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Three Ways You Can Benefit from #PRSSA

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A Guest Post By Jolene Levesque, American University Student & PR Expanded Blog Contest Winner

I joined the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) as a second semester freshman after developing an interest in public relations. One year later, I have realized that PRSSA offers many opportunities for students pursuing careers in public relations, including networking events, internship postings, and service initiatives. These opportunities align with three main areas of the organization’s mission statement: enhancing education, broadening network and launching careers.

1. Enhancing Education

 Our PRSSA chapter hosts bi-weekly chapter meetings for members to hear from guest speakers regarding current public relations trends. The most recent one was focused on public relations disasters and social media. Our guest speaker, Bob Pickard, shared his thoughts regarding setbacks that companies face from his experience as a social media expert. I left the chapter meeting feeling more aware of how social media can affect disasters in the public relations industry. I also learned some of the most effective ways for companies to use social media, including communicating with the public and keeping media profiles up-to-date. During my time in PRSSA, the chapter meetings have ranged from learning how to elevate your brand, increase your social media presence, or ace an interview. These hour-long chapter meetings every two weeks have deepened my interest in public relations.

Membership benefits extend past the events that students can attend. PRSSA sends out a monthly online newsletter, which contains current public relations topics and information regarding PRSSA. There are also a variety of scholarships available to members, which support academic achievement, pursuit of education, and leadership accomplishments. Moreover, many chapters have student-run firms which work with real-life clients. Next semester, I plan to become more involved in our on-campus firm, Eagle Communications, to get client experience.

2. Broadening Network

PRSSA members are given many opportunities to broaden their professional network. The first is the annual national conference. This four-day event features a variety of speakers who cover a range of communication topics. My first national conference was last October in Boston, Massachusetts. I connected with members from across the country and learned about their chapters. As American University PRSSA’s current Finance Director, I sat down with finance directors from other schools to learn about different fundraisers that they have done to raise money. I was able to hear Morgan Spurlock, the actor and director of Super-Size Me, discuss advertising and marketing techniques and Judy Smith, the inspiration for Scandal, talk about crisis management. Without having been a member of PRSSA, I would not have had the opportunity to attend this national conference and meet an array of public relations students from across the country.

Other ways that PRSSA allows students to broaden their network is through connections with members of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the parent affiliate to PRSSA. PRSSA is made up of 10,000 students. PRSA, however, has over 21,000 adults who are currently working or previously worked in the public relations field. Members of PRSSA are given opportunities to communicate with them through different events and functions.

Launching Careers

PRSSA has pushed me to think about launching my career through the connections I have made and the experiences that I have had. I recently met someone at the airport who noticed the PRSSA sticker on my laptop and told me that she was a member of PRSA. After connecting on LinkedIn and getting together in person, I now have a mentor that I can look to for guidance on how to sell my experiences in order to benefit my career.

American University’s chapter also has an internship board, which members can browse for opportunities across the country. PRSSA offers a broader internship and job center for members to search for open positions. Members can also upload a resume for employers to look at and get additional resources through a resource manual.

Lastly, PRSSA is going to help me launch my career by offering a discounted PRSA membership after I graduate. Being a member of PRSA will allow me to connect with other public relations professionals and continue to enhance my knowledge of the public relations field long after I graduate. I will have access to workshops, conferences, and trainings which will further advance my career.

Conclusion

PRSSA’s mission is to enhance education, broaden networks, and launch careers. During my first year as a member, I have benefited from each part of the mission in multiple ways. This organization has been valuable to me because I feel better prepared for my public relations career. I have a better understanding of what public relations is and a support system I can go to for career advice. Public relations students should become involved with PRSSA because of the many benefits that it offers for students interested in communication. I believe that any public relations professional, no matter what age, would gain important insight from this organization.

Jolene Levesque, American UniversityJolene Levesque is a sophomore at American University, studying public relations and business administration. She is currently the Finance Director for AU’s PRSSA chapter. She plans to be involved in the chapter’s student-run firm, Eagle Communications, next semester. 

 

PR Job Search Mentor

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Before the holidays, a young PR/Marketing professional contacted me about helping him with his resume.  I reviewed both his cover letter and resume carefully and gave him some initial feedback. He was thrilled with the comments and immediately incorporated my suggestions. One conversation led to another and the next thing I knew he asked me a very interesting question: Would you be my mentor to help me in my job search.  I had never thought about a job search mentor before.  I’ve always said, “Find a really good mentor to help you to grow in your professional career.”  I think this is a great idea and I said, “Yes, I’d be happy to help you.”

I found his approach interesting, honest and refreshing. He wrote in his email:

“In regards to the job, right now I am finding it difficult to stay on track because I have no one to report to.  I am responsible for job searching, motivating myself, picking myself up when I have a bad job search day, as well as working at least 12 hours ….  I was wondering if I could send you a report of what I did for the week in regards to the job search this way I know I have to show someone exactly what I did.  If you had time and could give me a little feedback or ideas of other things I could do, that would be great also.”

Starting next week, my young professional friend will begin setting weekly job search goals including: How many networking events and Twitter chat sessions he attends, how many resumes he sends out, the number of professionals he speaks to on the phone or visits in person (i.e., the informal interview for knowledge on the PR profession), how many resources he’s scoured to find a job, etc.  Then, at the end of the week he will submit a report that reviews his goals and how much was actually accomplished.  We’ll chat once a week to review the report, but also discuss any of his challenges, if he has questions about anything he’s learned during his job search, and how to take his efforts to the next level the following week.

What’s great about the idea of the job mentor is that it comes at a critical point in the student or professional’s career. Whether you are just out of school and trying to find your way or you’ve been in PR and you are looking for a new and exciting opportunity, having  a mentor is an excellent way to keep you focused and proactive, at a time when you need energy and motivation the most.  And, if the job search mentor relationship works out well, there’s the potential for the relationship to expand into a full time mentor, as you learn to work together.  It will be easy to measure the success of the relationship by evaluating how many goals are accomplished and how much both of you learn during the experience (notice I said both of you because when you mentor, you learn a lot too).

As I prepare for the PRSSA job search chat on January 26th at 9:00 p.m., I will be one week into my new relationship, and hopefully be able to share with the students information on how a job search mentor can help them after graduation, as they search for their first career opportunities.  Are you a PR job search mentor and have you ever thought of becoming one?

Building a Strong & Supportive Community

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I feel that I can speak from experience (and from the heart) on the topic of building a strong and supportive community.  Building #PRStudChat with @valeriesimon is one of the most rewarding initiatives in my professional career. Interacting in the community gives me the feeling of strength, knowledge, certainty, support, guidance, and friendship, in an extremely nurturing and helpful environment.

As we near the end of 2010 and celebrate our December session, the 12 gifts of #PRStudChat, I wanted to reflect on how we built this amazing network. Valerie and I only thought of the idea.  It’s our students, educators and PR/communications professionals, who have shared in the #hashtag discussion; they are directly responsible for building the community and for its continued growth.

Here are 5 reasons why I think our community grew to be strong and supportive:

1. Focus

Everyone knows that it’s a community of PR and communications students, professionals and educators.  We have maintained a strong brand identity which is clear and consistent across all of our platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, PR 2.0 Strategies, The Examiner, PRStudChat.com). Each live session has a theme and purpose that align with our goal of helping to bridge the gap between academia and professionals in the PR industry.

2. Passion

The community is comprised of individuals who care and have a supportive environment in which they can voice their opinions. Our chats are lively, open, honest and filled with varying opinions.  I’ve seen professionals with years in the business tell it straight to students, and I’ve witnessed students disagree with professionals.  Of course, I’ve also seen many professionals who agree to disagree.  Our environment values different viewpoints and great new perspectives.

3. Networking

The community takes networking to the next level.  I’ve seen so many friendships develop over the past year and half. We all talk about how the virtual networking should lead to the physical meetings, and #PRStudChat is a very good example.  We’ve had our own tweet ups for members, but mostly I’ve seen people bond with other people, and meet on their own.  It’s always refreshing to see members inviting others to meet and get to know one another in person.  I always enjoy when I’m able to travel to different cities and finally get to meet my new friends IRL.

4. Development

#PRStudChat took a steady path to growth. We listened to the community and strived to identify special guests and programming that could help further their goals. We learned what resonated with the community and used those lessons to guide the development of the community. We managed our growth by focusing on Twitter and the LinkedIn Group. Valerie and I have supported those networks by posting information about the sessions on our blogs.  And, now, we’ve branched out to have our own PRStudChat blog with #PRStudCast co-hosted by students Harrison Kratz and Ashley Funderbunk.  You’ll also see some other folks involved in #PRStudChat in 2011, but I can’t quite disclose that yet. Just know that more news is in the near future!

5. Collaboration

Our community does not exist in a universe unto itself. We work with other industry chat sessions and organizations such as PRSSA to cross promote efforts.  One of the best ways to grow your community is to work with other groups.  We see this in the physical realm when PR associations co-host programs, partly to share the cost of the program, but also to network with new potential members.  #PRStudChat loves working with the other PR, social media, marketing, entrepreneurial groups.  Sharing programs, hashtags and finding cross networking opportunities is beneficial to all.  One of my favorite chat sessions was #ChatMixer, where many groups came together for an incredibly dynamic session.  We all met new friends and based on the numbers, our #PRStudChat community grew considerably as a result.

There are more reasons why #PRstudchat experienced growth and support and I hope that if you have any thoughts on the topic, you will share them! Most of all when I reflect on the success of the community, I know it’s the people; our members who tweet, blog and chat about #PRStudChat, whether it’s an organized session or not.

Thank you all, and we look forward to more growth in 2011!


Guest Post: A Young PR Pro’s First Real Conference

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On June 11, I had the best post college experience that I could ask for and attended PRSA’s T3PR Conference in New York City. Having been a PRSSA member that attended a conference this past February, I was completely blown away from what I experienced.

Between my moving back home, I unfortunately missed the pre-chat leading up to the conference, but made sure that I did my research on what to expect. Thanks to Valerie Simon on her post about what to expect when attending such a conference. After reading it, I knew that I’d be all set.

One aspect that really got me was the keynote speaker Sarah Evans (Sevens Strategy), who gave an amazing presentation on “What’s Next for Public Relations, Strategy, and Technology.” I’ve been talking to Sarah for months and to not only meet her but also listen to her was completely unreal. Three main things about campaigns that I took away from Sarah’s presentation were:

  • Portable–Can I take it with me
  • Personalized–Can I customize
  • Participatory–Can I join in

There were some other presentations that definitely grabbed my attention from the moment the speakers began talking. Ed Schipul (Schipul), who included some amazing photography within his presentation, provided some comical relief. His presentation focused on the personal brands that we create, which was a great refresher on the topic after attending #PRAdvanced. Ed gave six important elements to really focus in on in the “Personal Brand Era”

  1. Story
  2. Creation
  3. Curation
  4. Distribution
  5. Monitoring
  6. Terms of Service

During the luncheon, Nick Bilton (New York Times) was our speaker and I’m sure that everyone ignored the food. Nick’s discussion was indescribable. I was so intrigued with everything he said about how technology is changing and how we are directly affected by it. Definitely going to check out his book I Live in the Future: & Here’s How it Works this fall.

In the afternoon, two more presentations grabbed my attention and I made it a purpose to introduce myself to both ladies. The first was by Sandra Fathi (Affect Strategies), who talked about Tools & Technology for High Tech. From hearing all of Sandra’s suggestions for tools and how to utilize them, I will be doing a bit of my own research on how to implement them into my work. Also, I was able to help out one of the places where I interned on a new tactic to present to a client.

And finally, Christine Perkett (Perkett PR), who I have talked to on Twitter and had no idea she would be attending the event. Christine’s presentation about being an influencer in PR was extremely insightful and hey, there was even a Kelly Cutrone (People’s Revolution) shout out in there. Some key takeaways from Christine’s presentation include:

  • Build your personal brand
  • Do what you do…and do it well
  • SHARE
  • Write a book
  • Make your own rules
  • It’s all about YOU

Overall the day was a complete success and I gained so much information that I plan on researching throughout the summer. Being able to meet a majority of the speakers was great and I want to really thank Deirdre for inviting me to attend the conference.

Brittany James is a recent graduate of Quinnipiac University with a degree in public relations with a minor in marketing. Over the past year, she has held internships at Goodman Media International in New York City and at Cashman + Katz Integrated Communications in Glastonbury, CT.

November 17th 2009 #PRStudChat Announcement

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annWe’re nearing our 4th #PRStudChat and with each and every Twitter discussion our community grows.  Valerie Simon (@valeriesimon) and I have been trying to keep the sessions dynamic, creative and exciting with interesting guests and challenges for participants.  This session will not be any different.  We announced the discussion as “Career Day” for the #PRStudChat participants.  Our other special announcement is the introduction of Angela Hernandez (@angelahernandez), as our guest, student moderator that day.  For those of you who do not know Angela, she is President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU)

We selected Angela as our student moderator because she gave us the initial idea for #PRStudChat during the summer 2009, with her five part blog series, Is PR Right for Me.  I interviewed with Angela for her series and thought it was really interesting how she was asking PR professionals questions about the industry, allowing us to share our own personal experiences in order to help other students and professionals.  Thus, #PRStudChat was born and has been capturing the attention of PR students, professors and pros ever since!

Valerie and I will be helping Angela on the November 17th at 12:00 p.m. as co-hosts and assisting her to guide the session.  Career Day is designed to inform participants about the many different types of public relations, in different sectors, as well as the differences among organizations from government and healthcare to agency and non-profit.  We’ve invited several experts to join to answer questions about their particular organization and type of work.  Several of our PR experts include:

  • Stephanie Smirnov, @ssmirnov, President, Devries PR
  • Heather Huhman, @heatherhuhman, media relations manager at a national health care professional association and entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com.
  • Alec J Rosen, @alecjr, CEO, AJR Partners
  • Mike Rupert, @rupertmike, Government Communicator DC Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs
  • Dan Hutson, @dhutson, Director of Communications and Public Relations at Southern California Presbyterian Homes    

During our session, our PR experts will be answering the following types of questions:

  • Prior to hiring, do companies search candidates on Google and Facebook?  Where else do they look?
  • Should college graduates take unpaid internships?
  • How do you leave an internship or job without burning any bridges?
  • When starting a community blog, what guidelines would you recommend having in place?
  • What predictions do you have for 2010?
  • If you had a PR wish list for future social media trends, what would be on your list?

We hope that you will join us for our #PRStudChat Career Day on November 17th.  This session is designed especially for PR professionals, who can offer a unique experience, and students who are looking to learn more about what to expect in the business world of PR. 

PR Questions Answered by Professionals

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Our #prstudchat is this week! The session will be a discussion between PR students and industry professionals on August 18, 2009 at 12:00 p.m.  Valerie Simon (@valeriesimon) wrote an awesome article discussing the value of students and pros coming together to discuss the PR industry and how the chat session will allow students to determine if “PR is Right for Me.”  We also set up a LinkedIn group to get the conversations started. I thought it would be fitting in this blog post to discuss some of the PR questions that so many students want to know, but may not have had the opportunity to ask.

I remember when I was a junior at Glassboro State College (which is now Rowan University).  I wondered about the many intricate details of my new profession.   I was a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and I recall asking the practicing PR pros at my school general questions about the PR as a career.  These questions included:  Why did you select PR as a career?  What are the best books to read about the profession?  How did you know you wanted to be in an agency or an in-house PR department?  Did you learn about other marketing disciplines on the job? There was never an opportunity to dig really deep into the minds of many professionals at once.

With PR 2.0, now you have your chance.   Here are some really targeted questions that I wanted answered when I was in school, but actually didn’t find out the answers until I was well into my career and learning on the job.  Feel free to ask any of these questions during #prstudchat.  If they’re not all covered, then I will specifically write another blog post to answer each and every one of them.

  • Is public relations integrated into other areas of marketing or does it stand alone?
  • How closely should PR work with other areas of the company (i.e., sales, product development, legal, etc.)?
  • In an entry level, account executive position, who do I report to?  Will I get any face time with VPs or the C-Level executives?
  • If I work for a large PR firm, is it difficult to be recognized by upper management?  Is it better to work in a small agency so that I can be noticed?
  • How long should you stay in a job before you try to advance to a higher title?  Does it look bad to have several jobs/companies on your resume?
  • Will I have my own clients as an entry level person or will I still be more of an assistant to a PR account manager?
  • If you intern at a firm, should you accept an entry level position there?  Will they still treat you like the intern?
  • What is the most gratifying part of your public relations position?
  • What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you on the job?  How did you handle the situation?
  • Is it important to pursue continuing education in PR (APR certification)?  Why do some people have an APR and some professionals don’t?
  • Should you join a professional association and what should you look for in this organization?
  • Is public relations a 9 to 5 job?
  • What are some tips to get noticed by senior PR people when you’re new to a company?
  • Do you need to have a strong background in journalism to be a good PR person?
  • Is it important for PR people to understand a company’s business and marketplace?
  • What are some good courses that make a PR person well rounded?

I hope these questions are helpful for our #prstudchat on Wednesday.  Valerie and I look forward to a frank and dynamic discussion in the interest of helping PR students and PR professionals to better understand one another, based on the challenges and changes the industry faces today.   If you have any more questions, feel free to suggest them. I believe that if you ask these types of questions and get your answers from a number of professionals, then you will be able to answer the most important question of all, “Is PR Right for Me?”

Is PR Right for Me?

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PR right for you... Ask Paul Revere

I just finished an interview with Angela Hernandez, the President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU).  I was very happy to interview with Angela because the topic, “Is PR Right for me?” is important for the growth of the public relations industry.  We need to attract future PR leaders who are the best and the brightest.  Garnering the experience of industry professionals and having them share perspective is a great way to motivate PR’s next generation of experts.

Angela’s interview really made me think deeply into my PR memory bank to remember and extract personal information about the growth of my career and to provide my opinion on what makes a good PR person.  Now, I don’t want to give away my answers, because Angela will be posting my interview on her blog, In the Lede, soon.  However, I will share a few of my favorite questions and then add a few more questions and answers to continue the interview here.

My favorite questions posed by Angela were:

  • What are three absolutely essential abilities a PR pro?
  • What are some “unexpected” skills you’ve used?
  • How big of a role does personality play in PR job success?
  • Fill in the blank: PR probably isn’t the right field for you if you hate to ….

A few additional questions (and answers) to add to the interview would be:

Q: How important is technology for today’s PR person?

A:  Technology is very important.  PR people need to understand how to use new monitoring technology to keep track of conversations in the blogosphere.  We must learn how to use WordPress, SharePoint and back end content management programs.  We also need to be educated on website analytics to understand consumer behavior on the Internet.  Lastly, I think that PR people should be savvy at Web search and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  With all of these new technology-focused responsibilities, the role of the PR professionals has certainly expanded.  There’s so much more to do, and, as a result, you are seen as an even more valuable asset to your organization.  As we focus on Web 2.0 and even as we enter into Web 3.0, the Semantic Web, technology will remain a constant.

Do you have a PR role model?

A:  My PR role model was a good friend of our family and the PR professional who helped me to secure my first internship, which later turned into my first job out of college.  His name is Fraser Seitel and when I first met him he was a VP at Chase Manhattan Bank.  Fraser was my 4th grade teacher’s husband and really someone that I grew up with and always admired.  As I developed in my PR career, I would see Fraser on Fox News commenting about different PR debacles and to me he is considered, The Father of Public Relations.  He’s best known for his college textbook (that probably every student has read by now), The Principles of Public Relations, which is in its 10th edition.  Fraser is the very reason that so many of us understand the comprehensive practice of PR and the importance of building a relationship.  Fraser has a private consulting practice today and is very well respected PR practitioner.

What was one of your favorite PR campaign and why?

One of my favorite campaigns was the launch of JVC’s GY-DV300 camcorder, a broadcast quality camera that streamed wireless to the Internet and the first of its kind.  So many times I’ve read in news releases how you have a “ground breaking” product.  Well, this particular product was truly revolutionary.  Because it was an MPEG-4 camcorder, you could stream content and upload it to your website in real time.  It was very exciting to have the physical launch of the Streamcorder in Baja Mexico at Fox Studios and be streaming live content of an interview taking place in Times Square in New York City.  The launch garnered hundreds of placements and the camera won awards by the major trade magazines at the 2004 National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas.  That was by far one of the most exciting campaigns because we were breaking new ground and introducing something that was never possible before.  JVC came to market with this product before Sony and Panasonic and it was spectacular!

I added in these three questions because they help a person contemplating a career in PR to see the type of responsibilities on a daily basis, the excitement of the campaign and also the nature and support of a PR mentor.  What questions would you add to help a young professional to answer the question:  Is PR Right for me?