The past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic as I’ve been prepping for the PRSSA National Conference in San Diego. I fly out tomorrow and will be there for the next week. Yep, I’m missing that much class to join 1,000 other PRSSA members for a couple of days of professional development, workshops and fun. I can’t wait to see some old friends again and get to work with the rest of the National Committee.

In the meantime, you can follow the event with the Twitter hastag #prssanc. There is a pretty active social networking community of members who actively tweet and blog, so there’s a lot to be learned even if you’re not at the conference. I’ll also be shifting my focus to the PRSSA Blog and the PRSSA YouTube channel during this time.

If you’re there for PRSSA or PRSA, let me know! I’d love to meet up.

These are my links for October 23rd through October 28th:

• How to Find a Public Relations Mentor « – Sara gives some great advice on finding and maintaining a mentorship. We talked about this on the PRSSA Blog recently, so it was great to see her take on it and why she thinking finding a mentor in public relations is important.
• Why Companies Still Aren’t Hiring (And What You Can Do About It) | Brazen Careerist – This is another post talking about the fact the the past to the entry level is getting harder and harder to access. Yes, you can intern again. Yes, you can freelance. But when it comes down to it, you really do need to get an entry level positions eventually. Good read for those of us graduating soon.
• Having “The Talk” with Staff, Social Media Style – This is a great resource for starting a social media policy as well as some examples of companies with established social media policies. Might be helpful to send to your boss if social media is banned in the office, too.
• Building a Case for Public Relations | PRSAY – What Do You Have to Say? – I’m really looking forward to seeing how this advocacy campaign plays out. I know there are a lot of people out there who think PRSA doesn’t to enough to advocate for the profession, and I’m hoping this is something that will begin to change those perceptions.

These are my links for September 30th through October 23rd:

• School board considers spending 100K for PR employee – There’s an interesting discussion here on whether or not public relations employees can be considered revenue increasing employees. Definitely worth a read to understand both sides of the argument. It could be helpful for other PR pros to show their worth in a position.
• 10 Tips For Students Attending the PRSSA National Conference « The Beacon for Navigating A Career In PR – Great tips from Rachel for those attending Conference in November. This is especially helpful for the first-timers.
• The Art of Proving Yourself in a New Career | The Creative Career – Allie gives great tips on how to transition from student to professional. I also think general etiquette should reflect more professionalism, which is not always easy coming right out of college.
• The Age of Social Search Dawns – The Steve Rubel Lifestream – Interesting question, though I wonder how much this really will impact things. I totally think this is a big deal, but how big? I think the bigger thing to watch out for is who sells out to whom between Google and Microsoft.
• Where the News Comes From — And Why It Matters – Pew Research Center – This is a really well done article for a lot of reasons. Perhaps the best part of the article is that it gives the stats that are never out there — that the audience of newspapers has actually increased in size. Newspapers need to figure advertising out to continue to exist.
• 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint – A list of great tips on how to make a stellar PowerPoint presentation. I really like the reminder that PowerPoints need to be concise and to the point, which is not always the case.

I’ve been working for the past three years at The State News, Michigan State University’s newspaper. It’s  a particularly interesting time to be at a newspaper, especially with a public relations background, but I’ve found that the skill sets in a sales job translate well into a public relations job.

Here are 10 ways you can make a sales jobs just as valuable as a public relations internship:

1. You learn client management. In sales, you work with clients and you learn how to work with them. This transitions well for public a public relations career. Managing client expectations, learning how to communicate with a client and knowing when you shouldn’t be selling are all key things to develop while in sales.
2. You learn communication skills. Though you’re not writing press releases, you learn how phone conversational skills, how to communicate clearly and effectively, and how to write precise messages — all of which are important in whatever line of work you go into.
3. You learn time management. You can never get good enough at managing your time effectively; working in sales is one more way to enhance this skill. You learn how to balance your client work with your administrative work.
4. You learn how to motivate yourself and others. I think attitude plays a huge part in how you’re perceived in the office. There’s no better way to develop motivational skills than when you work in sales, especially if you take on management positions.
5. You learn how to explain. Though it might sound silly, you really learn to explain why. For me, it’s why my client should be advertising, why a recession is an opportunity and why it’s important to distinguish between competitions. As a public relations counselor, you’re always going to be explaining why. Knowing why for yourself will always be helpful.
6. Pitching new business will become a breeze. In an agency, corporate or nonprofit setting, chances are you’ll have to pitch to start a new campaign or program. In sales, you’re always looking for new business and pitching becomes a breeze. It’s the presentation and communication skills that develop here.
7. You learn the correlation between work and money. Part of sales is working partly or solely on commission. This means the more you work, the more money you make. The bad part is the less you work, the less you make. Sales will train you to always be on top of your game and looking for the next opportunity.
8. You learn teamwork. In college, we’re trained to hate working with people, but working in sales, you’ll learn to trust your team even though you’re probably competing with them.
9. The failures will happen and you’ll figure out how to deal with them. I’ve been hung up on, cursed at and insulted during cold calls and prospecting, but you’ll develop a thick shell from these “failures.” In your career, you’ll make mistakes, and it’s OK. Make sure sure you’re learning from them.
10. The customer isn’t usually right, but you learn how to make them feel like they are. And in the process, you learn how to show how valuable you are.

For me, sales has filled in the gaps of my internship experiences. I’ve also had a blast working with the people I do. Oh, and let me know if you’re interested in advertising with The State News.

Is there anything to add on this list? What other kind of experiences fill in the gaps of a PR education? Anything else help you in your career?

Photo by tofslie on Flickr.

I like social media. I keep on top of digital trends and like to play with new tools. I’m even a big fan of things in “real time” and sometimes let it take up too much of my day.

That said, I fear the constant stream. I feel like the constant stream is hard to keep up with and really distracting. If you haven’t read the WSJ piece on the end of the email era, you should definitely check it out. Just as a quick summary, the article talks about how e-mail is slowly but surely being replaced by social media and the constant stream it offers. The article points out that as of August 2009, there are 230 million e-mail users in the U.S., while there are around 300 million social media users.

So what is the constant stream? With such tools as Twitter and Facebook bringing streaming updates to you in real time, as well as RSS feeds, instant messaging, direct messages, social media messages, etc., you can be in constant contact with your friends, family, colleagues and clients. While this might be helpful in business, I think it’s more distracting and has a direct impact on productivity, therefore lowering your business value.

Here’s why I believe that social media should not and will not replace e-mail:

• E-mail is going to evolve. In case you don’t know about Google Wave, it’s a pretty cool idea, though it appears to have some kinks in this first version. However, e-mail is going to change and become something like a Wiki or other collaboration tool. It just has to change.
• People are afraid of working 24/7. With the contant stream, you’ll always be swimming in the river. If you get out, you will get behind. And you might not hear about the Indonesian earthquake. Or that Chris Brown hit someone else. Oh no! Keeping up with this stream is far more useless than helpful.
• It’s not productive. In a river, when can you ever stop and figure out what you’re even working on? I have found that I really need to turn everything off when I focus on something. The constant stream, while helpful at times, can get in the way of more intensive projects. And don’t even think that jumping between projects is really easy — you know it takes time to settle down and get focused on one thing.
• The status quo will reign supreme. I know when I get in a Twitter/Facebook mood, I don’t really get anything else done. Sure, I get caught up with who’s doing what and what cool things are happening today, but what do I actually work on? I think that it’s easy to get stuck doing the same things with the constant stream, especially since it is so hard to keep up with. How will you ever have time to change?
• Can you justify it to your clients? This is a very sensitive subject, especially since there are people on polar opposites of the issue. In public relations, or even with law, business consulting, and freelancing professions, clients are billed for the work you complete. Is keeping up on your own constant stream billable? I wouldn’t think so, and I don’t think companies are going to be willing to pay for things like that.
• I just don’t want to be in constant contact with some people at this second. There, I said it. I don’t want to have a 30-minute instant message conversation when a phone call could resolve something faster or a couple of e-mails at a later time would be just as efficient.
• Other people can’t prioritize for me. If I’m always available, that means I’m leaving my prioritizing up to other people. That usually means everyone is having a crisis, which is usually not the case. E-mail and traditional communication allows me to prioritize my own time, while the constant stream leaves no room for self-prioritization.

I do believe a lot of good can come out of a constant stream, but because tools and technology is changing so quickly, it’s incredibly hard to keep up with. The constant stream is a shiny object we all stare at, but we have to remember the pile of paperwork on our desk we need to get done, too.

What do you think? Is the constant stream really this bad or am I just full of resentment? Any ways to make the constant stream more efficient?

Photo by somegeekintn on Flickr.

If you think the recession is over and jobs are everywhere, you need to think again. As if the class of 2009 didn’t have a hard enough time finding a job, predictions for 2010 are just as bleak. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (and via Culpwrit), U.S. employers plan to hire 7 percent fewer college graduates than the class of 2009.

Crap.

From my own personal observations, there have been several unique things happening to the public relations industry. Although PR budgets have been relatively more stable than in advertising, there still have been some jobs lost. Additionally, the entry level is increasingly difficult for college graduates to break into. I think this is happening for two reasons. First, more people are willing to take a lower level job than be totally unemployed; AAE jobs are being filed by folks with 3-5 years of experience and internships have an unofficial prerequisite of many previous experiences. Second, with all the journalists losing their jobs, many attempt to jump into public relations, thus leaving fewer jobs for public relations practitioners.

So what about us Gen Y folk? I don’t know about you, but I’d like a job when I graduate. That’s why Come Recommended is so sweet; they’re advocating for all of us by demanding equal opportunity employment for Gen Y. Here are some pretty interesting stats about our generation that should make you worry:

• Unemployment for people age 16-24 is nine points higher than the national average
• Typical full-time workers age 25-34 are making less than workers that age a generation ago
• Middle-management jobs have been reduced, so it is harder to move up the corporate ladder
• The 1-24 age group represents 15 percent of the labor force AND one-third of the unemployed
• The average student graduates with twice as much debt, yet the economy has fewer opportunities

Times are definitely changing, and it appears that it is not in favor of Gen Y at all. However, I know our generation has so much untapped potential. Our generation is changing the way we all communicate, entrepreneurship is more prevalent in our minds than ever and we are overcoming numerous challenges.

This is where we all come in. Start by checking out the We Want Jobs Not Trophies Web site. There is a lot of information on there on how to get involved with the campaign and begin advocating for the rest of your generation. Also on the site is a toolkit section that gives you the opportunity to run the campaign at the local level. This is a great opportunity for you to get some public relations experience while doing something that will help you in the long run.

Thanks to Heather Huhman and her team over at Come Recommended for leading this. We all can benefit from advocating for our generation, so I encourage you to check out the campaign.

Also, Come Recommended has some great virtual internships. The deadline is coming up for next semester, so be sure to check them out.

Though it sounds brash, I think it’s the wrong mindset to “officially” start the job search. Sure, you can sit down and think, apply for things and make a plan. But let me ask you a question: Shouldn’t you always be on the job search?

In some fields, “starting” a job search is the traditional way to approach it. In this traditional mindset, you can attend career fairs and join a relevant organization your senior year of college to have something on your resume. Well, this isn’t the case if you’re seeking a career in communications.

You should always be on the job search. Always. From freshmen year of college (and even before) through the rest of your career, always be on the job search. It doesn’t mean you have to be interviewing for positions and actively submitting your resume to online sites. (How many times have you earned a job or internship that way?) However, I think it’s good to always be thinking ahead. It’s all part of being strategic about your career.

Here are some principles of a constant job search:

• Networking. I probably say it too much, but it’s important to realize that networking should be something you’re always doing. You can always attend networking events, but it only will help you if you meet new people and keep the relationship going. Networking is also a two-way street: Find ways to help the other person and they will help you back. Also, make friends online. Communicate on Twitter, get active in chats such as #PRStudChat and give back to the community.
• Professional Development. Are you waiting on joining an organization? Are you making excuses to not attend industry conferences? Are you finding new ways to build your portfolio and learn new skills? Those are important questions you should be asking throughout your career. You can always get involved with professional organizations and attend their conferences, but it’s a good idea to couple that with doing things on your own. Starting a blog, volunteering and reading are great places to start.
• Curiosity. Never be afraid to ask big picture questions and about why things happen the way they do. It’s especially important for those early in their careers to get used to doing. This helps build a strategic mindset, and that’s how you will get ahead in your career.
• Be uncomfortable. Though it might seem difficult and challenging, you should never be comfortable. If you’re doing the same thing over and over again with no chance of advancing, you’re going to be stuck in the status quo. Look for ways to try new things and meet new people. These new perspectives can help build your value to any organization.

If there’s one thing this recession has proven, it’s that companies are shifting more quickly than some employees can keep up with. That’s why this mindset is not only important for young professionals, but more seasoned professionals, too. I’m graduating in about a year and a half, but you bet I’ve started my “job search” a while ago and will continue to do so after entering the workforce.

What else would you add as characteristics of a constant job search?

Photo by deanmeyersnet on Flickr.

As if the ad industry hasn’t seen enough bad news lately, a new study found that two-thirds of Americans polled don’t agree with advertisers tracking their online habits. Here are some of the key takeaways from the research (as reported by the New York Times):

• 66 percent of Americans believe tailored ads are “not OK”
• 7 percent said such ads are not OK when they are tracked on a site
• 18 percent said ads are not OK when they are tracked by another site
• 20 percent said it is not OK to be tracked offline

In addition to the bad news for advertising, the research showed that 51 percent said tailored discounts are OK and 58 percent think customized news is OK. The article then went on to discuss several forms of online privacy legislation that could be introduced soon.

So, to sum up the research, Americans don’t want to to be tracked online for data purposes, yet a majority still want free stuff and tailored news. It doesn’t make much sense to me, mostly because I’m looking at it through a marketing eye and know that online content isn’t even sustainable with this kind of advertising, let alone advertising that is not tailored. This research is interesting because younger generations seem to have a more liberal perception of online privacy, while older generations are cautious with anything out there. No matter what, it seems this is just the beginning of the age of anti-advertising and it probably will be around for a while.

People have always wanted stuff for free and the Internet conceptualized people’s wildest imaginations in terms of information access. However, we’ve become so used to free that it will be hard to wean off, especially since the imminent rise of paid content and the limited access Web is beginning to emerge.

In terms of the legislation, it’s bad news for news outlets if it passes. Even though the industry is trying to self-regulate, the research shows people are more concerned about the idea of being tracked online. While many Web sites like the Times itself are free, this will probably have a negative effect on online ad sales. The free Internet model will once again come into question and unfortunately, it will most likely make Rupert Murdoch look really smart.

So, what’s next? Where will advertising turn next in the age of anti-advertising? How does this impact public relations?

Photo by Alejandrooo on Flickr.

These are my links for September 15th through September 21st:

• A Step Ahead » Blog Archive » Should interns be required to fetch coffee? – This is Rachel’s response to the story about the intern who didn’t want to get coffee. Though she doesn’t have a black and white opinion, she does raise some interesting points.
• The new Gen Y employee refused to get coffee! – Business news, business advice and information for Australian SMEs | SmartCompany – Interesting story about an intern who didn’t want to get coffee. Though this probably happens a lot, the debate going on in the comments is just as interesting.
• Press Accuracy Rating Hits Two Decade Low – There are some interesting stats in this report on how the news media is being perceived. In addition to the low accuracy perception, the report also includes stats on political demographics and identifies trends. This is a great read for all those who work with the media.
• Why Advertising Is Failing On The Internet – Is advertising failing on the internet? I think so. This is an interesting perspective and I wonder how much it is true.

If you missed the MSU vs. CMU football game over the weekend, it really was quite the match. Yes, it’s painful to relive but it’s relevant.

I’ve been following MSU football since I arrived on campus three years ago and the team has greatly improved since Mark Dantonio was hired. In short, MSU should have won. They were off to a great start. The Spartans were even ranked within the top 30 teams in the country before this weekend’s game.

Then, MSU lost to the underdogs.

Why? MSU was in the wrong mindset and CMU was in the right one. CMU knew their capabilities and went for the win — it ultimately paid off.

How is this relevant?

I’ve seen PR students selling themselves short while interviewing for scholarships, internships, leadership positions and campus jobs. What is really holding these students back from reaching their full potential? I was there at one point, but you have to get over the fear of trying. I recommend taking a look at what the requirements are and matching your past experiences. Though the biggester hurdle may be yourself, here’s how you can (and should) apply for anything:

• Internship experience. If you’re lacking internship experience, it might seem difficult to break into the internship game when so many positions require past experiences. Focus on what you’ve done in college and how it has been just as beneficial as an internship, and be prepared to describe specific examples.
• Leadership experience. Whether you’re a freshmen or a senior, there’s no reason why you can be a leader. Step up to the plate in an organization you’re involved with by  being proactive. Eventually, you can take on more responsibility, take on a leadership role, and have something great to talk about in an interview. Also remember that you don’t need a title to be a leader; if you came into another job with a positive attitude and helped to motivate your co-workers, that’s leadership. Think non-traditional leadership for this one.
• Conversation ability. If you’re afraid of going off-topic during an interview, don’t be. Beforehand, make sure you know what’s going on with the company you’re interviewing for. Know the industry by reading trade publications and be prepared to talk about specific pieces of news.
• Academics. If you’re applying for a job not related to your degree, it’s especially important to talk about how your classes tie in to what you’re applying for. If you can apply what your biology class taught you to an agency position, it demonstrates thoughtfulness and intelligence.

So, the next time you’re feeling like the underdog, get out of that mindset. As CMU showed everyone, it doesn’t really matter what other people think. The polls, ranking and media don’t matter when it comes to the actual game. The same is true for all of us. Sure, we have to throw out GPA, past work experience and portfolio samples in an interview, but passion and determination go a long way in an interview.

OK, now I’m really done talking about this game. Onward to Notre Dame this weekend!