PRSSA National Conference: Day 1!

Jessica Lawlor (President of Temple PRSSA) and I arrived in San Diego, CA last night at around 8:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. time in Philadelphia) for the Public Relations Student Society of America 2009 National Conference! We quickly went to bed since we weren't on west coast time yet, and then got up bright and early today (we woke up at 4:30 a.m. PT, but then realized our internal clocks hadn't rewound yet and went back to bed).

On Day 1 of National Conference there were no workshops until 3 p.m. so we got to take a field trip to the San Diego Zoo! My high-speed Internet at the Holiday Inn isn't so "high-speed" so I will post some pictures of all the cool animals we got to see later.

One of the interesting workshops we attended this afternoon was entitled "Portfolios and E-Portfolios: Creating Connections During This Wave of Change," presented by the PRSSA chapter at Indiana State University.

As the chapter said in their presentation, a portfolio is a compilation of all the quality work you have done (either at school or during internships) that contains concrete examples to showcase your talents and abilities to potential employers. A portfolio is a great interview supplement; it can give you talking points and allows you to back up your answers with specific examples.

Some things to include in your portfolio: Your resume; examples of public relations materials, such as press releases, media kits, biographical portfolios, professional blog and Web site material, feature stores, Public Service Announcements, and more; research examples, such as media tracking projects; examples of creativity; additional writing samples that may not be related to PR but showcase your writing skills; and awards, achievements and recommendations.

The "new wave" of portfolios are "E-portfolios." E-portfolios are generally the same thing as a printed portfolio, but are located on the Internet. An E-portfolio is a great way to build your professional brand.

Always remember: You have to get the interview to get the job. An E-portfolio is a great and easy way to set yourself apart and help secure the interview of your dreams. Not to mention, it's cost effective and is environmentally-friendly!

Here is a list of 10 E-portfolio sites you can use:

• www.Webs.com
• www.LeadYou.com
• www.VisualCV.com
• www.Wix.com
• www.Weebly.com
• www.WebStarts.com
• www.DoodleKit.com
• www.Moonfruit.com
• www.Homestead.com
• www.OfficialSiteBuilder.com

Thanks to Indiana State University PRSSA for providing us with these helpful portfolio and E-portfolio tips!

Check back for more PRSSA National Conference updates coming soon!