It's turning into crunch time for those PR students looking for that ideal internship necessary before graduation. Last month's PRSSA event featured a panel of four BYU PR students or alum that all had different internship experiences. These focused on the New York Internship Program, Washington Seminar, PRSSA National Internships and creating your own internship.

Students had the floor to ask any questions they had regarding the hiring process, networking, interviewing and more. Laura Ashby, Scott Christofferson, Patrick Hernandez and Jessi Slezak provided answers based on their own experiences. Advice ranged from providing valuable skills in the workplace, doing the jobs that no one wants to do, to bringing freshly baked goods each Friday helped fellow PRSSA members glimpse inside intern life.

One of the recurring themes of the evening was networking. Scott Christofferson suggested making lunch for a coworker and asking for a few minutes of lunch time to talk with, and get to know the coworker better and increase your network. Of course, he also pointed out to not be too nosy or pry into their personal life.

Another key message from the evening focused on the value of the Bradley Lab and other department resources. Laura Ashby mentioned that it’s hard to get an internship when you have little to no experience, so the Bradley Lab is a great place to start. Patrick Hernandez shared an experience about using Twitter to target people in PRSA for more guidance in looking to intern at Apple.

The advice given at the event provided further insight into internships that all PR students need to fulfill.

By: Andrew Snow
The PRSSA professional fashion event was surprisingly insightful.  There are some who believe that the only thing one need know about professional dress is a button-up shirt and a tie for men and a blouse and skirt for women.  However, the conventional wisdom on dress eluded some of the students.  Thankfully, those misconceptions were dispelled and great suggestions were given.  

 There were several useful tips that were presented.  I found the most useful to be the 5-4-3-2-1 rule:  Five shirts, four ties, three suits, two pairs of shoes and one accessory (i.e. a watch or a handkerchief).  Steve used helpful pictures to supplement his discussion so that the less fashion conscious would have a more informed visual.

            Next, Lauren Lytle presented fashion do’s and don’ts for the women (akin to the show popularized by Stacy London: What Not To Wear).  Lytle started out her presentation with a few don’ts to bring the women in with some comedy (she used a few pictures of women in very unflattering pant-suits and blouses). 

            Lauren held rapt attention as she detailed several different colors and combinations that girls can wear in professional settings.  She assured the women that pant-suits were ok if they could find a flattering cut and design.  Furthermore, she assured women that their favorite colors would be alright in professional settings as long as they didn’t go over the top with it.

By: Leesa Allison

We are the social media generation. Those who did not grow up with it look to us for understanding. Sometimes potential employers assume we are the experts just because we are young. What they don’t know is that many of us are just as confused about how to use it as they are. To help those of us who are social media illiterate, the Bradley PR Agency meeting taught the agency last week about the basic definitions of some of the most popular social media sites.

Here is what we learned:



 

Stumble Upon

What is it? It’s like a search engine, except it tailors it to your likes and only gives you quality websites that match your interests. Many public relations students in the agency use it as a means for finding interesting things to retweet. They also use it as a source of entertainment. Go check it out.


 
Linked In

What is it? It is a professional social network. It’s kind of like Facebook, except that it is for networking within your field. The cool thing about it is that you can use it to find potential employers through friends in your network. For example, you can search your friends to see if they know someone at the company you are interested in working for. You can then talk to your friend who knows someone in that company to figure out how to network with them. It’s pretty useful. 



 
Blogger

What is it? I think everyone knows what blogger is but maybe they don’t know why it can be so useful. If you create your own blog it can be used to display your work and writing skills. When potential employers look up your name on Google you want them to find you. A blog is a great way for them to find you and see what you are like on a more personal level. Go to Lauren Lytle’s blog for a good example. She has had many potential employers mention the content of her blog during interviews. It has been a great asset to her public relations career.

Professor Susan Walton generously offered her time to provide a Brown Bag Seminar and give some guidance and instruction to public relations students on November 2nd.  Since we are all looking for internships, or jobs when we graduate, we all need insight into gaining an edge over the competition.  Professor Walton showed us how we can use our cover letters to get that edge.  Here are some of the highlights of her presentation:

The Resume/Cover Letter difference:

Resume = Qualification. 

·      This should include basic info, education, employment, skills, etc.

Cover Letter = Differentiation or “Pick Me!”

·      This should show why you are the best candidate for the job.

Tips:

·      Incorporate keywords from the job listing, or buzz words the company uses. 

·      Avoid sounding arrogant, but do exude confidence.

·      Focus on your results.  Try and use things you can quantify.

·      Tell them what you can do for them, and what they can do for you.

The Must List:

·      Proof, proof, proof and more proof!  Zero grammatical or typographical errors.

·      Do not use, “To whom it may concern:” = this is the kiss of death.  Personalize it.

·      Make sure your contact info is live.  No dead e-mail addresses or phone numbers.

·      Make sure your closer is great.  This is the last thing they will read.

Professor Walton offered some fantastic advice.  Even our own Patrick Hernandez, who already has a job, was in attendance and taking notes.  “You can always learn more.  And this way I can help out fellow classmates better,” Hernandez said. 

These Brown Bag Seminars are invaluable.  If you didn’t make this one, make sure you attend next time!

Last nights PRSSA event was the PRSSA/SPJ Crisis Challenge.  Members from both organizations showed up to flex their muscle and put the skills they have learned from their classes thus far on display.

The PRSSA members were split into three teams and given separate crises.  Each team had 25 minutes to create a public statement, organize a team of executives and develop a communications plan. 

Team #1 was presented with an embezzlement case.  Their company’s CFO had siphoned $2 million in the last two years.  The media found out and leaked the story.

Team #2 was a toy-making company whose product had killed two toddlers in the last week.  Small pieces of their popular racetrack had been discovered to be a choking hazard.

Team #3 was a banking institution that had an attempted robbery.  During the course of apprehending the criminal there were four shots fired.  One hit a security guard, one hit a teller and one hit a customer.  The fourth shot was fired by a second security guard, which killed the robber.

After their preparation, each team had two minutes to present their statement.  The SPJ students then had eight minutes to question the company executives in a mock press conference.  SPJ students asked probing questions that made the PRSSA students have to think on the fly and try and represent their companies in the best possible light.

Judges analyzed the performances and decided that Team #3 was the winner of the competition.  SPJ students then had a few minutes to create anchor leads for each story.  They were also judged and awarded prizes.

Great job to everyone who participated, both PRSSA and SPJ alike!  This was a fun and successful event.  A big thanks to PRSSA chapter president Lauren Lytle and SPJ president Spencer Flanagan for organizing the event.