Vine vs Instagram: Will Vine survive this battle?

Hello everyone! Like usual, before I go ahead and start talking about this week’s topic, Vine vs Instagram. I want to go ahead and give you all some updates on what is going on with me this past week.

As you all know I just recently became a student blogger of myEdu and this past week they published my first article, “Three Tips to Land the Internship You Want”. You should check it out, I give some cool pointers on stuff that I struggled with and things I have learned the hard way throughout my process of getting an internship. You should also be on the watch because my next article for them is on the way and it is about time management in college.

My latest article for Xenfi, Inc. called “The Secrets of Branding Your Business the Right Way” was also published last week. In the article I revealed the secret ingredients on how to create a strong brand which will be relevant to your consumers, show your credibility, and give your business a competitive advantage in the market. In my next article for Xenfi, I will be giving few tips on how to create a killer logo for your business.

Today, I have been to a photo shoot for a Chicago musical, which I will be sharing the pictures 

here once I receive them.

Let’s get back to business!

The buzz of the moment is that Facebook’s Instagram just recently added a video sharing capability to compete with Twitter’s Vine. Vine has be growing in popularity with their ability to offer the same concept of Instgram but for video sharing. The question that everyone is asking themselves right now is, will Vine survive this battle?

The whole concept of having a social network where you could share only photographs implemented by Instagram has helped ease in to the public the concept implemented by Vine. However, in my opinion it is the same as Instagram but only for videos.

I can be a bit bias here since I prefer to use Instagram and I am a big fan of making life simple. With the addition of video to Instagram their users can just continue sharing their stuff with their network of friends, rather than having to build another profile and find all their friends again on Vine.

It is also good to note that Instagram is being backed up by Facebook, with a massive database which helps them on this aspect and Vine is backed up by Tiwtter. It is safe to say that almost everyone in the world has Facebook but not everyone has Twitter. I believe this will have a big influence in this battle.

In my opinion, Vine will not disappear but its popularity will fade away eventually becoming what Myspace is write now, ever since the introduction of Facebook to the world. It might be a bit harsh to say, but for me Instagram overall is a better app. Only time will tell if Vine’s future is bright after his battle.

See you all next time.. Tchau!!

The Giant has Awaken (#oGiganteAcordou)

Hello everyone, I am back! Before I start talking about the protest that is going on in Brazil, I want to give you guys some updates of the amazing things that have been happening in my life.

When I start working for Xenfi, Inc., I began writing this blog for fun, to share my internship experiences, advices that could help other students succeed in college, and some updates on what is going on in the world. Through my latest post on “Three Tips to Land the Internship You Want”, I been approached by a person that work at MyEdu and have received the great opportunity to be a student blogger for them. Their blog is called The Halls and I will now be sharing my experiences and tips about college through them. I will be still writing for this blog and updating you all on my latest post at MyEdu and Xenfi. 

Now about the protest that is going on in Brazil. I believe is very easy to understand if you come from a developing country where corruption, impunity, poverty, and education are among the population’s biggest problems. I have been so proud of my country right now for standing up for their rights and showing our corrupted government that we will not tolerate these types of things anymore. Brazil has spent twice as much money for the 2014 World Cup than all the last three World Cups combined. They want to pass a law called PEC 37 that will allow the deputy’s to keep matters private whenever they see fit, so agencies that monitor the government cannot hold them accountable for their actions. In addition, they tried to raise 20 cents on public transportation. However, this action didn’t see the day light thanks to proud Brazilians who went to the streets and protested for their rights.

I always loved my country but today I am the proudest Brazilian ever. My greatest concerned is, after all this has passed and the election comes by again, will we repeat the same mistakes? This protest has blown out of proportion due to the amount of attention directed to Brazil, but when that attention is gone will we make the right decisions? I wish as a Brazilian that we realize our mistakes and from now on start making better choices, not only that but keep the people who we elect accountable for their promises and actions.

No more being “OK” with the fact that our government is corrupt, no more electing uneducated people as our deputy’s, no more allowing yourself to be blind folded by the media. Stand out and make a difference! Go to the streets (#vemprarua) and show your patriotism! Just keep in mind whenever the elections come by, get involved and remember the things we’ve been through and choose someone that is prepared to change this country for better and keep them accountable for their actions.

O Gigante Acordou... Let’s fight for our rights Brazil!

If you want more information click on the link and watch this great video... Why you should not go to the World Cup.

See you all next time… Tchau!!

Three Tips to Land the Internship You Want

As an international student I struggled a lot to get my internship. There are billions of university pamphlets, articles, websites, books, seminars, and YouTube videos with “valuable” advice on how to land that so wanted internship. If you have already seen these tips before: 

·         Edit and proofread your resumes and cover letters

·         Clean up your social media accounts

·         Dress appropriately and be 15 minutes early to an interview

·         Send thank you notes

·         Don’t be too shy, find a way to stand out

·         Look interviewer in the eye and have a firm handshake,

·         Build your network.
Chances are you read and watched almost all of them, like me.

It would be stupid of me to tell you that these things don’t help you, but it is all common sense. If you are not doing these things, you are a little league trying to qualify for the Grand Slams. If this information is new to you I would advise you, to do like I did in the beginning, and go to your university’s career service. Don’t be shy or embarrassed to ask for the career services’ help, use and abuse of all their resources because at the end of the day that’s why they are there for. If you want you can also take a look at my university’s website and discover the Internship Basics.

Like I have mentioned before I have read many articles which gave me advice on how to get an internship, but through my experience and the experience of my close friends in Brazil and in the US, I learned that the real thing is completely different. So here are a few tips I want to share that helped me land my internship:

1.    Find your Passion

Find an industry, position, or company that interests you or something you would want to do even if you were not paid for. Don’t forget the whole point of doing an internship is not only gaining experience, putting it on your resume, and exploring the different career opportunities. It is all these thing, but it is important to remember internships lead to a future jobs.

2.    Do your homework

If you think spending 30 minutes looking at the company’s website is enough research, you are very wrong. Doing so is like looking to through the PowerPoint without going to class and expect to get an A on the course. Research includes not only the products or services offered by the company, but the business itself. Who are the major competitors, minor competitors, what are they known for, what kind of people work there, latest news, etc. Also, get familiar with the products and services offered by them, through in-depth online research, someone who used it, or if possible by using it yourself.

Don’t be afraid to speak up and talk about what you researched, but never lie. What I learned is if you are not familiar with the subject be honest because interviewers know when you are lying. We have a saying in Brazil “mentira tem perna curta”, which literally means that lies have short legs and people will catch up to them fast.

3.    See the Big Picture

What I mean by seeing the big picture is, finding what you and the company are getting from you working for them. What helps me see it is, visualizing my role in the company and what will I bring to the table that can benefit them in a way that no one else can. Once I was able to see it, than it was a lot easier for me to explain my qualities and experience that go along with what the company does.

Hopefully this will help you, like it helped me. Don’t forget to utilize your university’s career services, never lie, and be yourself. If you get nervous… its ok. I actually believe it to be a good thing, because it means you really care about the interview and want the job really bad. Just don’t allow yourself to be nervous because you are not well prepared. If you did everything you should, just take a deep breath and remember that you are as good as you believe you are!
See you next time… Tchau!! 

The Neymar and Barcelona Novel Came to an End

Hello everyone I am back!! After my first post introducing myself to you all, I couldn't wait to write more about the things which I have been learning and experiencing in my life. The hard part was actually choosing one topic out of the many I have been following and reading about recently. Since, I am a huge soccer fan and was able to follow this player’s career from the beginning. I will give you my insights on the most commented transfer in the soccer world this past week of Neymar Jr. moving from Santos FC to Barcelona FC.

When Neymar Jr. come upon the soccer world we was only 16 years old. He was the big promise for Brazilian soccer and Santos FC (that by the way is one of my team’s rival). After his first season with Santos, winning two titles for the club, Neymar gained the attention of many European teams such as Real Madrid and Barcelona. It wasn't only his soccer that caught the big clubs eyes but also his charisma. It was hard to find someone who did not like him even with all the goofy celebration, crazy hair styles, and his cocky attitude inside the field. 

In his second season for Santos, was when he really exploded by winning  several personal and club titles, with one of being the most important soccer tournament in the Americas (Libertadores). After that season EVERY single Brazilian expected that big European clubs were going to take him away, like normally happens to the players his league. The beauty of this whole story is that the usual didn't happen. Neymar stayed in Santos, even after receiving million dollar offers from European clubs. Santos and Neymar’s agent, who is actually his dad, where very smart in keeping him in Brazil. Neymar was earning millions of dollars by endorsing products, showing up in commercials, and building a massive online fan base that will support him forever (like Justin Bieber).  Him being really young at the time, and moving to Europe with all the pressure put on him, could have actually been devastating for his career. If he failed to perform the way he was expected to, his whole career could have crumbled and he wouldn't be that star player that he is right now.

This past week, the expected has arrived and Santos FC couldn't hold Neymar in Brazil any longer. Being bombarded with consecutive offers from Real Madrid and Barcelona, it was just a matter of time for them to surrender. Especially because if Santos didn't sell Neymar in this transfer window they wouldn't have made one third of the money they made right now, since his contract with Santos would've ended. So it happened, Santos accepted the offer of both Real Madrid (42 million euros) and Barcelona (32 million euros) and let Neymar decide where he wanted to go and he choose Barcelona.The choice was obvious since by quoting Neymar's words "we learned to play soccer" after being schooled by Barcelona on the FIFA World Cup of Clubs in 2011, he had kind of made a “gentleman’s agreement” with Barca about going to play for them in the future.

What I also experienced following his story along the years was that at the end, people were excited for him going to play for Barcelona... YES, but they were more relived because this whole novel was over. Neymar was presented to Barcelona on Monday, June 3, with almost 30 thousand people filling up Camp Nou (Bracelon’s Stadium) to see him. If that is not enough, he also stopped Brazilian national TV channels just to show him being presented as Barcelona’s player. In my opinion he did what was right by following his heart and not his wallet.

As a business and marketing student what I take from this whole novel of Neymar and Barcelona is that Santos and Neymar’s agent were really smart. They marketed his image so well in Brazil and in the world, that sometimes I believe he is actually better known for his funky hair styles and humor on the web, than for his actual soccer skills. They held back to not under sell him when they needed, and let him go when they felt there were no more opportunities for him in Brazil. They knew, in order for Neymar to increase his value as a player and expand the marketability of his image he had to go to Europe. If you don’t be believe me check out the article release at globo.com the day after he was presented as Barcelona’s player, which states that his net worth grew 22, 6% the day he put on Barca’s shirt.

Thanks for taking your time to read it and see next time... Tchau!! 

Image sourced from globo.com