Brigham Young University PRSSA - Event Blog

Oh what do you do in the summertime?

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:56:17 -0800

During the summer, BYU PRSSA is adding a new feature to our Chapter blog--student spotlights. Each week a member of our Chapter will be able to share how they're bridging the gap between student and professional this summer, whether that be through an internship, taking summer classes or working.

To inaugurate the series, Nick Barnes, a recent graduate of the program and emeritus editor-in-chief for our Chapter newsletter "The Pitch," took some time to share what he's learning from his summer internship.

Student Spotlight: Nick Barnes

I am currently interning with Edelman Public Relations based out of their Los Angeles office. Currently our team isorganizing a grassroots campaign to educate restaurant owners throughout the city of Los Angeles that their customers can recycle their take-out containers at their homes. One of the most important things I have learned thus far is that the message is the most important part in a campaign.

Tom Knox, a Vice President at Edelman’s Sacramento office has been working with us during our training phase and one of the things that he continually asks us is; "what is your message, and how can you ensure that your audience hears it?" If we don't have a good grasp of our message, it is tough to be effective with our target audience, so this is one of the most important points for our internship. I am learning some valuable interpersonal skills. There is a lot of face-to-face interaction that takes place in this internship and I know that I need to be always on top of my game as a representative.

As I continue through my internship I am looking forward to the skills I will take with me to my future career. I am excited for what the future holds for me. If there was one word of advice that I could give to students who are looking to expand their knowledge base and skill level in the public relations field, I would recommend that they do as many internships as possible. This is my 5th internship and I feel like I have learned something valuable at each of my internships. The classroom can certainly teach you the skills you need to succeed but the real world is where you get to perfect those skills.

Internship Panel

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:02:41 -0800

By: Carly Curtis

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.

Going to Dallas with the Bradley Lab

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:12:53 -0800

By: Lauren Lytle

I, along with a few other PR students at BYU and our Bradley PR lab director, went to Dallas to help with a national nonprofit called Project HOPE. I'm from Texas originally, so I loved being in my home state.

We got a grant from our college to go and help out with Project HOPE's health education initiative called HABITS for Life.

They partnered with the NFL Players Association, the Living Heart Foundation, Johnson & Johnson and other organizations to make this happen. HABITS for Life aims to educate people (particularly Latinos and African Americans) on ways they can be healthier. Their three key messages are: (1) Drink 8 cups of water, (2) Exercise 60 minutes and (3) Eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day

Project HOPE has a state-of-the-art mobile health clinic that they drive around to the different health education events. It has some amazing technology and video conferencing capabilities so a doctor who is in D.C. can diagnose a patient who is in Dallas almost instantly. The motto of Project HOPE is to help people help themselves. I honestly saw some lives changed last week and I feel lucky to have taken a small part in their success.

So what did I do? Well, PR! I did a lot of media pitching, I mean a LOT. It was tough because we are competing with the Super Bowl, but we still got some good coverage on several radio stations, Dallas Morning News and Fox News. I was also in charge of social media (Twitter & Facebook). Since we couldn't really rely on traditional media to get our coverage, we did some grassroots PR as well. During the actual events, I helped at one of the health education booths and taught people about healthy eating. It was great to be able to talk to all the people who came and to help them learn how to incorporate healthy habits into their lives.

PRSSA PRofessional Fashion Event

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:59:16 -0800

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.

The program was broken down into two halves (one for the boys, one for the girls).

Steve Martin led the discussion for the guys. Steve’s presentation was an entertaining powerpoint complete with pop-culture references and pneumonic devices to use to remember the rules of professional fashion. Steve had suggestions right down to what to match your socks with.

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.

She did caution the women about watching their knee lines and shirt lines. She mentioned a few instances where women with low-cut shirts lost interviews because of visible cleavage. She quoted Professor Walton on her suggestions for bare-legs and cleavage. Lytle quoted Walton in saying that one should never have bare legs in an interview (but otherwise they’re ok).

The activity was very well put together and was very informative. I really have not had a negative experience at a PRSSA function yet. I am very happy of the work that is being done in the students’ behalf by the PRSSA committee.

Bradley PR Helps Students Navigate Social Media

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:51:16 -0800

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.

Twitter

What is it? It’s kind of like Facebook status updates, but more professional. You can follow the news of people or companies that you are interested in. It is a good way to stay connected. A simple tip: if you want to retweet a website, which means you thought it was cool and you want all of your friends to see it too, than there is a website, bitly.com, that can shorten the url so that it fits into the 140 characters in a tweet. If you want to measure your tweets, go to www.tweetstats.com.

Tweet Deck

What is it? It’s kind of like a dashboard for all of the social media sites you use. It consolidates all of your newsfeeds into one place. It’s totally user friendly, so you can pick which things you want on your dashboard. It’s a time saver.

Get involved in these social media sites. It will give you the competitive edge needed when you are looking for a career or making yourself indispensible to a company.

Benefits of working in the Bradley Lab

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:44:41 -0800

By: Patrick Hernandez

Stepping into the Bradley lab still feels the same as it did a little over two years ago. Back then; the agency was still experiencing some developmental glitches, so things were a little quieter than they are now. We had fewer students and even fewer clients, but the opportunity to really come to understand public relations was still there.

I came to the agency unsure if communications was even the right major for me. Though I felt completely inadequate for any public relations task, I accepted a role on the Department of Communications account and used my skill in Web development to create the first byucomms.org site. That was the launching point of my public relations career.

Bradley Public Relations provided me the chance to really explore the field of public relations and to implement the skills I learned in class. While most people saw me sitting in front of a computer screen working on a website, I had the chance to write a variety of blog posts and articles, design flyers and brochures, help conceptualize ads, pitch media, edit newsletters and magazines and even develop my business management skills.

Yet, the greatest benefit of the lab came from networking with other students (many of whom I still keep in contact with) and working with members of the faculty. My “Bradley” friends provided encouragement and support when I was struggling with class assignments and account tasks, but they also helped me to build the confidence I needed to really become a good public relations student, a better intern and now a soon-to-be communications professional.

That confidence helped me to apply for the PRSSA National Committee and make some major changes to the society’s strategy for its social media channels and the national newspaper, FORUM. That same confidence also helped me to have the courage to apply for an internship with General Motors, an opportunity that would never have been possible if not for the help of the firm director and members of the faculty.

Success, of course, didn’t come without struggle; there were a lot of failures (typos, missed deadlines, etc.) along the way, but working in Bradley made me realize that if I wanted to really excel in public relations, I had to step out of my comfort zone and take risks to achieve my goals. My inexperience taught me humility, but it also helped me approach public relations with a different perspective.

Now that I’m about to graduate and begin a full-time job with GM, I look back and I am grateful to my first public relations professor who encouraged each of her students to get involved with Bradley Public Relations. My work with the agency helped build a foundation of confidence and skill that helped me reached the point where I am today.

Brown Bag Seminar with Susan Walton

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

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!

PRSSA/SPJ Crisis Challenge

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 10:17:04 -0800

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.

Top tips for PR people on working with broadcast journalists

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:07:05 -0800

Two broadcast journalists visited the BYU PRSSA meeting on Oct. 7, 2009 bringing with them their experiences and advice for PR practitioners on how to work effectively and develop relationships with broadcast journalists.

Caroline Christiansen was a news anchor with KSCG in St. George, Utah and is now a graduate student at BYU. She has been nominated for several regional Emmys and started a cable news show while a student at BYU getting her bachelor’s degree. Caroline shared her top eight suggestions for PR people to have good relationships with broadcasters.

1.      Be credible
2.      Be presentable – have good grooming habits, take a few seconds to look in a mirror before going in front of the camera, less is more, simple is better
3.      Be conversational – tell the audience a story, you only have one chance to get your message across, look at your interviewer
4.      Be concise – many times you won’t have more than 15 seconds
5.      Have confidence – do your research and know the answers
6.      Show emotion – demonstrate passion for what you do, be engaging and exciting
7.      Post-game analysis – ask for feedback and criticism to always get better
8.      Have fun, be nice and be good to work with – broadcasters want to help you if you are nice and easy to work with

Jen Stagg is a news reporter for KSL in Salt Lake City. She came from reporting a story to share her advice with BYU PRSSA. Jen gave her top ten tips for public information/affairs officers when working with broadcast journalists.

1.      Be accessible – answer your phone, return reporters’ calls, be willing to meet with reporters anywhere and understand their deadlines
2.      “You help us, we’ll help you” – when you cooperate with broadcasters they are more apt to help you
3.      “Anything you give me is better than nothing” – reporters hate “no comment,” find out what you can say to give them something because it is better than nothing
4.      Press releases are not the same as a sound bite
5.      Don’t use language that is foreign, obscure or hard to understand for news watchers, don’t use legalese
6.      “We know you have an agenda, we do too.” – give the reporter the news, don’t make the news secondary to your organization, make your organization part of the story
7.      Don’t worry if you mess up – it can be edited, most good reporters will not take advantage or your mistakes, ask if you can do it again
8.      Write press releases like a story – find the story
9.      Don’t make things harder than they need to be.
10.   Understand the beast – know how broadcast news works, understand the deadline and sound bite

Final thought: Build good relationships with media, embrace reporters, they have a job to do too.

PRSSA members also had a chance to practice their skills in front of a camera while being asked questions and be critiqued. Thank you to Jen, Caroline, Trent and special thanks to Lauren for organizing the event.

Congratulations New Board!

Wed, 13 May 2009 14:46:19 -0800

Congratulations to all the new Executive Board members:

Abram Jones, President
Kevin Earl, Vice President of Public Relations
Hilarie Laukat, Vice President of Professional Development
Michelle Treasure, Vice President of Membership
Rebecca Croft, Vice President of Community Relations
Laura Peers, Vice President of Fundraising
Ryan Bytheway, Vice President of Finances
Lauren Lytle, Editor-in-Chief of "The Professional"

It's going going to be a great year!

-- Rachel