Skipinnish have a vacancy on the Graduate Placement Scheme, and are looking for applications. Deadline 23rd July for this very exciting opportunity! Please pass this information on to anyone you think may be interested.

Many Thanks, Rachel.

Vacancy in Graduate Placement Programme

Sales and Marketing Graduate

Description: Innovative, Highland based company, Skipinnish are seeking a qualified Marketing & Sales Graduate to work in their busy office in Fort William.

The successful candidate will be a highly motivated, versatile, individual, committed to marketing all aspects of the Skipinnish brand. You will be an excellent communicator, and be computer literate, especially with programs such as Word and Excel.

You will be responsible for
• Creating and Maintaining databases
• Working closely with current customers
• Attracting new business to the company
• Managing and Processing Sales
• International marketing of the Skipinnish Brand
• Taking bookings & orders
• Mail shots / news letters / advertising
• Updating and improving the company website
• Promotion of the Skipinnish Brand on social net-working sites

You will be required to travel on a regular basis, and should have your own car and a clean driving license. Some evening and weekend work will also be required.

Qualifications: Degree in Marketing
Interest in traditional music would be beneficial

Term: Full Time Initial Fixed contract

Pay: £15,000 pa

Live in accommodation: No

Number of vacancies: 1

Contact Information:

Lesley Benfield
Graduate Placement Programme
People in Focus
Lochaber College
An Aird
PH33 6AN - Click for map

For an informal enquiry please email pif.lochaber@btinternet.com
or visit http://www.lochaberjobs.co.uk/jobdescription.asp?TypeID=2&VacancyID=3130 for full details of how to apply.

£15,000?!! Hells bells.

Are you going for it?

Erm, no! Not for that salary and I amn't a graduate.

Have to say though it does look like a brilliant job but the salary is pitiful really. I wonder if Lochaber College could get a supplement from CNAG, whose graduate placement scheme salaries tend to start at the norm of around £18k.

Actually, I think you'll find that that's a good wage for the Lochaber area, and if I was a graduate I'd be pretty keen to apply. As a "several years" post grad student I worked in a managers role for 12K, and that unfortunately, is not uncommon here.

This post does have the potential to be a permanent post, and Skipinnish are excellent employers, offering the chance to gain experience, while being well rewarded for putting the effort in.

I'm sure there are people who might suggest this salary is too low (as always), but we've had some excellent applicants already, many of whom are keen to move to Lochaber to take the position, especially with it becoming more and more difficult to find work relevant to the degree you studied for.

We're really looking forward to having a new member of the Skipinnish team!

" This post does have the potential to be a full time post, "

"Permanent post", surely? Doesn't the ad say it is full-time already?

As for salary -- yep, that seems normal for an out-of-town job. Which is why I was planning to retrain as a teacher before leaving the big smoke.....

You're right Rachel, I suppose I didn't take it's location into account. However, house prices aren't that much cheaper up there and fuel is even more expensive so taking it all in, I suppose £1000 after tax a month isn't really that much (or maybe I just have to curb my spending!) if someone has to relocate - if you get a local, even better! That's what I was on when I first started my job and I basically just wondered in off the street with no qualifications or experience in anything related to what I do.
However, what Skipinnish are proposing would obviously be pretty good on the CV and good fun too, I'm sure.

Yes Niall, meant to put "permanent" and have amended - thanks!

Why on earth do they need a graduate to do the mainly admin tasks outlined? I take it this is to be used as a CV experience filler? £15k and no accomm paid for. What is the average rent in Lochaber?

Well, between the different companies run by Skipinnish - i.e

Skipinnish Music
Skipinnish Ceilidh Band
Skipinnish Records
Skipinnish Ceilidh House
Skipinnish Whisky
(and an awful lot of Skipinnish ideas!!)

Along with staffing of 2.5 full time equivalent, the brand marketing does tend to take a back seat!! Add to this that while Skipinnish have done very well at marketing the brand so far, none of us have marketing degrees!! The job description outlines just some of the tasks involved, but we hope that the right person would take the lead on what will work best for the brand.

Again, I'll point out that this is a decent wage for the area, especially for a graduate - I wish there had been similar opportunities available 10 + years ago!

Rental / House prices in Lochaber may not be much cheaper than living in the big smoke, but the cost of living here is definitely less than living in a big city - it's all a balancing act.

Of course it won't appeal to everyone, and the rate of pay will always be a bone of contention in any job, but don't knock a small company for trying to expand and offer employment at a time when most are cutting back.!

Arts salaries are always less, but the people who apply tend to be willing to take a slightly lower salary to work in an area they're passionate about. I left uni with 2 years voluntary experience as marketing assistant and an Msc in marketing and the best arts marketing job I could find paid just £12k in Glasgow city centre.

I think this does sound like a great opportunity for the right person and it's fantastic that organisations are investing in promoting their work and on the sales side of things - this will be especially important for small companies during tough economic times.

Sounds to me like you need to market marketing graduates if you want the salaries to reach even half the national average wage. The low wage economy returns with a smile.

Average house rent in Fife (where I am) around £500 per month. London (the big smoke) more like that for a week I guess.

Skipinnish looks great. Interesting programmes and lots of good ideas.Doesn't make that wage ok. Making a stick for every graduate's back I fear.

The idea of the Graduate Placement Scheme is to help Graduates stay in their local area and gain experience in their chosen field. This scheme is great for the Graduate as they can probably stay at home at very little cost and gain the experience needed to start their career and it is great for the company as they can employ someone who has the qualifications needed for the job and they share the cost of the wages with HIE. I hope Skipinnish are able to employ a local person to do the job.