To see the full Q&A visit the Guardian site here. But in the meantime, here are our top tips:

1. There’s a common misconception that in order to break into this industry you must take part in unpaid internships. This simple isn’t true – there are plenty of reputable companies that offer paid internships. Do your research, and when applying make sure you tailor each application to the particular company. The fashion industry is extremely competitive – you must make your application stand out from the crowd.
2. Start building up contacts within the industry through networking events and conferences. The individuals you meet and connect with, may very well be able to offer good advice, or perhaps know of organisations looking to take on new staff.  And it’s not uncommon to find a position by regularly attending such events.
3. Another common question we get asked is whether a PR degree is a ‘must have’.  If you have gained a PR degree and have some work experience then that’s obviously great but other degrees are viewed upon favourably too – the important thing is showing that you have had the nouse to gain some solid relevant experience.
4. Get social! Twitter, Facebook and blogs are a must have for those interested in breaking into fashion PR.  Organisations everywhere are turning to social media to source information, share news, and even look for employees. So if you are not using them, you may very well being missing out. And blogs are a great platform to demonstrate your knowledge of designers, media, and of course your writing skills! They can easily be set up, and make you stand out.
5. Speak to a specialist recruitment consultancy who can offer you advice on the best approach. They will also be able to provide you with assistance on creating stand out CVs, covering letters and interview advice.
6. Last but by no mean least – never give up! The economy might still be facing uncertainty, and competition for jobs is fierce, however perseverance does pay off.

Follow these tips, and you’ll be well on your way. And get in touch below with your experiences – we’d love to hear them.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of the case in due course. However, the story turned our thoughts to social media policies, and how they are implemented. Employees across the country, and particularly within the recruitment sector, are increasingly using social media as an integral part of their jobs – to source both clients and candidates. So employers now face the challenge of protecting their business while at the same time ensuring they make the most of the opportunities social media has to offer.

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Was the employer in question right to discipline the employee, and do you have a social media policy in place at your organisation – or perhaps you are now considering one? Let us know by commenting below.

Despite the overall economic environment, we have seen our net fee income increase by 36%, and also welcomed several new faces to the Handle family – taking our headcount to 42.  These are great results for us which are testament to the excellent team we have, and the strength of the client relationships in place.  Additionally, as our client base continues to look beyond domestic borders for its revenue growth, we have also been instrumental in executing a number of international recruitment assignments which we will continue to build on this year.

So despite there still being a great deal of uncertainty over the economy, hiring within the media and entertainment sector continues to buck the trend. This is great news for our clients who have been inundating us with vacancies over the past few weeks, and for all those job seekers looking for their next position!

So if you’re a business looking for assistance with vacancies get in touch on 020 7569 9999.  And if you’re looking for your next exciting role, visit our site for the latest jobs.

Our HR team is growing and so whether you are an HR professional looking for a new role – or an organisation seeking to appoint a permanent or interim member of your HR team – then we really ought to be talking. You can contact us by clicking on our names.  We look forward to meeting you!

David Johnston – Director

About me:  I’ve had over twelve years’ experience within recruitment with almost a decade of that spent at Handle. Over that time, I’ve been able to build significant relationships with many of the key HR contacts within the media and entertainment sector.

An interesting fact: I worked on a project in house at Sony Music across all business areas to facilitate internal recruitment processes.

Best Christmas present: An Easter trip to Paris.

Worst Christmas Present: None! I had a very specific list.

Amanda Manning

About me: I began my professional career as a Dental Nurse and Radiographer in Leeds before relocating to Sydney. Back in the UK, I decided on a complete career change and have been recruiting HR professionals for six years.

An interesting fact:  As an avid cyclist, I commute by bike 25 miles a day and am hoping to do the London to Barcelona ride for charity in the summer.

Best Christmas present:  My iPad!  A complete surprise and makes me feel like a giant when I go to use my iPhone straight after!

Worst Christmas Present:  A red and white spotty wool hat… It makes me look like Noddy.

Charlotte Perkins

About Me: I’m fairly new to Handle although I have been a professional recruiter for seven years.  Having discovered a passion for recruiting within the creative industries, Handle, with its unrivalled reputation in this area, was the obvious choice!

An interesting fact:  Last year I completed the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu.

Best Christmas present: Vera Wang Princess Perfume – love it!

Worst Christmas present: Socks – have lost them already!

Stephanie Goldfinch

About Me: After successfully completing a Graduate Recruitment scheme in 2010 and supporting the set up of a commercial HR desk, I joined Handle to combine my interest in HR with my passion for the music, entertainment, media and retail industries.

An interesting fact:  This year’s New Year’s Resolution is to do a Sky Dive.

Best Christmas Present:  The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.

Worst Christmas Present:  Earrings – I don’t have my ears pierced!

Victoria Adams (nee Ballantine)

About Me: I started my HR recruitment career back in 2005 in Northern Ireland.  I then moved to London and wanted to work for a recruitment agency with a defined industry focus and so joined the Office team at Handle before moving to the Human Resources Division.

An Interesting Fact: Just like Dr Who I currently have 2 hearts (One belongs to my as yet unborn baby!).

Best Christmas Present: Downton Abbey Box Set – to keep me amused during my maternity leave.

Worst Christmas Present: A towel and facecloth with my name on it (!?!).

Gillian Bell – HR Director

About me:  I’ve been a practicing HR professional for almost twenty years with over a decade in the media and entertainment sector. I always used Handle to source my staff and was delighted, five years ago, to make the move to the ‘other side’.  I have a varied role – from nurturing our wonderful Handle staff,  to working on ad hoc projects and even handling a few juicy HR recruitment assignments!

An interesting fact: I once recorded an album at the BBC studios!

Best Christmas present: X-factor Lucky Voice Karaoke set (technically Santa brought it for my daughter – but I wrestled the mic off her for most of Christmas day after a few sherries).

Worst Christmas Present:  Age-defying face cream, from my husband – enough said!

As 2012 starts, plenty of professionals start to think about a new job. And if you’re one of these people, you’ll be pleased to know that despite gloomy forecasts about the economy and the employment market, there are plenty of opportunities out there. We’ve been inundated with new roles in the past week, and we’re looking for talented candidates to fill them!

You can check out all the latest jobs here, but in the meantime take a look at our top tips to ensure you get one:

1. Your CV: Remember that at the beginning of any year, employers and recruiters are swamped with applications – so take the time to tailor your CV and cover letter to each role you are applying for.
2. Get social: Hiring managers are increasingly turning to social media platforms to advertise positions and source talent.  Ensure your LinkedIn profile details all your skills and experiences – treat it as your online CV. Start following potential employers on Twitter, or ‘like’ their Facebook page.
3. Interviews: Be aware that the process may be lengthy and it’s not uncommon to have two or three interviews with different members of the business. Be  prepared – you must be up-to-speed with your industry –  companies will expect you to not only have the ability to do the job, but also have a good knowledge of the industry in which they operate. Ensure you do plenty of research beforehand.
4. Get advice:  if you are using a specialist recruitment consultancy then utilise it fully. They can, and should, give you useful advice on a whole range of career issues.

By ensuring you follow these steps, you’ll be well on your way to finding a new, exciting position. Good luck!

In recent weeks, the news has been filled with stories of well known organisations handling their customers badly on social media sites.  Qantas was heavily criticised for its failure to communicate with passengers – some left stranded – when its planes were grounded due to industrial action. Blackberry – known for its business use – failed to communicate with customers at all during its recent service outage, and only last week Easyjet ran into problems.  Easyjet was bombarded with hostile Tweets following its decision to remove a blind lady from a flight because she didn’t have the correct paperwork allowing her guide dog to travel as well.  Whilst the issue was resolved, the concerns the lady in question and angry social media users voiced, was the lack of response from the company on its social media channels to the situation.

There’s no doubt that the likes of Twitter and Facebook have allowed brands to reach and engage instantly with a wider audience than previously possible. And whilst engaging with fans or followers when there is something positive to say is great, issues arise when the brand in question simply ignores the problem. As the examples above show, choosing this route can have a damaging and long term effect on a business.

What’s your view? Are brands becoming sloppy when it comes to their social media policies? Let us know by commenting below.

The fashionistas here at Handle have been keeping us updated, and the next few days look to be full of great offers, as well as inside insights from high profile figures from the world of fashion.  So what’s exactly in store? You can see a full schedule on the Vogue website but some things to watch out for are:

1. Each day at 1pm will see a live blogging session of top professionals in the fashion industry giving advice on embarking on a career in this field.
2. Each day will see a ‘Twitter takeover’ featuring a high profile industry pro that will be on hand to answer your questions.
3. Hundred of retailers will be offering exclusive offers only available online to those that follow fashion week.

With a mixture of both high end fashion designers including Mulberry, Alexander McQueen & Chanel, and high street names such as Reiss, Net-a-porter and Harrods, the weeklong event looks to be full of choice for consumers looking for a bargain in the run up to Christmas – without having to visit the shops!

Are you following fashion week?  Are online fashion events going increase in popularity as a result of social media?  Let us know by commenting below.

We’re delighted to welcome Andy Watts to the Handle family as Director of our Executive Search Division.

Andy, who has an impressive fifteen year track record with specialist boutique recruiters in the media and broadcast sectors, will have a particular remit for further developing and expanding the company’s broadcast client base.

And despite the economic uncertainty, demand for talent in this area is strong.

“We are seeing real demand for high quality candidates in the key areas of content acquisition, distribution and marketing – particularly in the digital space. This is fundamentally being driven by the way we are now choosing to consume our content – increasingly via laptop, mobile and on demand services. Additionally, the continuing development of Smart TV’s represents exciting times for the industry”.

So say hello by e-mailing Andrew.watts@handle.co.uk

The most interesting initiative we have heard of is the ‘virtual mirror’, and whilst this is not currently available on the UK high street it is certainly a novel concept. Invented by Cisco, the mirror enables consumers to see how an item would look without the need to try the garment on – they can even send it to Facebook or Twitter friends to get their opinion!  The ability to save time in the fitting room appears to be the biggest attraction to the device, although it remains to be seen if it will be a true reflection of what something would look like on yourself.  If, like, us you’re intrigued, you will be able to try this new product from next year – we’ll certainly be popping into the Oxford Street shops to take a look on our lunch break!

Another recent product aimed at making the shopping experience better is the virtual pop-up shop available through Debenhams.  Debenhams has rolled out pop-up stores in various locations which allow customers to see on a hand held device what clothes would look like on them and then purchase them there and then. The advantage, it seems, is for busy people who don’t want the hassle of making a trip to a busy department store and queuing to buy and pay for clothes

In keeping with the virtual pop-up stores, Oasis has also recently rolled out in store tablet PCs to improve the shopping experience. They work in the same way as Debenhams’ hand held devices – allowing customers to avoid queues – and customers can even order the item and have it delivered within 90 minutes. Impressive.

We’ll be keeping a close eye out on these new developments, and trying them all out – after all we don’t need an excuse to shop! But it certainly seems that retail brands are upping their game in the lead up to Christmas in a bid to increase revenue, and get consumers buying in store at the rate they used to.  Let us know what you think, have you tried any of them out?