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?

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.

What if you’re VP of Communications for a children’s toy manufacturer that was just in the news for a distributing a children’s toy with harmful defects. As a PR professional, what would you do? How would you respond?

What if one of your co-workers is interacting in social media to promote and praise your company’s product without disclosing his or her relationship to the company? Do you confront him? What are the ethical standards in social media?

“The Eth-X Factor,” a Regional Activity hosted by the The University of Alabama PRSSA Chapter, will specifically explore ethical leadership in the practice of public relations, and will provide you with insight to respond to the dilemmas above. At our event, you will learn how to approach ethical dilemmas as a public relations professional such as the examples above.  This Regional Activity provides a variety of information sessions focused on specific fields of public relations such as agency, social media, entertainment, colleges and universities, corporate companies, sports and more.

“The Eth-X Factor” is scheduled for Saturday, February 6 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bryant Conference Center located on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, AL. This event not only gives you valuable insight into ethical leadership, but it presents an opportunity to network with attending members of the Alabama PRSA Chapter and The Plank Center.

The Plank Center was established at UA in 2005. It seeks to develop leadership values and skills in Public Relations education and practice and specifically ethics. Ethical leadership is a valuable part of the public relations profession and this Regional Activity will give you the tools and insight to practice ethics at your next internship or job. An Information Fair will also be available for attendees to become knowledgeable of available internships, scholarships and job opportunities. Along with the PR professionals, Mary Rose Macaranas, PRSSA vice president of member services, and Rebecca Timms, PRSSA national president, will be attending “The Eth-X Factor” to give a national update to all attendees with the latest PRSSA news, opportunities and programs.

To learn more about “The Eth-X Factor,” visit our Web site and don’t hesitate to contact us at uaprssa@bama.ua.edu. Event registration forms, payment options, PRSSA applications, Hotel Capstone information and further details are available on the Web site.

Will you be attending the event? What are you looking forward to?

Many of us graduating seniors around the country are working on finishing the last semester or quarters, passing on leadership positions to future leaders and enjoying our last few months as college students. It’s also important to start thinking about your career and the tools at your disposal to help in your job search.

If you are graduating this spring, you are now eligible to join PRSA. Even though you’re still in school, PRSA offers PRSSA members the opportunity to join as an Associate Member for $60, which is significantly less than the $225 for regular members. Joining PRSA now will help you transition from being a student to a professional and will enhance your career.

Hopefully you have taken advantage of PRSSA’s member benefits; PRSA offers even more to its 20,000+ members. Here are some of the top PRSA member benefits to utilize in the coming months:

• PRSA Jobcenter. If you’re looking for a job, PRSA’s Jobcenter has many full-time positions for you to search. There are also career resources available to those who have Jobcenter access.
• Mentoring. If you’re looking for a job, consider matching up with an experienced PRSA professional to guide you through the process of launching your career. More information on this is available within Jobcenter.
• Publications. All PRSA members receive Public Relations Tactics newspaper and The Public Relations Strategist magazine free. You’ll be able to stay on top of trends and be prepared to discuss them during any interviews you have.
• Networking Opportunities. While networking opportunities are available for PRSSA members, new PRSA members can join Professional Interest Sections, such as the New Professionals Section, as well as attend PRSA meetings, conferences and professional development seminars. Becoming active in a new organization will help expand your network and your career.

Though the thought may be overwhelming, your career is beginning soon. Join PRSA early to enjoy these benefits and start your career on the right path.

In the next several months, guest bloggers will post about their PRSSA to PRSA transition and how it has impacted their careers. For now, feel free to comment if you have any questions about the transition.

This is a guest post from Vice President of Chapter Development Kion Sanders.

Twitter chats are a great way for you to connect with professionals and others, learn about a different industry and enhance your Twitter visibility. Anyone on Twitter can start a chat. If you decide to do so, here are some recommendations.

1. Conduct background research on your chat’s niche.
   1. Find out who the current key players are in this field and reach out to them for support.
   2. Think of a creative positioning strategy to help your chat get noticed.
   3. Make sure the time selected works for your desired priority audience
2. Promote your chat
   1. Share your chat’s information with bloggers, and Facebook and Twitter colleagues.
   2. Send personal e-mails to the key players you want to participate.
   3. Give away something for free. This is always a great incentive to participate 
3. Provide your participants with meaningful, relevant content
   1. Regardless of how you structure your chat, it’s important that attendees feel they learned something. This is what’s going to keep them coming back for more information.

I reached out to a couple of Twitter chat moderators to provide some chat insight.

Twitter chat moderators David Spinks and Lauren Fernandez of #u30pro, a chat discussing how to bridge the generational gap, demolish stereotypes and break down differences in the professional workplace.

What motivated you to start your Twitter Chat?

Spinks: As Gen-Y professionals ourselves, Lauren and I blogged a lot about issues surrounding young professionals.  We also connected with a lot of young professionals on Twitter.  After seeing how valuable other Twitter chats were, starting one that focused on young professionals seemed like a great idea. Also, we wanted to bridge the gap between older and younger generations which is why the chat is open to everyone.

How has this chat helped you professionally?

Fernandez: Hosting a chat puts us out there on a regular basis, and with the newsletter, fan page and now our new intern, we have definitely grown. I’ve started blogging over at MarketingProfs Daily Fix, and Dave is now contributing over at Mashable. We wouldn’t be where we are with the chat without the awesome community, though – they contribute on a weekly basis and drive us to be even more creative and provide more resources.

As students, it’s imperative we find ways to enhance our personal brand. A presence in or starting a Twitter chat is one of the best ways. Here are a few chats I thought you might be interested in.

1. PRStudChat, a chat designed to bring together PR students, professionals, and educators for a dynamic conversation about the Public Relations industry. http://bit.ly/7hN9Uh (schedule)
2. Journchat, a weekly (Mon 7-10pm CST) conversation between journalists, bloggers and public relations folks
3. U30pro, a weekly (Thurs 8pm EST) conversation discussing how to bridge the generational gap, demolish stereotypes and break down differences in the professional workplace.
4. Entprchat, a weekly (Tues 8-9pm EST) conversation discussing issues in entertainment and fashion PR and management

What Twitter chats do you recommend following? Have you participated in them before? Please share your experiences.

In today’s 24/7 news cycle, it seems companies and organizations are facing crisis situations more often. Yesterday, popular clothing retailer H&M began coping with a crisis threatening the brand’s reputation and contradicting a corporate policy.

According to an article in  yesterday’s New York Times, a student in New York found bags of brand new, yet slashed clothes that had been thrown out near an H&M store. A spokeswoman for H&M said it was corporate policy to donate unworn clothes to charitable organizations, yet these clothes seemed to be ripped apart on purpose. The Huffington Post picked up the article, as well as dozens of mainstream and blog outlets, and comments on H&M’s social media sites have turned against the company.

Because this crisis threatens the integrity of the organization, it is the role of the public relations practitioner to guide the organization to a resolution. So, what do you do in such a situation?

I pulled out a checklist I received from Kelly Rossman-McKinney, APR, Fellow PRSA, CEO of the Rossman Group, an issues management firm in Lansing, Mich. Kelly serves as Michigan State University PRSSA’s Professional Advisor and gave our Chapter advice on how to respond to a crisis. Below are 10 principles to remember while executing a communications plan:

1. Choose a messenger that is credible, such as the CEO.
2. Make sure your message fits the context and the environment in which you are located.
3. Make sure your message is relevant to your audience.
4. Craft a clear, simple, straightforward message that will be long-lasting.
5. The continuity and consistency of the message is key for audience penetration.
6. Choose the correct channels and tools to communicate to your audience.
7. Answer the question in every consumer’s head: “What’s in it for me?”
8. Make sure your audience knows you care about the situation.
9. Be sure to create a message your audience can understand.
10. Have a clear call to action. What is the audience supposed to do now?

If you were heading up H&M’s corporate communications department, how would you respond to the situation? Keep in mind the principles above as you discuss a possible plan of action.

In 2009, the public relations industry had to change and adapt to meet the growing needs of companies and organizations in the midst of one of the worst recessions in the country’s history. In the next year, our profession will continue to evolve. These changes directly impact those seeking a career in the profession. Here are some trends to look out for in 2010:

The economic implications of recovery

Though there seem to be signs of economic recovery, many public relations firm executives have made it clear that they will not immediately fill positions cut during the recession. This means several things for graduates and young professionals. First, it means a post-graduate internship is almost essential to work in an agency. Second, graduates will get more freelance and temporary work on a by-project basis instead of full-time offers.

Start, stop and continue

PRSSA National President Rebecca Timms has been guiding the Society this year on these three principles, and they seem to be a fitting description of what will happen next year. In 2010, expect to see the start of digital programs; stoppage of traditional and, often, expensive programs; and continuous reinvention of ways to tell the brand’s story. Take Pepsi as an example for this one: The company pulled its Super Bowl ads and instead is spending the money on a digital program promoting Pepsi and the story of its brand.

Mainstream media continues to change

The mainstream media’s downward spiral will begin to plateau. To counteract their decreasing revenue, and in reaction to their growing frustration with Google, many publications will charge for online content. Instead of one huge audience consuming mass amounts of information from many sources, people will pick and choose what they consume. Also, expect the mainstream media to continue to use social media in addition to the traditional channels. These factors will continue to impact the public relations industry.

Public relations as a business function

Though this is not unique to 2010, practitioners will continue to seek ways to measure their work and earn credibility with executives. PRSA launched the Business Case for Public Relations in 2009, and its principles -­ particularly measurement – will be discussed and debated. With public relations taking the lead in social media, our profession also needs to make this function measurable and strategic. Research and analysis of public relations efforts will still be essential to planning, but because of the constant flow of information, research will become more critical in successfully executing a program.

Are the trends in 2010 much different from years past? Are these the only things to look out for in 2010? Add your comments below to continue this discussion.

With finals wrapping up for most of us, the semester break is a great time to gain writing experience. Below I’ve listed several opportunities to contribute your work and in turn, gain a sample for your portfolio. Your portfolio should have different writing samples, so consider writing for a variety of these outlets.

• FORUM. If you’re looking to write about public relations, professional development or career advice, check out PRSSA’s national publication, FORUM. It is distributed to the Society’s 10,000 members three times each year and is a addition to your portfolio. Contact Patrick Hernandez, editor in chief of FORUM, if you would like to contribute.
• Platform. Platform is an online magazine published by University of Alabama students and professors, though they are always seeking guest writers. Topics covered include the industry trends, ethics, leadership and careers. If you’re interested in writing for Platform, check out the contributing writers page for details.
• Your Chapter’s Newsletter. If you haven’t already done so, contribute to your Chapter’s newsletter. If your Chapter does not have a newsletter, start one It doesn’t even have to be a formal publication; it can even be an e-mail newsletter or a biweekly flier. By creating this resource for your members, you will gain both leadership experience and writing samples for your portfolio.
• A PRSA Chapter Newsletter. Your PRSA Chapter might also offer the opportunity for guest contributions to its newsletter or Web site. Find a contact from the Chapter’s Web site and pitch that person on you’re topic and how it will help PRSA members. Consider your audience and write about a subject relevant for the readers.
• Start a Blog. If you’ve been debating whether to create a blog, make the commitment and launch it. Blogging has so many benefits, including enhancing your writing and editing skills, helping you learn online tools, expanding your network and building a strong online presence. For tips on how to start a blog, check out what PRSA member Gini Dietrich says here.
• Post on Another’s Blog. While blogging might not be for you, you can still write a guest post on a blog you read and respect. Find the blog manager’s contact information and send a concise pitch describing what you can add and the topic you’d like to address. We’re always looking for guest bloggers here – feel free to send me an e-mail pitch.
• PRSSA Scholarship Applications. It’s never too early to star working on PRSSA scholarship applications and many require an essay. By spending time to create a high quality essay and application, you improve your chances of winning.

In addition to writing, check out AP Style resources from Platform Magazine and Newsroom 101. Both let users test their knowledge of AP Style, which is an essential for future public relations practitioners.

How else can you improve your writing over break? Are there any other outlets that would be good additions to a portfolio?

It’s no secret that student-run public relations firms around the country are growing and thriving. There are more than 100 student-run firms around the country and 15 of these are Nationally Affiliated. I wrote a guest post for Culpwrit giving advice for student-run firms, but wanted to expand the advice and point out additional resources.

PRSSA offers several resources to help develop your firm:

• Student-run Firm Handbook. Published annually, this handbook is designed to help firms of all sizes and levels of establishment. There is advice for new firms seeking to create a structure, case studies for more developed firms, and tips for everything in between. Be sure to check it out for additional advice and another perspective.
• PRSA and the Champions for PRSSA. Have you connected with a PRSA professional lately? Is there a Champion in your area willing to help guide your firm? Having a seasoned professional’s perspective on your work and client management can ensure you are providing the best service possible. Work with your professional or academic Advisors to build relationships with these professionals.
• National Affiliation guidelines. These guidelines serve as goals for your firm to strive to achieve long term. By becoming Nationally Affiliated (which costs no money), your firm demonstrates it is among the best besting the nation. It’s a great pitch to new clients and the process will strengthen your firm.
• Firm directors e-mail list. This listserv is a great way to reach out to student-run firm leaders for a new perspective and collaboration opportunities. Sign up for the list and reach out to the community if you have questions or would like help.
• Your National Committee and other leaders. Several National Committee members have helped launch, worked for or managed student-run firms. If you’re looking for an extra perspective, e-mail me and I can connect you with other students who can relate to your situation.

In addition to these PRSSA resources, what resources would you recommend to other student-run firms? Any books, blogs or conferences firm leaders should be paying attention to?

In last week’s post, we discussed what you should be looking for in an internship. Even though not every internship you will come across meets the recommended criteria, the points we discussed should help guide you in your search.

On the other side of internship success is you. Finding an internship is one challenge and the first hurdle a career path. Making the most of that experience and enhancing the right skills are the next hurdles, and hopefully can lead you to full time employment. The first stages of your career are important so take advantage of opportunities that will put you ahead in your career.

So, how do you take advantage of those opportunities? As mentioned in the last post, the PRSA Internship Guide offers advice for students on how to make the most of an internship experience. Below are recommended guidelines for students on things to focus on, ways to improve and tactics to overcome challenges:

1. Students should communicate to their intern supervisor what their goals and expectations are for the internship.
2. Students should actively search for internships that are career starters.
3. Students should independently seek out “learning opportunities,” such as  PRSSA professional development opportunities or educational programs offered by the company providing the internship, to enhance what they are learning through their work.
4. Students should demonstrate they are ready for additional responsibility by showing initiative and doing more than what is asked of them.
5. Students need to work to understand office culture including business etiquette, dress code and standards of personal conduct prior to their internship.
6. Students should have a solid communication foundation prior to being placed in an internship.
7. Students should learn all they can about the organization’s business and clients before beginning work.
8. Students should make sure they are adequately insured for medical and other eventualities.

While not all internships offer the same benefits, it is up to you to make the most of it. In today’s economy, interns can’t afford to let an opportunity slip away. Even if you don’t want to end up in the type of firm where you are interning, make sure you work hard for a solid recommendation.

For more information about finding internships and tips on how to be successful, check out JobCenter, your all-in-one career resource center and internship posting board. If you need your Chapter login information, contact Mike Wilson, vice president of internships/job services.

How else can you be successful in an internship? Is there anything else to add to the list?