PRSSA National Conference summer prep: Steps you should be taking now

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Even though PRSSA National Conference doesn’t take place until early November, it isn’t too early to begin getting ready for the professional experience of the year!

Summer is a great time to stock up on much needed supplies as well as revamp your professional materials, so don’t spend all of your free time in the next two months soaking up the sun:

1: Stock up on Professional Wardrobe Essentials: During the last few weeks of the summer, stores begin to display their fall collections, which means that summer clothes go on sale. This is a perfect opportunity for students to buy nice shirts or professional dresses that are marked down significantly after being on the racks throughout the summer. These pieces can be layered with blazers, sweaters, or cardigans, which will take away their summer feel and have you more prepared for the November weather in Atlanta, Georgia!

2. Update your Resume: After many days of tanning in the sun or swimming in a pool, you may feel the itch to be productive again. If this is the case, there is no better task to pour your new-found productivity into than updating your resume! You will want to have a proofread, clean copy of your latest achievements for National Conference, and it won’t take you too long to update your current one!

3. Create an Online Portfolio: With so many free website builders out there, it is easy to create your own personal portfolio site without having to pay anything. Also, you shouldn’t get nervous if you have no experience with website development. Many of the businesses that give you the option of creating your own site will give you free templates to choose from, and oftentimes, there are helpful guides and tutorials to get you through the set up and maintenance of your creation. Also, think of how great it will look to have your own custom website listed on your business card when networking with the professionals at National Conference!

Are you getting excited for PRSSA National Conference? Tell us your tips and tricks for preparing for your trip to Atlanta!

Learn New Skills to Boost Your Resume

The summer is a time to distress from a hectic school year, take a break from classes and be able to work or intern without having to balance classes, meetings and homework. It is also a great time to learn some new skills and build your resume.

Whether you are a public relations, mass communication, advertising, marketing or similar major, there are countless internship and job opportunities available. With so many young professionals applying for these positions, knowing how to use various programs and software helps diversify your portfolio and supplements your past experiences on your resume.

There is a wide variety of skills and programs such as coding, Final Cut Pro, the Adobe Creative Suite, Google Analytics and others that are helpful in future job opportunities. The job description may not ask for someone with these skills but you can introduce them into your workplace if appropriate and find new ways to complete tasks. Knowledge of some programs also can be used when you are asked to use a brand new program or system because you will be able to see some similarities and work though any issues easier.

Cision is another skill that public relations professionals frequently use. It is a website that serves as a database of journalists and their contact information. Professionals use it to build media lists when they want to send out a press release or media alert. To learn more about it, watch a tutorial here.

To find some programs that interest you, watch tutorials on websites like YouTube or Lynda. The tutorials will take you step by step and allow you to learn at your own pace. Some universities, like Temple University, offer free memberships to Lynda, so check before buying a membership.

If you would rather spend your summer days by the pool or at the beach, you can take supplemental classes during the school year to learn these skills. Last spring semester, I took a digital design class where I became proficient in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Design. I added these three programs to my resume and hope to apply my skills in an upcoming job opportunity.

Regardless of your major, never stop learning and discovering new skills to stand out and get your dream job.

What programs are you looking forward to learning? 

This blog post was written by PRowl Secretary Shaun Luberski.

Skills: ????

You've mastered your resume. All of your internships, jobs, and volunteer-work are perfectly formatted and described. You even designed a brand new header for yourself! But there's still one little section at the bottom that you just can't seem to figure out: skills. You certainly have skills, but what is best to put down when looking for a job in PR/Marketing/Communications? Check out some of the skills we think are best to put you at an advantage during your next interview:

Social Media - As young adults in today's society, it seems so mundane to actually know your way around Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But you cannot forget to mention that you do! As someone looking to work in the Communications field, it's very possible that social media will be a part of the job description. Outside of all of the social networks that you use personally, consider getting yourself familiar with a few more, like Wordpress, Pinterest, and Hootsuite.

( Source:Design Razzi )

Graphics - Though it may not be mandatory for PR Executive jobs, knowing how to use Photoshop, Adobe, or InDesign will help you stand out next to other candidates for the job. Chances are you will need to plan an initiative or promotional materials, and instead of outsourcing, you will be able to take the reigns on the project yourself. Having these graphics skills will make creating content for fliers, pamphlets, or invitations easier and just the way you imagine them for the client's needs.

Production - Just as design allows you to handle the creative side of your initiative, knowing minor production techniques will allow you work on additional types of projects. Learning about video and audio recording and editing is beneficial so that you can use these outlets to promote your client or organization. Job postings in certain industries, like entertainment, may even specify that these skills are preferred in the applicant.

Presentation - As an intern, you may be given the opportunity to sit in on business calls and client meetings, so presentation skills are always a plus. If you had to pass a public speaking course to receive your degree, make note & put down public speaking as a skill. Additionally, PowerPoint and Prezi are both presentation tools that you should be sure to mention your experience with to a future employer.

( Source: Location 180 )

New Perspectives: Why Every PR Professional Should Consider Applying For A Journalism Internship

For the past two summers, I have been interning at a suburban newspaper in my hometown.

As a public relations major, I am often asked why I continue to pursue internships in the journalism realm.

I always give the same, one-word answer: experience.

It is common for people to overlook how connected journalism and public relations are. There is a co-dependency between each field because professionals in both spheres rely on one another to do their jobs effectively.

 For example, a PR professional needs to pitch their client’s or company’s events or findings to media outlets for exposure, and journalists need to have contact with PR professionals so they are able to write important material for their publications.

Throughout my internship, I have had the opportunity to communicate with many PR professionals and get an inside look at what journalists expect from them.

I've been sent the good, the bad, and the ugly press releases and media alerts, and I've had many conversations with journalists about their pet-peeves regarding PR outreach.

I have also been able to network with the PR professionals I reach out to, and often times, I have made a connection with them regarding their PR background.

Now, as I pursue other PR opportunities, I will be able to look upon my experience and I will be able to tailor my press releases to the needs and preferences of journalists.

Also, having that insider perspective may be helpful in landing PR internship opportunities in the future.

Being able to say that I have explored various realms of media and communication shows that I have many abilities and levels of experience, which may be the factor that could put me ahead of other candidates in an interview setting.

Have you had an internship in a field that has helped you in your journey towards becoming a PR professional? If so, we would love to hear from you!