#FridayFive: How I got a job 24 hours BEFORE I graduated

Yes, you read correctly. I received a job offer from a great company literally a day before I was to walk across the stage. But hold on to your hats, because this story gets even more twisted. The job I was offered was a job I never even applied for!

So I know you’re wondering … How did this happen!!!??? Well in this post I will reveal that information and much more.  There are five essentials that I feel helped me to accomplish what most would call unthinkable in 2012. Take this advice to heart because it’s all from my experience and seemed to work pretty well.

Networking – Tell everyone you know (and people you don’t know) about your passion for whatever it is you’re passionate about. You never know whom someone else knows and could connect you with. Post it on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin everywhere! Reach out to people who do what you want to do and talk to them about it! Trust me! They want to know you and share their knowledge.  

Resilience – This is a characteristic that is essential in any career and is helpful to anyone looking for a job. Looking for a first job is going to be difficult and stressful. I can remember nights in my last semester of school where I would apply for 5-10 jobs (not even having a degree) and beat myself up about not hearing back. Although, my case is extreme this shows my dedication to wanting a job. If there’s something you want in life don’t let internal or external forces stop you. Be resilient and you’ll be success. Read this post about resilience: http://www.reasonedpr.com/blog/promance-thoughts-from-guest-blogger-graduating-senior-james-burge/

Confidence – You know what you know, so show it in your interview. Make an extra effort to bring up skills and knowledge you have, even if the interviewer doesn’t bring those up. My number one piece of advice is BE YOURSELF during the interview! The person you are during the interview is the person they want to work with if they hire you. Start the way you want to finish.   

Innovation/Creativity - Do something no one else is doing. Think outside the box. In an effort to not be cliché, I’m basically saying create your own persona and don’t copy others. For me, this meant branding myself. By branding myself, I communicated two different skills. I showed my future employer that I am aware of the importance of consistency in branding and that I can do the same for his/her company. See my online portfolio: www.jamesburgepr.com

A Team – The old saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” is very true. When you’re trying to reach your dreams, or even when trying to figure out what those dreams are, a team of supporters is the most valuable asset you can have. These people will edit your resume, call/email you about new job openings they know of, and even provide an ear for you to vent about how you haven’t heard anything back or when you receive bad news. Your team is your core group that will offer you all the things you can’t do for yourself. 

#FridayFive: Things I wish I knew when I graduated

You are not a bum or a loser if you move home. Whether it is in the hometown where you grew up or a brand new city, moving home will give you a firm launching pad to job search, relax a bit and decide what you want to do next. Plus, half of your friends are doing the exact same thing so don't feel alone.

Do not know your next step? It's okay.  After reading multiple Gen-Y blogs and crying myself to sleep, I figured out it's fine to not have it all figured out. Your parents may be hounding your butt to know what you want to do. When they graduated college, they had a great economy to go into. We do not. Reality check to your parents! You are not alone in this feeling; a lot of new graduates are going through this.

Speak up. You have a passion? Bring it into your conversations as you introduce yourself to new people. "What do you want to do?" (A common question for new grads.). Originally, I was scared to admit my passion. But now when I am talking with people, it comes up organically. Doors have opened up for me to pursue that passion just by having conversations and talking openly with people. Passion for fashion? Talk about it. Passion for children? Talk about it. Pursue avenues to be able to tell people about your passions, you never know who will be that door into an exciting adventure.

Get Community. If you are moving back to your hometown and feel like the only one, or are moving to a new city where you know no one, get out there and meet some people. Having friends who are similar in age or share the same passion will make this transition period much easier. I moved to a new city out of the country to live with my parents. It took me 6 months of being persistent and proactive to have a semblance of a social life. Another great resource is your alumni organization within your university. Contact them and see what events they're planning, jobs they may know about or to see if they know of anyone who is working in the field you are passionate about.

Go easy on yourself. Give yourself some grace and slack for the different emotions that spring up after graduating from college. Unless you are going straight into a masters program, you are finally done with school after it has consumed 15+ years of your life. There is such a thing as a quarter-life crisis. Google it. It is normal to have differing feelings about moving on with your life and to fear the unknown. Now stop giving yourself such a hard time and embrace this new journey!

Is there something you wish you knew when you graduated that you have since learned?

#FridayFive Networking

Guest Blogger: Steven Coyle, graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with a degree in Public Relations 

How I Got Over My Networking Fear

One of the first things I was told by my public relations professors was, “Learn how to network, your career will depend on it.” Immediately I developed this odd fear of networking even before I knew what it truly meant. I was that one kid who told himself, my skills should get me the job not my connections. I was quickly proved wrong.

The truth is you need both; the connection and the skill. After going through a deep unemployment depression, I snapped out of it, threw my pride out the window and started networking.

Twitter became my mecca for networking. I found my niche in participating in twitter chats, responding to influential professionals and giving my own advice to others. I was no longer afraid.

Honestly my fear was truly based on the fact I didn’t know how to network. I would just simply collect random business cards of professionals I met and then ask myself, what do I do now? Do I just ask them for a job? Do I just email them my resume? The confusion was discouraging. So in-case you’re discouraged, here are five things that helped me.

1. The worse they can say is “No.” They could possibly say more rude things but the usual response of someone who doesn’t want to help you is no response at all. Out of the 14 professionals I reached out too, only 4 responded. Rejection is a huge part of the industry, just get use to it.

2.Twitter Chats! Find a twitter chat that interest you and participate. I love chats about job hunts and resume building. HAPPO hosts some really good ones. I always learn something and meet awesome people.

3. Follow-Up. If you met a professional who is willing to help you and give you advice, try your hardest to keep up with. Learn their clients or some of their interest and follow up with small things. If you notice some press about their clients, send them a congratulations. Show them that you aware of what’s going on and that you have an interest in him or her. But don’t fake it, and don’t bug them. No one likes a suck up.

4. Have your own stories. Whenever you are meeting with a professional to discuss anything regarding help or advice be prepared to share your own stories. I feel like this helps them relate to you more. If you two can find some common ground they will remember you.

5. Join professional groups on LinkedIn. I belong to about 4 groups and actively participate in all of them. Find a topic you are interested in or know about and engage in conversation. Show them that you have personality and expertise then use it to your advantage. Follow the people who you responded to on twitter, engage with them there and then ask them for advice. Like I said in number one, the worse they can say is no.

I haven’t mastered this whole networking game, but these things have helped me become a whole lot better.

Steven Coyle is a social media strategist based in Chicago, IL.
Find him on twitter: @steveninpr

When is it too late?

Normally, we don’t write about celebrity and try to focus mostly on all things PR and Marketing, but after Burger King’s (BK) Mary J. Blige commercial went live online and was removed hours later it prompt the question "When is it too late to try and take back a message?".

Monday morning, BK released a number of online commercials on YouTube featuring stars such as David Beckham, Jay Leno and Salma Hayek. Of all the videos released the most watched was Mary J Blige’s “Crispy Chicken Wrap” commercial.

The commercial features nine time Grammy Award winning artist Mary J. Blige singing on the inside of a BK store about the ingredients of BK’s new Crispy Chicken Wrap. Not only that, but before going into the song, Blige interrupts a manager to prompt the song after a customer asks “What’s in the new Crispy Chicken Wrap?”. 

Shortly after the video was released, I found it so shocking that like most, I shared the video with my friends on Facebook:

 

As you can see, others felt the same way I did about the commercial.

Not too much time after the commercial was released, it was taken down from YouTube. Those who did see it though went to twitter to voice their concerns about the commercial and in true twitter style some jokes were made as well:

We aren’t sure why the video was taken down, but we all have our assumptions. This situation begs the questions, when is it too late to remove a commercial that many have seen? And was it a good decision to do so?

Let us know what you think in the comments!

Interview Infographic

Many say there is a science to the interviewing process and others say it's just about pure luck that you connect with the potential employer. No matter what you believe to be true, the infographic below will help you prepare next time your asked to interview. 

One surprising statistic that stands out to us is that "65% of bosses said clothes could be the deciding factor between two similar candidates." Looks like what you wear is pretty important.

Check it out after the jump: 

Internship Opportunity with Local PR Firm & The BIG move!

Upon their announcement of their move to the downtown area our friends at Red Energy PR are looking for some new interns! Below is the announcement about their soon to be new office space and also the internship opportunity.

"After an exhaustive search for the best location in the 80903 (downtown) area, I have found a professional building on the corner of Tejon and East St. Vrain. It has just 5 tenants (attorneys, interior designers, architects). Red Energy will occupy 1/2 of the second floor in our own executive suite. The building is a historic landmark and has beautiful restored antique woodwork inside and large sunny windows. The streets are well kept and many of the nearby businesses are historic stone churches..so they are only busy on Sundays!

We will be 1/2 a block from all of the downtown restaurants and shops down Tejon. The suite we are moving in to is better suited for our growth than our current location, as it has a private restroom, a furnished conference room, 3 separate offices and an enclosed sun porch. "

Congratulations Red Energy! 

Red Energy Public Relations, Marketing & Events is currently interviewing for Spring and Summer interns. If interested in a Spring internship for credit we have enough client work that we can "catch you up" this semester to get credit starting now. Clients include shopping, food & beverage, non-profit, sports, products, finance and healthcare. Internships are unpaid and require 10- 15 hours per week. Contact us today if interested, interviews are going on through the middle of next week. www.RedEnergyPR.com

Congratulations Red Energy! 

The Future is BRIGHT!

In our current economy, it seems as though no matter what degree you have decided to pursue, you may have a problem with receiving a job after graduating. Hearing the horror stories from recent graduates certainly doesn’t help to ease the worries of students in school at the moment.  So, what do PR students have to look forward to?

As many of us have heard and even read from different sources, the job market in communications and other fields is steadily dropping. Gone are the days where students would leave school and have the task of selecting from a bevy of job offers.

In an article on journalism.org, we find that “just 55.5% of 2009 journalism and communication graduates with a bachelor degree were able to find full-time work within a year of leaving school” (University of Georgia’s “Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Graduates”). This number is of course not for all students in all states, but it does give an example of what Communication students are up against. 

Last week, I was having a discussion with my mother about how things were when she was my age (20); she told me that everywhere you went people were happy to hire recent college graduates. Now recent graduates are happy to get work just about anywhere.

Now, with all that being said (sorry if I scared you), where does that leave us PR students? In our camp we are fortunate enough to have this little thing called “Social Media”. As I took to the web looking for information and opinions on the forecast for current PR students, social media seemed to ring a bell with most, as being a great tool to leverage employment. Shyla Mouser of The Perfect Image PR had this to say, "The future of PR for students is limitless! There are so many advances in technology and social media. They just need to jump in, internship after internship.”

Shyla makes a great point. With the way that the PR industry is evolving, there are a multitude of opportunities available within our field, and more will present themselves in the future.
Another great thing about our profession that I admire, is that there are a large number of industries to work in. Shyla’s advice is that PR students should explore all of the options available. “Learning from all aspects of PR whether it is non-profit, fashion, or music will be beneficial until you find your niche.”

Aliah Davis-McHenry of Aliah PR also gave some advice in the form of greatly inspiring words. “The future is bright for PR. We must all stay motivated, optimistic, and driven as PR is dynamic and the need increases."

So, although the future seems bleak at the moment, we must look past all the bad media coverage our futures are receiving and work our PR magic to ensure we are doing all we can to shine!

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”


Robert Collier

Special Thanks to:

Aliah Davis-McHenry
Founder of PR-Diva.com and Aliah PR, Nonprofit Manager, Social Media Lover, Speaker, Fashionista, Writer, Foodie & Photographer. Aliah Public Relations is a NJ-based boutique public relations and events management firm specializing in small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and associations.
Twitter: @AliahPR
Website: www.aliahpr.com

Shyla Mouser
Founder of The Perfect Image PR. The Perfect Image PR, LLC is a public relations firm that offers comprehensive publicity planning catered to your needs and goals. She specializes in getting the buzz out and creating "The Perfect Image" for her clients.
Twitter: @PublicistShyla
Website: www.perfectipr.com

What Big Brands Know Internship

About What Big Brands Know: 

What Big Brands Know Internship

What Big Brands Know is a company founded by Gerry O'Brion, a marketing executive who is now a speaker, author, and team development coach. The What Big Brands Know keynote address and guidebook translate the strategies used by billion dollar brands into techniques that businesses of all sizes can use to grow and thrive. Gerry has deep experience in marketing and strategy having worked with billion dollar companies such as Procter & Gamble, Coors, Quiznos and Red Robin. 

The Internship: 

Gerry is seeking an intern to aid in the development and growth of the company. The intern will be working directly with Gerry to Idette, research and develop the annual marketing plan. The objective is to book speaking engagements and other coaching work. In addition, the intern will take the lead in implementing several parts of the marketing plan such as executing a re-launch of the website (WhatBigBrandsKnow.com), Facebook page and YouTube channel. Finally, the intern may be involved with refining the What Big Brands Know Guidebook, and helping create a new DVD program.
The intern should be excited to work with a seasoned marketing executive who is launching a new venture. There is little structure and no checklist for success. Much of the work will center around understanding the challenge, research and brainstorming possible solutions, recommending a course of action, and then working to implement the plan. The intern will work in a very collaborative and informal environment and most of the work will be completed from your home.
The internship may include travel to one of Gerry's spring speaking engagements. 

Intern Qualifications:

• •   Ability to learn quickly, brainstorm solutions, and make recommendations.
• •   Ability to research, consolidate information and propose a course of action.
• •   Ability to write and communicate clearly and effectively.
• •   Professional attitude and approach.
• •   Ability to self-start and work in an informal situation.
• • Desire to learn from and work with an experienced marketing executive on a new venture.
• •   Experience with social media.
  Details:
  

• •   This internship is unpaid, but could lead to paid work in the future.
• •   We can structure this internship to help you qualify course credit. You will have to work with your internship advisor to determine what you'll need to do to qualify.
• •   The working hours are flexible. Expect 5 to 15 hours per week.
• •   The timing is flexible. It would be ideal to marry with spring semester - Jan through May.
  
  Contact Information 
  
  Please send a cover letter and resume to Gerry O'Brion at gerry@WhatBigBrandsKnow.com
  

What to Wear Daily! (WWD)

INT. PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM – MORNING  

A contemporary office with postmodern furniture in every corner.

YOU stand up and reach over to shake the hand of your new supervisor, PR PRO. 

 

PR PRO 

(happily) 

Thank you so much for accepting; we will surely enjoy having you work with us as an intern.

YOU 

(appreciatively)

No, thank you for this opportunity.   

PR PRO 

We’ll see you next week and don’t forget, please dress in business attire.

YOU  

Right! Business Casual.

As YOU exit PR PRO’s office, you realize that you don’t have very many pieces in your closet that can be categorized as business attire. You panic as you also realized that you don’t have very much money to go out and by a whole new business wardrobe. Slowly you put your down on your steering wheel trying to figure out a solution.

  

Well worry no more! COPRCLUB is here to solve one of the most common and overlooked issues that many new interns go through. 

  

As college students, we don’t exactly have suits and pencil shirts at our disposal for our first and sometimes even second internship. Of course we have the usual: college hoodie (that says college), flip-flops for those really hot August days, and our best sundresses we got at a steal last week.  Other than those basics not many of us have complete business outfits. 

  

So what do you do? Shop Smart! There are many stores out there that have just the pantsuits or button ups that you’re looking for, at intern friendly prices. Below we feature must-have items to add to your intern wardrobe from H&M and Kohl's.  

 H&M

W

 M

 

Kohl's 

M

 W

Now raise your head from that steering wheel, you’ve got some business attire to shop for!

But it doesn’t have to stop there; below we’ve listed some other great places to find amazing deals:

TJ Maxx

Burlington Coat Factory

Ross 

Goodwill

 

 

3 PR lessons from Sex and the City's Samantha Jones

Who is the most famous PR professional? Samantha Jones of course! 

As many of you know, Samantha Jones is a successful PR exec that knows what she wants...and gets it!  While she isn’t a real person, she is one of the most well known representatives of PR professionals in the media. 

As a character on the popular show Sex and the City, Samantha (played by Kim Cattrall) gives everyone a glimpse of the life of a practicing PR professional. Although, most of what is seen on TV and in the movies is not entirely illustrative of the day-to-day lives of PR professionals, there are a few things we can actually learn from Ms. Jones. 

·      Be persistent

If there’s one thing Samantha is, it’s persistent. Being persistent in this industry is one of the best ways to achieve your goals or your clients. To receive press for your client being persistent with reporters is an invaluable tool.

During your hunt for the perfect job persistence becomes valuable too. Being turned down for a job can be a disheartening thing for everyone. But having the determination to keep at it, will surely land you the job of your dreams. 

·      Be an opportunist

When Samantha sees an opportunity she latches on to it and won’t let go.  Having an “I can” attitude is important in the PR & Marketing world. Remember nothing happens by luck alone; luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. So the next time you are offered any opportunities (that will benefit you of course) take them!

·      Keep up with the what’s hot 

       Given Samantha Jones’ age in the television show and films, you would think that she isn’t aware of what’s hot. But on the contrary, Samantha is conscious of popular trends. As a future PR professional you should make it your business to know what’s popular. The media and general public are always looking for the next big thing and your client or business could just be that.

Are you working on your writing skills?

Twitter. Check.

LinkedIn. Check.
Basic writing skills needed for your classes and eventually to become a PR Pro? Sort of.

Every communication and business student alike needs to master their writing. College is the opportune time to take basic writing and grammar courses. Writing for PR is different than writing a short story for English 101. 

PRDaily.com's “8 steps to more concise writing”, lists in detail errors a writer should avoid. I have bookmarked it for future reference, you should too. Your professors will be amazed when you produce short, concise papers. 

Jobs on Twitter!

We all have twitter accounts and use them for different reasons, but did you know you could use it for finding a job? It seems as though the economy is starting to bounce back, making this is a great time to explore the jobs available. Below we have compiled some of the useful accounts to follow to find PR Jobs and internships from all over the world!

General PR jobs

@COPRCLUB

@PRJobs


@EntryPRJobs


@hmpjobs


@PRadvanced

@PRWork


@SOJCCareers


@IABC


@PRSANews


@HooJobs


@PRCoach


@TweetYourJob


@Helpaprproout


@GetPubRelatJobs 
@ahjobslist

Firms/Agencies


@Fleishman


@PorterNovelli


@RuderFinn


@EdelmanHR


@Edelman_Careers


@WeberShandwick

Jobs/Internships by location

@PRJobsNYC


@dcprjobs


@PRJobsLondon


@LAPR


@UKYoungPR


@PRChicago


@YPNChicagoPRSA
@denverprblog
@pikespeakPRSA

Internships


@urbaninterns


@HeatherHuhman


@InternQueen


@TopPRinternship


@PROpenMic

If you know any great PR/Marketing tweeters that offer up potential jobs, leave their handle in a comment!

Networking 101: Part 2 / Online

It's a fact that about 80% of new jobs come through direct networking. This stat just goes to prove that networking of any kind is very important to your success as a professional. No one will hire you, if they don’t know who you are! 

Over the past few years there has been a boom of activity online centered on professional networking. Websites like LinkedIn have truly made the Internet a great place to network with others and build your connections with others, some even in other countries. 

This part will help you to navigate through two of the options available for networking with others online. 

Linkedin.com is a business-related social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking with more than 100 million registered users. This is a great place to begin building your network. Once you signup for an account you’re instantly connected with people you know. Linkedin has an ingenious way of connecting you with people you “May Know”, but probably do know. All the magic is done through connections on Linkedin. They match you up with people who are connected with another person whom you’ve already added to your network. 

Groups on Linkedin are a fantastic way to connect with those who are engaged in discussions about your field. Joining a group will put you in the mix and help you learn about job opportunities. 

Another great way to use this website to your advantage is to check out your networks when you go to apply for a job. If you have the name of the person you are submitting information to, then see if they have a LinkedIn page. If you notice you and your potential employer have a connection in common then shot that person an email asking for a recommendation. 

BranchOut.com is a new site that I stumbled upon about 12 hours ago. The website was founded in July 2010 by CEO Rick Marini and a team with deep experience in social media, online recruiting, and Facebook applications. The site is built around the premise of the old saying “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” By using this service you are almost guaranteed to learn of a current contact of yours who works in the same industry, position, or even office as you may want to be in. Below is an informative video of what the Branchout.com has to offer you!

Internships: Only the Beginning

I have come to realize that my university did not teach me some practical skills that over the past six months since I have learned after graduating. For example, how to make those tough decisions right out of college, but that is a different story. You may feel that being in class is great, but worry that you will not have the tools to pilot the tough postgrad waters?

Who is teaching you these life lessons? Where are you learning them? In what circumstances can you learn them? These are all great questions and thankfully they do not need to be answered now.

But you can start learning these lessons by taking advantage of those internships that everyone is talking about. You hear your teachers drone on and on about them. You may even be required to take one, but what are they? Internships give you a great opportunity to learn life lessons in the real business world outside of the protected 4 walls of a classroom. Being among seasoned professionals in a real business will give you one of the most valuable experiences in your career.

Here @ Colorado PR Club we will help you learn the skills that will help you navigate this new world. Also we will help you land that sought after internship because we know how important they are.

To come we will talk about networking, resume & coverletter building, and also how to become a professional. All helping you build your first & most important brand: YOU, and how to create a personalized elevator pitch that will get you noticed. 

Summer 2011 Internship Opportunity in Colorado Springs

Want to gain PR & Marketing experience through an Internship this summer? Red Energy Public Relations currently has 1 opening left for sharp undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in receiving college credit as part of a college internship or independent study requirement. Email resume to Brittany@RedEnergyPR.com

Red Energy Public Relations
http://www.redenergypr.com/
@RedEnergyPR

Welcome to the Colorado PR Club!

The Colorado PR Club is just the beginning of world domination! Well, truthfully, it’s the brainchild of two budding PR and Marketing professionals. This blog was created in an effort to share knowledge and insight with those who are trying to maneuver their way through this unique industry we call public relations and marketing. Learning about internships and professional development opportunities is a difficult task for many.  Because this is an issue for most we have created a place that will offer all of that information and so much more!

Here at the Colorado PR Club, you will find a variety of internship opportunities, relevant and timely news, and useful information, all coming to you from the Centennial State (Colorado).

We will make a dedication to provide our subscribers and readers real world explanations, advice, skills, and tools that are not taught in the classroom. This will serve as a safe place to ask questions, debate issues, and learn about great opportunities.

We are very interested in receiving feedback from YOU, our readers. This will give us the information we need to improve our post and better tailor them to YOUR interest and needs!

Again, Welcome!