A website designed for the ‘aesthetically challenged’ was quite intriguing so I decided to take a look. BIG regret.

Within minutes of setting up an account and having it all approved by the powers that be I began receiving ‘Winks’ and ‘Private Messages’ from random people up and down the country. Not willing to pay for anything I could only see the subject line of these messages, all of which were harmless and boosted my ego no end.

Only problem was I had forgotten that if you posted images on a public domain they could get picked up via external sources.

Imagine my mortification when less than a week later, website completely forgotten about, I received a picture message from an ex boyfriend with caption ‘recognise someone’.

The image was from an email received as part of a monthly subscription to FHM magazine and at the bottom was my happy smiling face under the title ‘The Dates’. I was FULLY clothed.

Having since been completely ribbed by all my male friends about having to succumb to an ugly people dating website to try and find a date I soon learnt that I was not the only one to have an innocent image appear, unknowingly, as a space filler.

An acquaintance revealed how she had but some images of her boyfriend in his boxers on Facebook and a month or so later he appeared on an advert at the side of the page.

So beware of putting up pictures in a public space as you never know what they are going to end up being used for.

• Read a different newspaper every day either in print or online – immerse yourself in the media. How do different titles report stories in different ways?
• Listen to a different radio show each week – radio consumption is on the up, get familiar with the many shows available on a regional and national level
• Get on LinkedIn – see it as your online CV
• Get involved with Twitter – start following PR agencies, look to see who the influencers are, who’s saying what and what topics and themes drive conversations
• Manage your online reputation – what comes up on Google if a potential employer Googles your name? Privacy settings on Facebook are your friend!
• Get writing – start a blog, contribute to your university paper, use Twitter to engage and comment on other people’s blogs
• Get experience – get some work experience at a local PR agency, is there any communications or PR work you can do for your university student union?
• Research – find out what’s going on in the industry. Read PR Moment.com, PR Week or find out about your local CIPR group

With bonfires erupting over Millbank the police were forced to make up to 35 arrests with the aftermath calling into question that the Met should have anticipated the violence and put on more officers.

The row itself has erupted after ministers decided to hike tuition fees to £9k a year. This does not take into account the inflation which will see these costs rise more and more each year.

One of my friends studied History at Canterbury University when the £3k fees came into force and worked out that her lectures were costing her £25 an hour and tuition costing 50p per minute.

Whilst at University, myself, I only spent a few hours each week and still had to pay for materials and printing costs due to the majority of the tuition fees going to the lecturers on their research.

When seeing the news as the violence erupted in our capital it saddened me to see how such a good cause soon turned into little more than a shambles with the cause of the protests becoming lost amongst the outcry of violence.

It’s great to see that protesters in Manchester combated this by holding up placards stating ‘Smash the cuts, not the windows’ but with most front pages showing images of violence, to attract readers, lets hope this does not deter the Tories from creating a solution

So with the nation tightening their belts anxious of the spending cuts, which are to be announced tomorrow, we look on in amazed horror at the findings of the Whitehall Efficiency Review.

For the past few weeks headlines have screamed out to us about cuts to Healthcare and Pensions so we did not expect to learn how Whitehall could save billions just on their own spending.

Sir Phillip Green, owner of the Arcadia Empire, was brought in by David Cameron in August after our faith in MP’s faded in light of the Expenses Scandal. When the news broke we learnt of how MP’s had been claiming second homes and spending £1000’s without having to declare a penny.

The report, revealed this week, told of how the government had been wasting over £20 billion a year when they should have been taking advantage of buying in bulk and taking out well researched contracts which would have stopped them from paying £1.31 for a government leaflet when the commercial rate is just 20p. This alone would have saved them a staggering £10 million.

Simple cuts such as using Video Conferencing instead of forking out on London hotel rooms and travelling in the cramped confines of economy, like the rest of us, could save them up to a further £50 million.

The price of vending machine coffee ranges from 90p to £1.45 per coffee just by using different suppliers for the same job.

Maybe it’s time consumer’s taught Whitehall how to become more shopping savvy. With a little shopping know how you can cut costs on everyday goods.

The corner shop charges more for milk than your supermarket. The cost of a couple of chickens outweighs the price you will spend, in a lifetime, on eggs. Primark (otherwise known as Primarni) socks and t-shirts are just as good as your higher end retailer. Buying a thermos and taking your own coffee in the mornings will save you up to £15 a week.

So whilst we await tomorrow’s revelation with bated breath we hope that after Sir Phillip’s grand unveiling everyone in Whitehall, is at least paying the same amount for a Mars Bar as their colleagues situated just a few 100 meters down the road.

There are some serious problems with 3D TV which will mean that it won’t catch on anytime soon. First of all, it’s extremely costly. At about £6 for a film rental is it certainly going to be an unjustifiable extravagance for most people, especially considering the technology (stereoscopy) has been around for while. Of course, you also require new TV to cope with viewing in 3D and that is sure to ruin your Christmas shopping plans.

The other issue is that until someone tackles the embarrassingly angular ‘eyewear’ that comes with 3D (and when I say come with, I mean buy as an added extra), I don’t think I’ll be watching a 3D TV. Despite re-assurances that the glasses can also be used for UV protection, they still look a bit odd and seem to only fit about 5% of the population.

Despite the obvious issues of cost and the need for uncomfortable glasses, I’m sure that actually, it will be the next big thing. It might be a bit of a gimmick at the moment but, the fact is that just like those smug “why don’t you just get a Mac” types, there will be many people who want to have the latest gadget and will pay the price. 3D TV will probably take-off just like Apple’s products have, and frankly, even if it’s not until the cost comes down and there’s a 3D channel, I will eventually be one if them!

The race is certainly on to be the first to bring the first autostereoscopic (i.e. no eyewear needed) TVs to market and by next year, most people will probably be considering jumping on the bandwagon.

We’ve monitored the conversations amongst the mobile community and published a social media report providing insight into the news and issues shaping the mobile content world.

You’d be surprised at quite how much adult and erotic mobile content is discussed on Twitter! In fact, the term ‘mobile content’ on Twitter is clearly owned by the adult and erotic content business with ‘free’, ‘erotic’, ‘adult’ and ‘naked’ ranking as the most popular words alongside mobile content.

To find out more, you can see the report in full here: http://www.speedcommunications.com/mobileinsight

Why must London’s chronically overloaded and often paralysed transport network be the topic of local and national news? I mean seriously, why is there such widespread panic and almost compulsory usage of superlatives like “chaos” and “misery,” when there are other greener and more pleasant travel alternatives? Other modes of transport include walking, rollerblading, running, uni-cycling or even Boris Biking, (although Boris Bikes perhaps aren’t necessarily so good for tourists.)

Considering the fact that these great London Tube strikes will always be in the news agenda whether they are boring and frustrating or not, I wanted to disperse the stories with some little known facts about the underground:

• The busiest station is Waterloo, with approximately 49,000 people passing through it each morning (TFL)
• Apparently the following wildlife can be found on the Tube Network, woodpeckers, deer, sparrow hawks, bats, grass snakes, great crested newts, slow worms (TFL) – I guess rodents don’t count as wildlife.
• The Jubilee line is the only line to connect with all others on the tube map (a swift inspection of the map confirms this)
• Harry Beck, designer of the tube map in 1933, was only paid five guineas for his original job. His design is still the basis of today’s tube map (Goingunderground.net)
• The first person to be born on the tube was born in 1924, Elephant and Castle, she is one of only three babies ever to be born on the tube (The Independent)
• When the Circle line opened in 1884 it was described in The Times as “a form of mild torture which no person would undergo if he could conveniently help it” – nothing changes I suppose. (Evening Standard)

Now this obviously caught my attention straight away. With the highest number of students not achieving places at university this year, can they now rely on aesthetics over education to help propel their careers? Can good looks really be the key to getting that sought after job at a time when vacancies are at their ultimate low?

My experience of being in full time employment (I am fast approaching my first nine months in PR) tells me this isn’t the case. A pretty face can work only so far, I mean it’s not going to write those press releases for you, or come up with an angle for newsjacking, and it certainly isn’t going to help you fill in those tricky timesheets. Beauty may be a rather helpful tool in opening doors of opportunity, but it will hit you bang on your backside if you can’t step up to the plate and consistently keep performing.

Hard graft, resourcefulness and a willingness to learn seem to be the key attributes needed to keep climbing that career ladder so it isn’t surprising that the research also suggests that the ability to do the actual job was found to be the most important factor in hiring a candidate, with qualifications coming a close second.

So before writing off those hard-earned degrees and time and effort spent on gaining experience, think to yourself; appearances may be what make a good first impression, but ability is what will make that impression last.

Currently looking for a flat share in London myself, trying to make sure I don’t end up living with a weirdo is no mean feat. The Easyroommate and Flatshare websites have begun organising Speed Flat Mating events in and around London. This is a great way to meet potential roomies and make new friends.

In the same way as Speed dating you get given a name badge. If you’re looking to rent you display your name, budget and desired area. For those who are trying to rent their rooms out they display their name, rental amount and the nearest overland/tube station. Once everyone’s arrived and you’ve had a few bevies, for Dutch courage, the mingling begins.

Feeling bleary eyed on my long commute home I ended up coming across a feature in the Evening Standard about some commuters living in tents on Lea Valley Leisure Complex to avoid the Monday – Friday slog. They call themselves ‘Camputers’, I call them nuts. I, for one, will be packing up my tent at the end of festival season and it won’t be coming out until V Festival next year. In the mean time I will carry on looking for the flatshare of my dreams and speed sharing until the right one comes along.

To commemorate this milestone we’re organising a ‘school reunion’-style party on Tuesday 23 March for all the people that have ever worked for any of the businesses that make-up Speed.

The format will be after work at our office in Leicester Square from 6.30pm. We’ll provide the food, drinks and music.

We’d really love you to come along – please drop us an email if you can make it.