PRowl is HIRING for Spring 2015!

PRowl is looking to add new and fresh talent to our firm! Since it's founding in 2008, PRowl has served not only as a means to provide quality services to it's clients, but also as a tool to help passionate and eager public relations students learn and hone their skills. PRowl provides real world experience by giving student the chance to develop and execute real campaigns for real paying clients.

PRowl members are highly driven, passionate, eager to learn and incredibly talented. Whether you have been a public relations student for three days or three years, we know that there is a way you could benefit our firm. We're here to help guide, teach and introduce you to all that being a PR professional has to offer. PRowl offers the skills and experience you need to help your coursework translate to the real world.

In addition to a positive attitude and willingness to grow, you should be prepared to bring a copy of your resume along with two writing samples to your interview. Writing samples can be anything that you want, but we recommend one creative-type piece, such as a blog post, as well as a more structured piece, like a press release. Don't worry if this is your first time putting together writing samples --many students write their first press release in preparation for their PRowl interview.

Please click here to learn more about setting up an interview, and taking your next step as a PR professional or email prowlsecretary@gmail.com and schedule and interview today!

Join PRowl PR For Open House!

PRowl Public Relations, Temple University's first and only student run PR firm is pleased to announce that we will be hosting our first ever Open House Event!

If you're interested in learning about what you need to do to take your next step as a public relations student, we hope to see you there! Current members will be present throughout the day to answer questions about who we are, what we do and who we work with!

The following day, we invite you to see us in action and join us for one of our weekly staff meetings! During these meetings, we discuss client activity and make important announcements about the firm --just as typical PR agencies often do. If you want to join PRowl this coming Spring semester or in the near future, we encourage you to join us Thursday as well.

If you're unable to attend these events but would still like to learn more about joining PRowl, feel free to join our mailing list! We will send updates about interview dates and any other upcoming events we will host.

Welcome to the 2014-2015 Executive Board!

It is hard to believe that this year is coming to an end. Over the past two semesters, I have watched the firm grow into something spectacular. There have been ups, and there have been downs but I wouldn't have it any other way. This year's e-board has been there through it all with me and has truly shaped me into the leader I am today.

After reviewing various applications and an intense interview process, next year's board has been chosen. PRowl PR's executive board will be made up of 7 amazing aspiring PR pros next year. I have no doubt I am leaving the firm in more than capable hands and I cannot wait to see what they do next year! Meet our 2014-2015 Executive Board:

Amber Burns, Firm Director (bottom middle)

Alyssa Guckin, Assistant Firm Director (top middle)

Jaime Martorana, Assistant Firm Director (not pictured)

Jordan Washington, Assistant Firm Director (top right)

Kaylie Corallo, Director of Public Relations (bottom right)

Faiz Mandviwalla, Director of Finance (bottom left)

Maggie Wurst, Secretary (top left)

Good luck to all of you on this amazing journey full of learning & leading!

5 To-Do List Items For New Leaders

We recently held interviews for internal promotions within our firm! This time is extremely exciting for PRowl, as we watch new leaders emerge and work to take the firm to new levels. Taking on a leadership role, or moving up to a new level, can be a difficult transition. The leadership in an organization, especially in a professional setting, can be the determining factor of progress and success.

When taking on a leadership role, consider these five tips to start off on the right track:

1. Evaluate the situation. Before jumping in, it is crucial to determine where you are really starting. If possible, talk to the person who held the role you're assuming prior to you. Ask what he or she set out to go, what goals they accomplished and any problems that they encountered. Also, take this time to evaluate your team members. Ask what they enjoyed about the previous leader, and what they found to be insufficient, and if they feel valued. 

2. Set goals for yourself. Now that you better know what to expect in your role, and have had time to gauge the feelings of your team, you can get goals to work towards. Use the information you gathered in the first point to set realistic and attainable goals for yourself. These goals should be reflective of improvements you would like to make and the feedback your team offered. Remember, you should be working for the good of the group.

3. Share your goals and vision with the team. Once you have some direction for yourself, it is important that you get your team onboard. Share your goals with them, and explain why you have selected these goals. Also, share how those goals play into the larger vision for the work the group will produce. Ask for feedback from your team; you will need their support in making this goals come to pass! 

4. Set collective goals. Now that you have explained yourself to the team, and built their confidence in you, it's important to bring their wants and needs into the picture. As a collective unit, you should set realistic internal and external goals. An internal goal could be along the lines of "Have a social gathering together once a month," and an external goal could include "Produce twice as much client work as we did last month." Setting goals together allows every member of the group to feel valued, and builds trust in knowing you are working for the same things.

5. Assign roles and responsibility. Now that you and your team are on the same page, you all can decide who will carry out which tasks. Be sure to explicitly describe all expectations and responsibilities, clear communication now will avoid problems down the line.

Be sure to document everything that you and your team decides so that everything can be referred to later. Revisit your original plans often to see how much progress you and your team have made since you first began your journey as a leader.

When taking on new leadership roles, what first steps do you take (or would you take) or see that things run smoothly?

Welcome To Our New Spring 2014 Staff Members!

The semester has officially commenced! PRowl held it's first weekly meeting yesterday afternoon with many returning faces along with a few new ones. Everyone seems extremely excited to begin work with our new as well as returning clients. After such a successful meeting, I am really looking forward to a fun-filled semester.

I would like to give a shout out to our newest staff members here at PRowl Public Relations. You will be seeing their first few blog posts in these upcoming weeks so make sure to familiarize yourself with their names:

Megan Healy is a sophomore Strategic Communication major with a concentration in PR, as well as a Spanish minor. She has always loved the urban lifestyle, which led her to Philadelphia. Megan’s dream job would be working in entertainment PR in New York City or Los Angeles.

Shaun Luberski is a sophomore Strategic Communication major with a concentration in Public Relations. She is thrilled to be a part of the PRowl staff. She is currently interning at The Rock School for Dance Education. Shaun hopes to work in a Public Relations agency and incorporate her love for photography and dance.

Paige Gross is a freshman Journalism major/ PR minor. Moving to Philadelphia was one of the most exciting and beneficial choices she has ever made; every day Paige sees or hears something new. She has a passion for media, coffee, anything that comes in black, and cheesecake. Paige is figuring out life the only way she knows how- one interesting day at a time.

Emily Charles is a sophomore Strategic Communication major with a concentration in Public Relations and minor in general business. She is currently the public relations representative for Rent the Runway. She also volunteers with different organizations on Temple's campus and hopes to someday work in public relations for a non-profit organization. Emily is extremely excited to be apart of the PRowl staff and cannot wait for the opportunities to come.

Michael Maling is a junior Strategic Communication major from Brick, NJ. Before becoming a PR major, Michael bounced around from psychology to journalism, then eventually to communication. His passion is music and intends to work in the industry upon graduation. Michael is currently waiting to start his new internship with East Side Electro, a music company based out of Philly.

Tyler Cameron is a junior majoring in Strategic Communication and minoring in General Business Studies. As an avid writer, PR was a natural fit. He hopes to work in corporate or crisis public relations, as well as earn a master's degree in Finance from Temple University in the near future. Tyler is the Director of Social Media for the Temple PRSSA chapter.

Nicole Beck is a junior Strategic Communication major with a concentration in Public Relations. She is excited to be apart of the PRowl staff and gain experience beyond the classroom.  Nicole has a passion for PR, being outdoors, photography and interior design. In the future Nicole would love to pursue the event planning and social media aspects of the PR field.

Christopher Smith is a sophomore Strategic Communication major with a concentration in Public relations. He is excited to be a member of the PRowl staff and experience more hands on work. Chris hopes to work in a Public Relations agency and incorporate his love for writing.

Welcome to PRowl everyone, here's to a wonderful new experience!

Interested in joining PRowl? Stay up to date with this blog for future opportunities and openings within the firm!

Maximizing Value Is Key to Maximizing Profit in a Student-Run Firm

“Maximize profits! Create shareholder wealth!” Sounds a lot like your intro to economics class, right?

These are the values driving many businesses today. Whipped into a frenzy by the single-minded pursuit of these goals, organizations often end up sacrificing good judgment, value and, ultimately, the very success they were striving to achieve. By focusing their entire effort on the bottom line, many American organizations have reduced their value.

This trend can be reversed with value-driven management. Instead of focusing solely on profits, value-driven management is aimed at creating and sustaining value over time. Whether your student-run firm is well-established or just getting started, this management style is extremely effective when it comes to maximizing profits. By creating value from within the organization, the public and potential clients will begin to value your organization as well.

Here are a few value drivers to ultimately maximize the profits of your student-run firm:

Focus Within
Building an organization where the values of employees are in sync with organizational values creates a strong, motivated team. Motivating and retaining top student talent is crucial for the sale value of your firm. Holding frequent workshops that seek to improve firm members’ leadership and skills is one way to create value from within. Creating fun programs that focus on the social dimension of your firm is another way to build the firm’s team cohesion and can ultimately lead to a higher task orientation; this also creates organizational value as well as job satisfaction.

Diversification of Clients
For the firm to function as a proper business, it is important to constantly develop new business. Having a wide variety of clients that change from year to year optimizes the firm’s revenue potential. It also factors into how much growth potential your business has. Possessing a diverse client portfolio exemplifies that your student-run firm’s experience is invaluable.

Creating a Realistic Strategic Growth Plan
Any organization that wants to reach the next level needs to have a realistic plan that outlines the firm’s potential future growth. This plan should include a distinct business model, and how that business model can roll into new markets successfully. Being able to verbalize this plan to potential clients will increase your firm’s market value and ultimately increase its profitability.

There are many more value drivers that are key to growing your firm’s value now and in the future. By focusing on these few value-driver examples, your student-run firm will be able to maximize its profits.

How will you make the most of your student-run firm?

This blog has also been featured on PRSSA National's blog, PRogressions.

Welcome To PRowl Public Relations!

After an overwhelming amount of applications and an extremely competitive interview process, PRowl Public Relations is pleased to announce our newest members. The following students will be joining the firm as first-time staff members:

Mikayla Appell

Brittany Barish

Rute Barkai

Jasmine Barnes

Benjamin Coleman

Rachel Draghi

Gabrielle Lacherza

Faiz Mandviwalla

Emily O’Connell

Brianna Prime

Kaylie Corallo

Hiya Ray

Alissa Steele

Sara Snyder

Ransford Whaumbush

Nathan Wilson

Maggie Wurst

Looking to #JoinTheElite? Be sure to stay up to date on all things PRowl to find out when our next application process will take place!

What I have learned from PRowl

This time last year, I received an email from Niki Ianni telling me I was officially hired to be part of PRowl Public Relations and I cried and called my parents immediately. I was so excited to be part of something so incredible and to start my career as a young PR student. After a year with PRowl, I am headed to Paris to study abroad and am sad to be leaving. Following an incredible year, filled with track changes, emails, presentations and the building of incredible relationships, PRowl has taught me two important skills that will help me immensely when I study abroad.

1. Networking- As I head to Paris, I do not know ANYONE. I am not going through Temple University so I am going to a foreign country, alone. Luckily, PRowl has taught me the importance of networking and communication with others. After multiple networking events, I have learned that is it not that scary to introduce yourself to someone, carry a conversation and build a relationship. I will use this very important skill and my French skills to meet new people and make lasting relationships like the ones I have made in PRowl.

2. It is OK to make mistakes- The first assignment I sent to my account executive came back completely red, filled with track changes and comments.  When I called my mentor about the track changes, she told me not to worry, they were not there to deter me but rather to help me improve. All of the edits and constructive criticism I received helped me develop as a writer, PR student and a person. As I head to Paris, I have five semesters of college French in my head but I know I will freeze at points and instead of saying “bonjour” say “hey”, but that is OK. PRowl has taught me that mistakes are nothing to be ashamed of; they are a learning device to help you in the future.

As I leave one incredible experience for another, I think back to one year ago and how I have developed with the help of PRowl Public Relations. I have learned important skills about PR, life and myself and I feel more prepared than ever to take these skills abroad and succeed!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Brianna Rooney.

Congratulations To Our 2012 PRowl Graduates!

Thousands of families converged yesterday to celebrate graduation day at Temple University. Broad Street was jam packed with graduates, family and friends. 

The class of 2012 filed into the Liacouras Center for the 125th commencement. It's the largest graduating class in the school's history with more than 8,600 bachelor, graduate, and first professional degrees.

Attending the ceremony for the School of Communication and Theater was bittersweet. Among those 8,600 were seven of some of our finest Prowlers! Although I am especially saddened to see these great members leave us, I know that each and every one of them have a very bright future ahead of them.

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES:

Emily Ascani, former Assistant Firm Director

Doug Bennett, former Director of Finance and Account Executive

Alex Crispino, former Account Executive

Kurie Fitzgerald, former Staff Member

Niki Ianni, former Firm Director

Steve Jacobs, former Staff Member

Frank Kunkle, former Staff Member

From all of us at PRowl Public Relations, we wish all of you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors!

This post was made by PRowl Public Relations E-Board member Kaitlyn Sutton.