professional development

January Twitter Chat Highlights: Taking Your Career to the Next Level

Lauren Gray 2 Comments

Twitter Chat HighlightsWe’d like to thank everyone who participated in the January #NPPRSA Twitter chat to start off 2014 by discussing ways to step up your game in the workplace. We discussed some helpful topics this month including evaluating a company’s culture, how to prove the value of professional memberships to an employer and how to get up to speed quickly when assigned a new client.

Join us again on February 6 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 January chat? How can you gain employer support of your professional development opportunities? In what ways can you increase collaboration with co-workers and other departments?

Lauren Rosenbaum

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.

 

 

 

Adjusting to Office Life: “The Hunger Games” Edition

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

As young professionals we are awed by the strength and sharpness we see in Katniss Everdeen. Although the office may not exactly be a “kill or be killed” environment, there are plenty of lessons we can learn from our favorite heroine.

  1. Build Strong Alliances: Friendships at work can make the difference between happiness and burnout.  Social connections at work also boost productivity and passion in the workplace. It is important to build relationships with bosses and colleagues that will help you grow professionally. Build relationships with other departments and get to know as many people as possible. Much of Katniss’s success is due to the strong alliances she creates throughout the series.
  2. Always Be Prepared: Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone helps you to grow personally and professionally.  It is important to first gain credibility as a team player. Remember to keep yourself abreast of industry trends, continuously acquire new knowledge and accumulate evidence of all your hard work. Katniss was always prepared for what was ahead by remaining strategic and resourceful.
  3. Don’t Be Afraid to Make Sacrifices: Katniss volunteers to take the place of her younger sister and fearfully participates in the Hunger Games. Always remain as enthusiastic as possible, even when taking on many tasks or working with clients you may not yet understand. Taking on both small and large tasks with enthusiasm, staying at the office late when necessary and being mindful of deadlines are all important factors in establishing a stellar reputation with you supervisors and co-workers.
  4. Get Inspired From Your Desk: Staying motivated at work can be tough. Customizing your desk space can make a huge difference in keeping your energy and creativity up.  In the series, Katniss wears a  mockingjay pin to remind her of her friends and family at home. Display your own “mockingjay pin” in the form of a desk accessory. This can be a framed picture, inspirational or humorous desk calendar!
  5. Don’t Jump to Conclusions: It is important to gain the skills to lead, coordinate, and collaborate with others on work activities by always facilitating good communication. Don’t spend too much time analyzing the tone of an email or thinking about a coworker who seems unfriendly. In the workplace you will come across a lot of different management styles and personalities. Remember that some may find it difficult to express themselves and emails can be deceiving. Never be afraid to pick up the phone for better communication.

What are some of your tried and true tips for adjusting to office life as a new professional? “May the odds ever be in your favor!”

 

Magan Felitto is currently a freelance public relations professional, working with a major entertainment company in New York City. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology’s, Advertising & Marketing Communications program in Summer 2013 with four years of experience as Vice President of Chapter Development of her former PRSSA chapter and a plethora of internships under her belt. She is also a proud member of PRSA National, PRSA-New York, and PRSA New Professionals Section.  Ms. Felitto can be reached at MaganFelitto@gmail.com.

Coming Soon: New Professionals Week 2013

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

New Professionals WeekI love planning events for the New Professionals Section, especially when they involve a national week-long event celebrating young professionals! You can never have enough young professionals in your Chapter; after all, they are the future.

This year, during November 11-15, we will host our third annual New Professionals Week. This week was designed to celebrate young professionals, but also to help connect young PR pros with their local PRSA chapter.

Who’s invited? Everyone. We’re encouraging anyone who’s interested in this week to get involved! PRSA New Pros National Executive Committee will support your local event via guest blog posts and social media channels.

How can you get involved? To help plan events in your local Chapter, visit our website and download a fact sheet and an event registration form. This website will be the hub for all events held during New Pros Week. Once registration forms are submitted, you’ll be able to see a list of events on our website, promoting local events. If you are interested in contributing to our blog to promote your Chapter NPWeek event, contact blog co-chairs, Heather Sliwinski and Keri Cook.

We understand that not every Chapter may have a budget to host an event this year. For those of you who have tight budgets, here are a few budget friendly ways to participate:

  1. 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.
  2. Host a New Pros-focused Chapter meeting. What topics are particularly interesting to young professionals? What issues are they concerned with during their first few years as a PR professional? Schedule a Chapter meeting during this week and cover one of these topic(s) and/or issue(s).
  3. Participate in New Pros week via our social networks and blog. Follow our hashtag #NPWeek to join the coast-to-coast virtual networking. You could even schedule a Twitter chat or tweet-up for new pros in your area to meet via social, and then take it off-line! We’re always looking for a fresh, new perspective on any aspect of PR for our blog: consider drafting a post about your Chapter’s local new pros group or your personal experience as a new pro.

It’s going to be great week of celebrating young professionals. If you have any questions about getting involved, please email me. 

Elizabeth GreenawayElizabeth Greenaway
PRSA New Professionals Chair

This Labor Day, Escape the Cubicle to Learn

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

One of the things you hear the most from employers and employees is the need for experience. When you get your first job, you have experience from your internships and college public relations/marketing classes. As you add years onto your career, you gain the experience from working with clients, writing media advisories and releases and researching potential clients.

But, the office isn’t the only place you gain experience. As a matter of fact, it’s absolutely paramount to get out of the office to really broaden your horizons. Your experience grows when your mind can take in knowledge outside of the “four walls.”

The office is for work, a large percentage of the time. While I learned many things in the office, I grew as a professional outside of it. As a solo public relations pro, my knowledge has grown exponentially not being in an office setting.

Here are some things you can do to expand your professional experience.

  • Twitter chats: Twitter chats may seem very obvious these days. You can learn a ton from Twitter chats and network at the same time. Many of the chats have seasoned pros run and/or take part. Chats I recommend are #brandchat #solopr #NPRSSA (obviously) and #PRStudChat. You will always learn something important from these chats. Make it a point to try and participate when you can. #BrandChat and #solopr take place weekly; #NPRSSA and #PRStudChat are monthly.
  • Conferences: The great thing about conferences is that most companies will pay for you to go because it is part of your professional development. Never miss out on an opportunity to go to one, no matter the size. Whether it is a local PRSA conference or something like Social Fresh, you will grow as a pro by listening to what these experts have to say. Again, it’s the perfect place to network.
  • Podcasts: I love podcasts. Even though I don’t ride the train any longer, I still make the time to download and listen. My business is better for it and my experience is as well. “The Human Business Way” by Chris Brogan is outstanding, as is “The Social Media Marketing Podcast” with Michael Stelzner. You can listen to them on the treadmill, in the car or on a beach (learning and relaxing!).
  • Webinars: Some of these are free; some require you to pay. The good thing about webinars is you can see if the topic may appeal to you before signing up. Look at what PRSA has to offer or check Twitter and Facebook to see what companies like Vocus, Marketwire and Ragan may be offering monthly or weekly.
  • Blogs: While last on this list, it is certainly not least. Blogs are an important tool for information and learning. It’s a good bet that a PR/social media/marketing pro has a blog. Good folks to check out are Deirdre Breakenridge, PR Breakfast Club, Shonali Burke, and SpinSucks. You’ll get a mix of traditional knowledge as well as build up your new tool arsenal.

Gaining knowledge is up to you. Don’t rest on what is in front of you; look beyond the now, and see the future. YOUR future.

 

Jason MollicaJason Mollica (@JasMollica) is the president of JRMComm, a public relations and social media marketing consultancy. He combines knowledge of the broadcast news industry, traditional public relations expertise and today’s new and innovative social media tools. Mollica operates his own blog and has guest blogged on several others, including the respected Ad Age-ranked PR Breakfast Club, Ragan.com and PRSSA’s Progressions.

Summer Book Club: June Selection–Putting the Public Back in Public Relations

Heather Sliwinski 5 Comments

Just because summer will officially begin this month and vacations take center stage doesn’t mean we should all take a break from learning. June starts our annual Summer Book Club on the PRSA New Professionals Section blog, and the first book selection has been made!

When you’re on your way to the beach or sitting in the car or plane, make sure you grab or download a copy of “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations” by Deirdre Breakenridge and Brian Solis. At the end of the month, we’ll have a recap of the book along with discussion around the key takeaways. You may even see these topics appear in our monthly #NPPRSA Twitter chat!

See how Amazon.com describes “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations”:

Forget the “pitch”: Yesterday’s PR techniques just don’t work anymore. That’s the bad news. Here’s the great news: Social Media and Web 2.0 offer you an unprecedented opportunity to make PR work better than ever before. This book shows how to reinvent PR around two-way conversations, bring the “public” back into public relations and get results that traditional PR people can only dream about. Drawing on their unparalleled experience making Social Media work for business, PR 2.0.com’s Brian Solis and industry leader Deirdre Breakenridge show how to transform the way you think, plan, prioritize, and deliver PR services. You’ll learn powerful new ways to build the relationships that matter, and reach a new generation of influencers…leverage platforms ranging from Twitter to Facebook…truly embed yourself in the communities that are shaping the future. Best of all, you won’t just learn how to add value in the Web 2.0 world: You’ll learn how to prove how new, intelligent, and socially rooted PR will transform your organization into a proactive, participatory communication powerhouse that is in touch and informed with its community of stakeholders.

I’ll be reading on my Kindle with you. We hope you join us for another lively discussion on the New Pros blog this summer!

 

Heather SliwinskiHeather Sliwinski is an account executive at KemperLesnik, a Chicago-based public relations agency, providing media relations and social media services to a variety of B2B clients. She has held positions in marketing and event planning for corporations, nonprofits and higher education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications with an emphasis in strategic communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sliwinski is the blog co-chair and chair-elect for the PRSA New Professionals Section. Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.