.

HoHoHo #ShepShouts

Cheers,

Nick

Nick Sheppard

Moriati Recruitment Consultant