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 )

Best and Worst Words Used in a Resume

Its around that time where we are all either updating or editing our resumes. Summer and Gradation is around the corner and its the season for job hunting and seeking summer internships. While browsing through the PR Newswire's website, Career Building surveyed employers on what were the worst and best words used on resumes.

The following are some of the words that are deemed to be a turnoff for employees:

1. Think outside the box

2. Go to person

3. Results driven

4. Hard worker

5. Strategic thinker

6. Self-motivated

7. Team player

8. Proactively 

The following are some of the words employers deemed to be strong terms to use in your resume:

1. Achieved

2.Improved

3.Created

4. Volunteered

5. Influenced

6. Trained/Mentored

7. Negotiated 

8. Resolved

According to Career Building, one in every six employers usually spend 30 seconds or less on a candidate's resume. With this being said, its important you perfect your resume and leave no room for errors. Definitely using the right words in your resume is essential as it allows you to become a great candidate for that specific job. 

Three Things to Leave Off Your Resume!

Writing your resume can be bane to your existence. I am certain having a resume near perfect is something we all want.  It's always confusing as to what should be included on your resume. Some of us struggle with condensing the information included on our resume or even figuring out whats important to include.

Below are things you should leave off your resume:

1. Awards and Hobbies- Including your awards and hobbies isn't really necessary to include on your resume. It's important to keep the information on your resume directed to the position you are applying for. Employers are not interested in what you really do for fun, they are more interested in what you can bring to the table.

2. Excessive Formatting-  Be consistent in your resume. Having consistency will make it easier for the recruiter to go through your resume.

3. Lists of tasks for each job-  Its more beneficial to inform the recruiter on what you accomplished from a position rather than stating what your daily duties were.

Are You Really #LinkedIn?

I have been a huge fan of the social-professional network known as LinkedIn. In this Digital Age, it is extremely crucial that the professional adult has a strong web presence and the overall service LinkedIn provides is phenomenal. With that being said, I have realized that I don't spend a lot of time on the site. A LinkedIn can pretty much run itself - if you take the the right steps to set it up that way.

Your LinkedIn profile can virtually do the job for you, letting your name, skills, and expertise be known to everyone in your network, as well as new potential new connections who might be interested in finding people like you.

Here are five tips to make sure you are really #LinkedIn on LinkedIn:

1. Use a Professional-Looking Headshot
One of the most important aspects of a LinkedIn profile is the picture. The profile picture really separates a LinkenIn profile from a typical, run-of-the-mill resume site. As is true for any online profile, the picture is crucial. The headshot should feature you from the shoulders upwards and be a good quality image. Nothing is worse than a pixelated profile picture of someone's whole body. PRowl PR's in-house photographer takes professional headshots once a year which has been very beneficial for our members. 

2. Think in Keywords
Load up your profile with straightforward search term. If you're unsure of which words to use, look through the jobs section of LinkedIn to find ads for open positions that are similar to your own job. What keywords turn up there? Reuse the relevant words and phrases in your own profile.

3. Add Videos, Images, and Links
Earlier this year, LinkedIn introduced a new multimedia feature in which its users can add graphics, slideshows (using Slideshare), documents, and links to other online content, such as your online portfolio. Providing visuals to break up the text goes a long way toward improving a profile. I recently just added a few YouTube videos I was featured in and I truly believe having multimedia content makes my profile stand out.

4. Utilize the Who's Viewed Your Profile Feature 
One of my favorite features on LinkedIn is that the site tells you when someone else has looked at your profile. Make sure to turn on the notifications for this feature. It's a great way to get a heads-up about people or organization who are interested in you for some reason. If the person checking out your profile is in some way valuable to you, you might take some steps to facilitate their ability to contact you, such as following them on Twitter.

5. Get Recommendations
I love the fact that LinkedIn encourages its users to reach out to past employers and/or colleagues to provide recommendations. What better way to prove your credibility than to have a recommendation that anyone who views your profile has access to reading. I make sure at the end of every internship that I reach out to my supervisor for a LinkedIn recommendation.

Do you have any other LinkedIn tips? We want to know!

Resume Words to Avoid

It's the most wonderful time of the year - time to update your resume that is! Most of us are in the middle of our summer job search and what better way to prepare yourself than by editing your resume before you send it off to an employer. 

The best way to land the summer job of your dreams is to stand out! While you're updating and editing, make sure to avoid these overused words:

1. People Person - Do you honestly even know what this means? Employers want to see that you can successfully communicate your ideas but "people person" does not really relay that. Use "effective communicator" instead and nix the "people person" nonsense. 

2. Hard Worker - Everyone claims to be a "hard worker" believe it or not! To impress your employer, explain how you have gone the extra mile by citing examples.

3. Dynamic - Unless you have figured out how to cure a disease or are a superhero, ditch the word dynamic.

4. Familiar With... - This is geared towards editing your skill set and qualification section. To describe your knowledge of computer programs like Microsoft Excel or Photoshop, use descriptive language such as: beginner, intermediate, proficient or advanced to really speak to your level of knowledge. 

5. Reliable - You wouldn't be applying for a job if you weren't reliable so it is okay to leave this word out. Employers expect you to be dependable and to arrive at work on time, no need to brag about it. 

The main point here is that you want to be able to show employers why you are the right person for the job. Words are a powerful thing and using descriptive words will help you stand out above the rest!

Check out more words to avoid here!