Second HAPPO Twitter Networking Event to Happen Friday

HAPPO, or Help a PR Pro Out, is holding another networking event this Friday, April 30, 2010 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Twitter. In case you missed my first post about HAPPO back in February, check it out here for more background on the origin of the event. Friday's networking event is especially exciting for college grads because it is completely dedicated to entry-level employment.

A few of my friends and I participated in HAPPO and quickly realized the hiring employers and the people searching for employment were slightly out of sync. The majority of HAPPO participants were seeking entry level jobs and most of the jobs being posted required three or more years of experience. This prompted HAPPO creators Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon to dedicate the next HAPPO event solely to entry-level opportunities.

Participate in HAPPO by following the hashtag #HAPPO on Twitter. Write a blog post or produce a video pitching yourself to potential employers; the more creative the better. Then use the link to that pitch in tweets also marked with the #HAPPO hashtag so that employers can find you. Use organizational sites like Hootsuite to schedule your tweets if you'll be busy during the two our window.

Good luck, and happy HAPPO-ing!

My HAPPO Resume Review

As you may know, I participated in the first ever HAPPO Day last month where PR pros helped their unemployed colleagues and entry level graduates network and find new job opportunities via Twitter. I spent four hours monitoring HAPPO tweets and, luckily, my diligence paid off. I met a few great peers, a Philadelphia area PR pro offered to help me with my job search and I was one of 10 participants to win a HAPPO resume review.

HAPPO paired me with reviewer Jessica Smith, veteran blogger and VP and Digital Integration Specialist at Fleishman-Hillard in Sacramento, California. Jessica graciously took time out of her weekend to thoroughly review my resume and provide me with some great advice. Having her fresh eyes take a look at a document that I've been revising myself for quite a long time was an amazing opportunity. As someone who has already been successful in the industry her insight gave me a great new point of view.

The first thing that Jessica made me realize is that my resume should act as my ambassador to a company. I originally thought of it simply as a way to convey my credentials and have always used a cover letter to communicate more directly with a prospective employer. Jessica suggested that I think more deeply about what my resume alone can communicate. She made me realize that I should tailor my resume to every job opportunity just as I would with a cover letter.

She suggested that I think about what my strengths are and what my dream job would be, and then generate a list of corresponding attributes that will set me apart from other candidates. The purpose of this list is to help me stop and think about what I want from a job, how my skills can fulfill the requirements of the position and, ultimately, how I can personalize my resume for a specific job opportunity so that I stand out in a sea of applicants.

The second important thing that Jessica's review taught me was that yes, I have experience from internships, my work with PRowl Public Relations and my education at Temple University, but that is only the foundation of a great resume. The icing on the cake comes from the results that are attained from that experience. For example, I have media relations experience that I've gotten from my work with PRowl Public Relations, so I need to take my resume a step further and explain what news coverage I've generated for PRowl's clients. Another example comes from my work as an special events intern at the National Kidney Foundation. I list event planning experience on my resume, but could take it a step further by listing how many people came to the event and what steps I took after the event to ensure their repeat participation.

Working with Jessica has allowed me to see my resume from a different point of view. I know that after considering all of her advice and making revisions to my resume I'll be able to send it to prospective employers with confidence. I hope that this advice will help you as well! Do you have any other resume writing tips to share?

PR and I, We Have a PRomance Going On... #HAPPO

As a graduating senior I've decided to participate in HAPPO (see Jaime Scofield's post below for details) with the hope of building my PR network and discovering what opportunities are available in the PR field. PRowl Public Relations has been generous enough to host my HAPPO post on their blog today. Check out my post below!

In PR, our goal is to produce creatively crisp communication that starts a dialogue. Considering this, let's talk. I'm a senior Strategic and Organizational Communications major at Temple University graduating on May 13 and I'm looking for a job in the public relations field. I've chosen this field because of my love of writing, my curiosity, my creativity and, most importantly, my desire to tackle challenges with innovative solutions. In short, PR and I were bound to fall in love. For me, public relations is like a puzzle, and finding a way to fit all of the pieces perfectly together - goals, strategies, tactics, etc. - is the best, most rewarding challenge of all.

Why hire me, you ask? Well, I began my evolution from college student to communications professional over two years ago when I joined the Public Relations Student Society of America. This led me to interview for PRowl Public Relations, Temple University's first student-run PR firm. I acquired a position on the firm's staff and quickly began learning everything that I could about my new passion. In PRowl, we produce, implement and evaluate full public relations plans for real clients. My hard work and dedication to the firm paid off when I earned a spot as an Account Executive. On April 14, 2009 I landed my client Ursula's About PHace, a Philadelphia-based skin care spa, on a NBC 10 evening news broadcast - a highlight of my college career. As a current senior I'm proud to be a member of the firm's Executive Board as the Director of Finance, as well as an Account Executive for our long time client the Rebecca Davis Dance Company.

In addition to my extracurricular work with PRowl Public Relations I've been fortunate enough to intern for the National Kidney Foundation Serving the Delaware Valley and for LevLane Public Relations, both in Philadelphia, Pa. In my combined year and a half of work experience with both organizations I've handled media relations, planning, research and social media. Having both nonprofit and agency PR experience has given me a well rounded look at the industry and I'm confident that it fits me like a glove.

To learn more about me please don't hesitate to find me on LinkedIn, on Twitter @BriannaMFisher or connect via e-mail at brianna.fisher.tu@gmail.com. Also, take a look at my archive as a weekly blogger for PRowl Public Relations by clicking on my name at the right of the screen. Thanks for taking the time to get to know me and for participating in #HAPPO. If you like what you've heard, now it's your turn to talk.