Central Premiere

pres post

now what

social deals

checking in

link to a job

prssa nc

I am PR: Roles of a PR Practitioner

“Everyone needs a

guru to fall back on for

information.”

Fall 2011 Volume 11 Edition 1

Dr. Diane S. Krider chapter of Public Relations Student Society of American at Central Michigan University

photo credit: CMU IPR program website [http://www.cmich.edu/x31990.xml]

 Multi-tasking is a key skill every public relations practitioner needs to hone, even you. You will wear many different hats to provide your com-pany or organization with the most ef-ficient public relations possible. When wearing these different hats, you will not only be communicating with your company’s target audiences, but also to other practitioners, potential clients and potential employers.

 To sharpen up your skills, here are some roles you may play and how to be effective when working in these roles:

 PRogrammer (\’prō-,gra-mər, -grə-\ a person who prepares programs) Who will your company call for an event? You! As a programmer you may have to coordinate special events, campaign tours and many other types of events. These events will not only tell your audiences about your company, but will also display your creative skills, organiza-tional skills and communication skills.

 In this role remember to: Make clear objectives in the beginning; you are the promoter of your organization’s brand and these objectives will help determine many aspects of the event later. Also, research other events of the kind you want to produce; not every event is successful because it sounds good.

 PRoblem Solver (\’sälv, ‘sȯlv\ to find a solu-tion, explanation, or answer for) It isn’t a hidden mystery that controversy sometimes comes up in organizations, getting to the media and causing a whirlwind of hearsay and speculation. In these situations you will become the turn-to person for the answers to many questions. You will need to answer the who, what, where, when, why and

how do we tell them questions.

 In this role remember to: Maintain a level head and calm demeanor. Also, remember time isn’t on your side. Don’t rush to say anything, but re-member the longer you wait the more “out of the blue” stories may pop up in the tomorrow’s paper.

 PRovider of information (\prə-‘vī-dər\ one that provides) Everyone needs a guru to fall back on for information. As a public relations practitioner you will need to be the Webster of your organi-

zation, knowing the ins and outs, ups and downs and in betweens. People will refer-ence you for many different pieces of information, such as declines in sales in previ-ous years, why the previous

president resigned or even the number of people currently employed.

 In this role remember to: stay in contact with, if possible, all departments to stay up to date on changes and transitions, in order to maintain the most up-to-date records.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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President’s AddressNovember 12, 2011 11:22 p.m.tags: president, hard work, leadership, blogs, nationals

Dear CMU PRSSA Members,

I would like to thank you for all your hard work and dedication to our chapter and university this semester. I hope that you all are taking full advantage of PRSSA and what the organization has to offer.

PRSSA is a great way to gain experience, network and prepare you for your internships and jobs.

Our chapter has tons of exciting opportunities planned for Spring 2012, such as exciting agency tours, guest speakers, spring conference and banquet, alumni panels, workshops and so much more. I encourage you all to get involved as much as possible. Join a committee, attend meetings, conferences and events.

Spring semester is also a great time to start shad-owing executive board members. Holding a position on eboard is a great way to exorcise and expand leadership skills, professional capabilities and networking skills. Our chapter’s executive board will be reconstructed for next year in order to improve, and maintain a high standard of leadership.

I am dedicated to the advancement of our chapter and will continue to provide opportunities that will ben-efit each member. Make sure you utilize all the resources national PRSSA and our chapter has to offer; applying for scholarships, using our internship book, search job postings on prssa.org, attend professional development workshops and stay connected with alumni.

I hope you all had a wonderful winter break. I hope you took advantage of the time off and did things in preparation for your career. Worked on your portfo-lio, updated your resume, job shadowed at your favorite company, read pr blogs and stayed up to date on social media.

Best wishes,

CMU PRSSA 2011-2012 PresidentCierra Wallace

So you have your degree, now what?

(MollyPrzybysz)Michigan can be a great place to live,

but when it comes down to it is it the best place for a future public relations career? When going into the ‘working world’ it is important to know what to expect. Different factors also come into play when looking for a job.

Here are some things to keep in mind while searching for your dream job.

Pay isn’t everything, but it can help. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you are worth. Do research for your job type and location to negoti-ate a fair price. Some of the top paying firms can be found in Washington, D.C, Toronto, and Den-ver. Even in this economy, you shouldn’t have to work for any less than you’re worth.

Try new things. You may know what you want to do but ultimately experience is what is going to get you in the door. Maybe moving to Toronto wasn’t in your life plan but if it can affect your career path, you might consider going for it. Leaving the country not only provides opportu-nity for growth at worth but also in your personal life.

If you’ve heard it once you’ve heard it a million times. Get networking! Get out there and meet people. Professionals in the field have resources to help you find that job you’ve been looking for. The public relations industry is a close-knit group and if you network many profes-sionals are willing to help you.

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3

meganschaper presents

your daily dealPRSSA ACTIVITIES

Throughout the fall 2011 semester members of the Dr. Diane S. Krider chapter of Public Rela-tions Student Society of America at Central Michigan University enjoyed social escapes to Island Park and Papa’s Pumpkin Patch. Members also had the oppor-tunity to go on a professional development adventure in Grand Rapids, Mich. for an agency tour. The group visited Hanon McKendry, a multi platform branding agency, and Lambert, Edwards & Associates, LE&A, an investor relations firm.

To kick off the year, PRSSA members escaped to Island Park, in Mount Pleasant. Members engaged in conversation, fun games and enjoyed the warm sunshine with a barbeque. Socials are an effective ways to get to know others members in PRSSA. “So-cials are important for our organization because they are a way for us to get out of the formal setting and get to know each other” said Amy Crockett, Director of Member Services. “Socials are a great way to build relationships; the whole point of public relations.”

With Halloween approaching, members gath-ered at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, on October 4, to enjoy all things fall: apple cider, fresh doughnuts, a hayride and pumpkins. Each member was able to pick their own pumpkin from the patch. The activity provided a relaxing atmosphere and another opportunity for members to get to know each other. “Papa’s was a ton of fun, Papa himself took us on a hayride and tour,” said Crockett. “We just laughed a lot and had a lot of fun.”

An opportunity available exclusively to paid

members of CMU PRSSA, agency tours. On October 7, CMU PRSSA visited Hanon McKendry, a multi platform branding agency, and Lambert, Edwards & Associ-ates, LE&A, an investor relations firm. “On the agency tour you definitely get a vibe for office culture” said CMU PRSSA Historian Ellen Trudell. “The agency tours gave me a glimpse into what my future might hold, depending on which avenue I choose to take,” said Trudell. “They give a glimpse into the different aspects public relations can offer one professionally.”

escapes

take now!

today’s tip“Tell the consumer

why first… why controls behavior”

-Bill McKendryFounder and Chief Creative Officer of Hanon Mckendry

adventures

4

Interns&

Alumni

Company: Taylor Herring Public Relations (I landed my internship through Dream Careers)

Location: London, England (Notting Hill Area) Graduation Year: Spring 2013

Most important lesson took from classroom to your internship: That you are the controller of your own internship. Your internship is every-

thing that YOU make of it. As long as you stay positive, employers will trust you more and more.

Lesson wished I learned before my internship: How to pitch stories to media.

Favorite part of job: Working with celebs such as Elle Macpherson (Britain and Irelands Next Top Model), Jo Frost (Supernanny), and working large festivals.

Main function: Helping plan events and pitch stories. Taylor Herring, however, is a PR agency that specializes in any and all PR.

Title: Marketing DirectorCompany: JCPR

Location: Parsippany, NJ Graduation year: 2008

Most important lesson you took from the classroom to your working career?: Learning the AP stylebook – not even joking!

A lesson you wish you would have learned in the classroom you didn’t learn about?: Public relations is closely related to marketing and advertising. Since I fell into the marketing position at our agency, I wish I would’ve learned more about marketing beforehand. The Integrative Public Relations program offers many classes related to public relations with the exception of marketing.

Favorite part of your job: Managing the company’s social media – and learning about how social media is becoming an important tool in PR.

If you could give one piece of advice to students going into the field what would it be?: Be adaptable – don’t go into the job market thinking that PR is the only thing you can do. I never imagined I would now be the company’s marketing director with only two years of career experience beforehand. This was my first job after graduating from Central and I’m glad I decided to take it even though they could only offer me a receptionist position at the time.

Taylor Brehm

Shana Fuller

Every year Central Michigan University integrative public relations students are participating in internships and graduating and moving on to their careers in the field. Unless we know these students and grads personally, though, we don’t get to hear the feedback from their in-ternships and work experiences.

In this feature, you will hear from two student interns and two CMU alumn working in the field. They will tell you about their experiences, lessons they wished they would have learned prior to their position and other helpful hints for those still in school and those graduated and working in the field.

5

Interns&

AlumniCompany: United Way of Greater ToledoLocation: Toledo, OH Graduation Year: 2007 ... on the five-year plan

Most important lesson took from classroom to your working career?: Your writing must be impeccable. Having strong writing skills truly does set you apart. Just remember that when Wojcik, Hutch, Will, etc. are busting your chops!

Worst part of job: When bits of it become monotonous. For example, I’ve written hundreds of news releases since I’ve been here and many of those communications are about the same thing from year to year. The challenge is finding a way to make the information different and more relevant.

If you could give one piece of advice to students going into the field what would it be?: Be a problem solver. In our department, we not only promote United Way itself but serve every internal department’s marketing and com-munications needs. Nothing is worse than when my employees come to me with a question or issue that could have easily been resolved by asking a question directly of the department involved, doing an extra five minutes of research, or even by Googling it! The less your supervisor has to hold your hand, the more they will appreciate you and ultimately trust you with greater responsibility.

Company: Chippewa River District Library

Location: Mount Pleasant, MIGraduation Year: May 2012

Most important lesson took from classroom to your internship: Don’t be afraid. There were some classes where I really didn’t know what

I was doing at first (especially when I started JRN 302 with no knowledge of graphic design). But those classes taught me that sometimes you just have to dive right in.

Favorite part pf internship: They gave me a lot of freedom to come up with and imple-ment my own ideas. For example, my supervisor would come over to me and tell me

that we needed more people to sign up for an event, and that is the only direction he would give me. It was a little intimidating at first, but it was a great way to help

me learn. I had to really think about how to best reach our audience and come up with my own plan.

Main function: I was the PR and Marketing Intern, which came with a lot of dif-ferent jobs and responsibilities.

Amy Crockett

Kelli Kreps

Every year Central Michigan University integrative public relations students are participating in internships and graduating and moving on to their careers in the field. Unless we know these students and grads personally, though, we don’t get to hear the feedback from their in-ternships and work experiences.

In this feature, you will hear from two student interns and two CMU alumn working in the field. They will tell you about their experiences, lessons they wished they would have learned prior to their position and other helpful hints for those still in school and those graduated and working in the field.

6

Using LinkedIn to increase job opportunities is easy. LinkedIn is an excellent tool to use for networking and developing a professional identity on the Web. Creating a profile can be the hardest part, but it must be

done. Recruiters and hiring managers use view profiles to scope out candidates. Follow these simple tips to create a practical and effective LinkedIn profile.

CentralPRemier Today: See all Tips for Using LinkedIn to Find a Job

5 Attending See All

Cierra Wallace

Jill Simpson

Kamaria Thornton

Kelli Cesarz

Morgan Schaefer

PRSSA National Conference 2012CMU PRSSA is AttendingTime Friday, October 14 - Tuesday, October 18

Location Orlando, Fl

Created By PRSSA National Committee

More Info Over the course of five days, at the PRSSA National Conference in Orlando, I learned how to land an internship, market myself in different areas of public relations and was able to network with PR professionals across the nation. We also attended a number of workshops, went to a diversity mixer with international PRSA members and socials. Speakers from well-known businesses, such as Disney, ESPN, Major League Soccer and the NBA, came and spoke about public relations in the real world. Meeting professionals allowed me to network and meeting other students allowed me to learn how other chapters deal with similar PRSSA issues and how their PR majors are structured. The most important thing I learned from the PRSSA National Conference would have to be to maximize the positives of a brand, minimize the negatives of a brand, and look at crisis through strengths. I will remember these tips and utilize them in my career in the future.

Written By Kelli Cesarz

Majority of LinkedIn profiles are public,

and searching individuals in a

desired job field can help you understand what industry leaders are including in his or her profiles and the KEY words that are

used.

Search the Competition:

Headhunters may be more attracted to a

profile if industry key words are utilized in

description areas. PR key words would

include Press Release, Media Relations, Event Planning, Management,

Communication, Key Message Articulation,

etc.

Key Words:

Try and use your first name and last name.

This will improve Google search

rankings and increase profile recognition.

Customized LinkedIn URLs:

Invite co-workers, business professionals

you’ve networked with and other

important individuals to connect with

you. Profile updates will be shared with

connection and keep them interested in

you.

Connect:

Update information, join more groups

and keep connecting. Your LinkedIn profile will continuously be

updated. Also, contribute and comment in these groups to help you

stand out.

Update your Profile and

Contribute to Conversations:

7

Using LinkedIn to increase job opportunities is easy. LinkedIn is an excellent tool to use for networking and developing a professional identity on the Web. Creating a profile can be the hardest part, but it must be

done. Recruiters and hiring managers use view profiles to scope out candidates. Follow these simple tips to create a practical and effective LinkedIn profile.

CentralPRemier Today: See all Tips for Using LinkedIn to Find a Job

CONTINUED FROM COVER

 Also, do not be afraid to say “I don’t know” when asked a ques-tion. It is better to say you don’t have the answer, rather than give an incorrect one.

 PRactitioner of ethics (\prak-‘ti-sh(ə-)nər\ one who practices) Spin. A word commonly associated with public relations and sometimes used in definitions to describe public relations actions. As public relations specialists you will use your knowledge of the industry and your organization to honestly, openly and accurately disperse infor-mation. Ethics should be at the top of the totem pole for you while working in the field.

 In this role remember: Some tips from the Public Relations Society of America about ethical public relations, such as: free flow of infor-mation, competition, disclosure of information, safeguarding confi-dences, conflicts of interest and enhancing the profession. For more information on ethics visit prsa.org/aboutPRSA/Ethics/CodeEnglish.

 You can always stick to the book, but looking at these roles can help you remember to take opportunities outside of the public rela-tions norm. Take advantage of these opportunities and you will build your knowledge and skill base to be successful in future positions at organizations.

LAURENschneider

brought to you by:

Headhunters may be more attracted to a

profile if industry key words are utilized in

description areas. PR key words would

include Press Release, Media Relations, Event Planning, Management,

Communication, Key Message Articulation,

etc.

Key Words:

Letters of recommendation are

often a pain to ask for and difficult to

present to potential employers. Asking

your boss or upper-management for a recommendation is

an easy way to show a future employer

your work ethic and job skills.

Get Recommended:

Join groups of professional

organizations you are a part of, such as

PRSSA.Join groups relating

to your career or interest, such as Social Media

Marketing groups. Also, add links to blogs, Twitter and

company sites.

Join Groups and Add Websites:

Everyone knows public relations is a very competitive field. Students must make sure they are going the extra mile to stay updated with the latest information, network and stay connected with professionals while also getting experience to help them stand out from peers in the job and internship search.

During the semester CMU PRSSA had Profes-sor Jim Wojcik as a guest speaker. Wojcik spoke about professionalism, internships and ways to gain experience. Many students get caught up in the term “internship” and forget that it’s the experience not the title that helps you to stand out.

A student could have interned at one of the most elite pr agencies but didn’t learn anything on the job. The title of the company may help you get a job but it won’t help you stay there. What good is it to have an internship if you don’t have anything to show for it?

There are tons of ways to get involved and get the experience you need for your future job by joining other RSOs on campus, volunteering and other “outside the box” ideas. PRSSA is a great way to get involved, network and gain ex-perience, however do not limit yourself to one organization. Many employers like to see that a student has a diverse background, with many skills and talents, to bring to their company or organization.

Working on campus is a great way to gain experience as well. Your hours can be tailored to your schedule and you don’t have to go far to get the experience you need. Don’t wait until its time for you to graduate to start taking advan-tage of what CMU has to offer.

“Make sure you get every experience you can here at CMU. This college is going to suck every penny out of you. You need to make sure that you are getting your money’s worth,” said professor Jim Wojcik.

Taking Full Advantage of Your School

by: Cierra Wallace

CMU PRSSA 2011-2012 Information Section

Executive Board:Cierra Wallace, President

Dayna Lucio, Vice PresidentAlly Converse, Treasurer

Kelli Cesarz, SecretaryKamaria Thornton,

Publications DirectorAmy Crockett,

Director of Member ServicesEllen Trudell, Historian

Megan Bumgarner, SGA Representative

Rebecca Kerster, PR Central President

Ed Hutchison, Faculty Advisor

For more information:visit www.cmuprssa.org

check our Facebook - CMU PRSSAtweet us @CMUPRSSA

Thank you to a major sponsor

Central Michigan University’s

University Communicationsyour support for the next generation of PR professionals is well

appreciated.