THE MEDIUM Virginia Tech PRSSA | Spring 2015 | Vol. 24, Iss. 2
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VT PRSSA, The Medium
IN THIS ISSUE: The Power of a Portfolio by Melanie Ford, pg. 2 Professionally Branding Your Social Media Pages by Chloe Sikora, pg. 3 Member of the Semester pg. 3 Managing Your Twitter Presence by Kevin Williams, pg. 4 Virginia Tech Dining Services by Shannon O’Dowd, pg. 4 Soul Investing by Gabriela Vera, pg. 5 I Am a Hokie by Rebecca Robertson, pg. 6 Expert Branding by the Greeks by Tatum Welsh, pg. 6 Personal Brands are a Bad Idea by Sara Lepley, pg. 7
The Power of a Portfolio by Melanie Ford
One of the best ways to show your initiative and hard work is through a portfolio – print or online! According to the College of Charleston Career Center, a portfolio is “a living, changing collection of records that reflect your accomplishments, skills, experiences, and attributes.” A portfolio should showcase your best – not all – of your work to a potential employer and brand you as a standout candidate.
1. Start by collecting work that you have done. I suggest using a folder on your computer or USB drive. Think along the lines of writing that you’ve done for class, published writing or photos, layout and design work, social media analytics, business reports, awards, and anything else that are you proud of from classwork or internships. For public relations majors, press releases, strategic analyses, and publications are a must. Your resume bullet points can also serve as a good refresher on your skillset and work that you’ve done.
2015 - 2016 Executive Committee pg. 9
2014 - 2015 Editor-in-Chief, Katharina Elberti Copy Editor, Melanie Ford
#HokiePR
So what about client work that should not be shared publicly online? This is where a print portfolio comes in handy!
Follow these three easy steps and you’ll be on your way to wow-ing an employer in no time:
Summer Internships pg. 8
Goodbye from the President pg. 9
add your portfolio URL to your LinkedIn profile and your resume.
2. Select your best quality work and post it online. Wordpress, Wix, and Weebly are free, easy-to-navigate sites for a personal portfolio. Strikingly is another great one that will create a onepage format for your work. Add tabs so that an employer can easily navigate sections of your website. Consider using Scribd to display documents in a more aesthetically-pleasing way. You can also
3. Print, bind, and bring it to that interview. Bringing a print portfolio to an interview helps employers to visualize the type of work you could do for them, and shows that you’re not all talk. • I recommend this leather binder from Amazon for $20, page protectors, and page dividers. I used an X-Acto knife to cut openings in the page protectors and allow the dividers to extend beyond the other page-protected content. • Be sure to include copies of your resume in the side pocket, a biography with a professional headshot for page one, and a table of contents immediately after your biography. • When you get to the interview, tell the employer that you brought your portfolio to show them some of the work you have done and ask them if they would like to look at it. Another tip is to ask a professor to review your portfolio a few weeks before your interview is scheduled. Be sure to attend our portfolio meeting in the fall where we will discuss more details on how to make a portfolio with student examples, and best of luck!
o courtesy of career.vt.edu Spring 2015
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Professionally Branding Your Social Media Pages by Chloe Sikora
I received a call from my uncle the other day and before he hung up, he said, “Have fun, but you don’t need me to tell you that from what I can see.” He was referring to the pictures on my Facebook. I know many students go home and their family members comment on how much fun they are having based on what they see on their social media pages. If that’s what our family members see, then that is what our employers can potentially see. How can we transform our social media image to be both professional and fun in order to have an appropriately balanced image for our elders? 1. Pictures from parties are okay; just be smart about them. Employers are seeking people that are both social and smart. Having pictures from parties show that you have a healthy social life and you know how to talk to people. However, employers do not want to see pictures of you drinking. It is already insinuated that there may be some activity happening, but leave that as a guess. Employers are more likely to hire those with group pictures at a social event over those who are beer bonging at a college party.
2. ONLY having pictures of parties is not okay. It shows you are social, but only focused on being social. This doesn’t mean start taking selfies of yourself studying at 3 a.m. to prove you are a dedicated student. If you are ever having coffee, reading a book, or notice scenery, take picture of that. Mixing up the pictures you display is important to show that there is diversity in your life. 3. Share relevant things more often. When it comes to Facebook or other multi-faceted social media platforms, you have the tools to share your interests. News stories and interesting events can say a lot about your personality. News stories show that you are well versed and keep up with worldly topics. If you clog your page with videos about cats, then your personal branding will be that crazy cat person. 4. Watch your apps that automatically share on your profile. When it comes to Spotify or other music networks that automatically post on your page,
be cautious of what is being shared. If you are constantly listening to profane rap songs, it would be a wise decision to hide it from your timeline. The same goes for Vine or Instagram videos that may automatically post.
5. Clean your captions; profanity is not attractive to an employer. If your timeline and statuses are filled with the F-bomb, they will probably assume that you will carry that filthy mouth into the workplace, too. Besides, the potty mouth has been out of style for some years now. image courtesy of http://blog.thepitagroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ecard-
Member of the Semester - Sara Lepley Year and major? Junior public relations and creative writing double major Why did you get involved in PRSSA? My best friend joined and always encouraged me to go to meetings. Now I can’t imagine a better way to spend a Wednesday evening! Where do you one day hope to be career-wise? Something that involves writing and ideation. Right now advertising sounds like a good fit, but ask me tomorrow and I might say something totally different. What has PRSSA done for you? PRSSA has introduced me to really cool people in my major, as well as some fantastic job leads. My communications internship last summer with Virginia Cooperative Extension came from a job posting sent over our Listserv, for example. PRSSA has also given me space to share ideas and collaborate with other students. What’s one thing you would tell potential PRSSA members? The easiest way to fall in love with PRSSA is to get involved. Volunteer to write a blog post or even go on an agency tour. We’re all pretty friendly people, if I do say so myself, and we are happy to have you!
VT PRSSA, The Medium
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Managing Your Twitter Presence as a PR Professional by Kevin Williams
Social media has become a part of our everyday lives in the last decade or so. As such, it has become almost mandatory to have active, engaging social media accounts, such as Twitter, in many professions. Public relations just happens to be one of those professions.
over your professional identity. Your colleagues will not be bombarded with details about your personal life or personal opinions. In return, you eliminate the risk of disengaging members in your network from your posts, and you keep your professional reputation intact.
As many of us enter the work force we will have to make the tough decision between having separate personal and professional Twitter accounts, or one account for both personal and professional use. There is no right or wrong answer to this dilemma, and both choices have their advantages and disadvantages.
Having two accounts on the same platform is not without its disadvantages though. No matter how strict your privacy settings are, Twitter is a public platform and employers will be able to find your personal account if they search hard enough. Sometimes, having two accounts gives off the impression that there is some sort of dissonance between your personal and professional personas and that you are hiding something. This is not the image that you want to give people in your network.
The main advantage of having separate personal and professional accounts is that, in theory, you get to keep your personal life personal and your professional life professional. After all, do you really want people in your professional network to know what you were up to last Saturday night? Having separate accounts allows you to have greater control
Additionally, there is always the chance that you forget to log out of your professional account and end up posting information meant for your personal account for your entire
professional network to see. On the other hand, as a professional you may determine that you want to be transparent with your network and keep one shared account for both professional and private use. Doing this eliminates the trouble of having to maintain two different personas on two different accounts and also provides the potential to interact with members in your network on a business casual level. Having one account makes you appear more human and less robotic to your network. It shows that you have interests outside of your profession and that you know how to use discretion when posting on a public forum. There is no right or wrong answer as to whether business professionals should keep their personal and professional lives separate on Twitter. Choose the method that allows you to maintain an acceptable social media presence without sacrificing the best parts of your personality in order to do so.
Branding: Virginia Tech Dining Services by Shannon O’Dowd
If there’s one thing I have learned from working in Virginia Tech Dining Services it is when I’m in uniform or wearing my Virginia Tech name tag, I am representing the brand of not only Virginia Tech, but my employer. Au Bon Pain prides itself on providing their customers with all the nutrition facts, making them easily available rather than easily avoidable, and providing their customers with wholesome quality food with a great dining experience.
Virginia Tech Dining Services focuses on the quality of the service by providing great food, venues, programs and services while encouraging development and the sense of community. Their vision statement is, “I value every individual’s right to have a quality experience.” Working for Au Bon Pain in the Squires Food Court for the past year has been a great experience. I work so often that I recognize costumers when I see them around campus and
vice versa. This speaks to how I am constantly representing Au Bon Pain and Virginia Tech on the clock and off the clock as well. At all times, my actions are representing the brand of Au Bon Pain and Virginia Tech Dining Services. I am to act morally, respectfully, and treat others right to reaffirm that brand that the companies have. Additionally, when I am in uniform I am to be conscious of food safety rules, have good customer service, and make sure that my fellow coworkers are representing the brand well, too.
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Photo courtesy of career.vt.edu
Soul Investing by Gabriela Vera
whatever your passion is, feed it. And if you don’t have one, explore until you do. Extracurricular activities are an excellent way to do this. Firstly, they’re an opportunity to explore your identity, and discover a set of skills that you may have not been aware of and can now exploit. In the same manner, you will become aware of your weaknesses and how to turn them into strengths. This is the chance to challenge yourself for something you’re passionate about. Besides learning about yourself, you will learn about others. These types of activities involve a lot of meeting people, and in most of the cases making valuable friendships.
More and more, the world is fostering goal-oriented societies lost in the midst of routines. We’re transitioning into an instrumental era in which productivity and efficiency have overruled our set of values. Our priorities are shifting in order to keep up with the exigencies of today’s world as success redefines to portray those who’ve achieved wealth and power. And a great majority believes that the climb is all about the destination. However, a big portion of the human being is being understated in the light of today. We’re certainly investing in However, the special factor about our minds, but what about investing this friendship is that it was created in our souls? over an activity you both enjoy. Moreover, in the case that you’ve Many of us don’t realize the chosen any activity that requires importance of engaging in activities teamwork you will gain a great deal that enrich our souls. This means of responsibility and other valuable something different for all of us. qualities. If, on the contrary, you For some it may be a language and a decide to engage in a one-man foreign culture. For others it may be activity, such as painting… the a sport and the thrill of a game. But challenge will be against yourself.
Regardless of what you choose, there’s always a challenge. In addition to all of this, you’ll develop aspirations that you’ve never had before. You’ll start to understand more about your likes and dislikes, what you love and what you can’t bare, what you stand for and what you stand against. Little by little, you’ll find yourself adding on to your essence. I call this an investment because every little step of this journey is adding value to who you are, as a person and as a professional, creating a wellrounded integral version of yourself. Our souls hold our unique essence. They’re the combination of our greatest passions and our biggest fears. Without them, we’d lack guidance and orientation. So let’s not forget to reinforce our essence by cultivating our soul.
images courtesy of http://nationalwealthcenter. com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/READ.jpg and http://www.nepasocialevents.com/wp-content/ uploads/2012/09/wine.png
Interested in joining? Email mbford94@vt.edu to receive listserv emails, internship opportunities and meeting information. Join the Chapter’s NEW LinkedIn Group | enter ‘Virginia Tech Public Relations Student Society of America’ Website: vtprssa.weebly.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/VTPRSSA | Twitter: @VTPRSSA Faculty Advisor: Dr. Douglas Cannon | Professional Advisor: Lori Greiner | Local PRSA Chapter: Blue Ridge
VT PRSSA, The Medium
I Am a Hokie
by Rebecca Robertson I am a Hokie, and I couldn’t be prouder. When I think about my personal brand, “Hokie” is one of the first words to come to my mind. I feel so lucky to go to a school that challenges and inspires me, one that has taught me a way of life and given me a community that will stay with me forever. From a career perspective, one of the best parts about being a Hokie is that the VT community supports you in your future job endeavors. Hokie alumni love to specifically target Hokies when they’re looking for people to hire. As a student, I definitely recommend finding Hokie contacts in companies (especially PRSSA alumni!) and keeping in touch. If you do, they’re likely to help you get
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your foot in the door when you apply for jobs in the future.
What I didn’t fully understand when I was a high school senior frantically college touring was that the university you attend leaves a mark on you not only for your future career, but also for the rest of your life. As a Hokie, I’ve learned a wealth of information that I can take with me when I graduate. I have of course learned the necessary skills of PR, marketing and communication, taking classes and pursuing extracurricular experiences
that have taught me what I need to know to enter my field. Beyond that, I’ve learned so much more about my values and how I want to live my life. I’ve learned about the importance of community service by living out our university motto Ut Prosim, “That I may serve.” I’ve learned about the value of diversity and inclusion, meeting people from all different cultures and walks of life. I’ve learned what it means to be a part of a community bigger than yourself and feel total pride and spirit toward your institution. I am a rising senior, and I still get excited when someone asks me where I go to college and I get to respond with “Virginia Tech.” I can’t wait to get to continue telling people that I am a Hokie, both in my career and throughout my life.
Expert Branding by the Greeks by Tatum Welsh
There is no doubt that after going through days of recruitment and months of pledging, every sorority woman and fraternity man is going to want to show off his or her letters. It’s a lot of work to become an initiated member of a Greek organization, but it pays off. And what – or who – pays even more are the members themselves. It’s the Comfort Colors sweatshirts, personally designed stitched-letter V-necks, mugs, and baseball hats that are the more important dues. While it may get shamefully pricey, it’s still amazing because it is incredibly proud and confidence-boosting advertising. One way that Greeks show their spirit
and enthusiasm for their organization is the members doing personal branding through their own fashion and style. The second way the Greeks show their spirit is through public advertising with community involvement. So, here’s the 411 on publicly advertising all things G-RE-E-K: Who: The Greeks of course! And the more the merrier. What: Ribbons, buttons, and cups – oh my! College students love free stuff. On the Drillfield in a herd of hundreds of students, it’s the ribbons and buttons on the backpacks that catch our eye - if people dare to look up from their phones that is! When: All day, every day. It’s the kids that hand out baked goods before an 8 a.m. and cookies after your last exam
of the day that take home the top prize, whether that be homecoming queen or the most hopeful recruits. Where: The Drillfield. Tents, tables, and posters galore, this is where most of the visual advertising and student interaction takes place. Why: The Greek community is an incredible community to be a part of, but becoming a member can also be a very intimidating and stressful process. Therefore, advertising is KEY. What students want to see are other students who are happily involved and enthusiastic about their organizations. The smiling faces cheering on their homecoming candidate and the guys that are chanting outside the new pledges’ dorms; these are the real spirit squads and the genuine advertisers of their fraternity or sorority.
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A Member’s Take on Why Personal Brands Are Bad by Sara Lepley
Let me start by saying my dream job is to work in branding. I love how storytelling and values-driven communication has the power to instill a sense of loyalty to companies like Coca-Cola as opposed to other brands selling the exact same product. I mean, how many people get annoyed when the waitress asks “Is Pepsi okay?” Strategic branding can turn a company into a household name, which I think is great. Nothing irks me more, however, than hearing people talk about their “personal brand.” Personal branding makes me think of Regina George not letting Gretchen wear hoop earrings in Mean Girls because it was “her thing.” Also, articles that instruct others on constructing a good personal brand often demand that every decision you make from how you dress to how you sign off phone calls follow a self-prescribed set of rules. Since saying “personal brands are lame,” is hardly the basis of a solid argument, here are three reasons you should say “Sayonara” to personal brands for good. Branding is about singularity, but humans are complex. Companies need to create a brand so that everyone who works for them communicates the same message. Branding gives employees direction when writing advertisements, planning events or updating the website. Whereas companies emphasis singularity, humans are naturally and awesomely complex. I can be both spontaneous and a meticulous planner. It’s okay that I’m just as likely to pick up a copy of Elle magazine as a book written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. There is beauty in contradictions, but the concept of personal branding demands that you choose just one. Companies use branding to humanize themselves. You, however, are already human. Chances are you are a human, unless, of course, you are a highly literate dog or alien (in which case, what are you doing reading this? You should be taking over Earth right now!) Unlike companies, you don’t need a committee-approved set of adjectives to inject you with personality or a content calendar of “relatable” social media posts to make you seem less corporate. You are born with the ability to both have a personality and connect with others. Don’t let someone sell you something you already have. Anchoring yourself to a personal brand can stunt growth. Personal branding asks that you choose a style and stick to it. Becoming a writer, however, is not about deciding your voice, it’s about finding your voice and letting it evolve naturally. Same goes for other aspects of communication, such as design. Your personal style doesn’t need to be predetermined. What a shame it would be if you hesitated trying something new because it didn’t “match” your personal brand? Let’s be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with knowing what you like, what you’re good at and what you stand for. But that’s not personal branding—that’s being self-aware. My issue with personal branding is that it takes what happens naturally and tries to make it packagable, and therefore slightly artificial. Do yourself a favor and discard the notion that you need rigidity and structure to simply be yourself.
images courtesy of http://cdn.gijobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/personal-branding.jpg, http://media.tumblr.com/5f7cb16687dbada249d6275adc381a4d/tumblr_inline_ mo0g78YKQ51qz4rgp.jpg, http://www.executiveresumebranding.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/personal_business_advisors1.jpg
VT PRSSA, The Medium
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The Virginia Tech Chapter of PRSSA takes great pride in its members’ accomplishments, both academically and professionally. A Chapter is only as strong as its members, and we are fortunate enough to have incredibly driven individuals who are passionate about everything they set their minds to. Take a look at what some of our members will be spending their summer doing! Anna Hubbard Discovery Channel Communications Publicity Intern
Joe Duquette Discovery Channel Communications Corporate Communications Intern
Meryl Ryan Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Account Manager
Rebecca Robertson Free Agents Marketing Interactive Department Marketing Intern
Katharina Elberti Ireland Lacrosse Association Sports Management Intern
Stephanie Trager The Surrey Saddlery Marketing, Sales and Public Relations Intern
TJ Davis Northern Virginia Family Services Video Production Assistnat
Logan Kreider World Vision Mobilization Team Intern
* Melanie
Ford ASM Research Human Resources Intern
Alex North Roanoke County Parks, Recreation & Tourism Marketing & Special Events Intern
Nicole Sanders Serving at the Crossroads Communications & Fundraising Intern
* Katie Pesek Virginia Tech Athletic Marketing Sports Marketing Intern
Chloe Sikora Friends of the Rappahannock Public Outreach Intern
Kaitlin Reese Virginia Farm Bureau Social Media Marketing Intern
* Hannah Avery
Marin Shipe Will Marlow, LLC Public Relations Intern
Polymer Solutions Marketing & Communications Intern Casey Parrett Cross Roads Camp & Retreat Center Public Relations Intern
* Addie
Orrison Virginia Tech Human Resources Intern * Member acquired internship through a PRSSA connection
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The 2015-2016 Executive Board [from left to right]: Vice President of Finance, Shannon O’Dowd Vice President of Membership Development, Addie Orrison Vice President of Chapter Relations, Sarah Harvey Chapter President, Melanie Ford Vice President of Publications, Katharina Elberti Vice President of Event Planning, MacKenzie Wine Ut Prosim Firm Co-Directors, Rebecca Robertson & Katie Pesek [Not Pictured] Social Media Manager, Kasey Kraft
Chapter Statistics
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Dear VT PRSSA (a.k.a. the best PRSSA Chapter out there):
dues-paying members
clicks to our blog: vtprssa.weebly .com/blog
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Goodbye from the President
586
blogs posted this semester graduating seniors
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VT PRSSA Fun Facts 1. August 16, 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of our Chapter’s installation on the Virginia Tech campus! 2. The VT PRSSA website completely re-vamped
was
3. Our first meeting this fall will be Wednesday Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. 4. This year’s PRSSA National Conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia... 5. ...and Virginia Tech has been chosen to present a Chapter development session at the conference!
I can’t believe it is already May! It has been incredible to see how much our chapter has grown and what we have accomplished this year. Everything from Tweet offs with PRISM, sports meetings with VT Athletics and Rec Sports, to packed committee nights and an ethics meeting featuring your favorite television stars; we have surely accomplished a lot this year. I personally want to thank all our members for their excitement about PRSSA and commitment to our chapter. Even on those cold and rainy Blacksburg nights, you all came out eager to learn and participate. I just want everyone to always remember to be proud to be a student of and future professional in public relations. Public relations professionals tell powerful and amazing stories every day. We get to associate with amazing clients and organizations that have something to say. Public relations professionals influence people in a meaningful way and can set the public agenda, and not many others can say they get to do that. As students, you are being equipped with the skills to be successful, so even when that group project is killing you just know that what you gain from that experience is worth it. Go to PRSSA meetings
and events, because that is when you will learn what’s not taught in the classroom. PRSSA has taught me many things, but what sticks out the most is to value public relations and always strive to keep learning in order to be the best you can be. If you truly get involved and network, be ready for PRSSA to propel your career and future. Thank y’all again for a great year! Please don’t hesitate to contact me (courtp19@vt.edu) at any time in the future. Good luck PRSSA, I know there are still great things to come from this Chapter. Courtney Edwards
Good luck and thank you for everything you’ve done, Courtney! - Your PRSSA Family