In today’s class, I shared some of the key things I learned while teaching Public Relations Writing at Georgia Southern University. Since I’m a huge Wizard of Oz (and Wicked) fan, I related what I learned to my favorite movie of all time.
In today’s class, I shared some of the key things I learned while teaching Public Relations Writing at Georgia Southern University. Since I’m a huge Wizard of Oz (and Wicked) fan, I related what I learned to my favorite movie of all time.
As spring semester draws to a close, I’m reminded of a blog posting I wrote at the beginning of the semester and shared with my students. I’m hoping that my students heeded the “what not to do” comments . . .
See http://listeningmatters.wordpress.com/2008/01/19/how-to-fail-a-class-without-really-trying/ for the What Not to Do list.
Though our discussions this semester in PRCA 3330 at Georgia Southern University, you probably are aware that public relations students should know about Web 2.0. If you need a refresher on what Web 2.0 is, see the video below. (You do not need audio to benefit from the video; there are no spoken words in the video.)
For Monday’s class, you’ll be divided into groups. Based on the group you’re in, do some quick research and brainstorming on your assigned Web 2.0 concept:
Each person in your group should respond to these questions by using the Comments feature. You can either answer directly in your Comment, or provide a hyperlink to your blog, and respond in your own blog.
PRCA 3330 Students
Join PR OpenMic. Spend some time in class looking around within the site. Respond to the following questions in the Comments area of this blog posting. You can either put your entire comment in the posting, or provide a hyperlink to your own blog and respond there.
Objective
Share the highlights (and maybe the lowlights) of your experiences in this PRCA 3330 course
Requirements
Prepare and present a short speech summarizing a top ten list for this class. Consider the most important things you got out of PR Writing. Be sure to include:
Deliverables
Worth
What’s the purpose of a resume? It’s not to get you a job. . . instead, it’s to provide a positive first impression that MAY garner an interview for you. The advice below comes from my years of being – and listening to – hiring leaders. If you’re lucky, hiring leaders may scan your resume for up to 15 seconds before they determine if it’s worth pursuing further.
For entry-level public relations positions, Jennifer Abshire of Abshire Public Relations & Marketing offers these additional suggestions:
After you’ve created your resume, have several people proofread it for you. Set it aside for a while. Then measure your resume up against this Resume Checklist.
Public Relations Matters Podcast
It’s the time of year when many public relations students are scrambling to secure an internship for summer or are thoughtfully planning their internship search for fall.
As I was driving home from Georgia Southern University today, I listened to an episode of the Inside PR podcast. One of the big topics for conversation from this podcast was interns. It was interesting listening to the five hosts of Inside PR share their tips and pet peeves about interns; their discussion about interns starts almost 10 minutes into the podcast. (Hint: If you are interviewing for an internship, do not express your disdain for all tasks administrative. There are administrative aspects of virtually ALL PR professionals’ jobs.)
If you are a member of PR OpenMic, check out Kaye Sweetser’s tips on finding an internship by using Twitter. Dr. Sweetser warns, if you discover an internship opportunity on Twitter, odds are good that the company will “probably look at your Twitter to get a feel for you before the interview.”
Once you’re involved in your PR internship, India PR Blog’s Palin Ningthoujam suggests 10 things you should learn before finishing it. Pay special attention to the number of times he mentions the importance of effective writing skills.
And, as I discussed earlier this week. be sure to sweep clean your digital dirt before you begin your internship (or job) search. Your future employer will likely be doing as much research on you as you do on the employer.
When you’re preparing for a job (or internship) search, it’s time to be sure that you don’t have any “digital dirt” that a potential employer may uncover.
Imagine you’re in a job interview right now. How would you answer this question? “After our interview today, I am going to look you up online. How do you think my impression of you will change after I do this?”
Think about what’s visible in your Facebook profile, MySpace page, your blog, Flickr photos, LinkedIn profile and anywhere else that you’ve posted info about yourself. Check to see if others have tagged you in photos. Even if you’ve made your info “private,” it’s still possible that the information is accessible. (Even if a web page is taken down, you may still get to it through the Way Back Machine if you know when it was accessible.)
A discussion on this topic at PR OpenMic brought several things to consider:
” We google/facebook/myspace everyone we hire, and it’s pretty much standard practice out in the trenches.” — Michael Dolan
“I have, in the past, Googled and Facebooked my students before each new semester begins. The stuff I’ve found. So, I copy the photos and, when classes start, put the photos up on the large screen in class as I call roll. My point to them is, “If I can find it, your potential future internships and employers can find it, too.” Freaks them out, but certainly makes the point. Again, only rarely, but still … the stuff I’ve found… yikes!” — Robert French
“A good point a new PR professional brought up when speaking to one of my classes is blocking your friends list from public view. Who you associate with can be digital dirt sometimes.” — Beth Evans
Let me close with a profound thought by a PR practitioner in Washington, DC :
“Just ask yourself: Would they trust their organization’s reputation to someone who can’t keep his or her own intact?” — Felipe Benitez
Just some food for thought.
In my PR Writing courses that I’ve taught over the years, it seems as though the biggest struggle for the students is writing using Associated Press style.
To help combat this, I sought feedback from a variety of public relations practitioners and faculty members, trying to come up with a list of what PR writers REALLY need to know (cold, without even looking in the AP Stylebook) about AP Style. The most helpful advice came from colleagues on PR OpenMic, a new social network for PR students, faculty and practitioners. (See the individual responses I received in the PR OpenMic PR Writing Discussion Forum.)
The most important (and sometimes confusing) parts of AP Style for PR writers are:
Many PR writers can also benefit from brushing up on standard grammar. My favorite site for general grammar advice is Mignon Fogarty’s Grammar Girl. Consider subscribing to Grammar Girl’s podcast through iTunes.
Additionally, I found several websites that help my students with AP Style: see http://del.icio.us/listeningmatters/APStyle.