Archive for the Future of PR Category
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Are you a communications professional? Have at least a couple of years of experience under your belt? Want to hang out with our super smart undergrads for a day giving them your expert advice and helping guide their path toward a fruitful career? Join us as a portfolio reviewer for our Winter term portfolio reviews, scheduled at the Turnbull Center on Friday, March 9th from 9am-5pm. We need reviewers who can commit to either a morning shift (9-noon), and afternoon shift (1-5) or the whole live long day. Lunch will be provided. If you’re not familiar with the reviews, here’s the scoop: The PR Portfolio Reviews are designed to serve as a trial for about-to-graduate Public Relations Majors from the University of Oregon embarking on the search for their first professional job. These students have the opportunity to present key projects and receive valuable feedback from PR professionals on their class... Continue Reading
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“…PR people are ruining social media…” “…P.R. people drive me crazy…” “…PR sucks…” Okay, that last one is more of a paraphrase than a quote, but you get the point. PR has taken a bit of a lashing recently. Beyond being tired, cliche and trite, the “PR Sucks” meme is an informal fallacy - a straw man argument. The assertion of most of these pieces is that because much of PR (particularly agency work and especially over the last 20 years) has been focused on earned media (media relations), that PR people are not suited/incapable/really bad at social media strategy and implementation. That media relations models don’t work in the social world, so clearly we’re ill-suited. But media relations of course is only one specialized function – this argument reveals more about the respective writers’ (lack of) experience or limited view of PR and its role in management than it does... Continue Reading
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As the adviser for Allen Hall Public Relations, I spend a minority of my time teaching specific public relations skills. A minority would be an overstatement. It’s a sliver, a fraction… not much at all. So what do I spend most of my time doing? Mentoring and coaching students on how to be effective leaders, counselors and teammates. Every year we tweak and morph, change and adapt, looking for the key to creating strong foundations, building communications skills and prepping these young professionals to be strong leaders. Every year it seems we don’t quite make it… AHPR members are always awesome. ALWAYS. But I usually feel like there was more I could do. This year, I invited Corinne McElroy from Edge of Change to facilitate a workshop focused on the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book and assessment. I had the pleasure of being part of a workshop Corinne led earlier this year... Continue Reading
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Kelli’s Note: I am thrilled to host this guest post from Saramaya Weissman. Chicago is that city that ‘in another life’ I would love to live in. So proud of her for taking this chance and making it work! Saramaya is a 2010 graduate from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. She currently lives in Chicago and interns at Edelman Public Relations. You can reach her via Twitter at @SaramayaFaye. Exactly three months after I graduated from the University of Oregon I started an amazing and ideal internship at Edelman Public Relations in their co-global headquarters of Chicago. I’m SO thrilled to be here, but the job hunting journey this summer and figuring out “what’s next?” was no easy path. From a small town in beautiful north Idaho to wonderfully hipster Eugene, I was dying for a big city and had my eyes set on Chicago. After... Continue Reading
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This guest post is from my Twitter friend, Kellye Crane. Kellye is one of those PRos that I always recommend students follow. She’s super smart and has good advice for PR people at all levels. As the school year draws to a close, I’m sure many PRos in Training are thinking about the future, and pondering what Modern PR means today. Whether you’re on the job market, starting an internship, beginning a new position or just trying to keep up with the latest advancements, you’ve no doubt heard and read a great deal about the vast changes taking place in the approach to public relations. As current students know, whether it’s called PR 2.0, New PR, or some other catchy label, it’s clear that public relations is moving into a new age. At the forefront of this evolution is PR’s incorporation of a more conversational approach to communications, made possible... Continue Reading
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So you’re prepared to be the PRo of the future. Whoop-de-freakin-do. What if you still can’t find a job? Be patient: It takes time to find a job. The average time is three to six months, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes 2009 grads a bit longer (I know several ’08 grads who are still looking, too). Find a part-time job in the meantime doing something that’s not terribly painful – barista, retail, restaurant, or office – and just keep at it. The right job will come along. Keep the End in Mind: Constantly looking for work for three, six, even nine months can be awfully discouraging. Stay motivated to reach your goal. Volunteer: Especially if you’re a new grad, you have to keep your skills fresh and keep building your portfolio. Find a nonprofit that does something you’re excited about and offer to help with their PR... Continue Reading
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The very ground on which we stand in public relations is shifting. Like tectonic plates colliding miles under the surface, these changes are shaking up the industry. The PRos of the future will need to have different skills and use more traditional skills in new ways. These changes are creating new opportunities for smart, creative thinkers. John Bell at Ogilvy’s 360 Digital Influence Team offers 13 skills that will be required for PR professionals to succeed in the future. His PR Brain for 2009 looks different than the PR brain looked even seven years ago when I finished my undergrad degree. You can read John’s post, but the point of his skills that I take away are that you have to be quick, responsive (not reactive) and creative. You also must know how to think in terms of measurement, ROI and be able to talk business. Katie Paine offers six... Continue Reading
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