the world of the PR intern

Brands now have a Timeline

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:56:57 -0500

The much anticipated Timeline has arrived for Brands using Facebook Pages. I am a huge fan of the timeline feature Facebook introduced to users months ago. The clean simplicity of it attracts my type A personality and as someone who lives, breaths and thinks PR, all I have been able to think about is how this layout will help brands.

Thankfully, now I can find out.

Check out Mashable’s announcement about the timeline release - and let me know what you think!

Hashtag to Watch: #TweetThePress via Social Times

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:33:00 -0500

Hashtag to Watch: #TweetThePress via Social Times :

Social platforms are growing daily, along with their power. These outlets are further proving their power by giving a voice to many individuals who were once left unheard; the consumer.

This article discusses the different uses of Hashtag, #TweetThePress. It’s interesting to see how something can quickly trend and be used for so many messages. Take a look.

50 Best Blogs for the Public Relations Major

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:34:32 -0500

50 Best Blogs for the Public Relations Major:

Blogs, blogs, blogs! Keeping up with the hot topics and trends!

Penn State Hires Ketchum via PRNewser

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:44:49 -0500

Staying on top of current events is vital for someone who wants to be successful in the PR industry. Recently, the hot topic has been Penn State and the controversial news of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky being accused of child sexual abuse.

News has continued to pour out over this issue, including the recent hire of Ketchum Public Relations to help deal with crisis management and media relations. PRNewser discusses this in their recent article, Penn State Hires Ketchum.

This is a great topic of conversation in this industry. Bring it up to fellow students or professors in the classroom and get their take on it.

>How has the issue been handled thus far?

> Do you think their media relations have been successful?

>How would you have handled it?

This is also a great topic to practice your writing skills on. Give yourself a time limit, and prepare a news release and a media alert. Also, construct social media messaging surrounding the topic. If your interested in some feedback, find a professor or mentor who will review your work and give their opinion. Remember, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Re-think Your Resume

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:09:49 -0500

It is all about setting yourself apart from the pack. When it comes to your resume, everyone wants something different. Unfortunately, some of us never think outside of the box. Check out this article by Mashable. You will love it! These resumes are far from the box, and it makes you think how you can improve yours!

Timeline; the next steps via Mashable

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:44:12 -0500

Have you started up your facebook timeline yet? It is important in the PR industry to stay on top of hot trends, especially when it comes to social media. Right after the facebook presentation of the timeline I immediately went online and searched for a “how to” in order to create it for my own page. That next day I found it and set it up.

The next step in the timeline process is for it to be officially launched within the general public. Before this happens, make sure you have your own set up and ready to go! Remember, you are supposed to be the expert! Check it out at Mashable, which also includes a timeline how to! Get going!!

How to get the most out of a PR major

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:14:09 -0500

How to get the most out of a PR major:

Knowing exactly what to do in college is hard. This article will help you get the most out of that PR degree; helping you succeed when you graduate.

PRSSA | Becoming a PR Pro

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:08:37 -0500

PRSSA | Becoming a PR Pro :

Here are some tips from PRSSA on how to become a PR Pro! Still in college? PRSSA is a great way to get involved, learn more about the industry, network with professionals and discover internship opportunities! I did it and loved it! You should to!

Find your school’s chapter and get involved now!

5 tips for landing your first PR job after college via PR Daily

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:00:05 -0500

5 tips for landing your first PR job after college via PR Daily :

1. Apply for internships

2. Build a portfolio

3. Be a “strategic” online expert

4. Create an impressive résumé and cover letter

5. Continue to improve your writing skills

CHECK OUT ARTICLE FOR MORE IN DEPTH EXPLANATION!!

Hand Write It

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:57:58 -0500

Now that there is email, most people have forgotten the importance of a hand written thank you note. Email is faster. Social media is easier. I’ve heard plenty of reasoning for why thank you cards don’t cut it for my generation, but they all sound like excuses to me.

Nothing beats a hand written thank you card - especially after an interview!

Taking the time to write a thank you card allows you to show the person receiving it that you really appreciate what they have done. It is more personal, and therefore more meaningful.

Never forget to hand write it after these:

After an interview
After a job shadow
After an internship is completed
When someone has done a reference for you
Anytime someone was a mentor
Any other event that helped you learn and progress!

For great cards, check out my personal favorite Paper-Source.

A Foot in the Door

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:09:00 -0500

Remember in elementary school when you got to follow your parents around for a day at their work? The assignment was called, job shadowing, and it goes far beyond the early days of school.

During college, I participated in four job shadow experiences. I did two for my major and two for my minor. I would dedicate an entire day to following around an individual at a firm or a company, and it was such a great learning experience. Surprisingly, the firms and companies were very open to the idea! They enjoyed the experience just as much as I, and they were very impressed to see that I was interested enough to dedicate a day to them! One experience led to an internship in NYC!

PR is all about networking and building new relationships. Putting yourself out there by offering to job shadow is a great way to do this. Here are a couple of initial steps to get the process rolling!

1. Research a firm, and find an initial contact.

2. Email them, explaining your interest in their company and your desire to learn more through a job shadow experience.

3. Follow up! Sometimes emails can be lost, or easily tossed aside. This doesn’t mean they’re not interested.

4. Once you job shadow, find out how to stay connected. For example, I wrote a guest post for one of the firms blogs! This was the experience that ended up leading to an internship.

5. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Always remember to write a hand written thank you note to each person you dealt with. This is a large amount of time they are dedicating to you, so you want to make sure they know you appreciated it!

Now - get your foot in the door with a job shadow!!!

10 Reasons PR Still Matters

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:07:49 -0400

10 Reasons PR Still Matters :

Public Relations will always be needed, and this article helps us understand why. Don’t let statements like “PR is dead” get you down. The job hunt may be hard, but there will be something. Stay patient. Our job is always in need.

No Job? No Internship? Make One.

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:57:00 -0400

The PR industry is changing fast, and you don’t want to get left behind. One sure fire way to hurt yourself in an interview is to have a gap in your resume, and no explanation. I know; the economy sucks and jobs are hard to come by. Unfortunately, no one cares about your excuses or sad sob story. So what do you do?

Make your own experience. Here are some easy ways to keep up with the industry, even when the job market is slow.

1. Seek Opportunities | Smaller, community based non-profits often need a great deal of help, but don’t actively seek it. Why? They don’t have time. These smaller organizations are often run by a limited number of people. Search in your area, and do some research.

- What forms of social media do they use, if any?

- Do they have events that require news releases?

-Have they had a great deal of news coverage in the past?

-How are they involved in the community?

These are all things non-profits need. Unfortunately, a lot of these things don’t get much attention. Offer your services. This is a great way to keep working, and get involved with your community. It also provides a filler for your resume!

2. Write! Write! Write! | One of the most important aspects of PR is writing. PR execs look for clear, concise writers when interviewing. They want someone who can deliver writing with no grammatical errors, and can be short but to the point. How do people excel at this? They practice. Believe me, it helps.

-Take news stories from your daily paper, and see how you could deliver the ‘just’ of the story in as few words as possible. This is harder than you think. A professor made me work on this for an entire semester, and I was shocked at how much it helped my writing.

-Make up pitches! Take information that you enjoy reading, and see how you could make someone else feel the importance through your writing. Make it clear, concise and brief. Remember, you’re lucky if a journalist skims your email, so you want to make sure you can catch their eye.

-Practice “titles.” Subject lines are often the only thing between you and the trash icon on one’s email. Practice them! You want that subject line to sell!

3. Facebook! Twitter! Linkedin! Google Plus! It’s all about social media, and you are expected to know it all for the client! Best way to do this? Practice. First, make your own accounts and use them. You should actively use outlets like these, because you will be grilled on them during an interview. Also, for Facebook pages, a great thing to do is make fake ones linked onto your own profile page (just never publish them). Practice with different techniques you see on other companies pages. Check out new apps, and stay up to date on whats new!

Practice Makes Perfect! It is the only way to go, especially in an industry that is moving faster than anything else! Plus, execs will be impressed by your initiative and drive when you tell them you used these tricks to keep up!

7 Things to Know When Job Hunting

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:58:22 -0400

CBS Money Watch’s, Amy Levin-Epstein is giving us 20-somethings some tips on the job hunt. In her recent article, “Job Hunting: 7 Things Every 20-Something Needs to Know” she lists 7 things we should be aware of while on the job hunt. Below, you will find 1-7, but check out the full article to read it more in depth!

1. There Is Some Good News

2. Your Dream Job isn’t the only job

3. Interview Questions Are Different

4. Always Be Interviewing

5. Tech Skills can make up for experience

6. Grad School Isn’t a Safety Net

7. There is a silver lining in failure

NYC PR pros to follow

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:19:44 -0400

Here is another list of PR pros (from NYC) that are worth following; provided by http://stedavies.com/ - Check it out!! There are even a few people from Peppercom, where I used to intern! I highly recommend them, of course!

Honeybadger made an appearance this weekend! Straight from...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:02:03 -0400

Honeybadger made an appearance this weekend! Straight from youtube!

Avoid the Trash

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:14:05 -0400

Simple steps to making sure your resume lands in someone’s hand, not the trash.

Applying for a job or an internship? Guess what. So is everyone else. You need to set your resume apart from the competition. This often seems challenging to those in the PR industry, because we are all supposed to be talented, efficient writers… right? Luck for you - that’s not always the case.

Simple mistakes like grammar and spelling happen ALL the time! Resumes that include these mistakes are also the first to hit the trash. Here is what you can do to avoid this tragic end.

ONE IS NOT ENOUGH. Have multiple people review, edit and proof your resume.
Seek edits from people with different backgrounds. Sometimes people outside of the PR industry can point out somethings that you may not think of. Often, an HR person is reviewing your resume; not a PR person. Language can sometimes be lost on someone, so it is always good to get an outsider’s point of view.
Don’t rely on spell check. This is a classic mistake that gets so many people into trouble. Spell check does not catch everything. As a PR professional, this is one of the most important things to know.
ASK! Interviews, job shadows, networking, etc. all provide opportunities for you to ask about your resume.

Halloween - The PR Way

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:00:06 -0400

PR intern’s minds revolve around one thing. PUBLIC RELATIONS. Lucky for us, one of our main interests sparks ideas for Halloween costumes around the world; Social Media.

Social times has listed 15 great Halloween costumes, all inspired by social media in the year of 2011. Take your pick! This could be great for the office too!

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet | Who to Follow on Twitter

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:00:05 -0400

PR Pro’s need to stay on top of the news. One of the best ways to do it is Twitter. Don’t know who to follow? Here are some of my personal favorites…

ALWAYS follow companies and agencies you are interested in interning or pursuing a career with. It is a great way to stay up on what they are doing; helping you demonstrate you are personally invested in their company.

Having a proud Alumni moment - The Spirit of Imagewest! Check...

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:00:14 -0400

Having a proud Alumni moment - The Spirit of Imagewest! Check out this awesome video!