Category Archives: Other
New Executive Board
This year of BUPRSSA was one of our best yet! We had an amazing Regional Conference, PR Advanced: Unleash Our Generation. We had amazing speakers from companies like HubSpot and Puma. And we also had really amazing clients in Unleashed PR.
However, the year is almost over and it means BUPRSSA 2011-2012 is coming to a close. The good news though: we’re already thinking about next year! We had our elections for next year’s executive board. Congrats to all who won!
- President: Mike DeFilippis
- Programming: Carol Kerbaugh
- Events: Andrew Caplan
- Conference: Alex Hyken
- Financial: Lauren Weil
- Agency: Taylor Bathel
- External Relations: Meg Tucker
- Digital Media: Christina Serrano
- Digital Media: Julian Greene
2012 PRSSA National Assembly
Having never been to a PRSSA National Event before, you can imagine my excitement when I learned I would be representing our Chapter at National Assembly this year in Charlotte, North Carolina. While the gathering’s main purpose was to elect the new National Committee, we also had the opportunity to learn in different sessions and take part in an hour-long PR strategy competition.
I could bore you by describing my routine each day, but I took back something more important. Reach out for help. Before you ask someone like a professional or your advisor for help, reach out to your PRSSA National Network with over 10,000 members. You will be amazed at the resources you find, because that’s exactly what I found at Assembly. The best things I learned didn’t come from formal session, but just by casually chatting with my fellow delegates about what works and what doesn’t.
Everyone had a lot of say about membership. Many suggested drawing from other student organizations. For example, a lot of students with communication minors may dedicate most of their time to their major of study, but PRSSA can give them more resources.
Talking to incoming freshmen over the summer is another tactic used by many Chapters to promote awareness before they step on campus. As a result, the newbies will be dying to get to the first meeting and will probably bring their new friends with them.
We all know that our first meetings of the year are packed, but often attendance drops off dramatically starting with the next meeting. To avoid this, my peers said to make the second meeting a big agency tour so that way everyone can look forward to something really exciting.
Every chapter also needs simple and effective fundraising ideas. Selling fun party clothes and Rent-A-Puppy were by far the most popular among all the attendees. One of my roommates, Matt Hunnel, from the University of Nebraska, said he monetized his Chapter’s website and makes $400 a month in ad revenue. I’ll definitely be pushing that idea.
And for overall success, Outgoing National Committee members had some pointers. Remember, PRSSA is a pre-professional society, not a club. Don’t assume continuing membership — always reach out to members despite their level of involvement. Plan during the summer for continued success and an effective transition. Keep notes for every meeting and event so the next executive board can always improve.
On a more personal note, I had the wonderful pleasure of celebrating my 21st birthday at National Assembly and I seriously would not have asked for it any other way. It never ceases to amaze me how public relations students are always social and looking to meet someone and do something new. It really was amazing to meet so many students from across the country who share the same values and truly dedicate themselves to the society.
I seriously cannot wait for National Conference.
Check out the newly elected 2012-2013 National Committee.
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Public Relations and Law
Public relations is one of the most versatile majors you could have. Many students decide to go to work straight out of college to work in an array of industries. A common trend in terms of continuing education, however, is go to business school. However, public relations and law is one pair that could also be extremely beneficial.
- Understanding a code of ethics: public relations involves representing various people and companies, so understanding the rules and codes of ethics for the general industry and for your specific client is essential.
- Linking PR and corporate/communication law: you can learn to represent your client in more than one way; you can learn the boundaries that public relations has, and how to represent your company in the event that those boundaries are broken.
- Knowing what’s constant: having the basic knowledge of the law helps understand the foundations on which you can work in this industry that is constantly evolving.
- Becoming a lawyer with public relations expertise: Though you might view a law minor or degree as something that fortifies your public relations degree, you might discover that you enjoy the law aspect, and then you can use your public relations knowledge to enhance your law knowledge.
It doesn’t matter which way you look at it, public relations can be paired with almost any graduate degree. You can go into medicine, engineering, business, continue with communication, and even law. They’re all great graduate degrees to have under your belt, and can be great paths to further your public relations education in any way, shape, or form. Law, however, has a special connection. If you enjoy public speaking, research, and representing others, law might be something you want to consider.
Top 10 Do’s & Don’ts of Networking Etiquette
Networking is a topic that never fades, especially for PR industry. As a PR professional-to-be, you want to know how to behave well and make connections in job interviews, career fairs, networking events and any other networking opportunities. Here are the top 10 do’s and don’ts you should think about.
DO’S
- Research. Know the event’s topic, the attendees, the dress code, the location, and even the food situation. Get prepared for everything and plan your timing.
- Nametag. Wearing a nametag helps people remember your name, but be sure to place your nametag on the right side of your body.
- Firm Handshake. A firm handshake indicates your confidence. A good rule for a proper handshake is to make hands web-to-web. Remember, one to three handshakes is enough.
- Unique Introduction. See yourself as a brand. Prepare a “30 second commercial” to quick introduce yourself and express your goals. Tailor it to the event you’ll attend.
- Conversations. Spend more time listening. Give feedback that corresponds to the other person’s interests.
- Direct Eye Contact. Show your interest and sincerity by keeping an eye contact in the “eye-nose” triangle. Nobody enjoys being stared at.
- Natural Body Language. Relax and smile. What’s more, you’d better make your arms open, which means you’re open to the conversation and not in guard. A drink in your left hand help you manage it properly.
- Graceful Exit. When the conversation starts to ebb, you should realize it’s time to end it. Exit the conversation naturally and gracefully by “It’s been a great pleasure talking to you. May I have your business card?” People will appreciate your appropriate wrap-up.
- Exchange Business Card. To show respect, please accept people’s business cards with two hands. Look at it for a few seconds and offer a compliment about the design. And always be ready to present your business card, so you’d better prepare a handful with you.
- Follow Up. The real networking starts after the networking event. Now that you have the person’s business card, you can send a hand-written thank-you note to him or her and then an email to continue your conversations. Think about what you can do to maintain your relationships with people from a PR angel.
Knowing the do’s helps to avoid the don’ts. You will find it self-evident not to do the following DON’TS:
- Attend a networking event without knowing your goal.
- Talk more about yourself than listening and asking questions.
- Belittle the person’s company or work unconsciously.
- Look down at the floor instead of into the person’s eyes.
- Hold your arms tight in front of you.
- Jump into a conversation awkwardly.
- Keep talking without noticing the other person’s feeling.
- Ask for favors more than you can give back or without any appreciation.
- Fail to follow your promise to people.
- Contact them only when you need their help.
