Fake It 'till You Make It

"Fake it till you make it" might be a phrase you've heard in many places before, not just within the realm of communications. But, especially after my experiences last night, I've come to believe in its power as a way to get things done; to cut through all the proverbial red-tape and accomplish something. Or, in my case, defuse tired and irritated people and stop them from choosing me as the target of their frustration.

Last night, President Barack Obama came to the Liacouras Center at Temple University in support of Tom Wolf's campaign for the office of governor of Pennsylvania. President Obama's visit was not widely publicized, it was more of a word-of-mouth event, but regardless, the arena was completely filled. I was asked to help at the main entrance, to direct people to their seat section depending on their ticket color. Because President Obama was going to be there, the Secret Service had been at the Liacouras Center all day, making sure it was safe. For everyone entering, the Secret Service checked their bags and electronics, and passed them through a metal detector and then did a quick scan with the wand. For every single person entering. Over 5000 people. It took over 2 hours to get everyone in and seated. As you might imagine, the Secret Service was primarily composed of men in suits and ties.

Because we do not have Liacouras Center uniforms, we were asked to dress business formal for this event, so naturally I wore a suit, and a blue tie. As it so happened, most of the Secret Service agents had blue ties as well. And 'naturally,' I was mistaken for a member of the Secret Service by more than a few people entering into the arena. I myself didn't catch on until a family walked in, I directed them to their section, and the father stopped and asked me, "Are you carrying a gun?," gesturing at actual Secret Service agents. I had no idea how to respond, so I gave a weak smile, nodded noncommittally, and thankfully he walked away. I turned to the girl I was working with, who confirmed that I could in fact pass for one of the agents walking around. Deciding that being mistaken for the Secret Service was probably a compliment, I proceeded to use this misconception to my advantage. A few minutes later, a small group of older women walked in and asked where they could sit. I let them know which section was currently open, but they didn't like my answer, and started getting nasty, talking about how long they'd had to wait and that they deserved front row seats. I thought about how a Secret Service agent might respond, and told them that if they didn't calm down I'd have them escorted out. This seemed to work, or at least got them off my case. Beyond that, it never came up again, and I was able to watch and enjoy President Obama's speech at the end of the night.

Even at the PRSSA National Conference, speakers and presenters told us to fake it until you make it. Almost always, if you convincingly act like you know what you're doing, no one will question you, thereby giving you the time to figure out what it is you're supposed to be doing. In PR, this can be essential, especially at a new job or when a crisis starts to flare up.

Do you have any thoughts on what to do when you aren't sure? Tell us in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you!

This post was authored by Faiz Mandviwalla, a junior at Temple University and the Director of Finance for PRowl Public Relations. Follow him on Twitter @faizmand. 

3 Ways To Turn Your Internship Into A Full Time Job

As an intern, you are constantly striving to make yourself stand out. This can be hard to do especially if you are working in an office full of interns who seem to know what they’re doing. If you’re looking to land a full-time job with the company, remembering these 3 tips to impress your boss can help push you to the top. 

Ask Questions

Your boss knows that as an intern you don’t know every little detail of how the company works. Never be timid to ask questions when you are confused about an assignment. Your boss will most likely admire your curiosity to learn the ins and outs of the company. Especially when you are hoping for the company to hire you- it’s always best for them if they can save some time by not having to train someone new.

Volunteer to take on more responsibility

Showing enthusiasm, interest, and proactive engagement in individual and team assignments is a great way to boost your advancement in the company. Making an effort to fit in with the culture and mission of the company, by taking on extra responsibilities can impress your boss and show you have what it takes.

Stay engaged

Check with your immediate boss after completing an assignment, schedule periodic reviews and volunteer as much as you can. Doing these things shows your boss some serious initiative, which is something they yearn for.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Nicole Beck. 

Personal Branding Is Now Temple Made

 Personal Branding is no longer just a practice you learn about in a PR workshop or at a conference, but can now be taken as a class. The Advertising department within the School of Media and Communications at Temple is taking steps in the right direction. Four new innovative courses were added by department for the 2015 Spring semester, one of them being Personal Branding. This is exciting news for not only advertising majors, but communication majors across the board and especially PR students.

The course description describes personal branding as promoting your own skills and strengths. The course will take an in depth look at the new channels of communication that make up the social media and Web 2.0 space. It will use case studies and real-life media examples teaching students how to embrace social networks, user generated content, and blogs, to name just a few channels. Personal branding is one of the most beneficial things a young professional can do. The Advertising department is ahead of the game by realizing how important professional development is.

The class section offered filled up within the first week of registration. It will be interesting to hear the feedback from the students taking the first time course. “I’m looking forward to see how Personal Branding will be turned into a full semesters curriculum”, says Faiz Mandviwalla, who is majoring in public relations and minoring in sociology here at Temple. “I am excited to be one of the first students to ever take this course at Temple.”

Personal branding is a hot topic in the public relations industry. It is important for aspiring PR pros to build a unique, personal brand and share it with other professionals. This can be done by creating a blog, forming a strong social media presence, and creating stand out business cards. For upperclassman trying to fill up their final semesters with useful classes, this is a perfect option to have available. My advertising professor, Dana Saewitz, highly recommends taking this relevant course. This is a prime example of Temple University taking charge in preparation for the real world.

How else do you think Temple has taken charge within the School of Media and Communication? 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Gabrielle Lacherza. 

The Art of Storytelling: Why It Isn't Just for Authors

“You need to be able to write.” “As a PR pro, you’ll still need math!” “Networking is essential in public relations.” These are phrases we continually hear as communications students. But one sentence I have heard much less frequently is, “you need to be able to tell a story.” When you strip away all the elements of PR like the press releases, the analytics and the networking, it is essentially about communicating someone’s story to the world. So why is it that the ability to storytell is such an essential skill to have?

“PR is all about looking for the story that will bring a brand’s message to life.” –Luke Mackay, Edelman

• Stories make people feel. Creating a positive emotion that the public links to your client or brand is key when building a reputation. Generating a story consumers identify with can also create strong brand loyalty. This is something no amount of advertising or research will gain for you.
• It enhances facts. Facts alone can be uninteresting and boring but when they’re worked into a story, your audience becomes more attentive. They are also more likely to retain information when it is woven into a plot.
• They inspire conversation.  A compelling story with a strong message gets people talking about your client or brand. Audiences can tell when it’s authentic and will respond accordingly- either with positive or negative feedback.

Storytelling requires a few elements to be truly effective in the same way as classic storytelling. There needs to be a plot with development, conflict and resolution. They also require a hero or heroine the audience can identify with on some level. And finally, great storytelling requires a compelling tale to draw audiences in.

There is one important point to keep in mind when using storytelling to communicate about your client- don’t let the story become bigger than the message itself. Use the story as a vehicle to clearly convey your message to your target audience.

3 Things to Consider Before Quitting Your Internship

Internships are essential for growing your resume and gaining experience throughout your professional journey. Yet and still, not every internship leaves you feeling prepared and established; some leave much to be desired. And in the most extreme cases, there may be cause to check out early and spare yourself some time wasted.

Quitting your internship can be a hard decision to make, and shouldn't be done without careful consideration. Even when it's best to leave, you want to be sure you've covered all of your bases and exit without burning any bridges.

If your internship isn't going as well as you expected, and you think you may be reaching the tipping point, here are some steps you can take before handing in your notice:

Seek out a mentor

Mentors are great personal and professional resources to have, especially when making difficult decisions. If your aren't having the greatest internship experience, try seeking out an older or more experienced mentor who you can confide in about your concerns. Ask for advice, or what they would do in your shoes. They may be able to provide an alternative or means to turn your situation around.

Talk with your supervisor

Your internship supervisor is there to assist and guide you through your internship. If your experience isn't executing as you planned it would, try setting up a meeting and talking about your role with your supervisor. If you thought you'd be writing more or handling media relations, express that to your supervisor. There may be more of what you expect down the road. It's also a good time for your supervisor to recognize your drive and see how willing you are to do and learn more during your time with the organization.

Provide some solutions

If you know exactly which aspects of your internship are causing you to consider leaving, come up with some possible solutions to the issue. Present these to your boss and see if they'd be willing to let you steer the rest of your time in that direction. Some internship programs don't give interns certain responsibilities simply because they haven't thought of it yet. This is another chance to show your drive and commitment to your position.

If you feel that you've covered all of your basis and ultimately want to leave, be sure to do so as professionally as possible. Provide at least two weeks notice, and thank everyone for providing you the opportunity. Always maintain a healthy professional relationship, because you never know when you'll need them again.

Have you ever quit an internship? What steps did you take before deciding to quit? Share with us in the comments!

Three Things No One Tells You About PR

Coming into college as a PR major, I had no idea what to expect. Of course, I knew that having strong writing skills was a necessity and that my life wouldn’t be anything like that of Samantha Jones, but there were many unknowns I faced.

Now a second-semester sophomore, I have faced the beginning trials and tribulations that come with the PR major territory, and there are many things that I came to learn very quickly that I wasn’t prepared for:

1. Responding to Emails Becomes a Second Job: When you start your college experience in PR, the first emails you will be in charge of responding to are from your professors and teaching assistants. However, once you begin joining student organizations, taking on internships, and attending networking events, your inbox will come close to imploding on many occasions. Be sure to keep track of emails as they are received, and try to respond in a timely matter.

2. PR is everywhere: Like me, you may have entered college not knowing how to describe your major to your family. Also, your idea of what careers you can go into after college may be limited to agency or entertainment PR. However, after hearing from guest speakers and having PR classes, you will learn that every career field has a PR element affiliated with it. If you are interested in health, there is a PR field for that. If you want to work for a college communication department, you could try your hand at education PR. PR is everywhere, and once you realize that, you can truly start your journey towards your dream career.

3. Interning is Key: This may seem obvious, but if it isn’t a graduation requirement, a student may overlook the importance of having an internship! College is busy enough with classes and part time jobs, however, having an internship is an essential step in preparing for the real world after college. By taking at least one (if not more than one) internship in your collegiate career will put you at a higher level of security for when you graduate from your school.

Are there other things you wish you had known before you started college as a PR major? Let us know in the comments!

Making The Most Of Senior Year

This past week, I registered for my last semester at Temple University.  In less than seven months, this chapter of my life will end and I will be immersed into the real world, filled with exciting opportunities, fresh experiences and the imminent dread of student loan debt. A whirlwind of emotions envelops college seniors as they begin to approach the finish line, from being scared of post-grad life to becoming incredibly excited to see what the future has in store for us.

There are a few things as seniors I believe we should all remember.

Figure out who you really are.

What do you really see yourself doing in 5 years? 10 years? Will you be happy? In order to assure that you will be happy, try to do a little bit of soul searching. What truly makes you happy? Think about what you want and need most for yourself before doing things just because you feel obligated or because others want you to.

Focus on your future in the long run.

Chances are, you will not be landing your dream job fresh out of college. And most likely, your first job will not be your last. Forget about how much you want to make and how high up on the hierarchical chain you want to be. Every experience you have after college is an opportunity to network, make connections, build experience, and gain more skills. Take advantage of the opportunities you earn post-graduation, and use them to efficiently mold the future you want to have.

Keep an open mind.

This is an extension of my first point. There are opportunities that will be presented to you throughout your last semester and into the beginning of your new chapter. Don’t be too quick to dismiss them. Many roads lead to the same destination, and you never know what you could miss out on by being too narrow-minded.

Enjoy it!

Relish every moment you have during the last few months of your college career. This is a time in your life that is so unique that you will never be able to relive it. Now, I’m not saying go out every single night and neglect your priorities, but have fun in everything you do. Keep your friends close; it’s common knowledge that the friends you have in college will be your lifelong companions. Make an effort to ensure you will never regret not doing something and make the greatest memories that you’ll keep for the rest of your life. 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Tyler Cameron.