Who you should be networking with right NOW!

So, it’s time for a really awesome announcement! I got     another internship! How did it happen? Completely by accident. In the short amount of time I’ve spent in the world of internships and PR, I’ve found that many things, as they happen in life, aren’t planned, and happen by chance.

I applied for a regular ole’ job at a local newspaper, not thinking I’d get a call back, and ended up being sent right to the communications director of the publishing company the next day! It was very sudden, and I wasn’t exactly sure what they wanted me to do, but I entered the interview ready for whatever they might ask of me. Before I knew it, I was asked to be their PR intern! It all started when the person I initially sent my resume to (regarding the job) took the initiative to read through my resume and decide to forward it to the PR department for a different (better) opportunity that wasn’t even being advertised!

It is thoughtful people like this that are virtually indispensable in your professional life! This woman, who I have since met in person, thanked, and added to my “network”, had absolutely no obligation to help me out! She could have just printed out my e-mail attachment and tossed it in the stack of resumes without a single glance, because it wasn’t her responsibility.

As always, the little stories of circumstance from my life have a purpose. This week, it’s to bring you a very important message about networking! You might want to just network with the most popular faces, aka the “cool kids”, but most of the time, they will not have time to help you out. If they can’t form a professional relationship with you, you’re going to waste your time dwelling on a weak connection. Weak connections don’t give you good recommendations on LinkedIn or make for good reference individuals on resumes.

Instead, hone in on the people who are genuinely helpful, the ones you can tell work their butts off, and the ones that you click with, just like you click with friends. This way, you are not only making a connection, you are investing your time, their time, your interest, and their interest into something that has value! That being said, you should mirror these traits so that your connections will be able to benefit from you as well!

Just like normal friends, networking partners should be chosen based on more than just their popularity, good looks, or other surface features. Yes, in the PR world these things are important- they’re part of a person’s public image! But that is all the public will see. We will more often work on the internal side of the industry, and therefore, as cliché as it sounds, what will count the most in the long run is what the people in your network are like on the inside. Who you network with reflects who you are becoming as a professional. When you network with hard workers and just plain nice people, you are putting yourself in a very productive environment that, if utilized correctly and often, will result in an accomplished career! You will establish a dedicated work ethic, as those who surround you have, and your positive attitude gained from them will rub off onto your daily tasks, interactions, and long-term progress.

Before all the wonderful benefits of meaningful personal-level networking can be sown, you have to find those people who will form your network in the first place! Since everyone’s situation is very different, below is a general list of people that, if the opportunity arises, you should most definitely begin a professional relationship with. These people will most likely be as I described: hardworking, friendly connections! Again, this is just a list to get the gears turning in that genius brain of yours!

1. The professors you got to know through frequent office hours visits.
2. Your university college AND major-specific advisors.
3. ANYONE in the Career Services department here at OU.
4. Your old boss (surprising to most, they can be trusted allies).
5. The person you ended up chit-chatting with for 20 minutes at an on-campus or networking event.
6. The other Gaylord majors you met in your Writing for Mass Media class.
7. Student assistants you got to know in gen-ed courses.
8. The secretary/ receptionist at your current or previous job/ internship.
9. (the most obvious of them all) Your PRSSA mentor, new chapter officers [including me!] and other members of PRSSA, including Pritch!

                           Give Me A Break!

 As we return to our busy lives from a much needed spring break, I’d like to bring to everyone’s attention to another type of break: an internship break! This break can happen anytime, and last anywhere from a month to a year, per my suggestion.

Going to school and holding an internship, sometimes even working a job on side, students walk a tightrope of strict deadlines, rules and expectations in order to fulfill all their responsibilities.  While the ability to perform well under high amounts of stress is a wonderful attribute for any young professional, you’re only human, and only a student. Remember that!

For underclassmen: It’s extremely vital to get good grades in all of your gen-ed courses. Your GPA must be above 2.75 to be accepted into Gaylord College. Remember this when, like me, you find yourself with great internship opportunities during your freshman and sophomore years. I’m not by any means saying that you aren’t able to balance an internship with school, though. What I do want to point out is that amidst all the excitement and responsibility, it can get quite overwhelming to hold and internship and you risk falling behind in school.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to take a break and just be a student! Underclassmen have plenty of time ahead of them to commit themselves to internship opportunities. Taking a break from internships will allow you to revitalize yourself personally and academically, and you will not be as stressed when you begin applying for internships again. During your internship break, it’s always a good idea to use your extra time for things such as office hours with professors, study groups and of course becoming more involved in student organizations on campus. These activities, along with general relaxation, can make you happier and more academically successful. When you are finally ready to jump back in the saddle, a savvier, more energetic intern will be the ultimate product!

          Pink Pumps and Wise Words

Just a few weeks ago, our chapter had the privilege of hosting guest speaker Beth Anderson, professional blogger, fashion magazine writer and CEO of Chic Galleria! Beth is the mother of advertising senior Austin “The Ad Guy” Anderson and she had a lot of great advice, specifically regarding the online fashion PR industry.

Beth Anderson, CEO of Chic Galleria at the OU PRSSA meeting last week. You can definitely tell she is in fashion!

 One tip all students get is to be memorable at networking events. I know I can speak for myself and many other OU PRSSA members when I say that if Beth Anderson wears her (very fashionable) pink pumps to any OU event in the future, I’ll definitely recognize her! By simply walking into the agency, she was already a great example of PR do‘s!!! (We really did like your shoes!) So, tip number one is to make yourself memorable in the way you dress, act, talk, or whatever else you can think of. It’s a way of branding yourself in reality, as opposed to online, which is what most people associate with self-branding. Of course, always keep professionalism in mind when physically defining your image!

Develop a relationship and gain a client’s trust! Beth got straight to the point in saying that if someone contacts her out of the blue or talks just once or twice with her before asking for a favor, she will probably say no! Developing trust is a process- you have to put in time and effort to reap the rewards, or as the saying goes, give and you shall receive!

Don’t ever tell someone how working with YOU will benefit THEM! This was a major point that Beth hit on. People are snooty, she said, especially in the fashion industry, and so they will immediately shut you down when you approach them with a “you need my help to be successful” attitude. Of course they don’t need you! They’re fabulous! At least, that is how they are going to see it, and your approach will attack their big egos. Sure, they might actually need you, but even then, it is considered a social faux pas to approach someone at this angle.

Always back up your files. You never know what might happen! Beth learned this the hard way when a man she worked with earlier in her career had his laptop, containing many of her most important files, stolen. External hard drives are a great investment, and if something happens to your laptop, phone or iPad (it’s tragic just to think about), sure, you’re probably out a hefty bit of money, but all your vital documents, spreadsheets and presentations are intact and ready to be put on a new device.

You must form a good reputation online! For must of us, it started in junior high, so we know that bad gossip spreads like wildfire. There is always going to be someone watching what you post and write, ready to pounce at an opportunity to expose your faults. I’d describe it as a mix between gossiping and professional “trolling” (that is probably not even a word). Forming a good reputation online of course starts easily enough- only add valuable, truthful and respectable content. Beth told us that it goes beyond that, however. She said that the fashion blogging community she began her career surrounded by was very close knit, not in that everyone liked each other, but in that everyone knew about each other, and could quickly trash talk someone out of the blogosphere, destroying their credibility in the process. How you interact with others in the online community builds just as much credit for you as the things you post. By carefully regulating what you post and what you say to people online, your status as a respectable member of the online community is much harder to damage.

Be sure to check out http://chicgalleria.com/ and follow both Beth and Chic Galleria on Twitter: @thechiceditor @ChicGalleria

Blog

  Check out Lauren Harris’s blog about the making of a   young professional! Her most recent post is about networking. Pay close attention to her tips

               PRSSA Mentors and Mentees

No, I wasn’t surfing the web when I StubledUpon this awesome idea (social media pun, anyone?), a great way for mentors and mentees to spend quality time together. All this idea requires is a mentee, mentor, and an internship. If you are a mentor who isn’t currently holding an internship, I’ll be sharing a few more ideas at the end of this post.

As always, my blogs stem from personal experiences. This one is no different. I am a mentee in the OU PRSSA mentorship program, led by Jillian Ward and Camille Nassar. I’m going to take a moment to brag on my mentor, Erin Jacobs. If you don’t know, Erin is the webmaster for our university’s amazing PRSSA chapter. She manages this website as well as OU PRSSA’s Twitter and Facebook on top of all her other campus activities and of course, her internship! Erin is the media intern for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma, and she gets to create videos, blog posts, and press releases about the amazing kids whose wishes are granted by Make-A-Wish and all its supporters.

Recently, she asked me to come along with her to record and interview two wish granters, who happen to be OU cheerleaders. My job during our preparation was to come up with some general questions to fuel the interview, and then take notes on important quotes to put in the press release regarding the wish the two girls granted.  Erin, of course, did all the rest of the work, and got a great commentary audio to go along with the YouTube video she made for the Make-A-Wish YouTube channel.

Why is this a great story? Well, because it made me think about Make-A-Wish and ask my mentor questions about her duties and her overall experience at her internship. It made me consider pursuing an internship at Make-A-Wish in the future! I think every mentorship pair should take the opportunity to spend time together in this way. In addition to the exchange of academic advice and the beginning of great friendships, professional growth is another major goal of the mentorship program, for the mentee and mentor.

To all the mentees: If your mentor’s internship sounds interesting, ask to tag along on an assignment or help them out with their duties after classes one day. It will give you an idea of what is expected of interns at that particular company and you’ll be able to have insider knowledge of what that company wants from their interns. This way, you are learning new skillsets and will be better prepared when you begin searching for internships or pursue an internship at your mentor’s company.  Did I mention your mentor would appreciate your lending a hand? There are many variables in each pair’s unique situation, and so many more benefits could spur from this endeavor!

To all the mentors: I’m sure you have many responsibilities, especially those of you who are graduating in May. Your mentee is intended as a beneficiary of your efforts, but you can benefit from your mentee as well. If you’re really stressed out or would just like an opportunity to share what you do with your mentee, take my advice and send them an e-mail, text, tweet, whatever you prefer! I know that I was thrilled when my mentor asked or me to help her out, and so will your mentee. You will be knocking out two birds with one stone by spending quality bonding time with your mentee while completing your internship responsibilities.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, collaborate with your mentor/ mentee during the OU PRSSA mentorship mixer at Blackbird on Thursday, March 8^th at 7 p.m. (date and time subject to change, stay posted with Lauren and Jillian via your OU e-mail).

Mentors! Are you not currently holding an internship position at the moment? That’s perfectly fine. Here are a few ideas on things to do with your mentee:

1. Attend the Mr. Gaylord Pageant together! Find more information on the tab bar at the top of this page, and learn more about the contestants on OU PRSSA’s Twitter and Facebook pages. Don’t forget to spread the word either! Tell all your friends about it! Tickets are just $5 each.

2. Just getting acquainted? Arrange a lunch or dinner meeting and talk! You don’t always have to talk about school or PR when you are together. You’ll hit it off in no time at all.

3. Add one another on Twitter and Facebook, and if your mentee doesn’t have a Twitter, encourage them to get one! My mentor did! It really is indispensible for any student pursuing a career in mass communications, as I discovered.

4. If your mentee is taking the same classes you took, study with them! Not only will you be able to point out the things they will definitely need to learn for future Gaylord Classes, you might even be helping yourself by reviewing concepts you may need a review on.

Alright mentors and mentees, it’s time to MINGLE!

                    I <3 Social Media Summary

On Valentines Day, Gaylord hosted their first I <3 Social Media panel discussion EVER. As one of the attendants, I must say, it was fabulous, and I’m not simply saying that because I oh-so-obviously LOVE social media (which I DO). The insight I gained from the professionals who spoke on social media issues in the corporate world boils down to these few bullet points (I’d love to tell you EVERYTHING, but I’m not so sure you’d enjoy reading my commentary on 75 minutes of advice!)

-       Create a personal brand for yourself! Keep your image consistent through all your social media accounts- Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn… even your Pinterest and your personal blog.

-       You must market yourself as a business person, and not a business instrument. Go ahead and mix together your professional tweets with personal tweets. Potential employers will see you as a total package when you don’t edit out your entire self.

-       Network with a professional who works for a staffing agency. Their tips, knowledge of what companies want and even what working for them is like could help you avoid a resume faux-pas or an internship you’d end up dissatisfied with!

-       Social media is only a small part of the entire networking process. Don’t rely solely on e-mail contact. Use your new online connection to introduce yourself and get your foot in the door, but solidify a professional relationship with meetings and phone calls. Like I said in the second bullet point, you’re a real person, after all!

In addition to these tidbits of advice, the speakers were wonderfully witty, knowledgeable and occupationally diverse! Follow them on Twitter!

Blake Jackson of Chesapeake Energy, @eblakejackson

Dave Rhea of The Journal Record, @jdaverhea

Kelsey Humphreys of Insight Creative Group, @KelseyHumphreys

Cassie Gilman of OU President’s Associates, @cassiegilman

Miranda Wilson of YWCA of Greater Oklahoma City, @mirandaLwilson

Lauren Parajon, award-winning blogger and social media strategist, @LParajon

The full taping is available for free on iTunes U, under the search “I Heart Social Media”. I highly recommend popping some popcorn or sticking a spoon in a bucket of cookie dough (my preference) and settling in for a surprisingly entertaining forum. Lastly, mark your calendars for February 14, 2013 and plan on going to next year’s forum. I know I’ll be there!

Know where you want to go, it will help you get where you’re going!

(Note: I’m not hindering my thought process as I usually do, so this is a rather lengthy piece. Hope you’re ready!)

All right, PR students, what did you have for breakfast three weeks ago? Answer me before we hit a block of awkward silence, and don’t stutter.

Hard question, right? And you may never remember the answer, but that’s okay, because what you had for breakfast three weeks ago is completely insignificant to me, as well as pretty much anyone else.

Confused? Don’t worry. I have a rational point to make…

There are countless difficult questions facing you every day, and, unlike in this case, you’re expected to come up with a decent answer. (I’d like to point out, articulating a smart answer is an indispensible PR skill.) Although you can’t be prepared for every question in every situation (I wish!), there is one thing I believe every PR student, or college student for that matter, should be prepared for.  Underclassmen, listen up! When you decide upon and officially declare your major (PR, right??), you’ll be asked questions such as:

“What skills do you have that make Public Relations the right choice for you?”

“What do you think a successful PR career will require of you?”

“What is your plan to prepare to be successful?”

“What workplaces are you interested in?”

“What do you think PR means?”

“What sort of position do you see yourself working in after graduation?”

I’m sure that if you’ve already declared your major you can think of more, and you also still get asked taxing questions such as those mentioned above, as well. However, to an underclassman, these questions might be something they haven’t invested quite as much thought into as upperclassmen. Those who advise you, assist you in career services (I’d just like to say, OU’s Career Services department is fantastic), and network with you want to know a lot of information when you meet with them.

I’m only a freshman, and unlike many in the class of 2015, have chosen my major (humor me and take a guess as to what I chose, hmm?). Already, I’m getting so many people asking my all sorts of tough questions, and most of the time I’m pretty well off when it comes to articulating a smart response, however I’ve always been stumped when asked questions along this line: “Where do you want to work after graduation?” I came up short up a proper answer until earlier this month, when I discovered a handy little tool called “Springboardr”.

Before I tell you all about Springboardr, I have to tell you why the insight you gain from it is important. Being aware of your professional predispositions and viable options is the first step to actually finding cohesive companies, and knowing which employers you should start pursuing (through internships for now, and an actual career later on). Eventually you should create a list, maybe a top 5… or a top 20, depending on how indecisive/picky you are, and be ready to answer the important question, “Where are you considering working after graduation?” on the spot. With a narrowed down selection, you can get an early start on focusing your academic career towards gaining experience that will be useful to your preferred employers.

Now, finally, I can talk about my latest discovery! OU students in the Career Services database were sent an e-mail, which directs you to a survey, and subsequently, to join Springboardr. If you didn’t receive the e-mail, here is the link you’ll need: http://www.springboardr.com/accounts/register

After you sign up, take the matching test, where you will be asked questions about yourself, you expectations, preferences, etc., and be given a result that looks something like this:

The personal assessment given to you is, as I have found it to be, largely on the dot, and sharpens your self-awareness. This is an underrated quality when it comes to the search for internships and careers. My favorite feature of this site is its ability to put numbers in front of you. The numbers, although only estimates, aide you in calculating where you must go on your path toward success because they’re easy to wrap your head around.

The test results alone would have been sufficient for me, but I explored the site a bit more and found it to be a handy little resource, especially if your goal is to create a list of employers that you may fit well with, as mine was. By clicking on the names of your “matching employers” results, you are taken to their Springboardr profiles, which include a tidbit about that particular company’s propensities, and possibly a video or two. To the right, you’re likely find a button allowing you to follow the company on Twitter. Springboardr provides users with an inbox, used to contact employers, and even a calendar where you can post upcoming events.

Overall, the most beneficial aspect of Springboardr (which is like LinkedIn in some ways) for you, as a student who has to narrow down top choices for employment, is the fact that it gathers so many diverse employers from multiple industries in one place, from federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of State to consumer companies like Starbucks.

Laying all of your options on the table at once is an important step in finding your place, as a PR major, in the business world. Once you have your list, in addition to being able to answer the question, “Where do you want to work after graduation?” you can go about tailoring your academic career for success in your desired future career, through networking, interest-related courses, an of course, INTERNSHIPS!

A Fresh Start In Your Own Backyard!

 It’s a new year, with new opportunities. Spring and summer internship offers are popping up all over the place, and in so many appealing locations: Boston, Dallas, New York, even Europe! As appealing as all these new prospects sound, sometimes it’s good, with the beginning of a new year and a new semester, to re-evaluate what you already have in front of you and around you before venturing out into the world, delving into a new internship with new colleagues and a new environment. Sure, you’ve done a great deal of networking, joined a club (PRSSA, perhaps? J), or completed an internship, and for that you deserve a pat on the back! However, this is only the beginning of what you must do to maintain your success throughout not only your academic career, but your professional career as well.

During the past year, many people may have joined your network of professional contacts. Gaining contacts is one thing, but maintaining healthy relationships with those you have networked with and worked alongside is vital to the foundation of your network, which should be formidable when you go out into the world after graduation, competing with PR graduates who have worked just as hard as you!

Here is a list of some obvious (and not so obvious) ways to “keep the flame alive”, so to speak, with contacts you have made this past year. Even taking one of these tips and putting them to use may strengthen and solidify connections you already have, allowing you to unearth fresh opportunities or advice without venturing very far out of your comfort zone. This is an especially helpful for underclassmen trying to get internships, because underclassmen often do not have the resources or experience needed to pursue long-distance internships or internships in a sector they’re not yet familiar with. Your contacts are more inclined to think of you when a student opportunity arises or even introduce you to a colleague when you show an ongoing effort in maintaining a relationship with them. Going the extra mile can get you further than you might think. (Trust me, this is how I got my newest internship/ job opportunity!)

1. Continue to be an active participant in any student organizations you are affiliated with. Don’t get lazy and slack off this semester!
2.  Stay up-to-date with the blogs, social networking pages or websites of PRSSA guest speakers you may have taken the opportunity to network with after our meetings (recent OU grad Ben Paston, Alyssa Gardina, and Teresa Henderson, to name a few).
3. Maintain any mentor-mentee relationships you may have formed at OU with professors and even fellow students who will soon be graduating and starting their PR careers. If current classmates begin working for an agency or company you become interested in, they could be the key to helping you land an internship or job. It should also be duly noted that professors have a large network and may be able to connect you with someone that can put the ideal opportunity right at your feet. Join OUPRSS’s mentorship program!
4. Attend networking events and make a point to talk to people you may have met before. They could very well have new opportunities you’ll be interested in. You’ll be more comfortable talking with someone who you are familiar with, and vice versa. It’s a great way to gain confidence and perfect your networking prose.
5. Investigate your LinkedIn second-degree connections (the connections of your connections) for people you may also know. Note the names of people who’s names pops up on multiple lists, because chances are, you’ll eventually run into them. (Yes, I’m encouraging you to snoop! That’s why the information is there- for you.)
6. (This is my favorite!) Invest in some nice stationary. If you have recently gained an internship due to someone’s advice or assistance, or have come to the end an internship term, write out a thank-you letter and either deliver it yourself or mail it, depending on the dynamic of your relationship with that particular person. Your former employer or helpful contact will remember that you took time out of your busy schedule to recognize their contributions to your journey toward success. Professionals get countless e-mails a week, but how many times do they get actual thank you notes they can hold in their hands? For example: I wrote out a letter to my boss at my former internship, as well as a professor who, during the past semester, gave me information about getting one of my essays published in a journal. I was ecstatic about the responses that I received! Not only was I given an invitation to come visit my former internship’s office and even go to lunch with the women I befriended during my time there, but my professor told me not to hesitate to meet with her in the future for advice and additional opportunities to be published. What did I do to get these responses? I did something memorable.
7. Keep talking to our wonderful advisor, Pritch!

Lastly, I may sound like a broken record, but this next tidbit is a vital part of starting a new year. Add you accomplishments in the past year to your resume as soon as possible, update your informal and professional social networking sites, cleanse your list of contacts, and make sure your Facebook and Twitter accounts are appropriate for viewing by potential employers (effective indicator: If you wouldn’t say it/ show it to your grandmother, don’t post it). Doing this early spring cleaning can help clear the muddy waters, and maybe you’ll be able to find a great opportunity that was actually staring you right in the face!

LinkedIn the Know!

Last week, I was at Wal-Mart picking up wrapping paper, not thinking about school, or work, or much of anything, actually. A man in a suit just happened to be browsing the same aisle as me, obviously agonizing, as I was, over picking only one roll of paper rather than just taking them all (choosing the perfect wrapping paper is, after all, a pressing matter). The awkward silence inevitably came along as we pondered our options…foil or matte? Playful or rustic? SNOWFLAKES OR REINDEER??. We started some small talk, which eventually led to a great conversation and networking opportunity as he revealed the company he worked for, and I told him that I was working towards a PR degree at OU! This friendly stranger then handed me his business card, asking me to find him on LinkedIn, if I had one. I responded jokingly, “Of course I have one, who doesn’t?!”. He then told me, “Actually, you wouldn’t believe how many college students trying to get internships or entry-level jobs have no idea what LinkedIn is!”

This situation forced me to remember that just a few short months ago, I was first-day-of-freshman-year Ashley. This Ashley had absolutely no exposure to any of the phenomenal opportunities available for young professionals-to-be, including LinkedIn or even PRSSA! So I thought I’d take a little time this week to share how LinkedIn has helped me evaluate my professional image, my career plan, and narrow down my network of associations. Hopefully it will encourage you to go get a LinkedIn account and start making connections if you haven’t done so already!

First of all, it’s actually fun to make an account! You get to talk about yourself, your skills, professional attributes, interests, etc. Everybody loves doing this, right?! LinkedIn asks you to fill out all these information boxes and more, and what it really did for me is help to assess my standing as a young professional, what skills I felt were genuinely important to highlight, the significance of my past positions, my overall image, the abilities or experiences I needed to work on gaining, and even my long-term goals.  By being asked to write out all of these things, I scrutinized myself, editing things out of my original resume that, once I explored LinkedIn, were clearly insignificant. Does The Brides of Oklahoma Magazine or Rex PR really need to know that I participated in my church youth group’s car wash fundraiser last month? No. Dissection of your academic and professional persona is going to help you hone in on what really matters, presenting you as a desirable candidate for internships and beyond!

Why does LinkedIn stand out? What makes it different than, say, Twitter or Facebook? The website’s members are all there for one exclusive purpose: networking. Corporations find new hires, and prospective students, interns and employees find new opportunities, all the while while communicating in a friendly, goal-oriented online environment. Instead of following a company on Twitter or sorting through your 1,000 Facebook friends to find the people who might help you in the development of your career, LinkedIn makes it easy. Only people who you associate with professionally and academically are on your connections list. This includes, for a PR student, fellow PRSSA members, professors you have formed relationships with, past and present employers, and professional references.

Forming the most put-together and organized image starts with the click of a mouse, so if you haven’t already discovered the many benefits of LinkedIn, join today!

LinkedIn