March 2015 #NPPRSA Twitter Chat Highlights: Preparing for a Crisis

March 23, 2015Ashleigh Mavros 1 Comment

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the March #NPPRSA Twitter chat as we discussed crisis communications–how to prepare and how to react. We would especially like to thank Jonathan Bernstein, President of Bernstein Crisis Management.

Join us again on April 15 for our next #NPPRSA chat and 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 March chat? How can you prepare for your brand’s vulnerabilities before a crisis? What can you do to minimize damage once a crisis hits?

You can receive FREE New Professionals Section membership for PRSA throughout March!

Lauren Rosenbaum is the PRSA New Professionals Social Media Co-Chair and Co-Founder of Soversity, a public relations and digital marketing company. You can connect with her on Google+, LinkedIn or Twitter.

A Look at The Edge in 2015 – And How You Can Be a Part of It!

January 7, 2015January 7, 2015Lauren Gray 2 Comments

Who’s ready to take 2015 by the horns?

I’m sure you’re all standing up on your chair, chanting “me, me!” at the office now, right?

Well, here at The Edge, we’re pretty close. Ashleigh Mavros and I, the new blog co-chairs, have a lot of exciting plans for the New Year, from a thematic strategy to member highlights, and we’re going to spend a few minutes getting you in the know.

Monthly themes will guide our content strategy.

To keep content cohesive every month, we’re going to introduce new monthly themes. Some coincide with PRSA initiatives, such as Ethics Month. Others delve into issues facing new professionals, including this month’s theme: “Kickstart to 2015”.

So how are we turning this idea into a theme? We’ll focus on a few things:

Helping you achieve your 2015 career resolutions,
Discovering new productivity tools to help you accomplish more,
How to de-busy yourself to save your sanity, and
Whether or not you should consider going back to school for a master’s degree in 2015.

Of course, we are always accepting guest posts from new professionals, so if you have an idea that in some way relates to this theme (we’re open to all types of ideas, so get creative!), please email me or Ashleigh Mavros.

If you’re interested in writing for us in the future months, here’s what we have slated for February – June 2015:

February: Social Media Strategy
March: Integrated Marketing Communications
April: Building Your Network
May: Graduation Tips and Next Steps
June: PR/Career Book Review Series

Highlighting members going above and beyond.

Do you know a PRSA new professional who had a major accomplishment or works hard consistently? We’d like to profile him/her on The Edge.

These nominations don’t have to coincide with the monthly themes; the only requirement is the individual is a member of the PRSA New Pros chapter. Please email Ashleigh or me with nominations!

Posting schedule set, so mark your calendars!

Similar to last year, we will be posting on Mondays and Thursdays, so make sure to set those reminders.

Additionally, the social team is working on the #NPPRSA Twitter chat lineup for 2015, so make sure to check The Edge regularly for the latest news. If you have any ideas for Twitter chats, please email Erica Brown or Lauren Rosenbaum.

As you can tell, the PRSA New Professionals team is excited for a stellar 2015, and we hope you are, too. If you’d like to learn more about joining the New Professionals section, please visit the PRSA website.

Questions about this year’s blog strategy? Thoughts for how to improve it? Please leave a comment below or email our team.

Stephanie Vermillion is a senior account executive at Wordsworth Communications, a public relations agency in Cincinnati. She is the PRSA National New Professionals blog co-chair, and is on the PRSA Cincinnati Leadership Team. Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn and Twitter (@SMVermillion).

Get Involved With New Pros in 2015

December 30, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan Leave a comment

If you’re like me, the end of the year is a time to reflect on successes and challenges from the past year, as well as make plans for the upcoming year. New public relations professionals face a lot of challenges: a fast-paced and competitive job market, demanding clients and colleagues, and an evolving industry with an array of new channels and tools.

One of the best things you can do for yourself in 2015 is invest in your career to help stay on top of these challenges. The New Pros Section is designed for this person. My partners on the New Pros leadership committee are dedicated to building programs and opportunities for advancing the careers of our members. If you’re not already a member of the Section, consider joining now and jump starting your professional development.

If you’re looking for ways to get involved, here are three to plan for in 2015:

Take part in the PRSA New Pros Section: As a national group, you have the opportunity to engage with fellow new professionals across the country who work for agencies, nonprofits, large and small organizations and more. We offer regular virtual programming, a Section members-only e-group, a newsletter, engagement on our social channels including regular Twitter chats, and host a month dedicated to New Pros in November.
Get active in your local New Pros group: If you’re looking for more in-person programs and activities, you can check out your local PRSA Chapter. Depending on the sponsoring PRSA Chapter in your area, there might be a local group of young professionals who get together for different programs and networking events. Reach out to your local Chapter’s leadership to see how you can get involved.
Mentor a PRSSA student or Chapter: One of the best ways to enrich your career is to begin mentoring and giving back to students. Whether it’s an informational interview, guest speaking at a local PRSSA Chapter or offering to be a sounding board, giving back to the profession of tomorrow is an important part of a public relations pro at any level. You never know if that student will become a client, colleague or even your boss.

How are you planning to advance your career in 2015?

Nick Lucido is the incoming Chair of the New Pros Section.

Transitioning Beyond Being a “New PR Professional”

December 22, 2014January 2, 2015Lauren Gray Leave a comment

The years I’ve spent on the New Professionals Section Executive Committee have been some of the most valuable to me as a budding PR pro fresh out of college. I find it hard to believe that more than five years have passed since I graduated and even harder to believe that I can no longer call myself a new professional.

“Fake it until you make it” has been my personal and professional motto for quite some time, but after experiencing quite a few PR agencies and finding a niche industry I really enjoy, I no longer feel like I’m faking it. I feel ready to move on from the “new professional” label and onto the next chapter.

What is that new chapter, though? Mid-level positions can feel like limbo – maybe you’re managing a few junior staffers at an agency and leading client accounts or acting as a one-person communications team in-house. You’re still absorbing knowledge from those above you, but you have enough expertise to coach and guide both team members and clients alike. Mid-level positions come in all different shapes and sizes, which often makes it difficult to arrange a formal group for folks passing the five-year mark in PRSA.

However, you are not alone as you transition out of the New Professionals Section. PRSA offers many other opportunities to stay involved:

If you’ve found a specialty within PR that you enjoy, consider joining another PRSA Section. Finding professionals with the same interests as you helps you exchange ideas and discuss current trends, with professional development opportunities directed specifically for your industry.
One of the biggest requests we get in the New Pros Section is the opportunity to connect on a local level. PRSA Chapters are an excellent way to network within the city you live or would like to live, recruit talent or find a new position and meet industry influencers in the area.
Free online training and professional development is one of the most valuable benefits of PRSA membership. If you aren’t taking advantage of the library of on-demand and live webinars/teleseminars on PRSA.org, you’re missing out. Browse the site when you have free time and you’ll discover a wealth of topics to dig into deeper and continue your personal growth.
If you have the chance, PRSA International Conference is the annual event to learn, network and grow in the PR profession. Sessions range from nitty-gritty tactics to bigger picture strategy advice for mid-level professionals who may straddle both sides of the practice. PRSA International Conference visits Atlanta this year and will surely be an event to remember!

Of course, don’t forget about your New Pros roots! Feel free to keep enjoying our monthly Twitter chats at #NPPRSA, blog posts here and conversations on Facebook and LinkedIn. All of us were new professionals at one point in our careers, and our members learn from your experiences and advice. Please continue to share it.

Are you passing the five-year mark and wondering how to stay involved? Feel free to reach out on Twitter (@hsliwinski) or LinkedIn. Wishing you the best of luck in the next stage of your career!

Heather Sliwinski

Immediate Past Chair, New Professionals Section

Mentor has more than one definition

December 9, 2014January 2, 2015Jess Noonan Leave a comment

We all know what a mentor means. But do we know who each of our mentors are? What about mentors who don’t have the professional title of “mentor” – what about “unofficial mentors”?

Let’s start with the first definition: mentors. These are the people you’ve either connected with through a program or have asked to provide guidance. Moreover, professional mentors.

Then, there’s unofficial mentors. These are the people who you to not only go to for career advice, but also for everyday life lessons.

Fill in the blank: I surround myself with ________ …like minded people, positive people, good-hearted people, etc. Whatever that blank is, that’s where you’ll find your unofficial mentors. Unofficial mentors are those you look up to but don’t always associate an official title with: your mom or dad, sibling, best friend, co-worker on another team, someone you met while volunteering, etc.

While mentors are usually the professional relationships you go to for career advice, unofficial mentors are the ones you go to for everything, sometimes subconsciously.

My unofficial mentors? My mom and dad who I always go to for not only family guidance, but also financial advice (I am two years out of college and still call them about insurance policies). My best friend and boyfriend who is in medical school, the most positive person I know and never lets stress overcome him (even though his field requires sick patients, surgeries and what seems like never-ending standardized tests). Also, one of my best friends and cousins who despite a few struggles has immediately and confidently started creating a new path that includes finishing school and building a family.

It’s good to find those mentors who share professional advice (when to make those career moves, how to gain leadership skills, etc.). But it’s also good to discover and not forget about your unofficial mentors. Both types of mentors can help guide you throughout life tremendously.

Who are your mentors and unofficial mentors?

Nicole Bersani is the social media coordinator for Comcast SportsNet Chicago. She also serves as the PRSA New Professionals Section mentorship co-chair and volunteers at Midtown Educational Foundation as a tutor/mentor for young girls in Chicago. Connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn.