The Summer Class Conundrum!

For many undergraduate students the question of whether or not to take summer classes arises every May. Taking summer classes allows you to graduate early, get back on track if you transferred or switched your major, double major, get a hard class out of the way and it even enables you to take less credits during the academic year so you can hold internships and jobs during the regular school year.  On the other hand, summer classes can be a little pricier per credit. In the long run though, the cost outweighs having to stay an extra semester or year.

 Some universities and colleges offer summer classes that are as short as six or even two weeks which allow you to still enjoy your summer but accomplish your academic goals. There are opportunities to take daytime, evening, and even online classes so that you can still work and intern. I am currently taking four summer classes. I am a double major and it is helping me stay on track to graduate on time. In order to be able to work and intern, I opted for a short two week intensive course, an online course and two night courses.

 Having taking summer classes before, I also feel as though I am conditioning myself to stay in an academic mindset. When regular classes resume in the fall I no longer have to prepare myself for the “traditional” classroom structure. Finally, the class size is optimal to learning. Traditionally, summer classes are small in professor to student ratio. From my experience, all of my classes have been no larger than 15 students. Summer classes are also great in the regard that you can have more personalized attention if you are a struggling in a particular subject.

In all, I believe the pros of taking summer classes far outweigh the cons. Consider the financial responsibility in the long run and visit your financial aid office early to become knowledgeable of your options such as scholarships, grants, and loans. Finally, evaluate how taking summer courses can improve your GPA, help you reach your academic goals, and success in the long run.

Have you ever taken or are considering taking a summer course? If so, how have or how will they affect you academically?

Are You A Good Listener?

A great PR professional is also a good listener.  PR professionals need to listen to their clients, bosses and co-workers to achieve total success.

Active listening is a lost art form, taking notes and repeating what is being told to you has always been the forerunner of great communication.

As 21^st century listeners, our attention span and ability for retention has drastically lessened with Twitter and other sources that exemplify brevity.

Take this new self-diagnostic 10 question quiz from ragain.com to see if you’re a good listener.

1. Do you typically talk more than others during a meeting? Thinking back, can you quantify your typical share of a dialogue? Is it 15 percent? 30 percent? 50 percent?

2. When you prepare for a networking event, do you focus by researching your target’s goals? Or on developing your own messages?

3. Think about the last external meeting you led. Did you “drown out” the junior people you are supposed to be positioning for success? Or did you “spend” your words to help them become more successful in front of others?

4. When presenting a speech, do you obsess over every word? Or do you try to develop a flexible, “back and forth” format for audience participation?

5. Have you ever been invited to act as a facilitator to help opposing internal or external parties? Or does that opportunity naturally default to others in your company?

6. Consider your last big meeting. Can you quickly recall the biggest unsaid concerns in the room? Were you able to read between the lines to identify what mattered to the group?

7. When giving feedback to a colleague, do you lead with your thoughts or routinely allow your colleague to share their concerns first?

8. Have you ever been complimented for your ability to capture and illustrate another person’s point of view in “real time?”

9. When you have an important business objective, do you always share that at the beginning of the meeting? Have you ever tried leading up to the objective with a series of shrewd questions instead? Trust your audience to guide the discussion.

10. Have you ever forced yourself to stay silent, recognizing that it might actually be your best weapon? 

If you’re working on being a better listener take these rules into consideration at your next meeting. Remember PR is all about building and maintaining relationships so start with your bosses, coworkers and clients by listening.

What Volunteer Journalism Means For PR Pros

The relationship between the PR professional and the professional journalist has always been one with a give-and-take balance. Public relations professionals pitch stories to journalist who turn those pitches into successful news articles. One professional could not turn a profit without help from the other. But today, when many journalist work for free on blogs or websites such as The Huffington Post, the game has changed a little. Journalist and bloggers have a lot less to lose when they work for free, so the PR pro should consider this when pitching to them, and adjust the pitch accordingly. Here are some tips for pitching to volunteer journalist:

Is the blogger/journalist worth pitching? - Not all bloggers or volunteer journalist are the kinds of writers you want to trust with a story for your client. Does their blog get a considerable amount of views? Is the website they contribute to one you would want your client to appear on? If not, you may want to consider bypassing pitching to that particular writer.

Contact Method - Because you aren't pitching to a traditional blogger, the way you send your pitch may change. It isn't uncommon for a lot of bloggers and volunteer journalist to be reachable through contact forms on their websites or through social media networking sites. Be prepared to travel through unfamiliar contact channels to get your story out there.

Know what they are in it for - Reality TV, Hollywood glamour, and seeking a claim to fame is often the motivation behind many bloggers. For this reason, some of them don't want to put out your newsworthy story. They would much rather blog to promote themselves and boost their own self made celebrity spotlight. Make sure you separate these bloggers from more authentic ones.

Downsizing Your Boilerplate

Let's cut to the chase, PR pros love to ham it up in the boilerplate area. It's the place where we can push in all of the not-so-newsworthy info about our client. But by doing so, are we doing more harm than good? Below are 3 reasons your boilerplate should be shorter.

1. It costs less: I didn't actually think about this, but some press release distribution websites like Business Wire charge an additional fee for releases over 400 words. If you're in a crunch to get under the word limit, nix the fluff and just make sure you have all the facts and specifics in the release to give you the best chance of gaining coverage for your client. 
2. It's what journalists want: Remember that it's one of our goals to give journalists no reason to have to go back and change anything in our story. Journalists see numerous press releases every day, so it's understandable that they won't want to read long releases. Cutting down on your boilerplate will do the trick, without having to downsize on the rest of the body of your release.
3. It looks too corporate: It's a finicky world out there, if your press release looks unprofessional and messy, then no one will pick up your story. But if your release is too straight-laced and corporate-looking, then people won't believe that your story isn't just a needle in a haystack. Cut to the chase with the basics of your client to ensure the overall meaning of your press release. 

Do you know of any other benefits to shortening your boilerplate? Let us know!

The Section That Can Make Your Resume Thrive

Internships are becoming a standard requirement for undergraduate students trying to beef up their resumes. As someone who is currently in her second internship, I know that internships provide you with precious experiences. The knowledge gained in an internship is far greater than what you will ever learn in a classroom. I am lucky to say that my current internship at The Sak Brand in New York City started this past Monday, and I already have learned more about fashion public relations than any classroom can teach me. Since getting an internship is the norm for resumes, how is a student to be set apart from the crowd? One section of a resume that is becoming essentially important is “skills”. So how can someone work on such a pesky section?

Decide which skills to master

Researching which skills are important in your industry can give you a leg up. By researching, you can hone in on an exact skill. Do this by visiting job websites such as Monster.com and see what sort of skills employers are looking for. If you are working with a professional this summer, ask which skills are helpful for a person in his or her field. As always, ask professors and fellow students their opinion on what skills are essential. 

Become bilingual 

As public relations professionals, you are bound to run into every type of race or nationality. Not everyone speaks English and there is a constant need for a bilingual person. Spanish is a good place to begin; many Americans are becoming fluent in the language because of the diversity in our country. Not only does speaking another language make you an invaluable employee, it also makes you look good to prospective clients. Spend the money on Rosetta Stone, study online, or download free podcasts from the iTunes store to listen to in your down time. 

Volunteer

This summer is the perfect time to join a grassroots campaign to show your activism as an American citizen. The November election is coming up, and there is a constant need for volunteers with both Democrat and Republicans. Some ideas of where to volunteer are hospitals, animal shelters, libraries, nursing homes, or summer schools. Keep in mind that volunteering not only helps you learn new skills, it also encourages you to network.


This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Katherine Carpenter 

We Have All Become #1 Fans of Social Media

Social media has become more than just our constant connection to the outside world. Lately, there has been a massive trend among sports fans to use these outlets as a way to show support for their beloved team. Years ago, people would wear jerseys, hang flags, or attend games to show their passion for a specific team. But now, it has become so much more.

Facebook and Twitter are just two of the outlets people utilize to interact with those who share a common interest. Social Media sites allow fans to keep up with a game without TV or radio. In a recent poll, 83% of sports fans check social media sites while watching the game on TV. The websites provide instant access to the statistics of not only the game but all the players as well. 63% of fans will browse sports social media sites while they are attending an actual game. The “die hard” sports fans are the ones who need the instant updates social media provides. Fans no longer need to wait for years highlights books to come out, because every ounce of information they could possible need is right at their finger tips. 

Sports fans aren’t the only ones jumping on the bandwagon. Now college students have sparked an interest in merging sports with social media. Hash tagging is used to create a trend and hopefully gain more followers. NFL player Tim Tebow was at the center of a hash tagging frenzy. People all over twitter would show their support for Tebow by either hash tagging his name or his most famous act “tebowing”. Colleges also jumped ship and began hash tagging their mascots, players and even their drum line. 

This social media frenzy has connected everyone from all over. People who may have never met are developing a bond through shared interests. Sports continue to be one of the top interests people discuss on Twitter and Facebook. Social media has done a great deal than provide us with the latest and greatest news.


This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Alison Curran

Dunkin' Runs On #Twitter?

For the first time, Dunkin’ Donuts is using Twitter as the initial vehicle for a product launch.

Earlier this week, Dunkin’ ran a“Mocha MaDDness Twitter Sweepstakes” to pre-promote its new Mocha K-Cup packs, which will be available for purchase for a limited time starting in June, at Dunkin’ restaurant locations.

The sweeps is Dunkin’s way of rewarding loyal fans by alerting them to the new product in advance of its availability in Dunkin’ locations, as well as giving them a chance to win free samples. As of early May 25, Dunkin’ had about 145,936 Twitter followers.

The power of Twitter is not new to the national donut shop. Popular campaigns likes the Iced Tea TuesDDays Sweepstakes as well as the #DDSMARTY Contest have been very successful.

After a national product launch like this one, do you think Twitter will become the new vehicle for all types of launches? Let us know!