PRSSA at Salem State University

The holidays are all about family, giving thanks and appreciating the wonderful things in life. Although the holidays are behind us, our cheerful spirit shouldn’t pass as the days on the calendar do.  A great place to start being cheerful is the workplace. 

 The worst workday can start with just one negative co-worker.  Picture a Monday morning: as soon as you walk in the door you see someone you work with and ask how their weekend was, perhaps they start complaining or say it was awful and don’t ask about yours.  After hearing this, you can unknowingly become a victim of a negative mindset.  Thereby setting your whole day awry. 

However, brushing your co-workers comments off and making it a point to stay positive and saying something like “Your (strong attribute here), I know you’ll figure out a way to turn (situation) into something good” can not only uplift the distressed co-workers spirit but it will also make you feel good about yourself for helping them!

The simplest way to help others is to be kind to them.  A job in public relations is all about maintaining relationships with people, and with kindness and positivity comes confidence.  When meeting with potential clients, they will appreciate the sincerity in your attitude and remember your meeting simply because it was a pleasant experience. 

Whether it’s working with staff below you or developing a company’s image, a positive mindset will show in your work. Positive reinforcement will make your staff feel special and work hard for you.  While maintaining a healthy company image will bring in clients and people that want to work in a positive environment, creating a chain reaction of positive changes, attitudes and feedback.  This in turn will reduce “sick days” and work that isn’t up to par. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO or a starting member, your smile and positive attitude will become contagious to those around you.  This holiday season make it a point to spread cheer all year and at the end of the day know that it all started with you; that’s a pretty amazing gift in itself!

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Finals. When you are a college student, that word alone can trigger anxiety. For me, an older student who has just returned to school this semester, the word could trigger a full-blown panic attack. However, I’m determined not to let it. I can’t promise that there won’t be at least a little anxiety, though.

The last time I had a full-time class load was when Bill Clinton was in his first term in office. However, I remember that time well and don’t want to repeat what I did back then, like procrastinate and let finals week catch up with me. The best way to go about that is by being prepared, and that entails keeping up with my work throughout the semester, which I’ve done. 

Time is of the essence and to make the best of it you must plan it out down to the minute. I didn’t do that well before. All students should look at their schedules and figure out when they can fit extra studying into their day. Do you have an hour in between classes? Good. Plan to go to a dining hall and grab something to eat and get a bit of reading in. Does your first class begin mid-morning? Get up a bit earlier than normal to get some studying done. Do you have some time after your classes are done for the day before you have to go to work? Try to use that time to get something productive done. This will help you in the long run and keep you from pulling all-nighters. 

Cramming, good or bad? This is something that works for some people and it has worked for me when I’ve needed to do it. However, the idea of cramming for a test makes me more anxious than the exam itself. I need to get a good night’s sleep before an exam. If I am falling asleep on my blue book, it’s not a good thing. And I’m sure the professor will appreciate a drool free exam booklet.   

Aside from sleep, well-balanced meals are usually the first thing to go during finals. Try not to let that be the case, make sure you eat enough and try to eat decently during finals week. Coffee and Red Bull won’t sustain you. You will crash eventually.

Unfortunately, finals creep up right around the holiday season causing for added stress and work. Planning as much as you can ahead of time makes it easier. If you can shop online instead of adding shopping to your to-do list, go for it. Just don’t leave online shopping until the last minute or your gifts won’t arrive in time. 

In the end, preparation is key for exam week. Semesters go by quickly and staying on top of the material throughout the semester will make a difference in how you feel about finals week. If you didn’t do such a great job of that this semester and you feel you are spending December trying to learn the material, make a New Year’s Resolution to do things differently next semester! Good luck with your exams! 

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I’ve never been a huge basketball fan. Needless to say when I heard about the NBA lockout I was not heartbroken. In fact, I was glad that the owners held out as long as they did. How much money do these players really need? I guess millions of dollars weren’t enough.  Now, don’t get me wrong. I do sympathize for some people caught in the lockout crisis, but not the NBA players.  Other people were affected by this lockout fiasco, including fans, workers, and businesses that depend on games being played.  The lockout has left many fans feeling angry and disappointed, which is going to make it that much harder for the NBA to win back their trust and restore its severed image in order to get fans back in the bleachers. The question is, how?

In an article in PRNewser, Ashley McCown, president of Solomon McCown & Co. in Boston, suggested a three-point system for the NBA to restore its image.  First and foremost, the NBA needs to apologize to employees including concessionaires and parking attendants that lost valuable hours and paychecks due to the games being cut.  As well as the other parts of the community, such as local bars and restaurants, that suffered due to the lockout. In general, the NBA owes a sincere apology to its fans, employees and the community.  Secondly, the NBA should compensate the affected employees.  For example, teams could create an assistance fund to help those workers that were most severely impacted. Thirdly, get the games rolling as soon as possible.  The sooner the games start, the sooner the NBA can work on restoring its image and regaining the trust of its fans.

I agree with Ashley McCown’s recommendations. The NBA needs to apologize to those affected by the lockout, compensate employees who lost valuable paychecks and get the games rolling as soon as possible. However, I have some other ideas on how the NBA could improve their image after the lockout. One thing they can do is host worker appreciation games, where the proceeds of the games go towards paying back the affected employees. Similarly, the NBA could start customer appreciation efforts, which could include giving dedicated fans box seats for a game. By doing these things, the NBA will show the community that it still cares for its fans and employees, and that they will continue to do so in the future.

If you have any other ideas for how the NBA should move forward after the lockout, feel free to share your comments below.

To view the full article in PRNewser, please click here.

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Carrie Mahoney (center) on the first day of the PRSSA 2011 National Conference.

Orlando, wow what a whirlwind. Let me start by saying this trip was incredible; not just because it was almost completely free but because we were surrounded by over a thousand students with the same interests. They were all outgoing, charismatic and fun people looking to make some friends and have a good time.

My experience at the PRSSA 2011 National Conference also gave me a huge boost. My junior year has gotten off to a rough start. With no motivation to go to any of my classes let alone do the work I wasn’t exactly looking forward to five days of PR boot camp. As it turns out that was just what I needed.

Conference was an inspirational experience. Hearing and talking to titans in the field of public relations was inspiring. They shared their knowledge, experiences and expertise with us, encouraging us to go on and discover something that we are passionate about. However, it wasn’t just the “adults” that were incredible. Being surrounded by other students was encouraging. Meeting people my age that are so driving and motivated, motivated me to do better and be better. Seeing what they are doing in order to set themselves apart stirred my competitive side and made me want to push myself professionally.

Carrie Mahoney with Bob Marley at City Walk.

I came back to Salem with a renewed energy. I am excited about public relations again and all the possibilities there are in this field. I now remember why I wanted to do this. Being able to work in any industry, anywhere in the world is an idea that I loved and now I know that it is truly a possibility.

The PRSSA 2011 National Conference was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to go to San Francisco next year!

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Do you ever wonder how influential the content you share online is?  Well Klout can tell you.  Klout is a free social media tool that measures influence online.  Whether you realize it or not, you impact others when you share content on your Twitter or Facebook pages.  Klout is a free social media tool that analyzes that impact to find your Klout Score, influential topics, and your influencers.  The Klout Score measures influence on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the most influential. Klout uses data from social network sites to measure how many people you influence, how much you influence them and how influential they are.  It allows you to reveal your influence and find people who share your interests.

Brands can also use Klout to measure their own success on social media through Klout Perks. Klout Perks allow brands to reach and engage with influencers around a Perk. Klout influencers create millions of impressions for a brand’s new product, initiative or campaign. Perks are targeted based on Score, influential topics, location and more. A brand’s Klout Score can show companies how well they are driving action for your company. By analyzing Klout Scores, companies can monitor their scores to understand which tactics are working and how to better engage their audience.

Klout has recently added other social sites such as Flickr, Tumblr, and YouTube to their list of social influences.  And will allow you to add as many site links as you have accounts for, at the time of sign up. To measure your social influence, visit the Klout website and sign up.

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Forget about emptying your wallets, waiting in endless lines and buying books you may never need at the campus bookstore this September. How, you may ask, is this possible? With new technology of course.

Innovators in the e-reader market, Amazon.com, recently partnered with Pearson textbook publishers to provide students with the opportunity to download textbooks instantly on almost any handheld device. Not only does this mean no more hours wasted at the bookstore, but it means no more lugging books across campus, or useless books piling up in your already over crowded dorm room.

Are you more of a renter then a buyer? Many e-reader textbooks are also changing the way students rent their books as well. Instead of renting a used book and rushing to return it at the end of the semester, rent books for only the time you need them. Whether it be a month or a full year, the book is in your hands when you need it.

E-reader textbooks are currently available to the Kindle, Knook, iPad, Mac, PC, Android and Blackberry users. And as of Wednesday a new platform is said to change digital textbooks for more interactive learning.

On August 3, up and coming digital textbook company Inkling announced they have received $17 million in funding for an interactive textbook system. With brand name competitors such as Amazon and Apple many are asking what is so great about Inkling’s promise for more digital textbooks.

Inkling is promising to change the face of digital textbooks. By reconstructing textbooks from the ground up with innovative features like 3D modes, interactive text, quizzes, music and more, Inkling wants students to become involved in their studying. Many books already exist on Inkling’s iPad app, and there are many more to come. Specifically, an architecture digital text coming this fall, that allows students to view famous buildings in rotating 3D.

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Inkling also offers another feature that is new to the digital textbook market, purchasing or renting only sections of a textbook. Inkling offers one free chapter within every digital textbook, as well as, renting or buying chapters as you need them. With the new funding in their hands, Inkling is promising many more interactive features to help students study and learn as efficiently as possible.

With so many digital textbook options it may be difficult to choose which platform provides the textbook and study help you need. Geeksugar.com breaks down the different digital resources to help students decide which would work for them.

So skip the bookstore this semester, spend time catching up with friends, moving in to your new dorm or apartment and enjoy the start of school the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

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A few blog posts ago we talked about ways you could make this a productive summer break and make the academic year an easier one. On that list we suggested that you get started on your portfolio, and for those of you ahead of the game we suggested you update your portfolio. Now, I don’t know about you but this is a task that I find a little more difficult then the rest of the suggestions on our list.

Your portfolio should represent to a potential employer your capabilities, who you are on a professional level, as well as give them a glimpse of your personality. Knowing how complicated this could be, we provide our members with “Elements of an Effective Portfolio.”* This short guide helps them to get started by providing simple elements to include in their portfolio that will leave any potential employer impressed. And while we will be evening out the playing field by doing this, we have provided you with these elements below. Hope it helps!

Resume

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By including your resume as the introduction to your portfolio you immediately introduce potential employers to you. As always, spelling, grammar, neatness and clarity of writing are essential. An eye-catching format is also crucial for this first piece of your portfolio.

Personal Code of Ethics

A personal code of ethics identifies your boundaries, gives potential employers an up-front statement of your standards and provides a reference for future ethically-questionable situations.

Public Relations Materials

You will obviously want to showcase your PR talents in your portfolio, so be sure to include good examples of news releases, media leads, biographical profiles, feature stories, public service announcements and any other PR-related material you’ve produced.

Research Materials

Research is the number one step in the public relations process. Showing potential employers that you are research-savvy provides just one more way to “wow” them. Examples include media tracking, surveys, focus groups, research reports and more.

Examples of Creativity

Creativity is essential in public relations. Showing examples of your design work, photography, photo-editing examples and other creative pieces is key.

Additional Writing

Writing and PR go hand-in-hand. Any additional writing—whether it be from an English class or a journalism class—will earn you extra points in an interview.

Awards and Achievements

By including awards and achievements in your portfolio, you will display your affiliations, convey involvement, provide examples of character and showcase various areas of success.

*“Elements of an Effective Portfolio” provided to us by the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

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Everyone and their mother knows about American Idol and has probably seen at least a few episodes of this top rated show, but now there is a new show in town. NBC’s The Voice opened and closed its first season with a bang. And the celebrity coaches, flashy stage, and outrageous decorations may just be the cause of The Voice’s show stardom.

The show is grabbing attention not only because of its style, but also the unusual form of voting. In addition to being able to vote for their favorite performer via texts and online, the audience can also buy the performer’s song on iTunes. This technique is a great success. All of the 4 finalists ended up in the Top 100 on iTunes; several even made it to #1 in their genre.

The Voice has brought originality to the reality show genre. Everything from the artist selection process, coaching, and special guests proves that this show is bringing new life to reality television. Another special aspect of The Voice is the communication viewers can have with the artists and coaches. From the first episode the show has pushed all viewers to use Twitter to get more information. As well as mentioning The Voice hashtag, there are also Tweets from coaches, performers and viewers appearing throughout the show on the bottom of the screen. NBC has even given The Voice its own social media room where an additional host hangs out with the contestants before and after their performances. In this room all the artists respond to Tweets from fans and follow the show’s Twitter trends. This show stepped out of the box by having audiences do something other than just “Like” the show’s Facebook page.

NBC is trying very hard to make their show accessible to all their viewers, and it’s working. By letting the audience communicate with the coaches and artists everyone feels connected.  The Voice had a smashing first season and is already in production for the next, which is due to air early next year. We can only hope that the second season will be as exciting and well connected as the first.

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Ever “Google” yourself?  Don’t like what you see?

Google has introduced a new tool to help people control their online reputation.  The tool, “Me on the Web,” allows you to manage what people see when they search for you on Google.

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As Google said, “Your online identity is determined not only by what you post, but also by what others post about you—whether a mention in a blog post, a photo tag or a reply to a public status update.”

By using “Me on the Web,” you can get notified when your personal data appears on the web, including your email address or phone number.  You can also use the tool to remove unwanted content.

The tool can be found on the Google dashboard next to account information and analytics.

Here’s how to use it:

To create alerts:

1. Sign in to your Google dashboard
2. In the ‘Me on the Web’ section, click “Set up search alerts for your data”.
3. Select the checkboxes beside the alerts (such as your name or email address) you’d like to receive.
4. In the “How often” drop-down box, choose the alert frequency.
5. In the “Deliver to” drop-down box, choose which email address your alerts should be sent to.
6. Click “Save alert preferences”.

To see information about you that already exists on the web, click “View results” beside the appropriate personal data.

We are all aware that it is a new tool for potential employers to check up on their interviewees and employees online. From every Facebook account to Linked In profile, information is gathered and used to determine our professional fate. So use the control that you have over your online reputation. You never know how useful it could be.

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