Don't miss the Grady career day!

I want to encourage all Grady students to attend the fourth annual Journalism & Mass Communications Career Day on Wednesday, Feb. 6. There will be a number of sessions throughout the morning in the journalism building, followed by a career fair at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

PRSSA members, what great practice for Real World Atlanta on Feb. 22! (Remember to register.)

IABC is sponsoring a session at 10 a.m. in the Drewry Room about creating your personal brand through communication. (A plug for IABC, which you should all consider joining, too.)

Our very own Katherine Strate will serve as one of the moderators for "Careers in Advertising & Public Relations" at 11 a.m. in room 404 in the journalism building.

I would love to have someone attending either of these sessions give a short recap at the PRSSA meeting with Chuck Reece on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in Tate 137. E-mail liz.azzolino@gmail.com if you are interested.

See the full schedule of events below. I was told that students are free to drop in the sessions at any time. Don't worry if you're late; just go!

For the career fair portion, dress professionally. It's always better to overdress. Bring plenty of resumes and your PRSSA business cards.

Have fun networking, and enjoy the day.

10 a.m. - Journalism Building, Drewry Room
“YOU 101: Creating Your Personal Brand through Communications”
by Chip Bush, The Coca-Cola Co. Sponsored by IABC

11 a.m. - Careers Panel Discussions – Journalism Building
* “Careers in Advertising & Public Relations” - Room 404
Co-sponsored and moderated by Advertising Club and PRSSA
* “Careers in Journalism” – Room 404A
Sponsored and moderated by Magazine Club and NABJ
* “Careers in Telecommunications” – Room 406
Sponsored and moderated by Di Gamma Kappa

Noon – Recruiter Reception and Lunch - Drewry Room

2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. - Journalism & Mass Communication Career Fair, Georgia Center for Continuing Education

PRecedent

Check out the most recent issue of the PRecedent here. It gives an overview of PRofessional CONNECTION, in case you missed it!

How to become a social media junkie

Taking a class like Dr. Sweetser's Social Media or Dr. Russell's WOM class will help you on your way. Don't have time in your schedule? Try these easy steps:

1) Read what's out there. If you are interested in social media's influence on PR, the blogs are the best place to start. Kevin Dugan's prblog keeps up with new social media and links to tons more resources. Paull Young's Young PR gives great tips for students and young professionals alike. Media Bullseye has several contributors who provide news and commentary about current communications trends in media, marketing and PR. Dr. Russell also compiles a "best of" every week with some interesting links to check out.

Also, check out what your peers have to say. PRSSA members have blogs on tons of different topics. Lizzie Azzolino, Katherine Strate, Ashley Beebe and I all have blogs.

To keep up with the blogosphere, the easiest thing to do is get and RSS reader. Google, Yahoo and AOL all have them.

2) Start slow. Join Twitter, a microblogging site that is sort of like Facebook status meets chat room. It's a great way to share and follow links, connect with people with similar interests, and do some online networking. You might want to read up first so you get the jargon and etiquette before you jump in. (Thanks for the links Dr. Russell!)

3) Go for it! If still feel like you want to be a blogger, do it. Blogger and Wordpress are fairly easy (and free) platforms that will help you design the look of your blog. Once you have a few good posts, put the link on your Facebook profile, Twitter account and anywhere you can find. Plus, if you comment on others' blogs, they will be more likely to check yours out and comment back.

4) Keep trying new things. Post to YouTube. Subscribe to some podcasts. If you are a photographer, try Flickr. If you are looking for a job or internship, join LinkedIn. It's kind of like Facebook, but more professional. (You post your resume instead of your pictures from downtown.) If you're feeling really adventurous, check out Second Life. There are lots of articles about how to use Second Life in the blogosphere, but the best way to learn is to try it.

You don't have to follow all these steps. Some people would rather observe than participate. You will still have the knowledge of social media that many employers are looking for. 

Good luck! Maybe I will see you out there in the 'sphere.

Sydney Carroll

What I needed last year

On this wonderful Friday afternoon, I decided to take a look at the itinerary for PRSA's RealWorld, coming up on Feb. 22.

As I was browsing the schedule, one session in particular caught my eye: "PR 101: Haven't had a PR course yet? Learn about the basics from public relations veterans who have experience in media relations, corporate communications and internal communications."

Heck yes.

That's exactly what I would have liked last year when I attended RealWorld for the first time. This means every single PRSSA member who hasn't been admitted to Grady should go.

RealWorld understands that everyone coming is not a p.r. major, and they're ready to cater to those who want to know more about it.

With all that information, I know you want to look more. Check out the schedule for yourself and see if anything else catches your eye.

Early registration ends on Feb. 8, so get your moo-lah in quick! I want to see all of you there!

-Katherine

Great links online for the future Grady graduate

Throughout my time at Grady, I have always been really confused about where I fit into the communications world. Although public relations has so many different types of jobs to offer, I am often also intrigued by what’s going on in the advertising and marketing industries. Luckily for all of us PR majors, these three industries are merging together. I noticed that my daily PRSA email today included articles from all sorts of publications like Brandweek, Advertising Age, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and even the International Herald Tribune. All of these publications and many more have incredible websites with more free articles than anyone could ever read.

After going on a trip with the Ad Club on campus during September of 2007, I subscribed to many online advertising publications that give me daily doses of industry trends that will no doubt help in my future career.

I have also found that many career websites have mailing lists and will send you a weekly or daily update with tons of valuable tips for college graduates. These websites also have extensive information about individual companies and internships.

Here’s a few websites that I recommend (it helps to sign up for the mailing list):

www.talentzoo.com – focuses on journalism internships and jobs

www.monster.com – great career advice

www.monsterTRAK.com – great advice for graduates about internships and first jobs

www.vault.com – join free membership for weekly updates

www.adweek.com – click “email sign-up” for free daily updates

www.mediaweek.com – “Mediaweek newsletter” for free daily updates

www.brandweek.com – click “free email newsletter” for free updates

Hope that Helps!
-Laura Jakstadt