Category: Entry-Level PR Job

Next World Media Symposium

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, In Our Community, , , ,

Undoubtedly you’ve heard the oft-repeated claim that technology is changing how we do things. And while some lament and others celebrate this fact, it’s becoming an inescapable truth within the communication industry.

UNC-CH School of Journalism and Mass Communication professors John Sweeney, Gary Kayye and JoAnn Sciarrino are amongst those celebrating. On Friday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the three are hosting the Next World Media Symposium in UNC’s Carroll Hall room 33.

The event – inspired by TED Talks – will showcase prominent industry and academic leaders with provocative views of media and branding. Keynote speaker Daryl Evans, vice president of advertising and marcom at AT&T (did you know that at $1.59 billion, AT&T has one of the largest media-spending budgets of any brand?) and others will highlight new trends, new tools and new ways to compete in changing industries of advertising, public relations, marketing and branding.

Within hours of registration opening on Oct. 4, all spots to attend the free event were filled. However, you can still stay in the loop by following the hashtag #NextWorldUNC in addition to joining the waitlist. Plus, make sure to stay tuned for a blog posts by Clairemont interns, Sam Halle and Kate Fedder, who will be attending the event and keeping us all posted on the latest and greatest tech trends!

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7th Annual Music for Fences Benefit

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, In Our Community, , , , 1 Comment on 7th Annual Music for Fences Benefit

Are you looking for the perfect family event for your Saturday evening? Are you a dog lover who wants to contribute to efforts to improve the lives of dog across the Triangle? Or, are you a concert addict like myself?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, grab a blanket or lawn chair and head to Durham Central Park for the Coalition to Unchain Dogs’ 7th Annual Music for Fences Benefit Concert! Proceeds from the event will help to build free fences and provide free spay/neuter services for chained dogs in the Triangle area, and the concert lineup boasts names that include Morning Brigade, Jeffrey Dean Foster & The Birds of Prey, Tom Maxwell, Gary Mitchell Band, Brett Harris & Skylar Gudasz and more. Additionally, the Teen Fest Performance Troupe will perform, and there will be all sorts of fun that includes a raffle with items from Triangle businesses and restaurants, a kids’ zone, food and drink and informational booths on animal welfare.

What is the Coalition to Unchain Dogs all about? The non-profit volunteer effort is committed to improving the welfare of dogs living continuously chained outdoors by providing free spay/neuter, vaccinations and fences. Through providing nonjudgmental assistance and building relationships within the community, Coalition to Unchain Dogs bolsters connections between dogs and their human companions in North Carolina and Atlanta. Additionally, Coalition to Unchain Dogs works to raise community expectations regarding the standards of care for all dogs through welfare partnerships around the country to deliver free-fencing programs and to lobby for legislation to help chained dogs, including legislation that disallows or severely restricts tethering of dogs.

So, head to Durham Central Park tomorrow to enjoy an evening of feel-good music and fun from 5 to 9 p.m. (gates open at 4:30). Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the gate, and children under age 12 get in free.

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How to Capture Your Audience: Avoiding the TCP

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Professional Development, Public Relations, , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment on How to Capture Your Audience: Avoiding the TCP

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We have all experienced it – the boring, routine presentation that leads you to incessantly double-check your watch and meticulously count down the minutes until you are free to leave and go about your day. This kind of presentation can be categorized as a TCP: the Typical Corporate Presentation. While most can agree that public speaking is typically not at the top of the “favorite things to-do” list, it does not mean that you are incapable if giving a stellar presentation.

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I recently had the opportunity to attend a NCPRSA Professional Development luncheon, where Alan Hoffler, the executive director and principal trainer at MillsWyck Communications, spoke on the essentials for giving a successful presentation. The valuable tips shared can be applied to any type of professional or scholarly environment, and can even fine-tune your every day communication skills. But, you may ask, “What exactly defines a successful presentation?”

Essentially, a presentation can be deemed successful if the audience is able to repeat something discussed. At the end of the day, if people cannot repeat your message, it was not successful.

To improve your presentation and communication skills, check out the three main steps that will prevent you from giving that dreaded TCP:

Capture the audience’s attention – “You can’t lose what you don’t have!”
If you want to keep the audience’s attention, you must first have it. You must give them a reason to listen. Interacting with members in the audience, asking questions or sharing a relatable story can achieve this.

Give your audience a mental list – “You can’t repeat what you don’t remember.”

After you have the audience’s attention, tell them what you intend to tell them. This tool provides the audience with an easy to follow structure and lets the crowd know exactly what they will be getting out of your presentation. Your message should first be addressed and then expand on the topic from there.

Finish strong and briefly – “You can’t finish what never ends.”

Always, always, always finish strongly. Make sure you keep your ending brief and to the point, while giving the audience a call to action that they can take away from the presentation.

Have any other tips that have helped you give a successful presentation?

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Tips for a Successful Job Search

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Free Advice, , , , , , , 4 Comments on Tips for a Successful Job Search

Come May, all three of our Clairemont interns will be turning their tassels and leaving the beautiful UNC campus behind to officially enter the job market. With North Carolina currently at a 9.2 percent unemployment rate, we challenged our intern, Erin, to find out exactly what recent college grads and other young professionals need to do to make sure they get hired in an oversaturated job market.

1Twenty years ago looking for a job meant checking the newspaper, asking around town and simply submitting an application or resume. Today, the search itself has become a full-time occupation. With endless access to job postings through search engines and social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor, companies that at one time may have received 50 resumes for an open position now receive thousands.

So, just how do you beat out all those other applicants to land your dream job?

According to Richard Spector, Public Relations Society of America Jobcenter manager, you have to be just as strategic and persistent in your search as you would be if you were hired. In his recent webinar, “Your Guide to Career Success,” he outlined the top facts and “dos and don’ts” of a successful job search.

Interviewing

  • Do your research. Know the company inside and out from social media sites to media coverage.
  • Come prepared. Have a mock presentation with a strategic answer to that company’s needs.

Resume

  • On average, resumes are judged within six seconds, so keep it simple.
  • Your resume is your calling card. Use measurable examples to show things you accomplished.
  • Use technology such as a QR code to show you can be both digital and creative.

Cover Letter

  • Employers want to know what you have done, so start off with how you solved a problem.
  • Take note from the cover letter that went viral and stay away from personal attributes.
  • Be authentic! Keep to keywords and refrain from flowery language.

Online Profiles and Portfolio

  • Make sure your Linkedin profile is 100 percent complete. Recruiters can see the holes in your profile.
  • Google yourself. Are your online profiles easily accessible – and just as importantly, are they appropriate?
  • Utilize your social profiles to position yourself as an industry thought leader. Follow different agencies and industry professionals on Twitter and re-tweet and share interesting news with your followers.
  • In your portfolio, always remember quality over quantity. Only show the best examples of your work to potential employers.

Networking

  • Use social media, informational interviews, job shadowing, volunteering and freelancing to meet other industry professionals.
  • Build relationships by connecting over commonalities or giving recommendations.

BUT, what’s the most important thing to remember in every aspect of the job hunt? Be authentic and never give up! Twenty percent of job rejections will actually end in a job offer. As the old saying goes, when one door closes another door opens. Good luck and share your job search tips in the comments section below!

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Value-driven Marketing: Using Public Relations for Effective Brand Building

Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Marketing2 Comments on Value-driven Marketing: Using Public Relations for Effective Brand Building

Sydney, one of our stellar interns this semester (don’t worry, we will do a proper intro of everyone soon!), recently watched a PRSA webinar about marrying the power of public relations and branding. Well, what did she learn? Keep reading for all of the highlights!

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Marketing never stays the same and neither do consumers. We are a long way away from the product-driven days of Henry Ford where you can have any color you want as long as it’s black. In the current market-driven economy, businesses are listening and developing strategies based on their consumers’ needs. And today, consumers want a long-term relationship and a deeper level of engagement that establishes a sense of trust and emotional connection with a brand.

That’s where public relations professionals come into the mix—whether its utilizing social media, blogging or traditional media tactics, we help tell a brand’s story and encourage a two-way conversation that will bring value-based ideas to the table and integrate seamlessly into an organization’s larger marketing communications plan.

To be relevant to the value-driven consumer, brands must:

1. Talk the talk and walk the walk. The post-recession consumer is not one that wants to be sold to, but one that wants meaningful interaction with a brand. In order to speak to the new value-driven consumer, brands must put purpose behind their products and personify its brand in a way that is authentic. This means brands can’t just talk the talk, but they must walk the walk in order to be successful. Through blogging and various social media channels, brands can connect and engage with consumers on a personal level and build more meaningful long-term relationships.

2. Get emotional. Consumers want to establish an emotional connection with a brand. Where brand values and consumer values intersect are shared values, and when these shared values are successfully tapped into, emotional connection ensues, which builds the loyalty, creates the engagement and ultimately drives the sell that every marketer wants. Blogging is one opportunity out of many that brands can use to show its personality and communicate with its consumers in a more emotional, personal way.

3. Create a culture that is inviting. Tony Hseih, CEO of Zappos, lives by the motto, “Your culture is your brand.” Put your culture out there and it will become an integral part of your brand to the value-driven consumer, who is often not only purchasing your product but also the idea of your brand.

Interested in hearing more? Check out the full webinar here. Have any tips to add to this list? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!

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