![]() by Jenn Shafer | PRSSA National Vice President of Regional Conferences Before I was in public relations, I wanted to do journalism. Not that this is revolutionary, as many PR people start as journalists. I wrote for the school news magazine throughout high school, and decided the summer before my senior year to attend a journalism workshop for a few days. After that little conference, there was one thing I knew: I did not want to go into journalism. The conference showed me what I did not want, and sometimes that can be just as valuable. The important thing is to get yourself out there, and find out. Now in college, I realize public relations is absolutely the career I wanted to pursue, and of course PRSSA was a huge part of that decision. One light-bulb moment came when I attended the 2013 PRSSA National Conference in Philadelphia. Unlike my previous workshop experience, I left that conference knowing I was on the right career path. Attending any National PRSSA event is an experience in itself, but National Conference is on a level all its own. There are hundreds of PR students from across the country - and the world - that flock to this event to learn more about the industry. Students are placed in a professional setting with the opportunity to learn about different areas of public relations from top-notch experts, with topics ranging from crisis communication, media relations and public policy to fashion and food PR. This is the time to learn about new trends and the fast-paced, ever-changing nature of our field. Not to mention the opportunities students are provided with, like the career fair with companies just waiting to hire PRSSA students for internships and jobs. Oh, and the PRSA International Conference, which is always in the same city, so students are rubbing elbows with potential connections left and right. Exploring a new city is also a perk of attending National Conference. My love for travel may cause bias, but being able to see a new city and experience different cultures is invaluable. People learn where they fit in and the type of environment they want to work in after graduation. Just the exposure to different people and ideas is eye opening. And finally, and honestly the most important to me, is the people you will meet at these events. To be in a room with so many driven, successful people that are so similar to you, yet so different because everyone brings something unique with them, is nothing short of amazing. The passion everyone has for this industry is contagious, and the energy (or is it the caffeine?) is electrifying. Networking with professionals is important, but don’t forget the students who attend this conference; they are going places. Plus, odds are they will be your coworkers in the real world, so make friends now. The PR world is surprisingly small! Maybe you will go to this conference and fall in love like I did, or maybe it will be like my journalism workshop and you will walk away with a scheduled appointment with your advisor ready to switch majors. I hope that’s not the case, but at least you will know after leaving if you are in the right place. Either way, attending a PRSSA National Conference is beneficial to your professional and personal growth, plus, I can guarantee you will get at least 50 new followers on each social media site, a stack of business cards and a much higher Klout score. Philadelphia and Washington D.C. were unforgettable conferences, and I’m sure Atlanta will be the best yet! Hope to see you there. Follow Jenn on Twitter @_jennshafer.
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Each year, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) hosts a National Conference where students are able to network with professionals and their peers, learn from experts in the public relations industry and have a little fun. Last year, PRSSA Kent brought 13 of its members to National Conference in Washington, D.C. This year, we hope to bring even more to Atlanta.
We know it can be expensive to attend National Conference, so our Chapter wants to help make it a little easier for you. We offer partial reimbursement to members who have earned 15 membership points between the 2014 National Conference and the 2015 National Conference. (For full reimbursement details, read our Chapter Bylaws.) If you were a member last year, you may have already earned those 15 points just by going to our meetings and serving on committees. But maybe not. Maybe you still need a few extra points to get you to the big 1-5. Here are 11 ways to earn 15 points by the 2015 National Conference. 1. Pay your dues. Members who pay their dues earn one point per semester. Pretty simple. 2. Come to General Meetings. National Conference is a bit later in the semester than it normally is, so you have five opportunities to earn points just by showing up to our General Meetings every other Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. 3. Come to Workshops. This year, PRSSA Kent is introducing Workshops into our meeting schedule. These short, one-hour meetings will offer tips and tricks about topics like networking and writing press releases. All you have to do is show up to earn a point. 4. Come to Darrow Meetings. Darrow Meetings are officer meetings. The e-board meets every other week in between General Meetings to talk about Chapter updates and plans. These meetings are open to all of our members, and again, all you have to do is show up to earn a point. 5. Come to Socials. This is probably the easiest way to earn a point at PRSSA Kent. Every once in a while, we all go out and do something as a group just for fun. Participate in our group activity, and you’ll get a point. 6. Join the Homecoming Committee. The Homecoming auction is one of the biggest sources of income for our Chapter; it helps us reimburse these trips to National Conference. If you plan to receive reimbursement for National Conference, you MUST help with the Homecoming auction. You will receive points based on how many meetings you attend and how much work you accomplish outside of the meetings. 7. Join the Communications Connection Committee. For every hour you spend in a meeting for, or working on, a committee, you earn a point. Points are determined by the officer in charge of the committee. 8. Join the Web and Social Media Committee. The Web and Social Media Committee is a little different than other committees; it rarely meets in person. Points are awarded by the Web and Social Media Manager based on the number of posts submitted for the Chapter’s website and social accounts. 9. Contribute to National publications. PRSSA has two national publications: FORUM and Progressions. FORUM, PRSSA’s e-newspaper, is published three times a year. Progressions, PRSSA’s blog, constantly publishes tips and tricks about finding internships, staying on top of industry trends and getting involved in PRSSA. If interested in contributing, contact PRSSA National Publications Editor in Chief Emma Finkbeiner. 10. Donate to the National Community Service Initiative.* The PRSSA National Vice President of Chapter Development organizes a Community Service Initiative (CSI) every year where Chapters can bring items to donate to a certain cause. Last year, PRSSA Kent donated more than 50 items to Access Housing Inc. This year’s CSI has not been announced yet, so keep an eye out on PRSSA Kent social media to see how many items will equal one point. 11. Participate in a community service project.* PRSSA Kent is dedicated to our local community, so we sometimes do projects on or around campus to help out. If you participate in service organized by the Co-VPs of Fundraising and Community Outreach, you will receive one point per event. *Please note that members must have at least one point earned through community service to be eligible for reimbursement for National Conference. ![]() By Taylor Meade Hi guys! I'm the PRSA/PRSSA Liaison and the Student Chair for the YouToo Social Media Conference. For those of you that attended, I hope you all left the conference with something and if you didn't attend, make your calendars now for April 8, 2015. That will be the date of our ninth annual conference! One of my biggest goals as student chair this year was to increase the registration and we almost doubled it. I'm so pleased to announce that our student registration increased 44 percent this year. We had students from 5 different universities including Akron University, Bowling Green State University, Mount Union University and more. Some of these universities were joining the conference for the first time. I also wanted to make sure that students were comfortable networking and connecting with professionals. The conference really strived this year to promote our mentorship program. This program was an option for students to sign up for under their registration. This program linked students directly to professionals in communication and business fields the morning of the conference and gave students the chance to meet with their mentors throughout the day to recap on sessions and talk about the mentors careers. I heard great feedback from students about their mentors and I hope this will only increase student participation in the future and encourage more students to attend. Last but not least, I'd like to give a special thank you to my awesome student committee for all of their hard work and dedication. Their work definitely didn't go unrecognized. I'm thankful for their hours of stuffing packets for participants, racking up tweets, speaking to classes and more. I'm also thankful to be the recipient of the YouToo Social Media Conference scholarship. I put a lot of time into this conference and I'm happy to have been recognized for my dedication and appreciation for not only this conference but to networking and striving to find my niche in public relations. I couldn't have made this conference come together without my student and professional committees behind me. ![]() By Carrie Ann Kandes, APR | KSU PRSSA Professional Advisor I have a confession to make. I’m not in love with writing articles about the job or internship search. Don’t get me wrong – I agree it’s a critical topic for collegiates. But like the Kardashians, the topic is a bit, well, overexposed. It’s everywhere. Everyone talks about it. And everyone has advice about what you should do. Saying something profound – something you haven’t already heard – is a tall order. That’s why I decided to focus this piece on what you shouldn’t do. During nearly 20 years in this business, I’ve interviewed a lot of candidates. And many of them have been recent grads. I’m always a little stunned by the mistakes that can completely derail an otherwise effective interview. So as you look toward the end of another academic year and the search for a new internship or job, think beyond what you should do to prepare for that interview. Make sure you also consider what you shouldn’t do as part of your pre-interview regimen.
Note: In the interest of full disclosure, I must reveal that my Marcus Thomas colleagues Polly Ryder, Heidi Modarelli-Frank and Amber Zent contributed their thoughts to this list of don’ts. Thanks, ladies! Carrie is the vice president and associate director of public relations for Marcus Thomas, a Cleveland-based integrated marketing communications agency focused on ideation and audience insight. A graduate of the KSU PR Sequence, Carrie has spent nearly 20 years in the industry. ![]() By Ashley Cowles Ciao, PRSSA! My name is Ashley and I’m a public relations minor. I’m currently studying abroad through the CCI program in Florence, Italy, and I’d like to share with you some of the many reasons why studying abroad should be on your to-do list. Life in Italy First of all, Italy! Have you happened to see pictures of this beautiful country? Here’s one of me and Kayla Todd, a PR major and photo illustration minor, just to give you an idea: Yes, this is what it really looks like, and it's actually even a little more beautiful in person. Not only is this country breathtaking but the Italian culture is enough reason in itself to study here. This isn’t a chance for you to go to another country just to be a tourist. You will be immersed into the local culture. You’ll be overwhelmed by the fresh food, intricate art, friendly people, amazing fashion and just an overall different way of life, and I guarantee you’ll love it. Travel Opportunities Second, traveling! Florence is amazing, but you have the opportunity to travel all throughout Europe (or even farther if you’d like). I’ve gone to at least six other cities in Italy as well as two different countries. You have the option to just hop on a train and take a day or weekend trip, and there are also travel companies everywhere to book with that make it extremely easy to visit places. Global Education Third, of course it’d be wonderful just to travel the whole time while in Florence, but there actually is a reason for the “study” in study abroad. No matter your major in CCI, Kent State offers classes that fit your path. You can take classes on intercultural communication, international marketing and comparative media. You can make your own documentary, learn about the Italian cinema and contribute to a blog based in Florence. You also have the opportunity to become even more integrated into the culture, through art and language classes! The course load is completely manageable, and the professors are from Italy and always there to help you. Also, not only are you being taught in a classroom, you’re constantly able to apply what you learn in your everyday interactions. Kent State in Italy Lastly, CCI and Kent State Florence unbelievably prepare you for this journey and help you along the way. You’ll have orientation weeks before you leave and learn basically everything you need to know, from applying for your visa to talking with Italians. Once you arrive in Florence, you’ll have orientation with the staff there. They’ll teach you common Italian phrases, show you places you’ll need to go, like the grocery store and train station, and so much more! There are also many opportunities and activities available to you, such as cooking classes, hikes, and rafting on the river. The Kent State Florence staff are not just professors or advisors, they are more like friends who will assist you with anything you need. Have family coming to visit? They’ll give you a list of hotels. Don’t know how to say what you need at the pharmacy? They’ll translate it and write it down for you. When you’re in a different country you’ve never been to before, you’ll undoubtedly struggle along the way, but the Kent State staff both at home and in Florence will do all they can do make your experience as easy as possible. So have I convinced you yet? I had an extremely hard time writing this, because I feel like I could write an entire book on my study abroad experience! Studying abroad will teach you about different cultures, introduce you to new people, help you continue on your degree path, get you out of your comfort zone and overall change you as a person for the better! If you’re thinking about studying abroad and have questions I didn’t address, feel free to send me an email at [email protected], and you can get your application at CCI Study Abroad. You won’t regret it! What is your dream study abroad destination? Why is a global mindset important is public relations? |
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