5 Lessons Learnt From Blogging Today along with WordPress master Livi Wilkes I presented my first ever WordPress workshop to a group of second year Marketing students. Preparing for the workshop gave me the opportunity to reflect on my blogging journey so far and how much I have learnt since setting up my blog back in September 2015. Here are some of the things I have learnt so far, I would love to hear what blogging has taught you so please get in touch!
! Go with the random ideas Occasionally I will have that brainwave of an idea for a blog post, then start to doubt. It can sometimes be impossible to know whether its a stroke of brilliance or just ridiculous. My first tip is to persevere, you will never know what that idea could have become if you don’t.
! Just do it Blogging has forced me to write, and to write quickly, in the world of PR there is no time to mull over a piece of writing and procrastinate on Instagram and Twitter. It needs to be done now. Blogging has taught me to think ahead, make a plan and then get on with it, between work, university studies and some semblance of a social life it can’t be any other way. Without a doubt this skill has transferred through into my work.
! Hard work pays off When I began my blog I had recently moved to the other side of the country, enrolled at a new university and begun a new job. There have been plenty of times when writing a blog post was at the back of my mind. Yet I vowed to make the effort and aim for at least one post a week, and looking back now I could not be happier that I did!
! Blogging has helped me to connect with other PR’s Competitions and hashtags such as #BestPRBlogs have alerted me to a whole new group of great people I had no clue existed before I started blogging. I love keeping up with their news, achievements and seeing how they react to the latest trends in the PR world. Blogging has made me proud to be a PR student.
! Without blogging I wouldn’t be where I am today I mean this literally - It was actually fellow PR student Livi Wilkes and her blog Live Love Laugh PR which first attracted me to Southampton Solent. I loved reading her thoughts and experiences of the course, which led to me moving to Solent. Nearly a year on I have my own blog, have been featured in Behind the Spin’s #BestPRBlog (an aspiration right from the start), I am editor of the university PR_SSU blog and my writing continues to improve. Is there any better advertisement for blogging than this!! Starting my blog was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I hope this post encourages others to jump on the bandwagon, you have nothing to loose, and everything to gain!
Selling Yourself With A Video CV Video CV's are becoming increasingly popular in the Public Relations industry, with the competitive job market requiring applicants to standout by being as creative as possible. Designing a video CV to accompany your written document allows potential employers to discover far more information about you, allowing you to showcase your skills, experiences and personality.
As part of the employability & work placement module I am currently creating my own video CV, from the script and storyboards right through to the filming and editing. I began the task with trepidation but now I am happy to say that its become a really enjoyable experience, allowing me to reflect on everything I have learnt in the module so far, so here are my top tips for creating a video CV to be proud of. Plan Your Video Storyboarding your ideas and creating a script can be useful exercises when you begin to think about your video CV. It allows you to ensure that all information is presented logically, flows well and that you don’t miss out anything important. Technical Considerations When filming your video consider the lighting, background noise and focus of your camera. A well thought out, creative and interesting video can be ruined by bad lighting, background noise and lack of focus, so have a few practise runs first. Show Your Personal Brand Throughout the employability module PR_SSU students are encouraged to investigate and discover their own personal brand. This can then inform everything from business cards to your CV, through colours, design and keywords. Think about what makes you different, what are your PR superpowers? Don’t Just Read Out Your CV A video CV provides the opportunity to sell yourself, and this is an important skill to have as a PR practitioner. During PR interviews you are often expected to pitch yourself to the interview board, and a video CV is very similar. So think outside the box, present your content creatively and supplement your written CV with a video that will catch your potential employers attention! Play To Your Strengths Do you love being in front of the camera and talking about yourself? Do you like to draw? Or, do you prefer to show your talents through video production? Whatever your strengths are use them! They are a great way of showing off your skills and make the process much more enjoyable whilst your doing it!
Remember Your Audience! It can be easy to forget who your audience are when creating your CV, so be sure to present yourself as a professional by dressing smartly, using positive body language and ensuring you speak clearly. Include Contact Details! Ensure that your contact details are available at the end of your video, including your Twitter and LinkedIn details! Once your CV is finished make sure you share it, YouTube and Vine are great platforms to link from, and LinkedIn has the facility to upload a video CV onto your page.
Lessons From My Internship So Far Since February I have been working two days a week at a wonderful public relations consultancy in Portsmouth, the opportunity has so far given me an invaluable insight into the world of PR and the day to day role of a PR practitioner. Here are just a few of the things I have learnt so far...
! There is a big difference between learning and actually doing something Half way through second year at University and you would expect to have a strong idea of what goes on in a PR agency, however this isn’t always the case. Whilst university undoubtedly gives you a brilliant grounding in PR, it isn't until you enter into the working environment that you really begin to see how PR works. I had no idea what a day in the life would look like, and it certainly isn't how I expected it to be - I know I am now a more confident PR student for experiencing it. A top tip for any aspiring PR is to get out into the industry and have as many experiences as possible! The workload can be full on and fast paced In PR agencies particularly, every minute of your time needs to be accounted for. You may well be inundated with tasks, so categorise by importance and get going! No matter how busy you are make sure you step away from the desk at lunchtime, it gives you a fresh perspective when you return, and staring at a computer screen for eight hours none stop is not good for you. Write, write, write! It can be really daunting being asked to write copy, but just do your best, always remember you are there to learn! I often find I am my own worst enemy, and criticise my work far more than anyone else would. So have a bit of confidence and just get something down, you can always change it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
In such a fast paced environment it can be easy to accept a task and then sit down and think, “err what!?” Possibly my biggest tip is to ask questions, go back and ask for clarification, you may feel embarrassed, but not as embarrassed as you will be if you waste an hour doing the wrong thing! You WILL make mistakes - Don’t doubt yourself Again remember, you are there to learn, and it is true, you do learn from your mistakes the important part is to learn how to properly handle them. Always strive for perfection, but don't be disheartened if you don't get it right the first time. Nobody is perfect and they will not think any less of you, so embrace the lesson and move on! Adopt new skills There will be tasks that you feel so confident about, you will know exactly what your doing and will be totally within your comfort zone, and thats great! There will also be tasks where you lack some confidence, instead of shying away embrace the chance to learn a new skill! Once your done you will feel so good! Always make to-do lists and notes In my internship we have action lists on an shared online management site, this enables everyone to check each others lists and the directors can add work to each persons list. I find this really helpful as I can work through my list as well as moving less important things to the next day, it allows me to stay organised and my colleagues to see what I am working on. The same applies with good old pen and paper, make lists and notes, when your mind goes blank go back and refresh your memory, it gets you straight back on track. Be aware of what’s going on around you It is easy to get absorbed into a task and not notice whats going on around you, but by being aware of whats going on you will feel more up to speed on office events, and more involved. It also means if your asked to work on a particular client you already have some understanding of them, and stand in a far stronger position to dive into the work. Enjoy it!!! An internship is a scary, exciting and enlightening experience, make sure you take advantage of every opportunity and enjoy it! You worked hard to get here so make the most of your time as an intern!
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Solent's Meet The Professionals Event 2016 Monday 1st February marked the annual 'Meet the Professionals' Event, bringing together Solent's PR students for the opportunity to network with a selection of PR Professionals from the Hampshire area and beyond.
The event was structured in a speed dating style, with groups of students taking it in turns to go table to table, speaking to professionals and discovering the top tips that may well kick start their PR careers. Throughout the evening I noted down a few points that came up frequently between all the professionals 1. PR is constantly evolving - The PR landscape is forever changing, take your foot off the pedal and you can quickly loose your place. A key skill of a PRO is to never stop learning, if your not competent in a certain task then put yourself on a course! Never stop reading and always keep an open mind! 2. It's not all about your grades - This doesn't mean you have a free pass on that assignment your procrastinating over, but it does mean you need more than just good grades. Multiple PRO's spoke of the importance of a great attitude, often work skills can be picked up quickly. However, a great attitude and willingness to do all you can to achieve the PR dream can take you a long way. 3. Make yourself visible - A good CV isn't enough these days, it needs to be backed up! Blogs have never been more important, they offer the opportunity to develop your writing skills, interact with like-minded people and have your say on whatever topic takes your fancy! It shows that beyond your academic life you have a real interest in writing as well as building up your personal brand! 4. Keep every door open - You may not think you want to work in an agency, or in Tech PR, but have you tried it? Never close a door on yourself, every opportunity is the chance to learn and grow! 5. Network - Events like 'Meet the Professionals' offer the opportunity connect with agencies you may well be applying to upon graduation - network and make those connections now, and ensure you follow up with any opportunities. Events like these can be golden tickets to some really exciting experiences. After all you can never have too many contacts! A special thanks goes out to Lauren Whitty and CIPR Wessex for a highly enjoyable and informative event.