It feels like yesterday when Angela Hernandez (@angelahernandez) asked me to contribute to her blog interview series, “Is PR Right for Me.”  What blossomed out of a blog post is our dynamic PR community, #PRStudChat.  Valerie Simon (@valeriesimon) and I are both happy that our community, which is dedicated to collaboration and educating students and PR professionals, has grown from a few to over 1,100 people (according to the @PRstudchat profile and number of followers). Hundreds of PR enthusiasts routinely participate in the monthly conversations creating more than 1,000 tweets in each hour-long session. Within this active community countless professional and personal relationships have evolved.

The very first #PRstudChat took place on August 19^th 2009. With our one-year anniversary quickly approaching, we wanted to do something really special by inviting a guest that everyone would know; someone who has made an incredible contribution to learning and collaboration. We’re honored to have this extremely busy social media professional and Internet entrepreneur join us on August 25^th at 8:30 p.m.  Our special guest is Jimmy Wales (@jimmy_wales), founder of Wikipedia!!

I met Jimmy a couple of years ago when he interviewed with me for my book, PR 2.0 New Media, New Tools, New Audiences. I was so impressed with his contribution to communications and the story of Wikipedia.  Jimmy joins us to answer questions about social media, collaboration and how PR professionals can participate in Wikipedia (the right way).

We’ll have more information shortly on the details of the session and more about the questions we will be asking.  For now, please help us spread the word that Jimmy Wales will be our #PRStudChat special guest for a super special one-year anniversary celebration!

Recently, Joe participated on the PRSA T3PR New Era of Blogging panel in June and Valerie had the pleasure of moderating Joe’s roundtable discussion at the Bulldog Reporters Media Relations Summit this past Monday in NYC.  After seeing Joe in action and being fans/avid readers of PRNewser, we both felt he would be the perfect guest for #PRStudChat.  Joe will be answering questions related to blogger relations and also providing insight on how media is changing and affecting the PR industry.

A few of the questions during the session will include:

Q1:  How should PR pros shift their thinking to accommodate changes in the media?

Q2:  What is the difference between media relations & blogger relations?

Q3: What do new influencers expect from PR professionals?

Q4:  How do PR pros get your attention (good/bad examples)?

Q5:  Where do you go to verify/confirm tips and how can a PR pro help?

Q6: What will tomorrow’s media look like & what does that mean for PR?

We hope that you will join us on July 14^th to chat with Joe Ciarallo and to share insight on your experience with bloggers and new media.  As always, Valerie and I welcome your comments and encourage you to post any questions you have for Joe on our LinkedIn discussion group, prior to the 14^th.

If you want the PR scoop, then join us for the #PRStudChat session with Joe Ciarallo.  We’ll “see” you then.

Valerie and I are a thrilled to announce that our #PRStudChat special guest is Jeffrey W. Hayzlett, former CMO of Eastman Kodak Company.  Jeff is providing transitional services to Kodak through the end of August, as he moves forward to pursue his own personal projects.  By way of background, he joined Kodak in April 2006 as Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of the company’s Graphic Communications Group, reporting to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Antonio M. Perez. Jeff was responsible for the company’s worldwide marketing operations including the design and implementation of all marketing, strategy, investments, policies, and processes.

In addition, Jeff recently published his first book, The Mirror Test: Is Your Business Really Breathing, which asks the question that most business managers are afraid to ask.  The book teaches how to evaluate, deconstruct, and then reconstruct one’s business both thoughtfully and aggressively.  As an extra bonus to our chat, Jeff will be giving away five of his books to the participants of the #PRStudChat community.

We’re thrilled to have Jeff as our special guest and will be discussing with him some of the following topics:  the responsibilities of the CMO, who owns social media, how PR integrates with other marketing disciplines, and some examples of how PR, Marketing and Web work together on social engagement.

We feel that Jeff’s experience in business and his tenure as the CMO Kodak will bring our community great insight.  PR students, professionals and educators will learn firsthand what happens inside the walls of the brand and how communications professionals come together to help a business communicate with the market through social engagement.

Please join us on June 16^th and get ready to learn more about the CMO and how critical it is for PR to be a part of the social equation.  We look forward to chatting with you!

There were three special Graduation Speakers who took part in the celebration and I want to not only thank them personally for their participation, but also highlight their great advice.

First, @laermer, @PRsarahevans and @BrianSolis, thank you for your contribution to our #PRstudchat graduation.  Your words of wisdom were deeply appreciated by our community.

Here’s what our Graduation Speakers had to say:

@laermer:

Believe in your own abilities. A lot of people think somehow others will ‘notice them’ but you have to show em. #prstudchat

Q3 Take a break from work every day. Even if you don’t think you need it. (Like a cleaning at the dentist==yearly.)

@PRSarahEvans:

The best advice I received as a new pro, “work like you’re not afraid to be fired.” I’ve kept it w/ me .. #prstudchat

You are not lesser than anyone in an organization because of experience. You bring valuable skills, creativity and promise! #prstudchat

@BrianSolis:

The distance between who I am & who I want to be is separated only by my actions & words http://bit.ly/a3tMKn #PRStudchat

I, too, offered advice to the students and it was short and sweet, although I have a lot more to say.  My tweet said:

“Listen, learn and practice, then give back to the community!”

This little piece of advice is what I’ve done throughout my entire career (even as student and then as an intern).  Let’s start with “Listen.” My very first mentor talked to me about listening.  He said, “If you listen long and hard you will do very well in this business.” Of course, we talk a lot about listening today in the social sphere and it’s tremendous importance. But, when I say listen, I mean to all types of conversations, everywhere and in every situation. I started to hone my listening skills early on by writing everything down in company meetings, during phone conversations and when interacting with clients (I had a yellow pad and/or a notebook practically attached to me).

I found out quickly that listening takes time and requires great skills. It’s true that we only retain a small percentage of what we hear. I believe that sometimes when we think we’re listening, we’re really thinking about the next thing that we want to say or contribute to the discussion.  Once that happens, we automatically stop listening.  Hold that thought, wait and listen some more. It’s only when you are really listening that you can offer advice.  You must have a complete picture in your mind and it has to match what’s being said, with all the pieces to analyze, in order to solve a challenge.  If we only listen partially and then act too quickly, our solutions may end up purely reactive and temporary.  Sometimes listening means sitting back and connecting the dots.

Listening also means “hearing” when no one else is paying attention. There were times, in the past, when I would be in a meeting and an executive would go on and on about a topic.  Other employees would joke, “How many times are we going to hear this?”  I figured out that if I could find the meaning in the repetition, while others were complaining (doodling or planning their shopping lists), then I would pick up some valuable knowledge about that executive or the message that he/she was really trying to get across to the team, even if it appeared repetitive. Note: The executive suite is looking for real listeners, who can interpret and solve their issues.

The “Learn” part of my advice for the Class of 2010 is what I call “the climb.”  If I can offer any advice here, it’s don’t neglect that climb. There’s a reason why your supervisor wants you learn the ins and outs of day-to-day PR life or the nitty, gritty details of a new office software program (even if it appears to be mundane or busy work) or why that same supervisor sends you whitepapers and countless documents for you to review.  Soak it all up and learn as much as you can. There’s also genuine logic as to why junior people start with research and monitoring (this used to be compiling the clip books) and helping with news releases and media alerts to hone their writing skills (of course, not the fluffy releases, but the really good stories). Your higher ups are not trying to punish you (whether it’s a manager or an executive), when they want you to know everything about PR.  It’s the climb that teaches you and prepares you for everything that you’re about to experience.

I’ve always believed that you have to experience and master something yourself before you can teach someone else. When I put the pieces together about my own climb, there was a reason I enthusiastically set up our small NYC office every morning, before the executives arrived. I’m thankful that my office manager showed me what to do because I knew exactly what to do when it came time to run my own office, and when I had to show someone else.   So many want to race past the climb to advance to a higher level, to take part in the strategy and present at the big client pitch.  Whether it’s climbing the corporate ladder or moving up in rank at your agency, I still believe that it’s critical to learn all the steps in between and experience what you are going to be managing and/or supervising in the years to come.

The “Practice” part of my advice will never stop in your career. As PR is constantly changing, you always have to roll up your sleeves to be a part of the team to embrace a client’s challenges (getting involved in an account way beyond just the strategy and planning).  The opportunity to practice every moving part should never leave you.  Although you will grow in your career, with new approaches and the blending of PR, social media, marketing and Web, you may find yourself in the “trenches” with the team more often.  This enables you to move to the next part of my advice, which is the “give back the most updated information to your community”.  If you don’t continually experience all of the changes (especially the technology), and how they affect your client’s as well as your own brands, then how do you know what really needs to be set in place to be successful in today’s marketplace.  By continuing to practice the very latest techniques (and I do mean by doing it yourself and working closely with your team) you will stay on top of your game and always be a valued asset in your organization.

Lastly, my advice focuses on giving back to the community.  As you reach new PR heights, reflect on all of those special professionals who have helped you and in the spirit of community, and for all that you’ve received, take the very same approach.  As you get, always give back, and the cycle will continue with someone else.

I wish all of the graduates the best of luck in their PR endeavors!  Do you have any more advice for the Class of 2010?

Angela Hernandez:  I first met Angela when she asked me to interview with her for her 5-part series on “Is PR Right for Me?”  I was very impressed with the interview and I’m forever thankful to Angela as the #PRStudChat community was born from that very interview.  Angela later worked with Valerie and myself as a #PRStudChat moderator.  Angela was extremely enthusiastic and also very detailed oriented in her approach.  She took the time to outline her participation, discuss the flow of the session with us and did an incredible job as the very first #PRStudChat student moderator.  Angela paved the way for other student moderators to step in and proved to be an excellent role model for her peers.

Mikinzie Stuart: Mikinzie is a poised and confident #PRStudChat graduate.  I had the pleasure of working with Mikinzie in a number of ways.  First, she was a proactive moderator of #PRStudChat and did a terrific job coordinating the session with us.  Mikinzie was very active and efficient in the planning of the session (joining our Google Wave).  She was also very quick to analyze the transcripts of the #PRStudChat session to provide the community with a great recap of the questions and answers in Valerie’s Examiner column.  I also had the additional pleasure of having Mikinzie shadow me for a day at Mango! She spent time at our office, where she fit in well with the staff and our clients.  Mikinzie was energetic and enthusiastic participating in client meetings and taking on responsibilities of a first year account executive. Mikinzie also accompanied me to the very first #PRStudChat tweetup at Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library.

Brittany James:  I really enjoyed working with Brittany (our #PRStudChat Tweetheart) on the April discussion, which also turned into a slight damage control situation. First off, Brittany worked very hard getting ready, by prepping with Valerie and myself for the session.  She was dedicated and passionate about her work and it showed in everything that she did for us.  I was especially impressed when Brittany kept her calm during a chat that experienced Twitter technical difficulties.  She maintained the conversation and kept the community at ease, until we made the decision to reschedule the discussion.  Of course, when we actually had our chat the following week, Brittany did an amazing job as the moderator, asking the questions and also participating as any skilled PR pro would do.  I enjoyed working with Brittany (and also meeting her IRL at the first #PRStudChat tweetup).  I thought she crossed every “t” and dotted each “I” for a stellar performance.

Lauren Novo:  I’m very excited because Lauren is the first #PRStudChat graduate to help host a tweetup for us.  The tweetup will take place in Florida at the FPRA Conference in August 2010.  Lauren has worked very hard to coordinate the session with the conference committee.  She arranged to have the tweetup the night before my keynote.  Lauren’s #PRStudChat tweetup will set the standard for all of the other tweetups to come!  I also worked with Lauren on a top-secret project, which we can’t divulge at this time.  But, what can be said is that Lauren did an amazing job and we can’t wait to share this gift with the #PRStudChat community.  In my last post, I mentioned that the #PRStudChat students never cease to amaze us.  Lauren took a simple idea and went above and beyond to deliver a finished product that is spectacular.

I’m happy that I had the pleasure of working closely with Angela, Mikinzie, Brittany and Lauren.  I am very proud of their performance and I wish them luck and great success, as they move forward in the field of public relations.  I think that “PR is Right” for these young and talented rising stars!

As our graduates make the transition from students to professionals, we want to offer them guidance with our advice for the years ahead, and also take the time to acknowledge and highlight their special college moments.  A few of the questions that we’ll ask during the session include:

1. What have you learned from participating in #PRStudChat?
2. What PR experience in 2010 had the greatest impact on you?
3. What is your advice to the Class of 2010?
4. What was your most outstanding classroom moment?
5. What was your favorite #PRStudChat moment (out of all the different chat sessions).

During the session, a few special guests, our “Graduation Speakers” (to be announced that night) will chime in and offer their best advice to the graduates too!  Then, toward the end of our session, we’ll also share a top-secret project with you (you may have seen a few tweets here and there about this exciting effort).   As Valerie and I saw this project come together, we both felt that the students of #PRStudChat never cease to amaze us. When we approached Lauren Novo (@lmnovo) with our idea, she exceeded all expectations.  We’re really excited to share our top-secret project/gift with the Class of 2010 and Lauren we could not have done this without you!

We are looking forward a night of celebration and dynamic discussions with the Class of 2010.  As always, we welcome your comments and feedback on our LinkedIn Group and we hope that you will join us at the #PRStudchat Graduation Celebration on May 12th!

Granted, our crisis situation was not a major catastrophe, but at the same time we had to act quickly.  We didn’t want to waste anyone’s time and we also wanted a quick solution, so our members, who were looking forward to this session, wouldn’t be disappointed.  With respect to our special guests, we had lined up very busy PR and recruiting professionals, who gracefully accepted the invitation to participate on our chat panel. We realized that rescheduling the session might be difficult to coordinate with their demanding schedules.

Valerie and I worked with our community so everyone understood the situation, and then coordinated with the experts to secure our plan to move forward with a rescheduled #PRStudchat date of 4/21 at noon.  When I think back, I realize that the steps we used may aid in other unexpected situations.

Here are the quick steps or tips to help get a situation under control and back on track:

• Listen and assess what’s happening quickly; don’t sit back for too long, especially if your community is asking, “what’s going on?”  Have a spokesperson who can communicate the facts and let people know that you are aware and managing the situation.  If you don’t respond, frustration can surmount and lead to increased confusion and anxiety.
• Let people know that you have a plan or next steps are in place that will be shared with them shortly.  Make sure you deliver on the plan or next steps as soon as possible.
• Direct people to a place where they can find updated news regarding the situation and accurate information.  Many companies prepare for crisis by setting up a crisis site or “dark” website.  Dark sites are pre-developed and non-public sites that go live when a company moves into damage control mode.  When live, these sites are updated regularly and provide news, company information and procedures to rectify the situation at hand, so people don’t have to speculate.
• Answer questions as they arise and offer facts and accurate information.  If you can answer questions and be responsive, you will calm the nerves of the people involved, it will make the situation more manageable.
• Keep listening and monitor the conversations even after the crisis is over.  People may continue to talk and share their thoughts, comments and even ask questions regarding what’s happened after incident has passed.  Your job is to keep monitoring the conversations and answer those questions.  You want too make sure that no misinformation is present in the dialogue and that the situation is, in fact, back on track.

Of course, we were very fortunate that the #PRStudChat community is one of the best communities, with extremely forgiving and super supportive members.  Not every crisis situation has a community with this level of understanding.  But, if you can keep these helpful hints in mind it just may ease the situation as you work through your damage control efforts.

What other steps or tips for damage control would you recommend when an unexpected situation occurs?

We very pleased to announce a seasoned panel of experts who either specialize in PR recruiting or are very familiar with the hiring process.  These April 14^th chat session guests include:

• Jessica Porterfield, Recruiter, Fleishman Hilliard. Jessica has eight years of experience in the Biotech/Pharma industry and now recruiting in PR.

• Jessica Bayer, Public Relations recruiter at Qorvis Communications.  Jessica specializes in Public Affairs, Government, Crisis, Interactive, Creative, Consumer and International relations.

• Laurie Bartolo, Recruiter at Ogilvy. Laurie’s career spans almost 20 years and covers a wide geography, from Florida to Washington DC to New Mexico and now Michigan.

• Lindsay Olson, PR Industry recruiter. Lindsay Olson is a recruiter, founder and partner with Paradigm Staffing and spends her days helping companies build public relations and communications teams nationwide.

• Rachel Kay , President RKPR. Rachel Kay is founder of RKPR.  She is an award-winning public relations expert with experience spanning a multitude of industries including consumer technology, food, beauty and fashion, the Web and more. And, oh yes… RKPR is hiring!

A few of the questions to spark the discussion, during our April 14^th session, will be:

1. What is the most frequent error/turn off candidate’s make when applying?

2. Do you have examples of creative job searching tactics that have been    successful?

3. How important is your LinkedIn profile? Do recommendations matter?

4. What should you wear and bring to your next interview

5. How does internship exp “count”? Can a new grad apply to a position for 1-3 yrs exp?

Valerie and I also very excited to remind everyone that our Valentine’s Day Tweetheart, @Bitty_Boop, is moderating the discussion.  For those of you who don’t know Brittany, she is a senior at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT.  Brittany is graduating May 2010, with a degree in Public Relations and minor in Marketing. She is currently the public relations intern at Cashman + Katz Integrated Communications and an active member in Quinnipiac’s PRSSA chapter. Upon graduation, Brittany hopes to begin her career in New York City.

Thinking ahead, we’d like to give you a glimpse of what’s beyond our April session. May is a time for graduation celebration, so once again, we going to celebrate the graduating senior class of 2010, with a special evening #PRStudchat session on May 12^th beginning at 8:30 p.m.  It will be a night of honoring our graduates, fine memories, and wishing them luck as they venture into their PR careers.

So get ready for dynamic discussions, really great insight (because our community is among the brightest) and enjoy what’s ahead at #PRStudChat!

Thanks and we look forward to chatting with you.