Wednesday, December 16, 2009
National Conference Slides
To find out more on what we all learned at national conference, please feel free to visit the prssa.org site. All presentation slides are now posted!
PRSSA National Conference San Diego
The keynote speaker at this year's national conference was the Lt. Governor of California, Mona Pasquil. She was kind enough to give the PRSSA members in attendance some tips...
1. Always be prepared
2. Take open doors! You never know where they will take you
3. Think of plans
4. Timing is everything
Get your information out there- don't let anyone define who you are!
Find someone to become your mentor!
Know your story!
I also attended "Cruisin' with PR: Corporate vs. Agency"
These are some things to consider when looking into which is best suited for you:
- Is there a particular industry I want to work in?
- Do I want to travel?
- How important is salary?
A case FOR agencies:
- Exposure to a range of campaign types and PR processes.
- More access to latest tools.
- More opportunity for training.
- Learn quickly.
- You're surrounded by PR people.
- Less need to specialize early in your career.
A case AGAINST agencies:
- Multiple bosses.
- Additional tasks.
- Media sees you as a barrier.
- Fierce internal competition.
A case FOR corporate or inhouse:
- higher salaries/benefits.
- Access to senior executives early in your career.
- Ability to specialize in an area you enjoy.
- Easier to forge strong relationships with media.
A case AGAINST corporate or inhouse:
- Your boss may not be a PR/marketing specialist.
- Less exposure to different techniques.
- Limited advancement opportunity.
- Longer hours.
- Less time spent on traditional PR activities.
Thinking about going into nonprofits?
Negative: Training and budgets are much lower.
Positive: Makes you feel great as a person.
Avg salary for a nonprofit PR person: $66.2 thousand a year.
For more information and to see the full slides from conference just click here! :)
1. Always be prepared
2. Take open doors! You never know where they will take you
3. Think of plans
4. Timing is everything
Get your information out there- don't let anyone define who you are!
Find someone to become your mentor!
Know your story!
I also attended "Cruisin' with PR: Corporate vs. Agency"
These are some things to consider when looking into which is best suited for you:
- Is there a particular industry I want to work in?
- Do I want to travel?
- How important is salary?
A case FOR agencies:
- Exposure to a range of campaign types and PR processes.
- More access to latest tools.
- More opportunity for training.
- Learn quickly.
- You're surrounded by PR people.
- Less need to specialize early in your career.
A case AGAINST agencies:
- Multiple bosses.
- Additional tasks.
- Media sees you as a barrier.
- Fierce internal competition.
A case FOR corporate or inhouse:
- higher salaries/benefits.
- Access to senior executives early in your career.
- Ability to specialize in an area you enjoy.
- Easier to forge strong relationships with media.
A case AGAINST corporate or inhouse:
- Your boss may not be a PR/marketing specialist.
- Less exposure to different techniques.
- Limited advancement opportunity.
- Longer hours.
- Less time spent on traditional PR activities.
Thinking about going into nonprofits?
Negative: Training and budgets are much lower.
Positive: Makes you feel great as a person.
Avg salary for a nonprofit PR person: $66.2 thousand a year.
For more information and to see the full slides from conference just click here! :)
Resumes and Portfolios
On Oct. 22nd we held our first workshop of the semester. Abby Gutowski from Weidert Group PR in Appleton came in to help our members better understand what our resumes should look like, along with our portfolios.
Don't have an objective statement! If you do decide to have one, make sure it makes you stand out from the crowd. Explain how you love to network, and how much you want to help the company network further within the profession. Maybe even list something extremely interesting about yourself that would make the reader go, "wow, I want to read further."
What do you have to offer a company? Make sure to list your knowledge (courses, major/minor degrees, awards & recognition, GPA) and your experience (internships, PR associations, networking experience, professional background). Also feel free to list professional web-sites that you are a frequent visitor of, or have a profile with; Linked In, Twitter, a blog. However, do not list your facebook page.
Resumes:
List relevant experiences first. Campaign experience you've had. Skills you list are only relevant when they are unique. If you've ever received news coverage for something you've done, TELL THEM! RESULTS ARE KEY! If you do not have relevant experience yet, list relevant PR classes that you've taken.
Always write what is in it for the company, explain how beneficial it would be for them to bring you into the company. "I want to grow with the company..." Explain your passion for PR, that you'd like to develop the company's involvement within the profession.
Try to find something more unique than, " I have good work ethic..."
Formatting is as important as content!
Portfolios:
You will usually only have time to show the employer 3-4 pieces.
If you have helped a company with social media, make sure to show them! Any work at all that you have done for a company, make sure to show them!
Blog Posts, show them that you have a personal brand and know social media. Also let them know if you know how to measure social media!
Have an online link for employer to visit after you have left- they aren't going to keep your pieces for review. And they won't remember you if they are interviewing five other people after you. So if you don't have a link for them to visit, leave a disk containing a few pieces of your portfolio for them to reference later.
Include news releases you have done and any news that resulted from your release!
Online portfolios that are available are a great way to brand yourself, and a great way to leave your portfolio behind after an interview!
Don't have an objective statement! If you do decide to have one, make sure it makes you stand out from the crowd. Explain how you love to network, and how much you want to help the company network further within the profession. Maybe even list something extremely interesting about yourself that would make the reader go, "wow, I want to read further."
What do you have to offer a company? Make sure to list your knowledge (courses, major/minor degrees, awards & recognition, GPA) and your experience (internships, PR associations, networking experience, professional background). Also feel free to list professional web-sites that you are a frequent visitor of, or have a profile with; Linked In, Twitter, a blog. However, do not list your facebook page.
Resumes:
List relevant experiences first. Campaign experience you've had. Skills you list are only relevant when they are unique. If you've ever received news coverage for something you've done, TELL THEM! RESULTS ARE KEY! If you do not have relevant experience yet, list relevant PR classes that you've taken.
Always write what is in it for the company, explain how beneficial it would be for them to bring you into the company. "I want to grow with the company..." Explain your passion for PR, that you'd like to develop the company's involvement within the profession.
Try to find something more unique than, " I have good work ethic..."
Formatting is as important as content!
Portfolios:
You will usually only have time to show the employer 3-4 pieces.
If you have helped a company with social media, make sure to show them! Any work at all that you have done for a company, make sure to show them!
Blog Posts, show them that you have a personal brand and know social media. Also let them know if you know how to measure social media!
Have an online link for employer to visit after you have left- they aren't going to keep your pieces for review. And they won't remember you if they are interviewing five other people after you. So if you don't have a link for them to visit, leave a disk containing a few pieces of your portfolio for them to reference later.
Include news releases you have done and any news that resulted from your release!
Online portfolios that are available are a great way to brand yourself, and a great way to leave your portfolio behind after an interview!
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