Temple PRSSA Alumni Panel

Yesterday during Temple PRSSA's general meeting, members were given the opportunity to ask questions to former chapter members who have found great success in their post-graduate careers. The panel featured former PRSSA presidents Lindsay Bues (Public Relations Coordinator at Philabundance) and Jessica Lawlor (Internal Communication Coordinator at Cancer Treatment Centers of America) as well as former PRowl Account Executive Brianna Fisher (Account Coordinator at Vault Communications) and former PRowl Assistant Firm Director Melissa Marsili (Partnership Marketing Associate at The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce).

Sitting in the same seats that these graduates were sitting in only a year or so ago, the panel provided students with invaluable information about what to expect after college life and how to prepare for our future careers. Topics discussed included social media, job searching advice and important tips after securing your first job. Although everything discussed was valuable, I will provide some of the key concepts I took away from the panel:

Social Media (and its many uses):
- Although we are taught in class how quickly social media is evolving, it is still important to understand that not everyone is evolving with it. Future clients may be apprehensive about establishing themselves on these networks and it is important to not only understand how to use social media but to be able to explain the importance and investment social media will have on their business.

- It is important to look at your own social media sites as a form of personal branding. Professionals are looking into potential prospects via Facebook and Twitter, therefore make updates and posts that will make yourself look more valuable to professionals. A great way to do this is participating in Twitter chats where you are able to establish yourself as a voice of knowledge and authority while connecting with voices of influence in the field.

Job Searching Advice:
-Always stay in touch with previous internship contacts and professors in order to build your networking base. Whether it is sending an occasional email or meeting up for coffee, building your relationship with these professionals will not only allow you to continue expanding your knowledge of the field but it will also help to have a strong network when looking for employment.

-In your resume, avoid listing assignments that you were responsible for. All professionals in the field of public relations write press releases, pitch stories, compile media lists and manage social media channels. Instead of listing responsibilities, highlight achievements and provide specific quantifiable data that will show your potential employer your success with various assignments.

-Even if a job listing states that it requires 2-3 years of experience, submit your resume and cover letter anyway, explaining and highlighting in detail through your internship and work experiences why you are still qualified for the position.

Tips for Your First Job:
-Deadlines are crucial in the field of public relations and often times it is easy to become overwhelmed with the large amount of work that needs to be accomplished in a short amount of time. Make organized to-do lists that prioritize what tasks needs to be accomplished first, ensuring that you are managing your time most effectively.

-Always follow-up with supervisors about tasks and assignments that have longer-term deadlines. Send an email at the beginning of each week to inform your boss about what projects you are currently working on, what projects you will be beginning in the near future and asking any questions to clarify assignments that you may not have fully understood.

-Become familiar with reporters and the stories that they cover. This will make it easier to pitch a story when you are aware of the writer's interests. Additionally, work to develop symbiotic relationships with these reporters for future pitches and stories.



Thank you again to all of the wonderful alumni that attended yesterday's panel for sharing great insight and advice!

Be Ready For Anything

As an entry level employee, I'm quickly learning how to be ready for anything. This sounds much more exciting than it really is, so let me explain.

As an entry level employee at my company, I don't work on a specific account or only on one manager's projects. Each day I work with different managers, different departments and different clients. This has allowed me to learn a great deal of information very quickly, which I love. However, it also means that I always need to keep an open mind and look at every project differently.

It's really hard to be ready for something unexpected or out of the ordinary. Here's what I do to try not to get frazzled when someone unexpected comes up.

• Try to read information about my organization and members each day. By staying up to date on organization news I feel better talking in meetings.
• Make an effort to remember other employee's names. I always get embarrassed when I can't remember someone's name!
• Try my hardest to make things I write perfect the first time. When I try to make something perfect the first time (instead of writing what I think is right then having to edit more later) I save time on edits later.
• Keep a pair of black heels under my desk. In the summer we are allowed to wear sandals that aren't flip flops. By keeping a pair of black heels under my desk I can change out of sandals and into heels before a last minute meeting!

Entry level employees have to deal with so many new things. Is there anything special you're doing at your first job or internship?

Things I Didn't Think I Would Have to Know

One of the things I loved about being a Communications major in college was that I was required to take any business classes and only two math classes. It wasn't until my senior year of college that the realization set in that I would someday have to figure out how to pay back my student loans and how to contribute to a 401(k).

After talking with some business professors and finding books to read about these topics, I was still feeling a little lost. Then I decided to attend a financial presentation for college students at the Fox School of Business. The program covered topics like investments, student loans and credit. It was also directed by Fox School Alums, so they had an understanding of what it's like to be a Temple Student.

When I started my new job in June 2010 I felt comfortable talking about the options for investing in a 401(k) and I understood a lot of what was being presented to me. I'm also not as nervous to start paying back loans because I have a better understanding of how to tackle the situation, thanks to attending the program.

My advice? Take a business class no matter what your major is, look for programs like the one I attended last spring, and be prepared to deal with topics outside your area of study in the "real world." Just because you didn't go to college for finance, doesn't mean it won't school you when you graduate.

*Temple students: The program I attended last April was called "Spring Forward" and it was presented by the Fox School of Business Alumni Association. Keep an eye out for a program like it next spring!

14 Days Into My First "Real" Job

Here I am almost done with my third full week of my "real" job and time is flying by. After the whirlwind of my last semester at Temple, graduation and post-graduation travel, I thought starting my full-time job would allow me to feel like my life was slowing down. Oh, I was so wrong.

My first few weeks have been busy and exciting, and here are some things I've learned so far:

1. Organization and time management is more important than ever. Sometimes I don't have a deadline for a project, but that doesn't mean that I can surf the web all day! I look at the tasks I have to do and get them done as efficiently as possible. Being given the responsibility to look at what I have to do and decide what needs to be done first is exciting.

2. When people want to help you, let them! Your first job is no time to be "too proud" to ask for help. It's great to take initiative and figure things out for yourself, but if you're confused or need information ask for it. I find that asking questions helps me to better understand the organization I'm working for (The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce) and complete projects better because I have solid background information.

3. Stay involved in things outside of your job. The first few weeks of work I was just trying to get in on time, get settled in my new environment and do the best I could at my job. Now that I'm feeling more comfortable I want to start looking for activities to get involved in. I was an active member of student organizations while I was at Temple and I miss that greatly. I suggest getting involved in a professional organization, an alumni association, a community group or a group devoted to a passion you have. Remember, your job isn't your whole life! Being well rounded is important in college and it's important post-graduation.

In a few weeks I'm sure I'll have more things to share about what I'm learning at my "real job." Until then, I'd love to hear any tips you have for being successful at a new job! Also, make sure to check back next Thursday for another PRowl Alumni Post!

Introducing our New "Alumni Thursday" Blog Series!

It's official.... after Brianna Fisher's popular "Hello Real World, it's Nice to Meet You" post, we have decided to bring back a few other of the fabulous grads for our new "Alumni Thursday" blog series throughout the summer. We will have three PRowl Public Relations alumni writers: Brianna Fisher, Melissa Marsili and Crystal Wang.

All three graduated in May 2010 and have gone on to pursue various endeavors in the PR/marketing field. I'll let the girls introduce themselves:

Brianna Fisher
"I work for Vault Communications in Plymouth Meeting. Vault provides public relations, social media and marketing services to our clients. I'm assigned to one account - AMResorts. They have more than 20 resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. My account work consists entirely of social media management for these resorts. I also support several of our other clients including the Mark Twain House, Heartland Payment Systems, the National Pest Management Association and Tastykake."

Melissa Marsili
"I work for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) as a Partnership Marketing Associate. GPCC promotes growth and development in the Philadelphia region as well as advocates for sound public policy. I write sponsorship proposals that are sent to members for our events, sell website advertisements and work to engage high-level members of the Chamber."

Crystal Wang
"I've made the move to the Big Apple, where I'm interning at Bullfrog and Baum, an award-winning agency specializing in hospitality, lifestyle and consumer public relations and marketing. I'm currently working in the hospitality division directly under Kay Lindsay, Vice President of Hospitality and Susan Hosmer, Vice President of the company's West Coast offices. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to combine my interest of public relations, gastronomy, and the restaurant hospitality industries."


The series will begin next Thursday, July 1 with a post by Melissa. Enjoy!

What I've Learned About Pitching

Over the past few years at PRowl Public Relations I've had the great opportunity of pitching many different publications with many different stories. It hasn't always been easy, it hasn't always worked, but I've learned so much. Since graduation is Thursday, I thought I'd share my tips for pitching before I'm an alum!

1. Give them something they need but don't have. When you pitch it's important to sell the journalist/blogger/etc. on why they need to know about what you're pitching, so be passionate about it! If you're not excited about it why should they be?

2. Don't give them everything at once. If you give the person you're pitching all of the information at once, what will you follow up with? Try to save an interesting piece of information for when you do follow up calls to get their attention again.

3. Be available for whatever they need. It could be something simple like sending the press release again or something more complex like an interview with the client or photos. Whatever they need, get it to them ASAP!

4. Be respectful. It's a hard time for communications practitioners everywhere. Being respectful and kind goes a long way, even if a situation is frustrating.

Do you have tips that you'd love to share? Let us know!

Auction Time

The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Daily News will be auctioned off to new owners today. There are three parties interested in the publications so far.

"Pending negotiations with the newspaper company's 4,000 unionized workers are already casting a long shadow over the auction, which will take place in the private offices of a law firm in Manhattan," the Inquirer reported. "All three of the investor groups bidding for the newspapers have put labor contingencies into their bidding proposals, the company's top financial adviser disclosed yesterday at an auction-eve hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court."

*Information taken from this article by Joe Strupp.

What do you think this means for Philadelphia media? I've never experienced something like this before in a big city, so I have no idea what to expect!

PR Myths!

This is a list that I found on Ragan.com about five public relations myths that some business owners believe. It's funny to look at them as a PR practitioner!

1. "PR is a waste of money"
2. “Once I get a good spot of PR, I can go back to laughing all the way to the bank.”
3. “Once I get a good spot of PR, I can go back to laughing all the way to the bank.”
4. “I went to law school/I kick ass on Jeopardy!/I always win arguments; therefore, I will control/intimidate/steamroll any reporter interviewing me.”
5. “How hard can it be to write an op-ed/letter-to-the-editor/press release?”

I especially think number five is funny. We know all too well here at PRowl Public Relations how tricky a news release can be!

Read the list with descriptions here.

Do you know any other PR myths? Share them with us!

The Importance of Volunteering

I love volunteering. I've always liked the idea of giving some of my time to an organization I feel passionately about, or one that I want to learn more about. I've volunteered at clean-ups, as a Big in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, for PR events, and many more. Here are a few reasons why I think that volunteering is SO important:

• It opens your eyes to something you may not have known about before. It's a great opportunity to learn a lot about an organization in a short amount of time. You'll get to do tasks, talk to people involved, and get a feel for the organization's culture.
• It's not a huge time commitment. Don't have time for an internship or can't get one that you want? Tell an organization you're interested in that you'd be more than happy to help them out when they have an event. Lots of organizations love the free help, especially from a trained PR student!
• Volunteering can open doors for you to bigger things. For example, last semester I volunteered with a friend at an event that she was doing for her internship. I got to chatting with another volunteer (who happened to be a full-time employee of the same organization) and she let me know about an internship opportunity. That led to me getting an interview, and landing a great internship. I wouldn't have had that opportunity if I hadn't helped out!
• It feels good. Volunteering is fun, and it's great to know you gave some time and helped an organization that needed it. It's great karma!

Have you had any great experiences volunteering? What are your thoughts on students volunteering their time?

20 Things You Should Share on Social Media

People share all kinds of things on social media, but how many people question if they are sharing the right things? I found this article posted today on Ragan.com. It's a post from Jeffbullas's blog about things that you should share on social media. Here are some examples of things he says to post. Do you share any of these things?

-Webinars
-Podcasts
-Music if you are a musician
-Text format of your video blog posts
-Microsoft Office Documents
-Notes displaying keypoints from your power point presentations
-Newsletters
(Taken from this article)

What are some things that you think people should post on social media? Let us know!

Face-to-Face Communication

Last night was Philadelphia Public Relations Association's Careers 101. Attendees learned great tips from local professionals, won prizes, and had the opportunity to try our their networking skills. One tip that stuck with me from the panel discussion was the importance of being able to communicate well on an interview and on the job. I know that so much of my time in my classes is spent talking about being a social media guru and a great writer, but rarely do we talk about the importance of face-to-face communication.

The following are some tips from Ragan.com (one of my favorite websites to read) about face-to-face communication:

-"Start small. If your organization is new at using face-to-face, don’t jump into the deep end. Start with informal opportunities such as walkarounds or small-group dialogues."
-"Ease into it. Especially in an organization that has never offered a face-to-face session, employees might be reluctant to ask questions. Give participants a chance to submit questions in writing before and during the meeting."
-"Provide training if necessary. One of the primary concerns business leaders have about face-to-face communication is that they feel inadequately skilled or prepared for it. Even the most seasoned executives can use a refresher on presentation skills and how to handle difficult questions."

*All information taken "7 ways to use face-to-face communication" on Ragan.com.

Do you have other tips for effective face-to-face communication? Let us know!

March Madness

March Madness is an exciting time for basketball fans everywhere. Even if you're not a regular basketball fan, you may enjoy cheering on your favorite team during the tournament. This year March Madness fans can keep up with all the games using many online applications. Here are some of the top ones, found in this article on Mashable.com:

1. Facebook Fast Break
2. Mobile Madness
3. Web-based Winners
4. Video Slam Dunk

This year I'll be cheering on Atlantic 10 champs, the Temple Owls! Who are you cheering for?

Facebook Fan Page Tips

When I came across this list today I immediately wished I read it over winter break. The list is called "26 Facebook Fan Page tips for business users. Or the Fan Page cheat sheet." Over winter break, PRowl Public Relations' executive board took on a client for a mini-project. We helped the client to engage with fan page members and to attract new fans. We ran into a couple problems, but produced some great results. We definitely could have used this list as a jumping off point though! Here are some highlights from the list:

7. Facebook should only part of your online presence. Use it to capture fans and then drive them to deeper content on a blog, connect on Twitter, and promote video on YouTube. But, most importantly, they need to be moving toward business goals.
8. Use other online vehicles to recruit Facebook fans including links on your homepage, ads, promotions and other social media sites.
9. You are only a small reason your fans are on Facebook. Be respectful and don’t over-promote or you risk losing them.
10. Put fans first. Consider what is valuable to them and link to it or post about it.
11. Consider promoting others on your page who have done something significant in your area.

Do these things help you? Or are they just reminders? Have you created your own tip sheet for social media? Let us know!

Vancouver 2010

I can't believe this is PRowl Public Relations' first Olympic blog! If you've been keeping up with the blog the past few years, you know that we went crazy for the Bejing Olympics. The 2008 Olympics were an exciting time, and I had a great time writing about them, watching them, and loving every minute of them. The 2010 Vancouver Olympics are proving to be just as exciting though, and filled with controversy as always. Here are some highlights since the start of the games:

• Johnny Weir vs. Peta in regards to his fur on a costume. Find a post from PETA's blog about the subject here.
• Lindsay Vonn vs. her injuries. That girl is tough, and already has a gold medal for Team USA. Read about her here. There was also this controversy involving Lindsay in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Editing.
• Sean White's crazy tricks that lead him to gold in the Men's Halfpipe event. His teammate, Scott Lago, took bronze! Read about Sean here and Scott here.
• Body Miller's amazing come back from his many disappointments in Torino, Italy in 2006. Read about him here.

These are only some highlights and controversies, and the games go on until February 28! What are your favorite moments? What do you think about the controversies? Let us know!

Relating Peer Tutoring to Public Relations

In September I started my job as a Peer Tutor at the Fox School's Business Communications Writing Center. I originally applied for the job because I needed some extra cash after studying abroad last summer. After starting in the fall I realized what a great opportunity it was for me to work at the center as a Peer Tutor, and how the position would help me pursue public relations. Here are a few things that I have learned:

• The students that I work with are all business students, and the writing they do is much different than the writing I do in my classes. Helping students with business papers has opened my eyes to the difficulties that others face with writing, the different curriculum that exist at Temple University, and the different methods that can be used to teach someone about writing.
• I have the opportunity to constantly work on my own writing. Before starting, I had to brush up on my grammar skills and other basic elements of writing. Grammar has always been tough for me, and is something that I should be working on all the time. I need to understand grammar rules to be a tutor and to be a PR professional.
• Talking about writing, no matter what kind, makes you a better writer. I find that many of the students I see are good writers but are uncomfortable with their writing. It helps so much to be able to talk through a paper with someone else in order to clear your head and see the direction you can take.

I have learned so much at my job at the writing center, and I'm lucky that everything I've learned I can apply to my future career. I would advise any communications major, or anyone who loves to write, to seek out opportunities like this on campus. It's a great job!

Temple University's Spring Career Week

With my last semester progressing quickly, it's starting to hit me how much work I have to get done by graduation. One area that I need to devote a lot of time to is professional development. Luckily, Temple University's Career Week is coming up. They have exciting events planned, and I play to take advantage! Here are the three main events for career week:

• First Annual Dress 4 Success Fashion Show, February 15, 2010
• Student and Alumni Networking Event, February 16, 2010
• Destination: Career Fair, February 18, 2010

These events are great for professional development. They are great because students from their freshman to senior years can attend, and it's FREE!

My advice: Take advantage of events like this while you're in school and they're free!

Need more information? Visit www.temple.edu/careercenter

How Much Would You Pay?

Social media is a subject that is continually discussed in public relations classes. Many discussions come down to one factor: what does mean, what does it matter, and who cares? I know that I've talked about measuring social media in classes, with speakers, and in PRowl Public Relations.

In a Washington Post article from Sunday, January 31, 2010 I read that you could now buy Twitter followers on eBay for less than a penny a follower (when you buy in bulk). Since Twitter doesn't actually let users buy and sell one another, the money you spend "buying followers" goes to a service that promises to boost your account by the said number of followers.

Another method, which I found most interesting, is one from China. The article says, "But another method we've heard about anecdotally uses cheap labor in China to create Twitter Follower farms..." "Online laborers in China essentially create thousands of Twitter accounts which can then follow other accounts."

I think this method of buying followers takes away from the great aspects of social media, such as the genuine relationships with real people, the transparency, etc. What do you think?

First PRSSA Meeting of Spring 2010 Semester!

Today is the first PRSSA meeting of the semester in room 217D of the Student Center from 3:30-4:15 p.m. This is a great opportunity to get a feel for what PRSSA at Temple University does and what the organization is doing this semester.

Today at the meeting we will be:

• Receiving information about PRSSA
• Learning about speakers and events for the semester
• Signing up for committees

So come out and start off your semester by joining an awesome professional student organization. If you're already a member, make sure you get there so you can reconnect with all of your peers!

If you need more information about PRSSA at Temple University, please contact Jessica Lawlor at jessica.lawlor@temple.edu.

If you want more information about PRSSA as a national organization, visit the website at http://www.prssa.org/!

First Day of Spring Semester!

Good luck on the first day of the spring semester!

From everyone here at PRowl Public Relations

The first day of a new semester is exciting, but can also be nerve racking. Do any of our readers have suggestions of how to get off on the right foot? We could use them!

He Wants to Add How Many Followers This Year?

Nick Stewart, a Website Traffic Expert and creator of the blog Nick's Traffic Tricks, wants to add 1,000 followers to his Twitter in 2010. On January 7 he had just 170 followers. Nick isn't just going to start following people with the hopes they will follow him back though. He has devised a strategic plan to increase his followers, and I think it's going to work!

Here are the first 3 points of his plan:
1. Tweet about new blog posts.
-This is an easy way to try to attract new followers while driving people to his blog at the same time!

2. Tweet more often.
-Social media is all about who is the most current. Not tweeting every day will definitely not help get more followers.

3. Develop a schedule and Tweet at the best times.
-This is a great strategic move and one that will get Nick into a Tweeting routine.

Want to see the rest of his list? Check out the article on Twitip.com (via Ragan.com)