Classes Missing From Your Fall Semester Schedule

A new semester is quickly approaching. That means it’s time for some of us to knock the pool water out of our ears and get back to business. Others of you may have stayed in professional PR mode during the summer. Regardless of which camp you belong to, everyone can always take the time to brush up on a few skills before heading back to our classrooms and offices. 

About a week ago PR Daily wrote on the “7 Underrated Skills Every PR Newbie Needs.” Some of those skills stood out to me because they are not just underrated, they are not taught. Here are three of those skills that you may not learn in a classroom but you should definitely invest the time in learning for yourself:

• Basic HTML knowledge: All of the coding may seem pretty intimidating, but it’s good information to have in your back pocket. If the images for your internship company’s website (or your own) aren’t showing up, you can be the intern to step up and solve the problem! A great resource to learn more about HTML can be found at http://www.codecademy.com/.
• Video editing: This is another, seemingly, daunting task. Vine and Instagram video have brought out the inner videographer in us all, but knowing your way around iMovie or Final Cut Pro is much different. Having a basic editing skill set is another trait that can really set you apart. You can practice by recording and editing short 30 second clips and work your way up from there.
• SEO: Search engine optimization is extremely helpful whether you have your own personal blog or simply contribute to someone else’s. Understanding the best keywords to use in headings and titles can be the difference between 10 and 1,000 page views. For a helpful break down of SEO basics, check out http://moz.com/learn/seo. 

If these are skills that you aren’t learning in a classroom setting, take the time to teach yourself! You may not use them everyday, but they will definitely serve you well in the long run.

Are there new skills that you have been meaning to learn more about? We would love to hear them!

Resume Refresher

It is hard to believe the beginning of the semester is right around the corner. Although you may not have classes for the next couple of weeks, this is the time to finish applying for fall internships. This may be the first time you have applied for an internship, or, it may be your third time. No matter what, one thing to remember when applying for internships is to always update your resume.

Since it may have been awhile since you last edited and updated your resume, here are some great refreshers to keep in mind:

1. Sell It, Don't Tell It: Don't simply state facts. Promote it, advertise it and make sure you draw attention to it.

2. Focus On The Big Things: When deciding what to put in your resume make sure to focus on new things and major projects. You want to pick out the most important things you were responsible for and how well you did them.

3. Make It Easy To Read: It is easy for resumes to become distracting with its structure and content. Make sure to keep it nice and simple.

4. Be Truthful: Don't make up skills and qualifications just because you think it will get you the job. Honesty is always the best policy.

5. Be Confident: In order to succeed at anything at life, confidence is a must. Your resume should reek of confidence because you wrote it to sell you and highlight your qualifications and your success.

Good luck!