In early April, Schmooz was offered the unique opportunity to work with Riipen, an organization that “connects educators, their students, and other emerging talent, to industry professionals through meaningful project-based experiences”.




When Riipen asked Schmooz Media Founder, Zoe Share, if she wanted to participate in their experiential learning program in collaboration with George Brown, she was quick to say yes.

Having done a lot of experiential learning thanks to Teachers College at OISE and while completing her Masters of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology at the University of Waterloo, Zoe understands the benefits of getting students interacting with real-life businesses.

“It’s valuable for students to have real-life experience and this was something I was able to do in my own education.”

Riipen works with all sorts of companies- check them out here! “Riipen told us that the businesses they work are diverse and of different sizes - which is important to give the students involved an understanding of different needs for businesses of different sizes.”

Zoe was invited to George Brown for the day, where students were tasked with preparing and presenting three projects about important business growth strategies. “Not only was it fun to be back in the classroom, but the students really cared about what they were presenting. It felt really great to be a part of that,” Zoe recalls.

These three presentations were a great reminder about what small business owners need to do when considering growth.

Brand Integrity

In the first presentation, students began to discern the identity of Schmooz and all the perceptions and nuances that come with it. Strong branding can become an integral part of employee talent attraction, employee retention, positive client experience and much more. At the end of the day, students were tasked with thinking about some onboarding practices for new Schmoozers. Just like with social media marketing, it was important to make sure that the brand book and employee manuals were consistent with what Schmooz already stands for. Consistency goes a long way!

Hiring

Any business owner knows that the hiring process can be a tedious one. Many of the students had experienced what it was like to be a job seeker or interviewee, and this was an opportunity to see things from the other side. For any business, hiring a new employee can take weeks or months as it is important to find the right fit. Students were able to think about what the process would look like when Schmooz hires a new strategist, including the different tech for hiring tools, resume reading, skill building questions and where to look to find the right type of talent. This culmulated in the presentation of an employee training manual.

Employee Onboarding

Employees are the backbone of any business. With any business, it is important to make the most of the onboarding process for both employees and the business. Getting the process right is crucial to setting up new employees for great success - a win for everybody! With information provided by Schmooz, students were able to imagine what the onboarding process for a new Schmooz employee could feel like. This included the company’s philosophy, the “Schmooz way” of dealing with clients, guidelines and best practices for social media and content writing - all important for an agency that specializes in social media strategies, content marketing and community engagement development.



For College or University students getting ready to graduate and get into the job market, experiential learning can be advantageous as it gives them a taste of a real-life experience. Thanks to her own experience, Zoe understands the feeling of providing something of value to a real business as a student. “These are skills you need to have when you start your career!” she explains.



At Schmooz Media, we understand that customers are your best brand ambassadors. That’s why we’re excited to create custom social media marketing strategies for small businesses, and take advantage of what their customers are already saying on social media.


Schmooz Media is a Full Service Social Media Marketing Business, helping small-mid size businesses get the most social ROI possible. We’re passionate about giving your business actionable, measurable and meaningful results. Learn more about what Schmooz can do for you, or contact us with your inquiries today.