The end of an era...

OK, my title is a bit of an exaggeration...it's not really the end of an era - it's only been 15 blog posts.

Still, this is my final post, so I wanted to say farewell. The semester is over and I'm graduating in 2 weeks!

I have to say, I might actually miss blogging - maybe I will keep it up even after this assignment has been graded. It has been interesting and insightful. I have learned a lot about the blogosphere and enjoyed reading other people's opinions.

As much as her students complained, I think Dr. Russell's assignment was worthwhile. Blogging is the latest "thing" in communication, and going into the field of PR means being up to date on the best ways to communicate. The assignment even made the Grady College of Journalism's Web site.

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts about PR and the world with you!

A good top ten list...

A student in my PR campaigns class posted this top ten list and I thought it was relevant. She was not in my group and from what I have read in other student's blogs, it was, unfortunately, a little harder for their group than for ours. However, if I had to give advice to students entering ADPR 5950 next year, I would probably have given much of the same. *Especially tip 9 about the blog.* I didn't wait until week eight to start but I also didn't do them one week at a time like I should have. These things will really sneak up on you.

I'm going to email my roommate the link as she is completing her campaigns course soon. I've felt like her older sister this year because I am one year ahead in school and take all of the PR classes a semester or so before her. It's nice to share my "expertise," but it must be even nicer to be on the receiving end!

Life decision update

So I have decided to move to New York City and pursue fashion, beauty and entertainment PR. Scary - yes. Exciting - YES!

I have been revamping my resume and cover letter for the past few days. I am very proud of my resume but I'm still having issues with my cover letter. (Thanks Dr. Russell for looking over my resume! My cover letter will be coming at you soon!) I made three versions: one that is creative but not the standard format, another that has a cool concept and IS the standard format and a third that is just a straight up business cover letter.

I really want to do something to separate myself from the pack, but here comes the issue - what if what I think is super creative and interesting, the PR pros think is stupid? I have gotten opinions from my parents and I think I will contact my old boss for some more advice. I really want to use one of the different ones because I feel like I am not just a run of the mill kind of girl (at least I like to stroke my ego by telling myself that I can stand out!). But I guess sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry. I would rather have a regular cover letter and resume and blend in with the bunch than try something to stand out and have them laugh and throw it away.

Opinions anyone?

Some people should be banned from sharing their opinions

This is my first official "angry" post. I was reading stories about Colin online - for those of you who dont know, he is my friend who got shot at Virgina Tech. I had previously read this story about him, but was looking at it again the other day and came across the comments section.

I have never had such a fast, visceral response. (A little background info - Colin's mom made a comment at the end of the story that she is glad Colin didn't skip class even though he got shot. I think it was just bad journalism because the author did not reflect the tone appropriately. The Goddard's are a goofy family. Humor helps in times like this.) So, needless to say, people decide they must get on their high horse and start lecturing about how Colin's mother is out of control and they are shocked and horrified that this poor boy has a mom like her.

Ahhh! I'm getting angry just thinking about it. How dare you talk about someone who is going through such an insane ordeal. Have you ever had your son shot three times in a school shooting and almost die? Probably not. And until you do, you need to keep quiet.

I know I'm going a little overboard here but it just kills me how critical and quick to judge people are in this society.

I am by no means a martyr - I judge (I'm judging these critical idiots right now), I'm not the smartest or coolest girl in the world, but I am learning when and when not to make my opinion known.

It's times like this when I really question this new interactive, technological world we live in. Some people have nothing better to do than sit on their computers and be critical.

Please find something more productive to do with your life, and pray that Mrs. Goddard doesn't see your mean comments - her heart is already breaking enough right now.

Another milestone

Today was the first time that it really hit me - I'm graduating! I turned in my psychology minor completion form (which I needed to graduate) and was walking around campus in a business suit for my final PR presentation and I have never felt more grown up.

I don't want to have to wear a business suit everyday at my job - I'm more creative than the standard black suit - but putting it on does do amazing things for the psyche.

The presentation went so well. My group, whom I have previously commented on, once again was amazing. We spent all weekend in the PR lab perfecting our 150+ page campaign book and working on the powerpoint, etc. It was interesting being the only people in the journalism building all weekend. I felt like a work-a-holic.

I'm incredibly proud of our work. I hope the client uses some of it. She commented that they had been working with a large PR firm which threw some of us off. Why did we just do all of that hard work for free when you have been paying for a PR firm? But really it turned out to be good news because a few of our ideas were actually suggested by this big-time firm and we created a way of implementing our suggestions whereas they apparently had not.

I'm going to miss working with my team but it was a big milestone moment for me today - walking around campus gave me a very cathartic and nostalgic feeling - my future is coming and it's time to put college behind me. It's the most scary but exhilarating time of my life.

The media helped me find an old friend amidst the VT tragedy

I have to say, I am not a big fan of the way the media has covered the Virginia Tech tragedy, but instead of ranting and raving about it, I want to take a positive look. Well, as positive as you can be when discussing something as horrible as this shooting.

When I was growing up, I went to middle school with an amazing boy named Colin Goddard. He was so goofy and fun and everyone loved him. Skinny Colin with the bowl cut - his signature hair style. He had so much energy and life. I dont know a single person who didnt like him, but I do know many girls who wanted to date him! (Yes we had little middle school crushes on each other, how sweet I know). Colin moved after middle school. His parents were aid workers and while my other friends moved to Florida and Colorado - how exotic!- Colin moved to Egypt. We lost touch after a while. But still to this day I will randomly think of him and wonder what he is up to, where he is living and if he is still goofy old Colin.

Well, Wednesday I got my answer. Colin is a senior at Virginia Tech and he was shot three times when Cho entered his French class. He was first shot in the leg. Cho left and went to other classrooms, only to return to Colin's class minutes later and shoot him again in the shoulder and the hip before killing himself. Colin was the last innocent person shot that day.

I was watching Oprah at the gym and missed the first five minutes of the show. Thank goodness I missed it because I would have fallen off the treadmill. I later saw the show - Colin was being interviewed from his hospital bed. He was one of the few survivors.

I have been tracking all of the articles and interviews with Colin. I am so happy to know that he is safe. One of the most surreal parts of this situation for me was seeing the picture of a student being carried out of Norris Hall and thinking how horrible it was and that he looked like he was dying. That picture - one of the main images used to show the world this tragedy - was my friend Colin. I saw it on Monday and Tuesday, never thinking that Wednesday I would learn that HE was the man being carried out, looking lifeless.

Colin is no longer that skinny little kid, and he no longer wears the bowl cut (unfortunately). He is now a handsome, courageous man who I am proud to call my old friend. So, while I believe that the media has focused too much on Cho and his life, I am grateful to have found Colin and, thanks to the media, to know that he is safe and will make it through this tragedy with his wonderful, kind, funny spirit.

Shout out to my PR teammates!

I am in the process of finishing up a HUGE semester long public relations campaign. It is for my capstone PR course - the class that inspired (ok required!) this blog. I was reading my teacher's blog and discovered that a member of another group in my class is not nearly as happy as I am with the progress of her project.

I have to say, I have the best group in the world. We have 11 members - that's right, you read that correctly - 11! Now while some people think "the more the merrier," I have unfortunately learned from experience that this is usually not the case. In a previous PR class, I had 7 girls in my group and we did 3 projects throughout the semester. And yes, there was the bad apple - usually every group has one. She constantly had to bicker about EVERYTHING and made working with my group a living you know what. Also, the bigger the group usually means the smaller the amount of people who actually DO the work. There are always one or two moochers who let everyone else volunteer while they just hide in the background and pray for a good final product (and that the peer evaluation doesn't count for too much. But let me tell you, after years of working in groups I am no longer afraid to give a bad score to someone who didn't pull their weight).

I am please to say that there is not a single person I would vote off of my team. Everyone is pulling their weight, we all laugh and chat about life and still get some good quality work done. I am proud of what we have accomplished so far and know that in the next few days, otherwise known as crunch time, we will produce a wonderful presentation and campaign book.

I can only hope that when I get my first PR job, or my second or even my third, that everyone is as wonderful and easy to work with as the other 10 people in my group. (Dr. Russell, I hope you are beaming by now :) - you've got some great students on your hands!)

Resumes - how long is too long?

I have been trying to put together my resume in order to start applying for jobs. I came across this post and it made me question what I should really put on it. I've always heard that your resume should only be one page in length, but I really feel that I have enough valuable experience to make mine longer. The PRChronicle post says that if you need to, do it. However, everything I have ever heard about resumes would say PRChronicle is dead wrong. Which is right? I hope it's the PRChronicle because I really need that extra room.

I have revamped my resume about 948384 times so far - have to make sure the wording is perfect and that it really shows just HOW MUCH I've done - especially in my last internship - phew I did a lot! But I feel like it is important to keep a little "in your pocket." as my class' recent guest speaker told us about giving good presentations. "Always keep some ideas in your pocket so you can pull them out if it feels right." I think that should apply to resumes, too - and, well, to life in general - you can't always put it all out there on the table. However, if I keep some of the good stuff - like my huge event planning experience - in my pocket, maybe they wont think I have enough experience to offer me an interview. It's all so confusing! Time for revamp number 948385!

Business and Friendship - can they ever REALLY mix?

I am about to begin my job search and have been brainstorming creative ways to set myself apart from the pack. I came up with an idea that may not be the most original but I think it is pretty great and will be a wonderful attention-getter (not sharing :p sorry a girl's got to have some business secrets up her sleeve).

So you are thinking - great, hope it helps. Well here is where the question of business and friendship comes into play. I have never been in the competitive business world before - except for restaurant jobs and internships, so this is something new for me.

Here is what happened - I told my friend my wonderful idea and she praised me for it - then she goes and USES IT herself. She called me all excited about an interview she got and innocently said "yeah I used your idea last minute, how awesome, right?" Wrong.

I had not applied for the job she was going for but it was still a possible option for the future. I guess now it's not.

I congratulated her on the interview and said "well I guess it's good I wasn't going for that one right now," but I'm not sure whether or not to confront her.

Right now I think I will just remain quiet and chalk this up to my first business vs. friendship lesson. Sometimes in business it is just better to keep your mouth shut because, sadly, it seems that people will do anything to get ahead.

PR - making other people sell you, or selling yourself?

I found this blurb while sifting through PR posts. It says that PR is about getting other parties to sell you. While I agree with this, when I think of PR, it is not the first thing that comes to mind.

Rather than getting other parties to sell you, I think you need to sell yourself first. You obviously can't go it alone - no one would know your name if it weren't for the bloggers, TV stations, etc that keep your story alive. However, without that initial personal drive, none of the other media outlets would care about you.

I whole-heartedly believe this line - "It's earned respect, and as such it's more powerful than any other form of marketing because when it's successful, it's actually believable."

In PR, we do not buy our way into the news, magazines, TV shows. If your story is in the media, it's because you earned it. Something about you resonated with the public, and while you may not have to buy it, you definitely have to sell it!

New York, New York - are you my future?

So I recently returned from my spring break in the Big Apple. (And with a blizzard for half of the trip it did not feel very springy, but we made due none the less and got spray tans when we got home haha!)

I posted earlier about how I wanted to have a fun, career-free break. No interviews, just me and the city (plus my dad and my friend but hey who's counting?) Turns out, it was one of the most career-heavy times of my life.

I need some advice - go to New York or do not go to New York. I feel like tossing a coin and deciding my future. I have dreamed about moving to NYC since I was 12 but have always wondered about living in such an expensive city on such a tiny salary. It suddenly hit me as I was buying $14 cocktails that I'm not sure an entry level PR account coordinator making 33 before taxes can flourish in this city, let alone survive.

I have decided my future is either going to New York or staying in Atlanta, my two favorites cities - albeit I have a lack on major city knowledge - never been to LA or Boston, etc. My family is in Atlanta, most of my friends are in Atlanta, but the dream life I created when I was 12 is in New York.

Any thoughts? I need all the advice I can get!

Informational Interviews - what is your REAL motive?

I love this post. It is so pertinent to my PR life right now. I am returning to NYC for spring break this year (lived there over the summer and had the time of my life) and can’t wait to show my sorority sister all of my favorite shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, my father thinks my love affair with the Big Apple has gone too far and finds it annoying that I am going for spring break AGAIN – did I mention I went for spring break last year, too? Three trips, one lasting for three months, in under a year seems a bit excessive to him.

Last spring break I went on 11 interviews in four days to find a summer internship. I received nine offers (sorry, just had to throw that in there – always a little self-esteem booster). This year, I have already made plans to go to lunch with my former employers, but this is not supposed to be a working spring break – it is my senior year and before I start working for the next 50 years of my life, I would enjoy a week do whatever my heart desires.

So, my father suggested that I do informational interviews with companies that I may be interested in working for come graduation. One problem – I don’t believe in informational interviews – they know what I’m really there for, I want a JOB – I can find anything I want to know about a company through it’s Web site or even a Google search. Why waste someone’s time pretending to be finding out about their company when I have ulterior motives?

It is very comforting to know that the president of a PR company feels the same way I do. And right after adding this post to my blog, I am going to send a direct link to my father :)!

Event Planning - not for the faint of heart

This past weekend I hosted over 300 parents for my sorority's annual Family Weekend.

My sorority likes to go above and beyond so we have 3 events over the weekend - totaling more than $20,000. Pretty big potatoes for a small college sorority.

I was elected to the Family Weekend Chair position last November. I had to run against other sisters and created an entire proposal for the weekend. Not your average sorority, huh? We get very passionate about our events.

I was grateful to win because planning events is hopefully going to be a part of my future career so this was invaluable experience.

After months of planning it was finally time. Last year, we had an event at a bar on Friday where underage students had to use fake IDs to get in - in front of their parents (not good for future reference!), ran out of food at the huge Saturday night bonanza event and had generally annoyed parents at the closing brunch on Sunday.

This year, I was determined to blow everyone away because I did not want MY event planning skills to get trashed for an entire year like my poor friend who planned last year's events.

Thankfully, everything went better than I could have even imagined. I was hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. We had trivia on Friday and at first I thought it was going to be a disaster because it began at 8 and only half of the people who RSVP'd and paid were there. People eventually began trickling in and a good time was had by all.

Saturday was amazing - casino, dinner and dancing. Everyone was just grateful to not run out of food again this year!! Unfortunately, my one issue of the weekend happened at this event. Let's just say one of the rudest families I have ever met in my life made their presence known. They showed up an hour late and then demanded a table of ten to themselves. Of course by that point all of the tables are mostly full with only one or two seats at each table available because it was a first come/ first served event. The mother proceeded to say (loud enough for me to hear) - "poor planning, this is horrible." It was tough but I managed to please them - I had another table pulled in and we squeezed in place settings. If that is the worst thing that happens in a weekend full of possible disasters - woo hoo!

Sunday brunch was a breeze, and so ended the weekend that I had been working on solo for months on end. Bringing me to my lesson learned:

Lesson learned - let other people help you! I was nervous to have a committee because it's hard to trust other people to do it the way you want it done. But, you cant do everything alone and even though it is your name that can be damaged if someone else messes up, you just have to work with what you've got.

I thought this post was funny - just a little side note about the little things that can make your event less than amazing!

Bad move Weil - everyone loves Theron

Something I found today that caught my eye is this commentary on Charlize Theron and celebrity endorsements.

Theron is the spokesperson for Raymond Weil watches and is now being sued because she was seen in public wearing a different company’s watch. How crazy is our society that someone has to wear only one kind of watch or drink only one kind of soda (Britney Spears better stay away from the Coke or Pepsi will have a fit). I understand that she signed a contract and should be smart enough not to test the rules. (And even as I am writing this I am becoming more in tune with the Weil team and how paying a celebrity millions and not getting what you wanted would be frustrating.) Yet, suing her for wearing a different watch one day is just absurd.

Speaking in PR terms, I think it was a bad move on the part of Weil. Nobody is going to notice that Theron is not wearing a Weil watch. We really don’t care that much – we would rather see who she is kissing at lunch, or even what she is eating (we are that obsessed with celebrity). By suing Charlize Theron, Weil is making the company look foolish and anal retentive – this never looks good to the public. Weil is drawing attention to something that would have gone unnoticed. And while all publicity is supposedly good publicity, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t think Theron is intriguing, so to sue her simply for wearing a different watch only makes people side with her and against Weil.

Hello all!

Hi everyone!

My name is Elyse and this is my new blog. I am graduating in May from the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in Public Relations and a minor in Psychology.

For my final public relations course we are all creating PR blogs.
*Welcome to mine :)*

I hope you find my opinions and ideas interesting, entertaining and valid. Please feel free to share your input!