It’s another week of finals and graduation ceremonies. Crystal Price, the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 secretary, and Joanna Belizaire, the 2011- 2012 special events coordinator, will be taking their walk on May 4, 2012. I couldn’t be more proud of these two young women. I can say with all sincerity and confidence that they will burn brighter than the sun because of the amazing year I have spent working with them. I can’t also forget to mention Nicole Otermet, the 2011 treasurer. Nikki, even though we spent a short time together, I can’t say that I didn’t see the dynamic you brought to our little group. I’m glad you got your job offer.

It would a cardinal sin to forget Sasha Cameron, the 2011–2012 president. Sasha isn’t graduating this semester. She will be interning in Washington, DC, in the summer. She is the only student that I know who is willing to brace the world of government PR. She literally lights up when she talks about her future plan. Sasha, you’re an amazing woman. I am in awe. I can’t wait to have our future reunion. I am sure that we will have incredible stories to share about our journey.

To Crystal, Joanna, Sasha and Nikki, our tenure may have ended but I must say this “[we did it: handed over to amazing young women who would be better than us.] So, let’s raise a cup cause I found someone to carry me home.”

Finally to all USF PRSSA members and prospective members, I am excited about the 2012-2013 school year because today, we are young. We have the opportunity to make PRSSA, PR and USF the place we want it to be. We have an amazing set of new board members who are excited to work with you all to help you achieve your goals and solidify your dreams. They have the whole of summer to cook up lovely plans for you to benefit from. As you start your spectacular holiday, do keep USF PRSSA in mind. Send us pictures and diaries of your travels. We love to share them. But more importantly, take the time to decide to be an active member in the fall. It will be worth it, I promise. Until our next general body meeting, remember that we can make a difference with our youth and we’ve got a limited amount of time to effect those change. So, I raise my cup to you all.

Murewa Olubela
2011-2012 vice president

In this session, all three speakers agreed on three important steps in crisis communication:

1. Communicate early, often, clearly
2. Prepare
3. Practice, practice, practice

Eliot Brenner said your goal is to shorten the time between the start of a crisis and the return to business as usual. Brenner also said it’s important to perform emergency drills in order to prepare for a crisis. Another important thing to do is build relationships with reporters. Whether or not there is a crisis happening, you should still talk to reporters. Building relationships with reporters in a non-crisis situation can help you out in a crisis situation.

Laura Brown said communication is important, both with reporters and within your own organization. During the Sept. 11th attacks, the FAA created a phone bridge in order to have one huge conference call with reporters. This way all questions could be answered at once. This method can be chaotic, but it’s effective. She mentioned using Twitter is helpful, but as soon as a Tweet is sent out something could change. When you have everyone on the phone the information can be instantly told to reporters instead of waiting for a Tweet to show up. Another important thing is having someone in your organization that you can rely on and trust to supply you with correct information.

I will end with a list of skills Richard Levick gave us:

1. Always have writing tools
2. We are all Buddhists – “First seek to understand, then to be understood”
3. Think of everything as a win-win situation
4. Calmness
5. Be ready to travel at any moment
6. Practice, Practice, Practice
7. Be passionate
8. Do not be zealous

-Erica Baldwin

USF PRSSA with National President Nick and VP of Internships/Job Services Scott.

The annual national conference for PRSSA was held from October 15th through the 19th in Washington, D.C. this year. Over 1,000 students were in attendance, along with thousands more PRSA professionals that gathered for their own conference. Dozens of school’s chapters were represented and helped make this event a breeding ground for fun networking and career skills enhancement.

Throughout the conference, there was a multitude of sessions that provided a more in-depth look at the public relations profession and PRSSA chapter development. These sessions could be broken down into three categories: chapter development, professional development and special sessions.

The chapter development sessions included information such as about building a better membership base, running a student-run firm and fundraising.
The professional development sessions provided educational panels on resume building, finding internships, career preparation, what professionals look for in interns, how to make an internship meaningful and the pros of networking. Other sessions that fell into this category focused on giving students the uncut version of working in public relations that handled entertainment, sports, politics, the environment, fashion, health care, non-profit organizations, international relations, travel and tourism.

The special sessions included an eclectic spread of topics about issues in PR today. All of these included panels of professionals who are at the top of their game in their niche of PR. Several of these sessions were combined events for PRSSA and PRSA members. One amazing example would be a talk given by Bettina Luescher, chief spokesperson for the North America United Nations World Food Program. She gave a run-down of how this organization utilizes social media to coordinate thousands of volunteers in national disasters to make sure everyone gets fed.

When students were not in session, they were networking with their peers from all over the nation. There were many pre-planned events for this purpose, such as a massive social that entailed dancing, prizes, a scavenger hunt and food.

National Conference will be hosted by the University of Florida next year in Orlando, Fla. If you are serious about advancing in your PR career, start saving and planning for this conference now!

-Emily Givens

Jim VandeHei, executive editor and co-founder of Politico, spoke about the constant state of evolution in his field.

The ever expanding and ever changing means of social media cannot be underestimated. As many of those in the public relations field know, the expansion of social media provides a way of interaction unlike any other medium. During the Washington, D.C. PRSSA National Conference, political speakers stressed the power that social media has on politics. Information is no longer flowing through a few mainstream outlets, but it is interlinked across a large social web.

Those in politics that study and embrace new technology have seen greater results in their field, whether it be campaigning during elections or effectively communicating actions while in office. Jim Margolis, Senior Advisor during the 2008 Barack Obama campaign spoke of tactics they pursued to win an election. They would expand the electorate – specifically among young voters, embrace technology, use social networking, and create a movement.

Meghan McCain, daughter of Republican presidential candidate John McCain, recently spoke at USF. A few words she mentioned in response to the success of the Obama campaign correlated with Margolis- social networking and a movement. She spoke of a new generation of the Republican Party, labeling herself as a “progressive Republican.” Part of being progressive is embracing the times in which we live, which means embracing technology. They understand the importance of utilizing the power of social media in order to succeed in the political field.

However, campaigns strategists are not the only ones looking to utilize this movement. News groups are embracing this technology as well, giving themselves a competitive edge. Jim VandeHei, executive editor and co-founder of Politico, spoke about the constant state of evolution in his field. Since people are constantly finding new ways of receiving information, news groups must constantly be searching for new ways to reach audiences. Newspapers have not reached people the way they once did, nor has mainstream television. People are interacting through new mediums- through social networking. Politicians have not always embraced social media, but are now realizing its powerful impact on the way people interact and gather information.

-Andrew Uhlir

• Create your own opportunities. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you.
• Everyone, including your peers, is the competition. You must find your unique niche, and choose a direction.
• The world is increasingly digital. Get online and understand social media as a tool for PR.
• Build your resume and get a domain. Post your content online and establish your own brand identity online.

View the clip below to watch an introduction of Brock’s visit. And mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 10 for our next general meeting. You can even view this meeting — and all other events — on our Google Calendar, set up alerts and subscribe to events.

USF PRSSA has a new logo, a new look and a stronger presence online.

PRSSA has undergone a massive rebranding. Our advisor, Rebecca Hagen, is a professional graphic designer and utilized her skills to provide the organization with a distinctive, yet simple logo. Professor Hagen also designed a WordPress-based website for the club that officers maintain. The organization also established a strong social media presence. A PRSSA page was created on Facebook that users can “like” to receive updates from the organization on his or her news feed. Similarly, PRSSA is remaining active on Twitter. Both social networking websites are allowing the organization to connect with members, alumni, and PRSSA members around the country. PRSSA will be expanding its social media presence to more platforms in upcoming weeks. If you aren’t already connected, make sure you like, follow, and bookmark us:

http://facebook.com/usfprssa

http://twitter.com/usfprssa

http://usfprssa.com

-Divya Sukumar

Oh man, if I can only slide my way into that dream job I’ll be fabulous, you’ll see! But oh, the torture of the interview…

At this point in our college careers many of us Mass Communication students are starting to dabble our pens in the workforce’s ink. This might include the great experience of an internship or taking the giant leap of an actual job in the field. However, to get that position you have to impress the gatekeeper who holds your key. So what’s the magic formula to scoring big? Remember these tips:

1) Set Facebook Profiles to Private!

More and more employers are starting to check their applicant’s online personality for clues of the professional integrity of the applicant. Things to avoid would include: obsessive profanity, negativity, how drunk you were the night before, why you flicked some guy off in your car and so on and so forth. An employer can now find out so much more about you in a couple of clicks, so keep it clean and neat.

2) Do Your Research!

Knowing the company and what they stand for is huge. Knowing any specifics about the actual position you’re interviewing for helps too. An employer will not be impressed if they ask you a simple question such as why you think you’d fit into this position and you haven’t a clue. Simple techniques to get you started might be googling the company, searching the company website, or looking up your employer on Linkedin.com.

3) Prepare a Job Specific Resume!

It might seem appealing to print 100 resumes and send it to 100 different jobs but putting in the extra effort for one resume helps. Studies show that the average employer only looks at a resume for 10 seconds so you have to be impressive in as little words and in the most direct way possible for that specific job.

4) Practice Answering Questions!

You always want to go into an interview being as prepared as possible. To achieve this it might take a little practice. Be able to cite something you accomplished during every activity you listed on your resume. Look up online common questions asked by interviewers and have a friend bring you through a trial run.

5) Dress the Part!

Always dress appropriately and conservatively for an interview. Not only will you look like you belong behind one of their desks but you’ll also feel more profession and act the part.

6) Put on the Confidence Cloak!

I don’t want to get too corny with this step but really put on your confidence cloak. One of the most powerful tools you bring into an interview is your attitude. When you feel like you deserve the job then it is ten times easier to convince an employer of that fact. Mentally prep by putting on a song in the car that empowers you. Walk into the office standing up straight with a genuine smile and shake their hand while making eye contact. Don’t fiddle with your face or hair. Building confidence can take time, but once you’ve mastered the game the “umms” and “uhhs” fade away and all you’re left with is a very impressive job candidate.

7) Use Common Sense-

Very simple mistakes can sometimes throw off an entire interview so use common sense. Don’t chew gum during an interview. Don’t put on strong perfume or cologne when getting ready that morning. Turn your cell phone off to keep it from interrupting or from you fidgeting with it. Don’t badmouth an ex-employer or talk about how awesome the kegger was last night.

8 ) Have Goals-

One easy way to get what you want in life is to have goals. In an interview, knowing and sharing these goals shows an employer that you have direction, passion for the journey and possible passion for your future job with that company.

9) Ask Questions-

In any interview, you want the interviewer to be as comfortable with you as possible. To achieve this there must be two-way communication flowing at all times like in any conversation. Always have four or five questions brewing about the position or how the company might provide chances for personal growth. This puts the situation more at ease and also shows that you aren’t intimidated by one-on-one interaction on a professional level.

10) Thank Them for the Opportunity-

In jobs where you want to stand out against dozens of candidates you must provide constant reminders of who you are and why you kick butt. At the end of the interview make sure you shake their hand and thank them for the opportunity of seeing you today. Especially if you’re not the last person interviewed, you’ll want to send them a thank you letter or email to reinforce their memory of why you stand out.

Now that you have ten steps to get you started on becoming a terrific interviewee, hopefully you’ll utilize them and make a statement! Good Luck…

-Emily Givens

Mass Comm Media Bulls' Team Banner Hung in MSC during Homecoming Week.

For the first time in USF history, PRSSA is participating in Homecoming Week! PRSSA is partnered with AdClub and SPJ to create a Mass Communications team, “The Media Bulls.”

Our very own co-treasurer, Amanda Hamman, is captain of the team.  She has been dedicating the past few weeks for the event .  “It’s been hectic, but it’s slowly all coming together. I’m excited to build our float for the parade!”, said Hamman.  The theme of Homecoming this year is “Making Memories”.  “We wanted to incorporate and include all the majors within mass communications, so we decided to convey nostalgiaism into our theme with what USF was and is now,” said Hamman.

The idea of being more active within the USF community came during a PRSSA executive board meeting.  “We wanted to start a new tradition and do something that incorporated school spirit, and at the same time promote the School of Mass Comm,” said President Ryan Hines. This would also be the first time that the School of Mass Communications has participated in this event.

The Media Bulls will compete in almost all Homecoming activities. From flag football to creating a float for Friday’s parade, The Media Bulls have been working non-stop to showcase what the School of Mass Communications has to offer.

PRSSA encourages everyone to get involved and help out this week.  Come out and cheer our Media Bulls on! For more information about locations and meetings times of the events please visit the calendar on our website usfprssa.com.

-Miranda Lou

Once again, welcome to PRSSA at USF!