Want Cash and a High Profile Internship?

If you have exceptional leadership experience or are interested in interning at a global agency such as Edelman, apply for the Daniel J. Edelman/PRSSA Award by Dec. 31. Vice President of Professional Development Nick Lucido is a former recipient and would be happy to share his experience at Edelman or provide suggestions and advice. Do not forget to send your application early. Prepare for delays in holiday shipments and begin working on your application today.

Awards:

$1,500 cash award ($1,000 upon winning award and an additional $500 upon start date of internship) 3-month paid internship in one of Edelman’s U.S. offices. (To be determined by Edelman and Winner)

Runner-up award of $500 and an opportunity to interview at one of Edelman’s U.S. offices for a full time position

Judging Criteria

Students competing for the Daniel J. Edelman Award must be a PRSSA member and will be judged on their 1) leadership; 2) public relations-related achievements and activities; and 3) recommendations from faculty members and/or industry professionals. Please attach no more than two letters of recommendation. Entries will not be considered without at least one enclosed with entry. Sealed envelopes are suggested. Include no more than 10 samples of individual public relations work. Submit this application and supporting materials in a one-inch, three ring binder. Process Completed entries must be postmarked by Thursday, December 31, 2009. Entries postmarked after December 31st will not be considered. We recommend UPS or FedEx 2-day economy delivery as Edelman is not responsible for lost or undelivered packages.

Send entries to: Heather Crowley, Edelman Daniel J. Edelman/PRSSA Award 200 East Randolph Drive, 63rd Floor Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 240-3000 A panel of judges will evaluate entries. The winner will be notified by Wednesday, February 17, 2010.

Deadline:  Thursday, December 31, 2009 February 12, 2009

02809 Wins Third Place

How can you beat this!  Not only did RWU score a presentation at the 2009 National PRSSA conference, we won third place in the CW campaign.

The CW Campaign invites students to execute a public relations campaign on and around campus for two of television’s hottest new shows — “90210″ and “Melrose Place” — airing Tuesday nights on The CW. Students will research and plan their campaigns in August and September, implement from Sept. 11–Oct. 9, and submit their entries to PRSSA  by Oct. 26.

The best campaigns will be honored at the PRSSA Awards Ceremony during the 2009 National Conference in San Diego by an actor from one of The CW’s hit series. The team with the best campaign will be awarded a private meet-and-greet with the actor and the opportunity to plan the actor’s media tour while in San Diego.

So..stay tuned for the pictures of RWU students Darrielle Terry, Sam Eckel and Dan Malkin as they meet one of the stars of 90210!  How cool is 02809!

Welcome. What can this site give you?

News, Jobs, Best Practices, and Commentary on the world of Public Relations! This is a networking site for RWU PRSSA members, people who are interested in Public Relations, or those who want to know what is happening at Roger Williams University regarding public relations. Please post only information that is constructive and public relations related. Enjoy!

Beware of Phony Job Ads

Many college graduates end up in interviews for what they think are PR jobs because they respond to a bogus ads seeking “entry-level PR professionals.” These jobs, being hailed as “sports PR/marketing positions” range from doing phone sales for basketball season tickets, door-to-door sales of regulatory signage, or even catalog sales!

While job seekers feel compelled to follow through on every potential job opportunity, it’s wise to analyze any that seem too good to be true–especially those that don’t mention the company or agency where the opening exists.  Most organizations today include their names and locations in job postings.  Always make sure a job sounds like a legitimate position before sending your resume.  Don’t send resumes to unidentified organizations or post office boxes.  Never pay for job lists or a fee for submission of an application.

If you do run ino this, remember it is a consumer age!  You can contact the Better Business Bureaus and alert them to phony come ons. Perhaps a more interesting site is aptly called the Ripoff Report . Here you can post companits concerning phony job ads to online.

Public Information Positions

So students in the Public Relations Case Studies course are all wanting to find jobs as they graduate in May.  However, where to go to look for jobs is hard to know, let alone exactly what they want to do.  In fact, I suggest students don’t try to find what they want to do before graduating, but instead endeavor to know without a doubt what they DON want to do.  In this vein, I offer some new links to various jobs.

Good hunting future RWU grads!

http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=19000

http://www.indeed.com/q-Public-Information-Officer-jobs.html

http://wafb.careers.adicio.com/careers/jobsearch/detail?jobId=20398749&viewType=main&networkView=main

https://www.shands.apply2jobs.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=5296&CurrentPage=23

Working in Government Affairs

This positions is most often called a PIO.  Because an organization’s reputation, profitability, and even its continued existence can depend on the degree to which its targeted “publics” support its goals and policies,Public relations specialists—also referred to as communications specialists and media specialists, among other titles—serve as advocates for businesses, nonprofit associations, universities, hospitals, and other organizations. The ket role of a PIO is to build and maintain positive relationships with the public. As managers recognize the importance of good public relations to the success of their organizations, they increasingly rely on public relations specialists for advice on the strategy and policy of such programs.

Public relations specialists handle organizational functions such as media, community, consumer, industry, and governmental relations; political campaigns; interest-group representation; conflict mediation; and employee and investor relations. They do more than “tell the organization’s story.” They must understand the attitudes and concerns of community, consumer, employee, and public interest groups and establish and maintain cooperative relationships with them and with representatives from print and broadcast journalism.

Public relations specialists draft press releases and contact people in the media who might print or broadcast their material. Many radio or television special reports, newspaper stories, and magazine articles start at the desks of public relations specialists. Sometimes the subject is an organization and its policies toward its employees or its role in the community. Often the subject is a public issue, such as health, energy, or the environment, and what an organization does to advance that issue.

Public relations specialists also arrange and conduct programs to keep up contact between organization representatives and the public. For example, they set up speaking engagements and often prepare speeches for company officials. These media specialists represent employers at community projects; make film, slide, or other visual presentations at meetings and school assemblies; and plan conventions. In addition, they are responsible for preparing annual reports and writing proposals for various projects.

In government, public relations specialists—who may be called press secretaries, information officers, public affairs specialists, or communication specialists—keep the public informed about the activities of agencies and officials. For example, public affairs specialists in the U.S. Department of State keep the public informed of travel advisories and of U.S. positions on foreign issues. A press secretary for a member of Congress keeps constituents aware of the representative’s accomplishments.

In large organizations, the key public relations executive, who often is a vice president, may develop overall plans and policies with other executives. In addition, public relations departments employ public relations specialists to write, research, prepare materials, maintain contacts, and respond to inquiries.

People who handle publicity for an individual or who direct public relations for a small organization may deal with all aspects of the job. They contact people, plan and research, and prepare materials for distribution. They also may handle advertising or sales promotion work to support marketing efforts.

Work environment. Public relations specialists work in busy offices. The pressures of deadlines and tight work schedules can be stressful.

Some public relations specialists work a standard 35- to 40-hour week, but unpaid overtime is common and work schedules can be irregular and frequently interrupted. Occasionally, they must be at the job or on call around the clock, especially if there is an emergency or crisis. Schedules often have to be rearranged so that workers can meet deadlines, deliver speeches, attend meetings and community activities, and travel.

This is all from an article that you can find here: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos086.htm.

Needed: Communication Specialist (CT)

Positions in this function design and coordinate company communications, including internal and/or external communications. Responsible for maintaining policies and procedures and monitoring company media, which may include company websites. May manage public relations activities, including public information and shareholder information services.

You can be a part of this team. You can put your skills and talents to work in an effort that is seriously shaping the way health care services are delivered. 
Qualifications:

• Uses pertinent data and facts to identify and solve a range of problems within area of expertise
• Investigates non-standard requests and problems, with some assistance from others
• Works exclusively within a specific knowledge area
• Prioritizes and organizes own work to meet deadlines
• Provides explanations and information to others on topics within area of expertise
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience

Accrediation with PRSA: What is it worth?

Below you will find three reasons that might be enough to become accredited through PRSA.  Combine the APR with the MBA and your paychecks will be bigger than mine. Accrediation can provide you with some valuable skills and experience that will help you advance in your career and possibly earn more money. In a time when there is more and more competition for PR jobs, and so many people are out of work, it could be a good time to get your APR certification.

1. You’ll earn more money with an APR. A recent Korn/Ferry study found that APRs earn an average of 20% more. Of course, you could increase your earning power by 35% with an MBA, but it costs a lot more than the APR.

2. People will take you more seriously. As a professional, with certification that says so, you’ll be more respected in the industry. Of course, just as many people say the APR isn’t widely known outside of PR, so not too many people may truly appreciate all the hard work that goes into it.

3. You’ll be more respected by your peers. I saw several examples that referred specifically to APRs (other APRs will respect you), but non-APRs will probably wonder what those letters are all about.

To read more from the blog this article first appeared click here.  Many thanks to Ashley Portal for this link!

Networking

Your network is one of the most valuable tools you have available to you when you’re looking for a job. This article comes from Professor Shelton’s Alma Mater, Boston University.  For the original article, click here

You create your network by networking. That seems obvious, but do you know what networking really means? There are a variety of ways to go about networking, you can attend an event specifically for this purpose, but the best way to really create a useful network is to constantly be networking. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as exhausting as it sounds.

The individuals that make up your network are called connections. A connection can be someone you worked with, a friend of your parents, an alum you met at a BU event, professors or even family and friends. Web sites like LinkedIn provide an easy way to keep track of your connections. If you start paying attention, you’ll see potential connections almost every day.

If a guest speaker visits one of your classes, make a point of going up to speak with them afterward, even if it means waiting a little while for all the other eager students to take their turn. Use the time while you’re waiting to think of what you’re going to say. Asking a question is always a good bet. You want to give them a reason to remember you. Then tell them, ‘I am working on building my network, are you on LinkedIn? Do you mind if I send you a request to join my network?’ Chances are good they will agree. You can use a modified version of this approach for anyone you come in contact with. Don’t be concerned about only including communications professionals in your network, you never know where opportunties may arise in the future.

The Difference Between Your Professional Network and Your Social Network

Facebook is a social networking site. You need to create a professional network to use throughout your career. You may end up with some of your Facebook friends in your professional network, but do not make the mistake of including those in your professional network as Facebook friends. Some communications professionals use Facebook as a networking tool, but most people see Facebook as a place for friends only and LinkedIn as a place for professional networking.

Maintain Your Network

If you’re using a site like LinkedIn, you can easily maintain your network. Update your ‘What Are You Working on Now?’ status if you are working on a big project or have an internship. Send emails occasionally to touch base with the key people in your network. If you like the company you interned with and think you’d like to work there after graduation, be sure to stay in touch with those people. Once or twice a year is sufficient for maintaining a connection. You don’t want to be a pest you just want to remind them who you are and what you’re doing.

Picture from: http://jpsblog.org/2009/07/the-jewish-non-profit-guide-to-social-media-marketing/

International PR

 “Pepsodent tried to sell its toothpaste in Southeast Asia by emphasizing that it “whitens your teeth.” However,  natives chew betel nuts to blacken their teeth because they found it attractive. Had the PR company behind this campaign analyzed the cross cultural issues related to Pepsodent’s product, the failure of this PR campaign could have been avoided.”

Cross-cultural differences can make or break a PR campaign. It is therefore crucial that PR practitioners dealing with PR campaigns that incorporate a cross cultural element analyze likely cross cultural differences.

In order for a PR campaign to be successful abroad, an appreciation of the target language and its cultural nuances is necessary. The PR and advertising industries are littered with examples of poor translations and a lack of cross-cultural understanding leading to PR failure.  Translation of documents, slogans and literature must be checked and double-checked for meanings and cross cultural nuances. This should not only take place between languages but also within languages. 

Different Speaking Styles

British and American communication styles are described as ‘explicit’, meaning messages are conveyed solely through words. Correlating background information is deemed necessary and divulged, ambiguity is avoided and spoken words have literal meaning. In many other cultures, communication is ‘implicit’. The message listeners are likely to interpret is based on factors such as who is speaking, the context and non-verbal cues. Spoken words do not fully convey the whole story as listeners are expected to read between the lines.

With relation to content, speakers must be aware of the cross cultural differences in humor, metaphors, aphorisms and anecdotes. In addition, references to topics such as politics and/or religion can be a very sensitive issue in other cultures.

Mass Media

Journalistic traditions, writing styles, news worthiness, delivery systems and whether a ‘free press’ exists are all areas that will affect how the written word is tailored. The most important point from a cross cultural perspective is how to write in a way that engages the readers in that society or culture. Some cultures may prefer colorfull and inspirational writing, others factual and objective. Some may be motivated by language that incorporates a religious or moral tone, others by a money-orientated or materialistic one.

PR practitioners employ many different communication channels when trying to circulate information relating to their campaign. The main channels of communication in the UK or America are the radio, the press, TV, internet and public spaces. However, these channels may not always be applicable abroad.

In many countries the radio, TV or newspapers may not be the primary source of information. Literacy rates may be poor and/or radios may be expensive. In Africa, only 1.4% of the population have access to the internet. Even where such channels of communication do exist, such as TV, some methods used by PR practitioners, namely guerrilla marketing, would be interpreted differently in foreign countries. For example, interrupting live TV may be laughed at in the UK but in other countries it would be seen as irresponsible and rebellious.

The usual channels of communication in some countries would simply have no effect in terms of PR. In such countries, local alternatives need to be sought such as religious leaders, tribal chiefs, school teachers or NGO’s. Information coming from such figures will not only reach the audience but be perceived as more credible than if it were from foreigners.

 ”Ford launched the ‘Pinto’ in Brazil they were puzzled as to why sales were dead. Fortunately they found out that Brazilians did not want to be seen driving a car meaning ’small male genitals’ and promptly changed the name.”

Picture can be found at: http://en.tehran.ir/Default.aspx?tabid=17663.  Original article can be found at:http://www.aboutpublicrelations.net/international.htm.