Deirdre Breakenridge

When you give back, you hope it gets paid forward. I had an idea a couple of weeks ago I thought would be great to test during the Holiday season.  It’s an experiment in giving back and then paying it forward. The Holiday season fosters good will and nothing feels better then to selflessly give [...]

I’ve been working with students and professionals for years helping them to update and perfect their resumes.  Whether it’s a hard copy resume or the fancy digital versions I see today, the same common mistakes repeatedly surface. In your quest to be clever, creative and relevant in the eyes of a prospective employer, try to [...]

A Guest Post by Shonali Burke As I’ve been getting more involved in social media over the last few years, one of the roads my career has seen me walk is that of teacher. Three years ago, I serendipitously landed an adjunct faculty position at Johns Hopkins, where, ever since, I have been teaching a [...]

There are wonderful opportunities presented daily in social communities and it’s refreshing to see students, young professionals, PR pros and educators taking advantage of these unique experiences.  From the participation in Twitter chats and conversations in Facebook groups to LinkedIn Q&A and networking with peers and potential mentors, we’re all growing together. On August 24, [...]

I recently met Ruth Bazinet, director of media relations and social media in the Office of Public Affairs at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. When we were on Twitter discussing a #PRStudChat mentoring project, Ruth sent over information on her PR internship program that really caught my eye.  The program was full of wonderful [...]

Flying back from the Bahamas, I chatted with a flight attendant whose daughter is attending Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and preparing for her future career.  With the conversation fresh on my mind, I started thinking about the endless opportunities that social media provides students who are planning their futures.  As a student, you always want [...]

I want to move away from the influencer numbers (reach, resonance, relevance) for a moment and focus on the characteristics that “create” an influencer. Do you think it’s possible for an ordinary person (yes, that means you and me), with daily communication to cultivate certain characteristics and become noticed, appreciated, recognized and regarded as someone with influence?

recently blogged about PR Job mentoring responsibilities, but what about the responsibilities of the mentee? Last week I attended the NYC #HAPPO Hour with John Muscarello, the young professional I have been working with. As we walked around the room, I was proud to be able to introduce him to many potential employers and industry connections. John takes his responsibilities as a mentee seriously and it occurred to me that a good mentorship is a relationship… a partnership both parties must take responsibility for.