blogging for my sanity!

I have been talking about applying for jobs, for about a solid month now and today I decided that I was going to buckle down and start the hunt. Little did I know, how time straining and overwhelming it could be! So, to help me stay motivated (and sane) I thought I would share how my search is going.

google.com

I first listed the 3 major locations I would like to live in:

-Denver, CO

-San Diego, CA

-Charlotte, NC

(I haven’t made it past Denver yet)

But then I went to Google and searched some of my key words: “PR” “jobs” “Denver” and I came across all kinds of options. A lot of them required several years of experience, which made it easy to go on and look at others. I found a few job opening that looked interesting so I applied. I filled in a lot of information, answered a lot of questions and added my resume and cover letter and hit the big blue “apply” button. The feeling of applying for a first job is absolutely terrifying. I just hope that all my  information, and hard work looks as good on a computer screen thousands of miles away from here, as I hope it does!

After applying, I looked for the businesses on Linked in, so that I could be able to be connected to them on there as well! I also looked for them on twitter and Facebook. Just trying to cover all my bases. As much as I hope landing my first job will be because of what I know, I’m thinking it will be more of who I know, simply because I may just be black and white letters on a screen.

Let the search continue!

google.com

Ready or not, here I come…

Ready or not…. That’s how I feel about graduation. Ready or not it is time to put myself to the test and enter the job market.

Being apart of PRSSA, Public Relations Student Society of America, here on campus I have been lucky enough to be able to take notes from PR professionals. Last Monday PRSSA at WCU hosted Mike Crisp.  Mike worked for the ninth largest PR firm in the country after graduating from Western Carolina and has only continued to go up from there. Currently Mike has is own PR firm, which has some pretty big name clients. Getting insight from Mike about what to expect once graduation has come and gone has really put my mind in the right place. He shared the steps he took after graduation, which landed him his first job:

1-    List 4 cities you would like to work in

2-    Look up the firms/businesses you would like to work for in those cities

3-    Send the HR from every place you were interested in (EVEN if they are not hiring) your resume and cover letter

4-    Wait about 2 weeks and if needed start the process over

Mike also told the chapter about the 3 different types on interviews he had:

1-    One-on-one interview

2-    Small group or committee interview

3-    Screening interview

As you would expect a one-on-one interview is what it sounds like, one single person will interview you. Small group or committee interview is a number of people interviewing you all at once. And a screening interview is being interviewed one person at a time, but by several different people. It’s like passing a level. If you do well you get to go to the next level.

With the help from professionals, paired with my education, I know when graduation comes knocking; I’m ready…here I come.

 

COMM kid

I was asked to be apart of the Western Carolina University’s Communication Department review session today. This review happens once every five years and the purpose is to have someone outside of our department to come look at the program and see if it’s headed in the right direction.

I graduate from WCU in May, and I have been a COMM major since first semester freshman year. I thought “hey, I will be good at this.” But i never thought I would walk away from this department with so much to be proud of. When I cross the stage May 5th–93 days from today– I know that I will be starting a new chapter of life with all the tools needed to be successful given to me by the department and the teachers dedicated to it. I guess it took this meeting, to be surrounded by my peers that I have grown up with in college, and in our department, and talking about how thankful we all were for our experiences and for our professors, for it to really hit me that I am in fact leaving this place that I have grown to love. But I know that I’m leaving motivated, excited and able. I gave Western, the COMM department and each professor everything I had, and I think it’s safe to say that I left the department better then I found it.

Western Carolina University

I guess I just wanted to express my appreciation to the department and to everyone who has help me become the COMM kid I am today!

Thankful!

“Tell me who you love, and I will tell you who you are”

I’ve always heard the clique, “a picture is worth a 1,000 words”, but I rarely have actually seen it. But over the weekend I found a picture while doing my Facebook stalking that is truly worth 1,000+ words. To me it embodies love, humility, and it unites all people in all steps of life and admitting when your wrong and making it right.

This is a Christian group that showed up to a Chicago Gay Pride parade holding apologetic signs including “I’m sorry for how the church treated you”.

I love this picture.

At the end of the day we are all people, people! Don’t forget that.

PR in PJs- tips & encouragement for upcoming professionals

This blog is an excellent guide for “unlocking social media for PR”

Social media is taking our world by storm, and I know that it will be something that I will have experience in that will make me a cut above most entering the job market in May.

Chris Storm is the author of this blog, and of a book that is on this and similar topics. He runs Denver Marketing, which is company that helps businesses who are struggling to build their online presence.

There are so  easy steps to help you unlock the secrets to being a social media expert!

“Now that PR is increasingly becoming “social,” it’s more important than ever to deliver your PR message with the help of images.” -Chris Storm

COMM 493- Social Media

Here is a glimpse at what my blogs are going to be exploring weekly! I’m excited about my choices and I hope you get something out of my personal insight! And if you have any blogs you love, please share them with me!

Career area

1. Blog.denverbroncos.com/jsaccomano
2. Bunchesofbliss.com
3. Deneverpsblog.com

Interests

1. Sportscareersinstitute.com
2. Cupcakesandcashmere.com
3. Theartorialist.com

Report

It was actually hard for me to choose which blogs I was going to follow because I really like them all, and my interests and career field overlapped on some which is why I love my major!  But the 3 I picked were:

• Cupcakesandcashmere.com
• Deneverpsblog.com
• Bunchesofbliss.com

Cupcakes and Cashmere’s target audience is women in their late twenties all the way into their forties I would say. The reason there is such a wide range in ages of the women who are probably looking at this blog is because there are so many different topics to look at. For example: outfits, recipes, how-to, and at home.  Emily is the name of the woman who is blogging and she blogs weekly.  She has a very large audience and there are lots of photos, which I think are my favorite part.

Denver PR blogs is obviously, a very career driven blog, created and targeted for professionals and upcoming PR professionals. Topics discussed are PR and PR related jobs in Colorado, and current projects that are taking place in Denver and all the PR news in Colorado.  The postings are weekly and there are over 5,000 people viewing this blog. The pictures are very simple, not as appealing as other blogs I have looked at.

Bunches of Bliss is one that falls under my profession as well as my interests. This is a blog that is targeted to women engaged or dreaming of their wedding! Topics discussed are shoes, hair, dresses, cakes, accessories and more all related to that special day.  This blog is undated weekly as well. The audience is very large for this blog as well.  There are a lot of pictures which makes this blog fun to look at and helps you see what you like and don’t for your wedding!