Monthly Archives: September 2010

Industrial placement; Unpaid internship or start a business?

A degree of common sense?

As financial pressures continue to bite, and with many more students and graduates chasing after work experience, employers have found themselves in a strong position with regards to offering unpaid work placements.  Many degree courses expect their students to have completed some element of industrial placement enable them to proceed to final year.  In the current environment demand for placements outstrip supply.  Are the universities missing a trick? Continue reading

Does NI need more business angel networks? Seedcorn deadline approaches

Angel investment gives you wiiiings

While Northern Ireland currently has one very strong angel investor network in Halo does this lack of competition actually hinder our startups chances of securing funding quickly, if at all, rather than help them? Continue reading

How (not) to kill creativity; With thanks to Teresa M. Amabile – Part 1

Don't kill creativity

With the Digital Circle (DC) elections now done and dusted I felt it was timely to jot down my thoughts about encouraging creativity as its is broadly linked.  Further stimulus arrived on Monday by way of a tweet from one of the newly elected members of the steering group.  While this post isn’t aimed specifically at the work of that fine institution, there are parallels to some of the ideas raised.  DC is involved in the business of supporting digital creativity in all forms after all.  I am drawing shamelessly from the work of Teresa M. Amabile as well as on my own experiences from various roles. Continue reading