PRSA New Professionals

November #NPPRSA Twitter Chat Highlights: Navigating the Future of PR & Marketing

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the November #NPPRSA Twitter Chat focused on navigating the future of PR and marketing. We discussed the changing role of converged media in public relations and the changing digital landscape.

Specifically, we’d like to thank Michael Brito, Head of Social Strategy at WCG, a W2O Company, Shonali Burke, President & CEO of Shonali Burke Consulting and Sarah Evans, President of Sevens Strategy, for contributing to a great discussion about the future of our industry.

Join us again in December for our next #NPPRSA chat.

Stay up-to-date with PRSA New Professionals on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

 

Review highlights of the chat below:

What did you learn from the November ethics chat? How can you take advantage of converged media? What are some things to keep in mind for the future? How can you ensure good media relations even with changes in technology?

 


New Professionals Week is Just Around the Corner!

Jess Noonan Leave a comment

New Professionals WeekThere’s still time to join in on the New Professional Week festivities. On behalf of the PRSA New Professionals Executive Committee, we’d like to invite you to be a part of our New Professionals Week, November 10-14, 2014.

 

What’s On Tap

#NPPRSA Twitter Chat: Navigating the Future of PR & Marketing
Thursday, November 6, 9-10 p.m. ET

Read more about the event & RSVP here

PRSA Webinar: How Polarizing Scotch Brand, Laphroaig, Built a Social-Centric Global Campaign
Tuesday, November 11, 2:30-4 p.m. ET

Matt Day, social and content strategist for Beam Products, will discuss tips for how to build a global social campaign. Click here to register for the webinar.

Host a Local Chapter Event for New Pros Host a New Pros Happy Hour: 
There’s still time for you and your Chapter to submit an event for New Professionals Week. Some ideas include…

  • Host a New Pros Happy Hour: Invite new pros in your area to a set location for networking, socializing and learning about the resources available and member benefits from PRSA. Allow members to receive a discount on drink tickets (optional). 
  • Host an Educational Panel:  Using a panel of local experts, allow new pros to gain insights into the burgeoning PR industry in your city or help them in launching their early careers. Offer catered breakfast/lunch/drinks (optional) as part of networking before/after the panel.
  • Host a Career Connection:  Connect employers looking for talent in your area with new professionals eager for experience in PR. Hosting a mini-job fair for Chapter members adds great benefit to their membership, enables networking and helps develop new pros to be future leaders within the organization.
  • Host a private showing of a New Pros webinar. During New Pros Week, we feature a national webinar on a topic of interest for new pros. We anticipate the webinar will be held in the afternoon on Monday, Nov. 11. To host a private showing – invite local new pros to an office, bring a bag lunch and have a discussion after the presentation. The playback will also be available through PRSA’s on-demand service, and our guest speaker can be reached throughout the week for questions via Twitter. 

 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact New Professional Programming chairs Hilary or Janelle.  

Call for Volunteers: 2015 PRSA New Professionals Section Executive Committee

Jess Noonan Leave a comment

As current New Professionals Chair Heather Sliwinski wrote last year volunteering on the New Professionals executive committee “has been one of the best experiences of [her] early PR career.”

There are a number of opportunities available to passionate members of the New Professionals  Section – volunteer online here by October 31st. 

Calling Volunteers

*Must be a PRSA New Professionals Section member to serve on the Executive Committee

Top Tips for First Time Conference Attendees

Jess Noonan Leave a comment

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The PRSA 2014 International Conference “Leading the Way. A fearless future for PR” is less than a week away, October 11-14 in Washington D.C.!  If it’s your first time attending PRSA Icon here are some tips from previous first-timers (and New Pros committee members) to help you prep and get the most out of your experience:

151f848Hilary Jurinak, Binny’s Beverage Depot

  1. Perfect your intro. What do you do? Where are you from? Agency or corporate? You are going to hear these questions more than you can imagine. Have a 30 second intro ready as it’ll help when you’re looking to network with many individuals.
  2. Take your time. Spend some extra time talking to vendors at the expo. Stick around for the full dinner and luncheons. You might feel the need to rush around the venue, but you’ll feel less anxious if you try to take more in.
  3. Create goals. What do you want to learn? Who do you want to network with? If your employer is sending you, sit down beforehand with your boss. Let them know what sessions you plan on attending and what you hope to get out of them.
  4. Start digging. Check out the attendee roster that PRSA will have available. Connect with other PR pros beforehand. Plan happy hour meetings, see who’s attending similar sessions or connect with other New Pros attending.
  5. Plan time for fun. This is probably your first big conference working in the “real world.” Plan time for yourself to explore Washington, DC. You deserve it.

Amy BishopAmy Bishop, DigitalRelevance

  1. Plan out your top 6 must-attend sessions. It can feel overwhelming when you look at the PRSA International Conference program 5 minutes before a set of professional development sessions starts. Before you get to Conference, select your top 2-3 sessions for each day to prioritize your time and avoid the feeling rushed.
  2. Make New Connections. It comes naturally to use PRSA International Conference as a reunion with your long-standing PR friends. But take time to get to know a few new connections. Invite your new PR connections to join you for drinks or dinner sometime during Conference.
  3. Sleep. I know PRSA International Conference only comes around once a year, and many PR professionals consider it a holiday in itself. But to make the most of your days and evenings, make sure you get a good nights rest. Also, being well rested will help you transition back into post-conference work more easily.
  4. Remember your job responsibilities. International Conference is a great time for learning and connecting with other professionals. But don’t forget to take a few minutes each day to check your work email and catch up on any work assignments you need to complete that week. You’ll be grateful you took the extra time when you return to the office with a slimmed down inbox.
  5. Join the PRSA New Pros Mixer at Conference. Join the PRSA New Professionals for a happy hour New Pros Mixer on Sunday, October 12 at Mission Restaurant in Dupont Circle.

Bio_PhotoJessica Noonan, Burson-Marsteller

  1. Take handwritten notes. Putting away the laptop is something all of us multi-tasking PR pros have issues with, but you’ll get more out of your sessions if you pay attention. If your employer paid for you to go, make sure to share your notes when you return.
  2. Use social media. As you may have learned from PRSSA conferences, connecting through hashtags is an easy way to engage with fellow attendees. Meet your tweeps in real life at Monday’s #PRSAICON Tweetup.
  3. Meet a board member. While networking in general can be intimidating, go out of your way to say hello to a PRSA board member. It will be well worth your time for a brief conversation that could lead to you understanding more about PRSA or even a future leadership role.
  4. Get to sessions early. I’m not just being Type A here. Some of the most popular sessions fill up even 15 minutes prior to the start time. You’ll have enough time to go to your hotel room and take a nap in between sessions, but consider if the time would be better spent speaking to a presenter or checking out the exhibition. Furthermore, have a back up session you’re also interested in.
  5. Download the app. For those times that a session is full, it’s handy to look in the phone you already have in your hand. Additionally, you can engage with fellow attendees ahead of time. If you don’t know where to start check out our PRSA New Pros session – Navigating the Future of Business as a Hybrid PR Professional – on Monday!

Get the most out of your experience by planning ahead and make sure to have fun too!

 

A New Pro’s Guide to #PRSAICON in Washington D.C.

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

403 x 403(1)The annual PRSA International Conference is just a few weeks away from October 11-14 in Washington D.C.! The theme this year is “Leading the Way. A fearless future for PR.”

You may be so busy meeting up with old PRSSA and PRSA friends or old colleagues that you might not have time to plan out what sessions to attend once you get there. The time to check out and plan out sessions is now.

To start, there are five tracks you can follow, which include:

  1. Integration
  2. Tools and techniques
  3. Specialization
  4. Strategy and Measurement
  5. Leadership and Management

Or you can pick your own path. I suggest looking at the tracks first to see if you’re interested in one, but there are so many sessions to pick from you might want sessions around a variety of topics.

Here is a list I’ve put together of sessions/events I think will be particularly useful for new professionals:

When: October 11 from 5-8 pm
Where: Marriott Foyer Mezzanine
Hosted by the PRSA Diversity Committee and sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company

  • Newcomers Orientation

When: October 12 from 10-11 am
Where: Washington 3/4
Why attend: This is a newcomers orientation for first-time attendees so you can connect with and get tips from veterans and learn all the opportunities/events you can attend.

When: October 12 from 3-4:15 pm
Where: Virginia A/B
Track: Leadership and Management
Why attend: It can be hard to work with different generations, we all know that. This session will show you ways to create a team and a results culture that spans the ages, as well as hear ideas and approaches to managing, motivating and mentoring across multiple generations.

  • New Pros Mixer!

When: October 12 from 5:30 to 9 pm
Where: Mission Restaurant in Dupont Circle
Why attend: Join the PRSA New Professionals for a happy hour New Pros Mixer on Sunday to network and meet up with New Professionals attending PRSAICON. RSVP here.

When: October 13 from 10-11:15 am
Where: Coolidge
Track: Strategy and Measurement
Why attend: Learn how to track and evaluate media coverage, measure public opinion, and shape internal and external perceptions during critical communications campaigns, crisis events and product launches.

When: October 13 from 3:15-4:30 pm
Where: Maryland C
Track: Integration
Why attend: This session is hosted by the New Professionals Section. It will cover how to become a hybrid PR professional in order to lead more successful, integrated campaigns and will also identify skills and traits optimized for the digital age.

When: October 14 from 8-9:15 am
Where: Maryland A/B
Track: Specialization
Why attend: Expectations of a career in PR really differs from the reality of a practitioner’s everyday life. This session will discuss strategies to manage expectations and learn how to face challenges of the work-life fit.

Other things to check out:

  • The exhibit hall
  • Mentoring with the College of Fellows
  • Demystifying to APR on October 12 from 11 am to 12 pm
  • Reigniting AT&T’s Engaging with the LGBT Community on October 13 from 10-11:15 am
  • 11 Deadly Presentation Sins on October 14 from 2:15-3:30 pm

There are many more sessions to check out, these are just a few that stood out for new professionals (in my opinion). Make sure you look at the full International Conference program for more sessions, events, coffee breaks, trainings and boot camps.

Comment below if you want to plug a session or if you see another you think new professionals should attend!

 

0114bd7Lauren Gray is a Project Manager at The Visual Brand in Westport, CT and also serves as the PRSA New Professionals Section blog co-chair and PRSA New York new professionals co-chair. She also served as the PRSSA 2012-2013 National President. Follow her on Twitter @laurenkgray and connect with her on LinkedIn.