Regional Activity Update: San Jose State University

Do you know what it takes to break into public relations? Do you have the survival skills that will put you on a trajectory for success? Are you ready to take risks, accept challenges and see the rewards?

“The Survivor’s Guide to Public Relations,” the San Jose State University Chapter PRSSA Regional Activity, March 19–20, has an exciting line-up of speakers, case studies and workshops that will teach you the survival skills you need to start your career.

Our third annual Regional Activity will help you learn how to break through as a new public relations professional and survive and thrive in ever-changing markets. Especially in a down economy, you need to make the most of your skills and resources while keeping up with rapidly evolving communication tools.

Learn how to create an interactive resume that will push you forward and help you stand out at the Interactive Resume Workshop. At the Networking Social, meet professionals that are looking for interns and can offer valuable insight. At the activity, you’ll be able to learn and network at the following sessions and events:

• Agency tours of Hoffman Agency, McGrath/Power and Marketing Maniacs
• Breaking Into PR, Keeping up With the News panel discussions
• Crafting Your Interactive Resume workshop led by Peter Young, Fullbright Scholar, and Kim Komenich, Pulitzer Prize Winner
• Case study challenge designed by Dr. Dennis Wilcox, APR, Fellow PRSA, author of “Public Relations Strategies and Tactics,” “Public Relations Writing and Media Techniques” and “Public Relations Today: Managing Conflict and Competition”
• Keynote brunch with Gerard Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA, PRSA National Board of Directors, and Founder and CEO of Redphlag, LLC, who was named a “Public Relations All Star” by InsidePR Magazine
• Optional tour of Wente Vineyards and discussion with Wente’s PR executives

The date is quickly approaching and space is limited. Register today.

Don’t miss out on these opportunities. Visit our Web site for more information or contact us directly at prssasjsu@gmail.com.

Finding a Job with Twitter

Below is a guest post from Amanda Aviles, a PRSSA member at the University of Alabama.

Social media are great: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Four Square and blogs are fun, and social networks can help you reconnect with old friends and make new ones. But we, as public relations folks, know that there is so much more depth to social media than status updates and friend requests. We know that you get out of it what you put into it, and the benefits that can come from using social media are endless. For me, that meant my first post-grad public relations position.

Here Is the Story

While I’ve been active in the social media world for quite some time now, it has only been in the past few months that I have really engaged with other public relations students and practitioners, and I have already gained so much by doing so, including a job.

Several weeks ago, while looking for interesting, engaging public relations, marketing, advertising professionals to follow on Twitter, I began conversations with several individuals from different agencies and sectors. One of the professionals I began talking to had just become the vice president of digital marketing with a full-service advertising agency and was looking to fill new positions in the new department. After sending him my resume and writing samples, we scheduled a phone interview, which led to a day trip from Tuscaloosa, Ala., to Alpharetta, Ga., for an in-person interview.

You know how they say when something is right, you just know? Well that’s the exact feeling that I had after leaving the interview, and apparently they felt the same way. I got a call only a few hours later and was offered a post-grad position, and even some freelance work until I join the team in May.

I will be joining Force Marketing, a full service advertising agency in the automotive industry, in what I consider to be my dream position. I will be brought on as in-house public relations, but will have endless opportunities to contribute in other ways.

My Advice for Job Seekers

I have Twitter, and social media in general, to thank for this opportunity. I hope my experience will encourage more students to engage with other students and professionals, build their online presences and take risks. You never know when your comment on someone’s blog or a RT will peak the right person’s interest and make your job hunting experience easy, enjoyable and effective.

I would highly advise May 2010 grads and anyone else looking for a public relations job to look beyond the norm. Don’t be afraid to apply for a job in a field you had never considered. The automotive industry is probably the last place I would have imagined myself working, but since I took a chance, I will now be broadening my horizons and gaining limitless experience in a new field. I will also have the chance to dabble in other areas, like in-house public relations, marketing and digital marketing, which I may never have had the chance to do had I only applied for specific public relations positions.

Also, don’t be intimidated to reach out to professionals and agencies that you see on Twitter, LinkedIn or any other social network. In this day and age, with such an emphasis on social media in public relations, practitioners and agencies don’t want to hire a recent grad with no online presence or who isn’t social media savvy. Get noticed and reap the benefits, whether they be contacts with agencies, job interviews or great resources.

Regional Activity Update: Elon University

Below is a guest post from Kristen Lueck, Elon University PRSSA Secretary.

Elon University’s fourth regional activity is titled “PR in 3D.” So, what is PR in 3D?

The sessions and activities of the conference aim to teach you about the three main areas of a public relations career: account management, the creative process and the client perspective.

The event, held March 7, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., is an interactive and informative forum that will shed light on the different dimensions of public relations. You will learn from Paul McKeon, former partner at Ketchum and founder of The Content Factor; Scott Scaggs, creative director at Trone, a full-service marketing and communications agency; Tracey Grayzer, the director of public relations for Alamance Regional Medical Center; and Ross Wade, assistant director of career services at Elon University.

You will learn the best practices for self marketing and how to stand out among other applicants as you enter a competitive job market in a dynamic industry. You will then have the opportunity to put the speakers’ advice and your own knowledge of public relations to work in an interactive activity and a networking social. Elon PRSSA hopes to give you a realistic view of the industry and knowledge of how to make a public relations career a reality.

If you are interested in attending, register through our Web site, where you can also see more information about the event. Questions? E-mail us. We look forward to seeing you there!

Ways to Enhance Your Membership Value (Part Two)

During the summer, we posted about how to increase the value of your PRSSA membership to get the most for your money. This time around, we found that since it’s a different time of the year, you have different opportunities to participate in and further add value to your membership. Here’s a checklist of things you can do before completing the year:

1. Attend a Regional Activity with members of your Chapter. These regional events provide members with professional development and networking opportunities.
2. Find an internship with the help of JobCenter, PRSSA’s database of internships. Recent postings include opportunities all over the country.
3. Pursue a PRSSA leadership opportunity and build your resume with the opportunities that will arise.
4. Attend the PRSSA Leadership Rally this June.
5. Apply for upcoming scholarships and awards. PRSSA awards approximately $20,000 each year to members. Take the time to apply and if you earn an award, you’ll reap monetary rewards and the prestige of national recognition.
6. In case you skipped the previous bullet, apply for scholarships and awards. Who can’t use some extra cash and a point of honor these days?
7. Submit Chapter News to the PRSSA Web site and earn national recognition while adding a writing sample to your portfolio.
8. Participate in a PRSA teleseminar.
9. Attend a Regional Activity in another state. Even if you already attended an event nearby, try and broaden your horizons, meet new people and try out a new area.
10. Check out FORUM’s new Web site and enjoy the free content.
11. Reach out to a PRSSA Champion and expand your network.
12. Participate in the FUNdraising Bowl and potentially earn two free registrations to the PRSSA 2010 National Conference in Washington D.C.
13. If you’re graduating, don’t forget to join PRSA as an associate member.
14. Mentor a young PRSSA member. You might be surprised at how much you learn.

How else do you recommend making the most of your membership? Anything to add to the list?

The Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership

The following is a guest post from, Kimberly Ciesla, Rowan University Chapter President.

In PRSSA, students are exposed to a number of opportunities to lead. But often times, teams don’t work together as cohesively as they could because leaders make common mistakes that can break down the morale of the team. During PRSA’s recent webinar, Getting to Great Leadership and Influence: How to Fast Track Your Leadership Impact, David Grossman of The Grossman Group discussed the seven deadly sins leaders make and how to solve them.

1. Myopia. Leaders often don’t understand that everything communicates—body language, facial expressions, etc. Often, team members will read into these actions based on their perceptions and current feelings, sometimes skewing the anticipated message. It is the leader’s job to reflect the message in all aspects of communication. Grossman suggested three solutions: (1) Get a mirror on your desk to remind you that you’re always communicating (2) Become familiar with your leadership style (Now Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham is a good tool) and (3) Get feedback from your team on how you’re doing.
2. Hypocrisy. Another common mistake leaders make is not practicing what they preach. The key to building trust is consistency. Match your words and your actions. Also, choose someone on your team to be your truth teller.
3. Sloth. Sometimes leaders become so comfortable with communicating that they don’t take the time to plan basic communication, like meetings. Messages need to be properly thought out and communicated in the best way to reach a mutual understanding. Know your message for each meeting and make sure the team is on the same page.
4. Detachment. Leaders often detach themselves from the “human element” when leading and often fail to show they care about team members. How well do you know your team? When was the last time you socialized with them? Wrote them a thank you note or recognized their hard work? These simple things will boost team members’ morale.
5. Materialism. Instead of thinking about end results and outcome, leaders tend to put emphasis on individual tasks. Take a step back and instead of micromanaging, inspire the team to do a good job by coming up with a shared outcome and how you plan to measure success. Use sentences like “The outcome we seek on this project is…” or “What’s the problem we’re trying to solve?” to keep your team on track.
6. Presumption. Another mistake leaders often make is communicating from a leadership perspective rather than the perspective of the audience. Grossman said, “Real communication happens in the mind of the listener.”
7. Irrelevance. The last deadly sin occurs when leaders don’t provide context or relevance. Make sure team members understand what’s going on. Always keep an audience mindset about how you can move people to action.

For more information or to view the webinar tools, visit this site. This webinar is also available for free on-demand through PRSA.

As leaders in PRSSA, how can we use this information to improve our own leadership style?

Regional Activity Update at Michigan State University

The following is a guest post from Kylie O’Brien, MSU PRSSA vice president of public relations.

The public relations field offers opportunities in a variety of specialties; it’s not a simple choice among agency, corporation or non-profit. It’s a career filled with niches ranging from entertainment to government to health care. So how are we, college students aspiring to enter the public relations world, supposed to know where to even begin to start learning about which niche is a match for us?

This question is what we at Michigan State University sought to answer for you when planning our Regional Activity, “Expanding Your PR Horizons.” We’ve put together a stellar lineup of speakers from diverse public relations specialties to present sessions about their career, as well as tips on how to succeed. With speakers from restaurant, fashion, health care and international public relations – to name just a few – you will be able to learn how many ways you can take your career.

We are so excited to have Scott Monty, global digital and multimedia communications manager at Ford Motor Company, as our keynote speaker. Monty heads the social media functions at Ford and is a strategic adviser on different applications of social media from customer service to marketing support. As social media expand rapidly each day, it’s important for you to know how to network through these new media. You can view a full list of our speakers on our Web site.

During the second half of our Regional Activity, you can participate in a case study competition with a real client present to judge. You’ll get to work with students from other Chapters, put your public relations skills to use, and learn the techniques and ideas of others. The competition client will be announced in the next few weeks.

We hope you can join us Saturday, Feb. 27, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., at the MSU Union located on the MSU campus in East Lansing, Mich., for what we know will be an exciting Regional Activity. Registration is open until Feb. 6 and the cost is $25 for PRSSA members and $30 for nonmembers. Register on our Web site.

If you have any questions, e-mail us at prssa@msu.edu. We’re looking forward to expanding our public relations horizons with you!

Regional Activity Update from Oral Roberts University

You are invited to the Oral Roberts University PRSSA Regional Activity, “Front Row Seat 2010: Your Ticket to the Sports and Entertainment Industries.” Festivities will begin with a welcome party at the Hilton Tulsa Southern Hills on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. Come to mingle with PRSA members, faculty and other students from the eight state regions while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and beverages.

On Friday, Feb. 26, the activity will begin at 8 a.m. Speaker topics include “Finding Big Ideas in Online Research,” “Three-ring Circus: Balancing Client, Media and Agency Expectations in News Conferences,” “Swatch This! Painting a Vibrant Online Canvas in Music Entertainment,” and “Entertainment Law.” In the afternoon, you will enter an intriguing team competition focusing on crisis management. After brainstorming ideas, each team will present to the judging panel, and the activity will conclude with the judges announcing the winning team at 5 p.m.

You will find yourself among passionate, innovative people at a stimulating professional development activity, full of enrichment and purpose. You will have a front-row ticket to learning more about working in the sports and entertainment industries.

This event is sure to be unforgettable and a great way to network with students, faculty and professionals who share your passion. For more information, check out our Web site.

Regional Activity Update from Illinois State University

What’s the latest and greatest in social media? How do you decide between a career in agency and corporate public relations?  Do you know the difference between a defined contribution plan and a defined benefit plan?

The answers to all these questions and more will be revealed at the Illinois State University PRSSA Regional Activity “Enhancing Your PRofession.”  This Regional Activity will host workshops and speaker sessions that will work to enhance your public relations knowledge and skills. Are you prepared to negotiate a job offer? Do you have a 30-second commercial prepared? Both of these skills, along with many more, can be developed at our event.

“Enhancing Your PRofession,” will take place Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at the new Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uptown Normal, Ill., just steps away from the ISU campus. The $50 registration fee includes lunch and a gift.

Uptown Normal has great shops and restaurants, so we’ll be hosting a social 8 p.m. Friday night at Medici. If you’re coming from out of town, consider arriving Friday so you can network with peers in this informal, relaxing environment.

To register for “Enhancing Your PRofession,” or to learn more about the workshops and speakers visit our Web site. Please send any questions to isuprssa@gmail.com

Regional Activity Update at Boston University

The following is a guest post from Allison Shannon, Boston University PRSSA Webmaster.

Soon you’ll be graduating and when you reach the other side of that stage, diploma in hand, you will be entrenched in the uncertainty of today’s job market. You will need more than that diploma to show your future employer that you are one in a million. Which of your many talents will put you ahead of all the other applicants? How can you be the one they remember when the final hiring decision is made?

Luckily, Boston University’s PRSSA is here to provide you with the tools to stand out. This year’s Regional Activity, “PR Advanced: Brand Yourself,” will help you gain the skills to successfully create a brand for the most valuable asset you have: you.

Creating your personal brand is important in all areas of the professional world, from public relations to engineering to graphic design. The knowing how to emphasize your most impressive talents is invaluable, as is understanding how to successfully use your image to stand out in the sometimes overwhelming environment created by new media. The conference, which will be held Feb. 27, will include speakers who want to help you find those skills that will catch the eye of your dream employer. Are you wondering what talents you can bring to the table? Or the best way  to present them in an interview or portfolio? These professionals are ready to answer your questions.

The conference will be filled with opportunities to learn from and interact with some of the profession’s experts on branding. Our keynote speakers are Fiona Morrisson, director of brand management and advertising for JetBlue, and Penelope Trunk, founder of Brazen Careerist, who know all about the importance of building a brand and strategies for today’s climate.

Representatives from some of the country’s most successfully branded companies like Whole Foods, Dunkin’ Donuts and the Boston Red Sox will lead our breakout sessions along with Heather Huhman, founder of Come Recommended, who will provide insight on personal branding. You will also be able to question the interviewers who will one day question you during our panel of human resources employees from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Marina Maher Communications and Burson Marsteller. The conference will conclude with a career fair where you can network with professionals and show off your new brand.

The conference will take place Feb. 27, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Boston University Photonics Center. For more information and to register, visit our Web site. What greater skill can you learn for your future career than to brand yourself?

How PRSSA Chapters Can Blog Better

Because blogging is the cost effective and seems easy to use, it often attracts people as a great medium to reach their audience. However, effective blogging takes time and strategy. Therein lies a visible problem PRSSA Chapters are coming across as they use social media to communicate: What do we blog about and how do we keep people coming back?

To get you started on the path to better blogging, always ask, “What’s in it for me?” from your reader’s perspective. Your Chapter can create content about news, meeting minutes and documents, but how does that provide real value to your readers?

Here are some tips to keep in mind while blogging for your Chapter:

• Decide who your audience is and cater content to that audience. Is your blog for members? Is it for public relations students in general? Is it for prospective members? When you decide which audience or audiences you writing for, put yourself in their shoes and write something you would be interested in reading.
• Remember the three C’s: clear, concise and compelling. Be clear and concise by writing conversational and succinct copy. Be compelling by posting a your own perspective, not reposting or reiterating content that is already out there.
• What’s in it for the reader? It can be information, updates to a situation or another perspective, but make sure there is something in the post that benefits your readers.
• Use the blog to connect with others. There is a large chance Chapter members are blogging; be sure to comment on their posts and encourage guest posting. This will build a relationship with your audience and keep them coming back.
• Don’t give up! Nothing is quite as disheartening as seeing a Chapter give up blogging or take long breaks between posts. Be sure to post regularly and encourage several people to be involved in managing the blog so it isn’t forgotten

In addition to the above tips, check out Christa Keizer’s post on what PRSSA Chapters can blog about. She is working on the California State University Fullerton PRSSA Chapter blog and thought out loud about what the blog will discuss.

How do you think PRSSA Chapters can improve their content? Are there any words of wisdom from those who have been successful?

*This question about Chapter blogging, along with many others concerning social media, will be answered in PRSSA’s Social Media Toolkit. This resource will answer questions on how Chapters can use new tools strategically to communicate to members and other target audiences.