Ecom Recruitment Blog

ECOM's Inaugural Creative Drinks

The winter nights are drawing in. The temperature is slowly dropping. Attention is turning towards Christmas. Somewhere in East London, the ECOM Creative team enjoyed a few drinks with some of their candidates…

The Water Poet was the setting for this Wednesday night affair. A cosy, wood furnished pub in the heart of the city, it served the perfect backdrop for a meeting of creatives.

We thought it would be good to catch up with the people that work and represent ECOM so well, and for them to reacquaint themselves with consultants who consistently set them up with great work at top London agencies and companies.

Once the free drinks were flowing – beer, wine and spirits alike - the conversations started. Consultants and candidates mixed seamlessly into conversations about work, football, London – and everything else in between.

We occupied an outside, cavernous area that was crammed by around 8pm. When people tried to get another drink or nip to the toilet, it was like an 8.30am tube ride on the Central line. Thanks for everyone that came and made it the night that it was, and we hope you enjoyed it too!

After about 9, those with families and appetites left, but a hardcore few remained until late. Ideas were thrown about, including that of an ECOM creative calendar. 12 consultants, 12 months, it makes too much sense not too! Let us know if you would be keen on one for a charitable cause. We are planning a similar night in the not too distant future due to the success of the inaugural meeting, so stay tuned for news!

 

R.I.P Steve Jobs

One day after Apple showcased the birth of a new product (the iPhone 4S), a long standing member of the Apple family unfortunately passed away. A co-founder, ex-CEO and chairman at Apple, Jobs has undoubtedly left his mark on the world; be it through his words, actions, or inventions. One of these is sure to have touched us at some point.

His influence was so great that hours after his resignation was made public, Apple’s share prices dropped by 3%. Everyone in the world knew what Jobs meant to Apple – he was the driving force behind their innovation, and it comes as no surprise that their success started when Jobs had returned to the company after a hiatus to rival firm (that was eventually bought by Apple) NeXT, reigniting the brand.

The iPod started off a string of products that had never been seen before. Critics speculated that no one would buy something that they didn’t know if they needed, but time after time, first with the iPod, then the iPhone and now the iPad, Apple seem to be experts in creating a new market in technology for products we seemingly had no need or desire for previously. It’s not that portable music players didn’t exist, but the way Apple innovated with iTunes and then the App Store differentiated the Apple products from the rest – seamlessly delivering outstanding customer service.

Even now the rest of the market seems to be behind. Apple release the iPhone, and other smart phones inevitably follow. The iPad is unveiled, and then the Blackberry Playbook, Motorola Xoom and Amazon Kindle follow. The App store, which is a driving force behind the success of Apple products, is followed by the Android app store.

All the while, it seemed somewhat painfully inevitable. After news emerged that Jobs had a long standing battle with pancreatic cancer (the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the world), and then his later resignation, the worst was feared, and unfortunately realised, this morning.

A world without Steve Jobs would be a different one. Would we have smart phones? Tablet computers? Would portable music be where it is today, being able to buy music with the click of a button? Would designers be frustratingly distressed, and subsequently balder, with the speed of Windows at work?

A driver of change, not only in what we do, but how we think, he inspired Apple employees company-wide and his fans alike. I’ll leave you with a quote from Jobs himself, which sums up his approach and the type of person he is perfectly:

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me… Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful… that's what matters to me”

Rest in peace.