Recommended blogs
Posted on: November 21, 2008
Here are two blogs I think are worth reading:
- Karen Weir-Jimerson’s Country Home blog–those of you who read home design magazines may be familiar with Country Home. It features homes with a modern take on country design, along with recipes, tips on vintage decorating, and advice on antiquing and collectibles. Contributor Karen Weir-Jimerson writes a one-page story in the back of every issue about her life on a farm in Iowa, as well as writing a blog on the same topic. What I like about her article and blog is that she writes about simple, everyday happenings, like spring thunderstorms or building gingerbread houses with her sons at Christmastime. It serves as a reminder that we don’t have to blog about only exciting or career-related topics–we can take everyday things and turn them into stories.
- SPOGG (The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar)–At the risk of sounding like a complete nerd, I really do love this blog about all things grammar-related. Do you cringe when you see comma splices? How about when people confuse “your” and “you’re”? If you do, then I would recommend reading this hilarious blog. Martha Brockenbrough highlights celebrities’, politicians’, and the media’s mistakes, mixes in a dash of humor, and turns them into opportunities to teach us how to use our language correctly.
the importance of internships
Posted on: November 6, 2008
- In: Responses
- 3 Comments
“But college doesn’t teach you how to be a PR practioner, a marketing pro, a political scientist. It teaches you how to manage your time, how to work with people, how to meet deadlines.”
I like this quote from Cheryl Harrison’s blog, because it is very true. Yes, you do learn lots of specific things in college about the career field you want to enter, but how many of those things do you actually remember several years down the road? And what if you change career paths? A lot of what you actually take away from college is learning how to manage your time, how to work under pressure, and how to work cooperatively with other people. You don’t actually forget how to do these things. They will serve you well in whatever career you enter.
I have also discovered, through internships, that much more hands-on learning happens on the job than in the classroom. Learning about theories from textbooks will give you a good base, but only some of these will be applied in each job you hold. I have held two internships, and with both of them I have learned that actually being in a workplace is very different from learning about a job in the classroom. Internships are also probably the best way to network. My boss last summer offered me a job with them when I graduate, and has helped previous interns get jobs at other places. It just goes to show that getting a little experience helps you get your foot in the door in a lot of other places.
- In: Assignments
- 1 Comment
Bathroom Decor store
Living green is very much the new trend in home and bath design. Let’s pretend there is a new kitchen and bath design store that focuses on eco-friendly design. They believe this is a goal everyone should work toward, and that it is quite easy for everyone to switch to green design. This is their niche and their angle–focusing on eco-friendly materials and spreading awareness that designing such a space will fit everyone’s budget and abilities.
1. Listening–If this kitchen and bath store wanted to create a blog to start an online conversation about their business, I would advise them to first look at what other blogs have to say about eco-friendly design. Do people think it is too expensive to switch their appliances to those with Energy-Star labels? Do they think it is worth their while to redecorate a room in a more eco-friendly way? This store should also look at what blogs are saying about the products they carry. Do people like the teak countertops or the low-flow toilets they recommend?
2. Next, they should respond to these blogs when necessary. For someone who is hesitant to redesign a whole kitchen or bath, maybe they can recommend smaller ways to redesign, all the while encouraging bloggers that green living is worth pursuing.
3. Blogger Relations–Perhaps this store carries a certain type of low-VOC paint that has been a hit with their customers, but comes in few colors. They could recommend (through the paint company’s blog) that they (the paint company) develop new colors, so that more people will buy the paint. By telling them about their experience with customers wanting more colors, it provides value to the paint company, which always likes to know about what people think of their product.
4. Finally, the kitchen and bath store will need a conversation space of its own. A blog could be like an online version of a magazine, where new ideas and noteworthy kitchens or baths are featured periodically. This could be a space where they share ideas about how to use old things in new ways, creative ways to recyle, or other suggestions for sustainable living, and allow the blog’s readers to comment and share their own ideas.
New PRSSA Chapter Enriches Career Resources for Clemson Students
If you are looking to learn how to promote your business or organization, or simply need some advice on professional networking, Clemson University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America may be a good place to start.
Clemson, S.C.–Oct. 27, 2008
- Students looking for a pre-professional organization that teaches about public relations and gives them chances to network professionally and build their resumes should look to Clemson University’s new chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.
- PRSSA is a student-led pre-professional organization which operates under the Public Relations Society of America. Its goal is to build relationships between PR professionals and students, but it also gives members opportunities to do volunteer PR work, which makes the transition from student to practitioner smoother. The professional skills it teaches, like personal branding and interview etiquette, can be helpful to any student or recent graduate, regardless of major, attempting to further their career goals.
- Benefits of membership include access to an online job center, opportunities to travel to PR conferences, and help finding internships and jobs. Besides having monthly meetings, members also receive monthly PRSA and PRSSA publications that highlight news in the field of public relations.
- Public relations skills can be important for people working in corporate or nonprofit settings, working to raise awareness about important causes, and in other professional arenas. The organization brings speakers and local public relations specialists to campus to lead discussions or question and answer sessions. Past meetings have included panel discussions on jobs in the public relations field, led by some of the top PR practitioners in the upstate. Upcoming events will include job fairs and workshops on portfolios and online networking.
- Having a PRSSA chapter is an invaluable asset to Clemson students and joins the university with the nearly 300 other chapters at colleges and universities across United States. Clemson PRSSA’s professional adviser is Liza Jones of Payne-Jones PR, and the academic adviser is Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu, a Clemson public relations professor.
- Clemson PRSSA is a student organization that prepares students for professional networking and gives them the opportunity to begin before they graduate. PRSSA meets monthly on Clemson’s campus. The organization’s blog, http://clemsonprssa.wordpress.com, lists dates for meetings and events, informative articles about the public relations field, links to sites with helpful tips on networking and portfolio building, and information on how to join.
MULTIMEDIA ELEMENTS
QUOTES
“I’m really glad Clemson started a PRSSA chapter. Before, I didn’t know for sure whether I
wanted to pursue a public relations career, but now, because of PRSSA, I know
for sure that I do.”
–Susie Smith, Clemson Communication Studies student
“Starting a PRSSA chapter is an effective way to help students network and find career opportunities.
As a PR professional, I can safely say that being a member of this chapter greatly increases their chances of being hired.”
RELATED LINKS
CONTACT INFORMATION
-
Karen Solomons (Spokesperson)
(803) 555-1222 -
Tiffany Sellers (Spokesperson)
(803) 555-1614
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