Author Archives: laurakschroeder

City Year is looking for an intern in Boston for the Spring semester. The start date is January 11, 2010 and it ends June 30, 2010. The area of focus is children and youth, community service and volunteering, education and academia and network of nonprofit organization. They are looking for someone who is experienced in public relations, social media and online marketing, special events planning and writing.

The last day to apply for this position is December 21, 2009. This is an unpaid internship.

Details:

We are looking for an energetic, self-directed and creative Social Media Coordinator to support the key operations of the Recruitment, Admissions and Alumni Affairs at City Year’s Headquarters in Boston, MA.

Working closely with the Online Community Manager & Social Media Strategist, the Social Media Coordinator will assist in the administration of social media programs and projects to support the mission and strategic plans of this rapidly growing global non-profit organization.

Through authentic and innovative projects and tasks, the Social Media Coordinator will gain essential professional skills and deepen his/her understanding of social media and online marketing functions in the nonprofit sector.

Potential support/project areas include:

• Leverage existing online presence to implement a social media strategy, engaging users through channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

• Generate original content (blogs posts, status updates etc.) and “recycle” (relevant) community content to drive conversations across City Year’s online communities.

• Monitor and listen for “City Year” mentions – engage, provide customers service and generate reports accordingly.

• Support the City Year Social Media Team including the coordination of monthly Social Media web conference calls.

• Research, organize, analyze data and write reports to support Recruitment and Alumni goals.

Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter (Word or PDF document) to:

Subject: Social Media Coordinator Search

Attn: Michael Messina

Online Community Manager & Social Media Strategist, City Year

Email: mmessina@cityyear.org

Here’s a great blog post from a PR student at Florida State University about some fun ways to keep busy over the holiday break. Take a look below and see more of her posts at laurennovo.wordpress.com!

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“This post is for students (me, included) who are finishing up final exams and anxiously anticipating a stress-free Holiday Break. No more homework, exams, papers and projects for a whole month! Maybe you are a senior and this is your last extended vacation before hitting the “real world.” Perhaps you are a freshman, homesick  as ever, and can’t wait to invest some overdue time with the family. Some of you might even be graduating this week (congrats!) and are thrilled to be putting away the books for good.

Preposterous as this might sound, what if we dedicate at LEAST a portion of our break to something productive? No really, think about it. All semester long, we Tweet and Facebook about how we can’t wait until the end; how much we wish we could just read something for pleasure or write something that doesn’t include tedious formatting.

I don’t know about you, but I am incapable of completely “checking out” once I complete my last final. Sure, it’s fun to be lazy for a couple days…but then I just get bored. Maybe this year, we can all make a Pre-New Years resolution list of some things we’d like to accomplish.

No idea where to start? I have a few suggestions:

Start a Blog: I won’t lie. Starting a blog in the middle of a jam-packed semester was not necessarily my most strategic move; however, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Blogging provides the opportunity to write without deadlines (though you should stick to at least a self-imposed schedule); to share your thoughts in a unique outlet; to challenge yourself to learn more about your industry; and to see firsthand how PR is evolving. So what are you waiting for? You have a month! Create a free wordpress account (or whatever else suits your fancy), find/design a pertinent theme, brainstorm several topics to get you on track and start writing!

Invest in Blogger Relations: You don’t have to be a blogger to have a blogroll. Do you subscribe to any blogs in particular? Do you actively seek posts written by certain professionals or students? Or do you even just search keywords and read whatever appears in the results? Regardless of your process, you clearly read blogs from time to time (you are reading mine after all). But let me ask: how often do you engage with the bloggers? I’ll admit to this as well: I read, suck up all the info I can…and then run. I rarely take the time to actually leave a comment. Sometimes I’ll share the blog on Twitter, but that’s about it. We should all spend part of December developing a list of blogs to subscribe to and then make an effort to actually create relationships with the bloggers.

Read that industry book everyone has been talking about: The only book I’ve made time for this semester is “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations” by Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge. Every page has been a treat. I can’t wait to finish it and start some new ones. I’ve heard great things about “Trust Agents”  and “Crush It.” What is on your reading list? What should I add to mine?

Make your PR portfolio: The monthly #PRStudChat taught me a lot about what a good portfolio entails. It should encompass a range of your work (releases; social media experience; op-eds; communication plans; graphic design experience; etc.), yet be tailored to fit the needs of the job in which you are applying. Not applying anywhere yet? No problem! Make a comprehensive portfolio of everything you’ve done and achieved so that you can pick and choose from it later. Already have a portfolio? Consider making an online version. This will make it easier to showcase your talent/experience to non-local employers as well as highlight your design capabilities.

Study for the GRE: I struggled for a while over whether I should go to grad school right out of the gate or attain some experience first. Experience won, but that doesn’t mean I have to shove the GRE books in the closet. As students, we’re still in study mode. If grad school is something you might be interested in at some point, it will be less painful to take it now than down the road. And the perk: scores remain active for a few years!

Career Shadow: Just because you are on vacation doesn’t mean the pros are too. Find someone to shadow for a day or two. Or better yet, create your own “career week” and shadow someone new every day. Whom to shadow? Have you established any relationships via social media with local pros? Do you have any contacts through networking events? Can your PR teacher recommend someone who might be interested? If not, there’s always the option to make a few phone calls to nearby agencies/companies and take a shot. And you never know, they might actually want some temporary help! Interns are typically gone in December so employers might be short-handed.

What am I missing? Do you have any great t0-do items that should be included on my list?”

See post at: http://laurennovo.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/dont-completely-check-out-in-december/

Build your resume by Volunteering at WBUR ( Boston’s NPR News Station) during their December Fundraiser!

WBUR is one of the top radio stations in Boston and one of the leading NPR member stations in the country. WBUR studios are conveniently located on campus and each volunteer shift features free food from some of Boston’s best restaurants (located right at the corner of St. Paul and Comm Ave ).

To sign up now, for the complete list of shifts and for more information please visit: www.wbur.org/support/volunteer

In addition to providing a fun & convenient resume builder and delicious free food, BU PRSSA will be thanked on-air during one of our shifts (WBUR has roughly 600,000 weekly listeners).
The WBUR December Fundraiser takes place from December 11 to December 18 with several shifts available each day (each shift last about 2.5 hours).
Last but not least, when you volunteer at WBUR you’ll also have the chance to enter to win some great sweepstakes prizes including a brand new Macbook & iTouch from Tech Superpowers (Technology for Genius, techsuperpowers.com)!
(email volunteer@wbur.org or call 353-8155 with any questions)

Please enjoy our second installment of guest blog posts from our fabulous members who are currently studying/interning abroad. The following is written by Lauren Brown, a COM senior studying in Australia and interning at Edelman.

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I’ve always been one to plan. I planned on going to college, on majoring in public relations, on minoring in French. I planned on spending a semester studying in Paris, eating baguettes and shopping on the Champs Elysées. I did not plan on realizing that I didn’t want to take French any longer, cancelling my application for the Paris program and three months later, deciding to go to Sydney, Australia.

I honestly can’t remember how many times I heard “But why Australia?” And I think that was what solidified my decision for me. I didn’t know why I wanted to go to Australia, in fact, I barely knew anything about Australia (besides that they have good swimmers at the Olympics), and I wanted to try something new and completely unknown. I sent in my application, got accepted and four months later was on the LONGEST flight I have ever been on. After twenty hours in the air, a ten hour layover in Los Angeles, two novels, a magazine, a full iPod battery and more episodes of Man vs. Wild and Two and a Half Men than I care to count, I arrived in Sydney, two days after I left Boston (this still makes no sense to me, and I maintain that a day of my life was stolen).

I’ve now been here for just over two months, and my time in Australia can most accurately be explained as an insane whirlwind of activity.  In the past ten weeks I have learned to surf, rapelled down a cliff (here they call it abseiling), climbed through canyons, rapelled down a waterfall, explored caves thousands of years old, kayaked with dolphins, fed wallabies and emus, gone jungle-surfing (aka ziplining) upside down, gone scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and sailed around the Whitsunday Islands. All this while taking classes and meeting with an advisor to prepare for internship placement. It’s a busy time, but it is SO worth it.

When spring break ended, I was sad and excited at the same time.  My weekly travels were over, but there was still so much of Sydney to explore and the real reason I came, the internship, was about to begin.  About two weeks ago I started interning at Edelman, an indepent public relations firm with offices worldwide.  I’d heard of Edelman before coming to Australia, but had no idea there was an office in Sydney, and was thrilled with my placement, but nervous about what to expect. Would it be corporate and stuffy? Would I be relegated to constant photocopying and coffee runs; would my internship simply be an exercise in tedium? Hardly.

To first address my coworkers. Simply, they are fabulous. Everyone is unbelievably friendly and welcoming. Every time I step into the kitchen there is someone to chat with about the Melbourne Cup, or what to do this weekend, or the best toppings for a crumpet.  A single week after my arrival, despite only telling one person that it would be my birthday, I walked into work and was immediately congratulated on my 21st by every person I walked by. When I got to my desk, a ‘Happy Birthday’ banner was up, balloons were all over and a card lay across my keyboard. Later that day there was cake (from Lindt chocolate cafe!) to celebrate, and later in the week my boss took me out for a birthday lunch. Seriously, where else does this happen? I could not ask for a better workplace environment or find coworkers more willing to give advice or lend a hand.

As for my work, it’s just as good. I’m currently working as a sustainability intern for my boss’s foundation, the One at a Time Foundation, as well as an intern for the office’s digital team.  I’ve created and drafted a newsletter on my own, done research on Twitter and blogs, and am currently working on putting together an annual report and presentation for the Foundation.  Unfortunately, there are only just over four weeks remaining in my internship, but I know I will leave here with some solid experience in public relations and a better understanding of the Australian workplace

Australia is often overlooked, but just because it’s far away and mostly empty doesn’t mean that nothing is happening here. Sydney is a vibrant city jam-packed with beautiful green spaces, delectable restaurants for any budget, a booming nightlife, endless shopping and dozens of attractions- from the iconic Sydney Opera House to the weekend markets full of vintage and handcrafted wares.  So, if you are considering going abroad, don’t forget about Australia- you’ll find much more than kangaroos here.

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Blog: http://laurenlbrown.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/laurlita

Email: lauren.brown1027@gmail.com