Anyone in the wrong major knows all about the sinking feeling you get when you calculate how soon graduation is. It’s scary to think of receiving a degree in something you don’t enjoy! That feeling also comes around when you schedule more classes you don’t really enjoy or when you have to look for an internship or job you don’t think you’ll like. It’s clear you need something new, but what if you don’t know where to turn?

I’ve been there.

I was a journalism major for almost two years. I knew I loved to write as a kid, so I thought journalism was a natural choice for me. I tried all kinds of student media, but I never felt totally satisfied. Thankfully, with the help of some caring friends, I decided to take a leap of faith and finally become an ex-journalism major. I switched to public relations.

Ever since I switched, I have set myself on a crash course learning PR.  I need to buy a button like this and wear it all the time:

I got a job working at Flash Communications, the student PR agency in Kent State’s University Communication and Marketing department. Here are some of my favorite things about working here:

• I confess: My favorite thing about working in public relations is all the positivity! Here at Flash, we’re focused on all the fabulous things happening at Kent State University every day. I love that about PR. We’re happy people.
• I confess: Being a study abroad alum, I love writing stories focused on other countries. I recently wrote a story about a KSU student who visited Jamaica and another story about a class that takes KSU students to Costa Rica over winter breaks. Working in public relations allows me to tell the Kent State community how beneficial it is to study abroad and see the world.
• I confess: Working at Flash is special to me because I get to work with top communication professionals at Kent State. I get stories and feedback directly from people who I respect. I’m learning how to write for different publications around the university. Being here is a learning experience, it’s not just a job.
• I confess: I love the intangible feeling of being fulfilled. My public relations classes and my job at Flash inspire me! PR motivates me to work hard. Even though this field is competitive, I love what I do. A career that emphasizes Twitter clearly is amazing.

If you want to be an ex-(insert your current major here) and switch to public relations, visit the Public Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) website to learn more.

PS. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment of PR specialists is expected to grow 24 percent from 2008-2018.  Once again, I love this field for its positive outlook!

I don’t know about you, but I’d apply at a place like this.

Check it out.

As part of PRSSA Kent, Sarah presented with four other officers during the Chapter Development Sessions on Friday. Their presentation was all about how to “Cash in on Communication.” They shared fundraising best practices and tips from professionals about how to execute a successful fundraiser. Check out their best practices slides and the video they produced.

And here’s the video. A lot of this was produced at Flash Communications (special thanks to Nick and Phil who work in University Communications and Marketing for their cameo performances). Oh, and those adorable children in scene one? They’re mine!

In addition to the opportunity to present to other PRSSA chapters from across the country, Heather and Sarah attended breakout sessions with top industry professionals to learn about the ins-and-outs of being a PR professional. From social media to crisis communications and travel and entertainment to healthcare PR, the sessions covered a wide range of topics relating to young professionals in the public relations and strategic communications industries.

Sarah and Heather shared some key takeaways from their favorite sessions.

Crisis Communications: Confronting Reality with Strategy

• Public expectations have risen since the Tylenol murders of the 1980s. Companies must respond faster than ever and be aware that the story is never-ending, 24/7 coverage. If you wait for traditional media, you’re too late.
• Crisis is about actions, not solutions. Definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. Do not fail to recognize the need to change goals during a crisis.
• In crisis, you need to control your narrative. It’s about hero vs. villain –which are you?
• Perception trumps reality 100% of the time in crisis. Audiences believe what they hear first.
• Companies are tying risk terms (ex: “oil spill” for BP) in with SEO and SEM to ensure that when people search these terms, BP’s side of the story comes up first.

Corporate vs. Agency: Finding Your Place

• Agency PR is about working with like-minded people. As agencies integrate with other disciplines, agency professionals must be up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies.
• While agency professionals may work on several different clients in different industries, corporate professionals know one industry intimately –competition, trends, and their own company.
• Corporate PR is usually a set work schedule, while agency professionals tend to be the “workaholic” type. As a result, it’s easier to move up the management ladder in an agency.
• In both industries, it’s important to practice ethical behaviors and act with transparency.
• No matter where you choose to go, stay involved in PRSSA/PRSA!

Travel and Tourism Session:

• Make sure you’re getting your key messages out to overcome any misconceptions about the travel destination or resort.
• Take advantage of media relations and local media to get the message out about a resort opening or other event. The local media and opinion leaders will spread the word to the broader audience.
• Be creative with a small budget and other limitations. Limit expensive, over the top demonstrations and gags during a launch, and go for something more creative and intimate.

Entertainment PR session:

• Celebrity endorsements can significantly help further a brand and the brand message. Having one of the Kardashians endorse a product will have 50% more visibility.
• Making relationships with the media is crucial for establishing a positive brand identity amongst the public.

PR Kent students not only absorbed valuable information, but also they had a chance to network and bond with their peers. Ah, takes me back to our trip to National Conference in Nashville, Tenn., many, many years ago. We stayed at the Opryland Hotel. What a blast.

Thanks to Sarah Lack and Heather Thomas for contributing to this post.

It’s easy for us to get under each other’s skin when we work in such close quarters and when the stress of the semester is on our shoulders, so I’ll be sure to include reminders about office etiquette in the guide. We already have a bulletin board in our office with reminders of what it means to be a professional.

To kick off the discussion about what not to do in the office to drive each other bonkers, here’s a post from Ragan’s about the 12 Most Annoying Workplace Habits. Here’s a quick recap:

1. Loud talking

2. Reheating last night’s salmon in the microwave

3. Whispering

4. Bare feet

5. Saying “excuse me?” in response to every comment or question

6. Interrupting

7. Complaining

8. Correcting people; no one likes a know-it-all

9. Micromanaging

10. Chewing with your mouth open

11. Taking cell phone calls in meetings

12. Intruding on personal space

What would you add to this list?

I’ve spent the majority of my short time at Flash Communications working on non-traditional promotion of the 2011 YouToo Social Media Conference. It has been…unforgettable, to say the least.

If I recall correctly, last year I intentionally avoided going to the conference by saying I had somewhere really important to be that day. I’m pretty sure I was at home watching a NASCAR race, cheering on Dale Earnhardt Jr. Oh, what a year can change.

Now I’m sifting through old slide presentations and videos from last year’s conference as a means to promote the event this year. It looks like the 2010 YouToo Social Media Conference had the final say in that battle.

Promoting this conference has been a learning experience…. a valuable one. Every day I’m in the office, I’m doing something I’ve never done before, which makes this task more than a line on a resume. It has given me the opportunity to learn how to use different programs and websites, as well as the chance to implement tactics that will effectively increase YouToo’s visibility and SEO. I’m developing skills that will come in handy throughout the rest of my career. That alone makes it all worth the effort.

I learned how to send email pitches in Tim Robert’s media relations class a few months ago. At the time, I looked at it as another assignment I just had to get through, but I had no idea how useful it would become, or how quickly I would have to put those skills to the test. I’ve personalized and crafted email pitches to the VP of public relations for PRSA National, Crain’s Cleveland Business and PR News, to name a few.

I’ve gained first-hand experience using Slideshare while building YouToo’s account, and I’m in the process of making a YouTube account. That is, if we can ever figure out how to convert a DVD file to an uploadable movie file to put on YouTube.

With presentations from Geoff Livingston, Amber Naslund and others, I’m positive that this year’s conference will be memorable and worthwhile. I can’t believe that only 12 months ago I didn’t want to go to an event that you can take so much away from. The fourth annual YouToo Social Media Conference is on Friday, April 15. Check out the YouToo website to register or learn more.

Make sure you’re not being as lame as I was last year by finding an excuse to not go to the conference. And don’t forget to say “Yo, Tom!” (er, something like that) if you see me there. I’ll be the guy running around escorting the media all day. All right, that’s all for now. It’s time to hit the road for the 16-hour journey that will lead me to spring break in Florida.

#YouToo, #springbreak and #NASCAR all in one blog. Success.

NOTE: Time is running out for a chance to win a free conference registration! Don’t forget to use #youtoo2011 in your tweets to count!

Congratulations to PR students Tyler Norris, Erin Orsini and Robert Checkal (left to right) for their award-winning work on the May 4 Newsroom project. Emily Vincent, Thomas Neumann, Dustin Lee and I (Stefanie Moore) are thrilled to pose with our red electric guitar.

I can’t believe the holidays have come and gone and that we’re already three weeks into the spring semester. In fact, I’m still basking in the afterglow of last semester’s success.

Three Flash Communications students and I attended the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Cleveland Rocks Awards ceremony on Dec. 3 in Cleveland, Ohio. At the event, Kent State University took home two gold awards and the most coveted “Best of Show” award for its work on the 40th commemoration of the May 4 shootings that occurred on the Kent State campus. The energy and pride at our table was infectious.

The PRSA Cleveland Rocks Awards recognize outstanding public relations programs and projects. The annual awards go to public relations practitioners who have “successfully addressed a contemporary issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness.”

Kent State received a gold award in the Interactive Communications category for the May 4 40th Anniversary Online Newsroom. The resource for journalists and the general public was co-created by Flash Communications and the university’s media relations team. The newsroom features releases, videos, photos and links to social media sites where people could engage in discussion about May 4 and the 40th anniversary.

Flash Communications helped with research, content, web design, videos and a variety of social media outlets. Public relations students assisted with maintaining a May 4 Twitter account and a May 4 Visitors Center Facebook page. We created a blog and worked with a student in a May 4 special topics class on content. We also posted photos on Flickr and uploaded videos to a special May 4 You Tube channel.

Read “KSU public relations group takes Best of Show for May 4 projects” in the Record-Courier, Dec. 13, 2010, which is one of several papers that picked up the news.

What’s cool about this story is that student work went up against professionals’ work in this category and took home the gold.  My students “rock.”

The university’s other gold award was for its entry in the Special Events and Observances (Seven or Fewer Days) category. This entry also earned the university the “Best of Show” Award, which represents the finest example of public relations programming among all winners in all categories. It also gives us the rights to a red electric guitar for a year.

In addition to being recognized for our efforts at the Cleveland Rocks awards, Flash Communications received an “Honorable Mention”  in the website category at the PR News Nonprofit Awards in November.  See the news release I wrote for more information.

I’m so proud of my Spring 2010 students for their work on this project, and it feels good to be recognized. It’s even more significant because it was such an important part of Kent State’s history.

More information on the events of May 4, 1970, at Kent State can be found on the May 4 Newsroom and at www.kent.edu/may4. For more information about PRSA Cleveland, visit www.prsacleveland.org.

Each year the Greater Cleveland PRSA Chapter sponsors a day for students to learn more about the real world of public relations. Student Day 2010 was based around the tagline, “From College to Career.”  For full transparency, you should know that I helped create that tagline. I was a member of the student committee that helped promote the big day. I got involved because I’m just about to make that leap myself, and I love hearing advice from PR pros.

What I didn’t realize was how much fun I would have in the process! I networked with other students and professionals and learned valuable career tips all at once.

The Top 5 Lessons Learned from Cleveland PRSA Student Day 2010:

1. Schedule informational interviews. When you go, make sure you ask what you can do for that professional or firm in return. Give back.
2. Think of your dream job. Look up the job description. Even if you won’t get there until you have years of experience, look at what you need to be working on in the meantime.
3. Set up a Google Alert for your name. Keep an eye on how you appear to others online.
4. If you’re not improving, you’re getting worse. Think of ways to make yourself better. Whether it’s attending a PR conference or writing a guest blog post, make sure you’re always working toward a goal.
5. Follow @kyleplacy on Twitter.

For more information about the Greater Cleveland PRSA Chapter, check out http://www.prsacleveland.org.

Thanks to guest blogger Allison Brookes who provided this commentary about a speech from Lew Echlin from Ford, which was part of the MyPRseries at Kent State University.

I sat through several sessions at the final MYPRseries session last month in Franklin Hall, but one session in particular stood out to me. Lew Echlin, Ford’s marketing and communications manager, presented wonderful insight on the Ford brand and how the company earns the trust of their consumers. Ford does this by providing customers the best experience possible.

Echlin provided six steps that are used by Ford and can also be applied to life:

Step 1: Get a grip on your surroundings
Step 2: Discover yourself
Step 3: Decide deep down, what you’re all about – take an inventory of yourself
Step 4: Find out who your real friends are
Step 5: Get out there
Step 6: Keep growing

Not only did Echlin provide great insight on maintaining and growing Ford’s brand, but he was an engaging presenter. I’m currently taking a PR Tactics course where we learn the dos and don’ts of giving a speech. These are a mix of tips from Roger Ailes’ book You Are the Message and Steve Jobs’ “How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience.” Check out this presentation from Slideshare.

Here’s what Echlin did right:

1. Incorporated personal stories into the presentation.
2. Walked around the room to engage the entire audience.
3. Smiled, made direct eye contact with the audience.
4. Added short videos to the speech, added humor.
5. Created his PowerPoint presentation without bullets (simple is better!)
6. Numbered the slides of the PowerPoint.
7. Knew the material well, and didn’t have to look at the slides to keep on track (You could tell he practiced, which is key!)
8. Made his presentation memorable.

The other speakers I listened to also did well, but Echlin definitely stood out to me as the best speaker at this session. The entire experience was great and provided a great lesson on the importance of truth in the public relations field.

What are your best presentation tips for engaging an audience?

Guest Blogger: Carrie Drummond, senior public relations major

At the end of October, I had the opportunity to attend “Earn Trust,” the last session in the Meeker-Young PR Series at Kent State University. The series of PR workshops was open to professionals and students, and each session focused on a different way to make the best PR moves for your client.

I wasn’t able to stay for the entire day of events because I was busy at work for Flash Communications, but I did get to stop by and listen to Kevin Cook, executive vice president/director of corporate affairs for Edelman. I knew it was going to be a great part of the day to catch because I’ve been hearing about Edelman since I joined the PR track at Kent State.

Cook talked about The Edelman Trust Barometer, a surveying tool that the PR firm uses to determine the public’s trust levels in regards to business, government, media and other institutions. It was fascinating to go over the stats from last year’s worldwide survey. PR pros can use that information to better reach their publics. Once you know who your audience trusts, you can try to make a connection between the trust agent and the audience. On the flip side, you can make sure to avoid promoting people or institutions that your audience doesn’t trust.

The bottom line for me was that you need to know your audience. It’s one of the basics we’re taught from the start here at Kent State. Know who you’re talking to. Know what they like and why they like it. Know how to reach them. Know what influences them. And if you know and care about your audience, trust will be right around the corner.

What’s your first question when analyzing your audience?

Flash Communications student Aubrey Haskins produced the clips after interviewing pros for a video presentation as part of Kent State’s Public Relations Student Society of America’s presentation at the national conference in Washington D.C., in October.

Watch as Tom Neumann, associate vice president, University Communications and Marketing; Kevin Brosien, manager, marketing; Emily Vincent, director of media relations, Bob Burford, marketing coordinator; and Ben Brugler, executive vice president, Akhia Public Relations and Marketing Communications, share tips on how to effectively network.

Professional Dress

E-mail Etiquette

Do you agree with these tips? Do you have related stories to share?