An Interview
I have an interview on April 16. It actually works out great on that date because I have two presentations to give in classes. I have to present my storyboard for broadcasting, and my marketing plan for marketing. At least I will only need to spend one day in my professional clothing.
I’m pretty excited because not only is it on campus, but it is also paid.
The interview will be interesting because I will have to pitch my ideas to the committee. I will need to come up with feature/video concepts, a poll question or an idea to get students to visit the website more often, and I am to rewrite a news story. Their website is targeted to both CMU students and potential CMU students.
I have started to brainstorm some ideas already. I really want this internship and want to take full advantage of this interview opportunity.
20 Life Lessons
Lauren posted Things I’ve Learned: Life Lessons At 23, an interesting and inspiring post about life’s little lessons. I’ve decided to do my own to see if I can think of one life lesson for each of my (nearly) twenty years I’ve been around.
1. I’ve learned that if you believe failure is not an option, you will succeed every time. This is something my father instilled into me at a very young age.
2. I’ve learned that the ones you love the most have the potential to hurt you the worst. But if they really love you, they’ll do everything within their power to keep you happy.
3. I’ve learned to stick to your beliefs no matter what. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing or if your “peers” are saying you should.
4. I’ve learned that a person doesn’t need a college degree (or even a high school diploma) to be one of the most intelligent people you know. Also, some people with degrees don’t have a clue what they’re talking about.
5. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t change who you are for anyone. I am who I am, and if you can’t accept that then I didn’t need to know you anyway.
6. I’ve learned that your best friends can become enemies and random acquaintances can become great friends.
7. I’ve learned that Mark Twain was right: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
8. I’ve learned that loving someone can be scary and confusing. But it is completely worth it.
9. I’ve learned that criticism is a good thing – it helps you realize your weaknesses so you can improve. I want to be the best, so tell me what I’m doing wrong or what I could do better.
10. I’ve learned that for every single person you meet, there is something to learn. Sometimes, it’s to not be like them, but you still learned something.
11. I’ve learned that nothing can compete with hard work and determination.
12. I’ve learned that when you fall down, the best thing to do is get back up (with a vengeance!)
13. I’ve learned that if there’s a will, there’s a way. I knew a lot of people that said they weren’t going to go to college because it was too expensive and their parents couldn’t help pay the way. I’m proof that if you want to go to college on your own, you can do it. It’s not always easy, but it is definitely worth it.
14. I’ve learned that the best ideas come to me late at night…after I’ve turned off the light, gotten into bed, and have almost fallen asleep. And if I don’t write them down, I’ll never remember them in the morning.
15. I’ve learned that just because I was taught to be polite and share, that doesn’t mean that everyone else learned that same thing.
16. I’ve learned that grades are important. But what is even more important is what you’ve accomplished, what you have to show for everything you’ve done, and who can give you a good reference or tell you about a job opening.
17. I’ve learned that if you have a passion for something, it hardly ever seems like work. I love writing…until it comes time to write that 20 page research paper. I actually enjoyed it until about page 12.
18. I’ve learned that life’s too short…too short to be angry, to be sad, to hold a grudge, and to sweat the small stuff. Enjoy life because this is the only chance you get. There is no “Reset” button.
19. I’ve learned that it’s not always what you know, but who you know. Networking is so important, and I wish I learned that earlier on.
20. Technically, I won’t be 20 until May 27th. So, I am learning that just because I’m young doesn’t mean I’m incapable or naive. A lot of people are surprised when they find out how old I am. I’m tough, ambitious, and I know what I want out of life. The number of years I’ve been alive shouldn’t matter.
Resumes
Last night I redid my resume. I had attended a resume critique at the CMU PRSSA Spring Conference. Until recently, I haven’t had time to work on the improvements.
Resulting from their tips is a very detailed, one-paged resume that I think looks very nice. Here five tips that helped me redo my resume:
1. Objective first – It needs to be targeted towards how you will help the potential employer. Originally, my generic resume objective said, “To gain experience in public relations, communications, and writing.” What does that do for the employer? Nothing. Wojcik suggested a change: “To apply my knowledge of public relations, communication, and journalism to a company or organization in Isabella County.”
2. Put your work experience next – My original resume had my education, followed by my work experience. Experience is more relevant than my education, especially since I am still in school.
3. Make your margins less than one inch to fit more information on your resume. Dr. Krider suggested that I make the most of my space by adjusting the margins. I was able to fit much more information on my resume this way.
4. If you use “Mt. Pleasant” in the resume, don’t switch to “Mount Pleasant” in another part. In my address, it said “Mount Pleasant” and under work experience, it said “Mt. Pleasant.” A small, but important detail that you should pay attention to.
5. Use action verbs. Instead of saying that I was a member of the professional development committee, Perry suggested that I be more specific. What did I accomplish while I was a member? What did I contribute?
One more tip: Take “pubic” out of your Microsoft Word dictionary, suggested Dr. Krider. Nothing will get your resume thrown away faster than saying you want to work in “pubic relations.” Luckily, I did not make this mistake!
Top Posts
Top Posts For Today:
Steve Yoder Explains How To Be A Good Wall Street Journal Source
I don’t think that I will be pitching to the Wall Street Journal anytime soon, but these five tips can be applied to pitching to any media.
10 Things No-one Ever Tells You About Working In PR
I actually came across this on Strive Notes. I found it entertaining, and partly true. Number eight is my favorite. My boyfriend, parents, and friends don’t understand (other than my friends that are in PR).
Behind The Spin
An online magazine for PR students and young practitioners. Definitely interesting and worth checking out.
The Power of PR: Finding Your Media Niche
Great advice on pitching stories to different media.
Less-Than-Flattering Quotations on Public Relations
Even though the post isn’t recent, I still found it entertaining.
Agency Tour Provides PRSSA Students with Motivation, Insight
The five bulleted tips offers great advice.
Public Relations Students & Networking
I have recently joined PR Open Mic. It is a social networking website for public relations students and faculty. Professionals are also welcomed.
Networking has recently come up within my chapter of PRSSA. I had a meeting Tuesday night with the Professional Development Committee. One member brought up the point that we needed more networking. You never know who might end up knowing of a good job available or have resources you might need. Networking is a very important aspect of PR. Because of this, we have decided to put together a networking book, containing the contact information of our members. We will be selling them for $1 at our annual spring picnic.
I also suggested speed networking. It is actually something I thought of several months ago, but I wasn’t sure what other people would think of the idea. I did mention it at the meeting Tuesday night and the others seemed to like the idea. Basically, it would be like speed dating. You get to sit down and talk to someone you might not have ever had a conversation with. Maybe I’ll talk to someone who, like myself, wants to have their own public relations agency someday.
I hope that PR Open Mic becomes active with many new members. There are forums about many different subjects, gadgets to add to your page, groups (you can also form your own group, PR-related videos, and PR podcasts.
Networking is important in our industry. I might just be the person to tell you about your next job. You might be the person who will have tips to give me in a major PR crisis. You never know…
PR Central, PRSSA Elections, Battle At The ‘Bin
Tonight (technically yesterday on April 1), I was elected for two executive board positions.
I am now the Treasurer for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm. I am also the Student Government Association Representative/Professional Liaison for PRSSA.
I am looking forward to being more involved with PR Central and PRSSA next year with these two positions.
The reason I am writing at nearly 1 a.m. is because I just got home from our PRSSA fundraiser, the Battle At The ‘Bin. I don’t know how well it went financially, but I enjoyed the last three performers the most. By the end, though, I don’t think people were donating money (the performer that gets the most money in their “bin” wins).
I’ll be posting more from conference soon. I’ve been very busy lately finishing up a marketing project and meeting two scholarship deadlines. Finally, with Battle At The ‘Bin over, I can relax a little.
A Step Ahead 