Following a robust performance during the recession last year, Enterprise Ireland client companies are expected to create 60,000 jobs over the next five years.

According to its 2009 annual report, 7,443 new jobs were created in Enterprise Ireland-supported companies, bringing the total number employed to 133,523. While 19,078 jobs were lost in 2009 the investment pipeline for 2010 indicates that new jobs created will exceed 2009 figures.
Enterprise Ireland is the Government agency responsible for the development of Irish companies and driving Irish export sales. Enterprise Ireland client companies are responsible for over 250,000 jobs (134,000 directly employed) and spend an estimated €19bn per annum in the Irish economy, delivering huge economic impact to communities across almost every town in Ireland.
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Mr Batt O’Keeffe T.D. speaking about the agency’s annual report said a key priority for Government is to continue to deliver on the Smart Economy Framework and implement the recommendations of the Innovation Task Force. “We will support the continued growth of entrepreneurial-led firms that will underpin Ireland’s global reputation as a centre for innovation providing high-value, sustainable jobs,” he stated.
“We estimate that these firms, and other Enterprise Ireland-supported start-ups, can between them generate 60,000 jobs over the next five years,” said O’Keeffe.
Frank Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Ireland said the agency’s ambition and confidence for its client companies is high. “They have overcome difficult challenges in the past 18 months, demonstrated exceptional resilience and in many cases they have come through stronger, leaner, fitter, more innovative, and definitely ready to capitalise on the global recovery now in evidence.”
Ryan said that 2010 is about building for growth and global success. Enterprise Ireland is driving and supporting a high level of activity across key business areas - developing new markets, growing more entrepreneur-led businesses, co-financing company R&D, driving the commercialisation of third level research for the benefit of industry. Resources and efforts in these key areas are being intensified to support our clients in every way possible to ensure they capitalise on the global recovery.”

Been singing in to your hairbrush in front of the mirror for as long as you can remember and haven’t been discovered yet? Maybe it’s time to put your musical knowledge and natural talent to good use and get a job as a music show presenter – on the internet!
Dublin-based MUZU.tv which is known for having the largest legal library of music videos on the Internet with a loyal viewership of 3.5 million, has launched the “The Faces of Muzu.tv” competition.

According to Dave Fannin, a producer at MUZU.tv, the company is delighted to begin the process of developing quirky, fun MUZU.tv shows.
“We really think that the search will provide a unique opportunity for anyone who loves music but is also seeking to gain the elusive foothold in television and Web presenting…. Our goal is to find people who can represent us and connect with our users by being friendly and relatable. As a music video website we are passionate about our subject matter and would expect the same from our presenters – whether their forte is music-related fashion, dance or a specific genre/style – all interests are welcome.”
The organisers want to cast the net as wide as possible so the Faces of MUZU.tv search is open to anyone who feels they have the energy and talent to front a music show. “Previous experience is always a plus but it isn’t a necessity – there are potential presenters out there who are just naturally gifted and definitely deserve to be given a chance. Certain skills can be learned but charisma is not one of them.”
Most shows will be recorded on a weekly basis, whereas music news will be daily. The initial flagship shows will cover all music genres, and include music news, reviews, performance and interviews from international as well as home grown artists.
There is a catch though – an obvious one for the roles in question – the application process involves submitting a video reel which will be available for other applicants and visitors to the MUZU.tv site to view. “There is the option for people to leave comments for or about their favourite presenters which will mean that the search is incorporating public opinion as well. The successful candidates will be asked to do a couple of screen tests at the MUZU studios before any final decisions are made,” he adds.
According to Fannin, MUZU.tv has plenty more ideas in the pipeline and he feels certain other concepts will emerge when they meet applicants. “There’s definitely potential for a host of different personalities to find a home at MUZU.tv.”
See: http://www.muzu.tv/thefacesofmuzutv

Social media seems to be the buzzword of the season. But what does it really mean for jobseekers? Is it enough to connect with recruiters on social media sites? Or is there more to it?
Prosperity asked communications consultant Damien Mulley about his thoughts on whether building on a social media presence make a jobseeker a more attractive candidate.
Whether you are looking for a job or in a company, says Mulley, there will be people Googling you. Having a social media presence gives a potential employer or recruiter something to learn about a potential candidate.
“The more that somebody can learn about you and the more you can show off by your blog or your Facebook page or your Twitter page, the more you can almost prep people in advance of chatting to you or meeting you that you’re an expert or have more knowledge in certain areas than other people. It’s a good way of saying this is who I am, this is my area of expertise and this is me sharing information with a large network of people.”

Mulley’s personal opinion is that in the future companies will have more of an emphasis of hiring staff with the most connections to knowledgeable people, as opposed to just hiring knowledgeable people.
“So [hiring] employees with a large Twitter following and a large number of people on Facebook are probably the ones that will be able to get you the information you are looking for faster,” he comments.
LinkedIn is another social network of importance, but very underused in Ireland. Great for lead generation and meeting new people in your business area, to their detriment many people see it as a static CV, uploading information and updating it once a year. Mulley says people should be going out on the discussion forums or using LinkedIn Answers to contribute information and show off their expertise. “People will know of you and you’ll gain a reputation.”
Apart from just having social media accounts, Mulley reinforces the fact that people update them – and ideally with an opinion. “I think companies that are looking for employees want people who can think about things, who can analyse things.”
Now that the default for Twitter and Facebook accounts is public, jobseekers with private accounts have to realise they are competing with other people who want to share with the world.
Mulley believes private Twitter accounts are almost a contradiction on what Twitter is all about. “Twitter is all about sharing information with a large number of people and contributing to public conversations… At the end of the day it doesn’t hide anything if you’ve a private account and send a message out, somebody can copy and paste that message and send it out to their network… all it takes is for one person to retweet that and 1,000 people have seen it or 10,000. It’s grasping at privacy straws.”

An online video tool that has an application in recruitment was the winner of the Bank of Ireland Bright Ideas Challenge Grand Final last week.
Sonru.com allows recruiters to conduct an interview with candidates without both parties having to be online at the same time. It mimics a live interview, candidates don’t see the questions in advance – they are given 30 seconds to read each question and have a specified amount of time to provide their answer.
Candidates and jobseekers also have the option of trying out the Sonru VIP product, which is a video interview preparation tool that allows them to test themselves and hone their interview skills.

The brainchild of founder Edward Hendrick, the Sonru.com concept has been developed by CTO Chris Horan over the past two years. Fergal O’Byrne, CEO of Sonru and former CEO of the Irish Internet Association, says it is neither Skype nor YouTube. “We are educating the market. Companies think that anybody can see the video and that it’s like another YouTube. Unlike Skype the interviewer and interviewee don’t have to be online at the same time.”
According to O’Byrne, the main users of this innovative online video tool in recruitment are large companies and recruitment agencies wishing to recruit numbers of people remotely. Feedback has been very good from both recruiters and candidates. The real thing that candidates liked, he says, is that it gave them back some time; they didn’t have to take a day off work.
“From the candidates’ perspective it means they can be interviewed on their time and their location without having to incur the expense and the hassle of travelling to do an interview. That’s been the big plus from the candidates’ point of view.”
In addition, one of the reasons it appeals to both employers and candidates is that it’s secure. As it’s behind a password-protected area it’s not shared with the whole world and is not going to be a YouTube viral hit.
However, candidates must remember that as it mimics a face-to-face interview and is videoed, the recommendation is to dress appropriately, have proper lighting and not to have a messy room behind you.

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