This year’s PRSA/NYU PRSSA Career Forum was a success! With a few opening remarks by Lea-Ann Germinder, president of PRSA-NY, Shira Palka, president of NYU PRSSA, and morning presentations, the show was on the road. Students enjoyed a sponsored lunch, and had the opportunity of meeting with public-relations exhibitors from some of the top agencies in the country.

The fair was unique in that students were able to network with one another and professionals in the industry through morning sessions, a light meal, and a relaxed environment where careers can truly be cultivated. Exhibitors participating in the fair were given strict guidelines to go by, so that any participating agency must have offered either: an internship, job opportunity, or funds for school clubs and organizations so that students were guaranteed to benefit from the event in one way or another.

Special thanks to Brandi Boatner PRSA-NY New Professionals Chair, for putting this all together!

For me PRSSA isn’t about networking, it’s about conversing with like-minded students who happen to be interested in the same field of study and profession as me. Through our PRSSA chapter we were invited to Boston University’s #PRAdvanced conference held on their campus, February 23^rd.  Cara and I made our way to Boston that weekend and enjoyed a jam-packed Saturday full of industry insight.

BU PRSSA did a great job organizing the conference. Two key takeaways from the day were lessons in event planning.

• Theme the conference. Makes easy hashtags. Sets a tone.
• Add an activity during downtime. Keeps people busy and focused on the conference. Helps attendees comfortably meet new people.

Cara, NYU PRSSA VP of Professional Development, making ‘get well soon’ cards for children in a nearby hospital.

Here are some sound bites from the day that really made an impression on me.

• “Effective marketing is what’s relevant to the consumer, the brand brings value to that.” -Rob Flaherty, CEO & Senior Partner of Ketchum
• “Be real. Be generous. Give first. Get second.” –Steve Quigley, BU  Public Relations Professor on video-guru Steve Garfield
• “Create what people want to see.” -Steve Garfield, Boston Media Makers
• “Being in a big city is only an advantage if you think it’s an advantage.”-Alison Morris, Marketing & Social Media at Springpad
• “Just know that there is no career-path that’s set in stone. You really make your own journey.” -Rachel Sprung, Brand & Buzz Coordinator at Hubspot
• “PR is ‘influencer marketing.’” –Susan Baba, Procter and Gamble

Loved how fearless and straight-forward the day’s speakers were. Sometimes it’s hard to derive meaning from theoretical concepts or idealistic notions about communications, but the speakers left me with a sense that I had gained tangible advice ready to be put to use in the real world. 

*For a more in-depth look search #PRAdvanced on Twitter or follow me at @gentry_b!

Are you interested in getting an internship or job in New York City? If so, then you don’t want to miss the premiere job opportunity event on Tuesday, April 2 at New York University from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
  
The PRSA-NY Chapter New Professionals Committee along with the PRSSA student Chapter at NYU with a grant from the PRSA Foundation and support from the Council of Public Relations Firms invites you to attend the 2013 New York Public Relations Career Forum.    

Join us to learn about the field of public relations and kick off your career. At the Career Fair, you will have an opportunity to meet with recruiters from top New York City-based public relations agencies and communications companies and learn about continuing education programs.

The mission for the NY PR career fair is to attract top diverse talent to the public relations profession, helping to develop students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds for a career in public relations. The event is open to all students. The cost for attending this event is only $10 (which includes lunch), and FREE if you’re a PRSSA member!

On Wednesday, February 27th, NYU PRSSA attended Muck Rack’s monthly class on #howtopitchajournalist led by Patrick Flanary, a PR manager at Thomson Reuters and a contributor to Rolling Stone and The Huffington Post among others. Natan Edelsburg led the Q&A, as Flanary discussed his experiences and suggestions in building relationships with journalists in this ever-advancing technological world.

 Here are some key points:

• Customize your emails – journalists know what they’re doing; they will know if you send out that very same email to 15 other journalists.
• Subject lines and opening sentences are the two most important aspects in the email – journalists are so busy that they will often not read past that if it is already boring.
• Get to the point; be brief and try to make a connection. Keep it less than 2 paragraphs, make it 2 sentences, 3 sentences max.
• Call only if it is ‘the scoop.’
• Don’t bury the lead; bring it to the top.
• Link your sentences to why that particular topic matters to that particular journalist.
• If you promise an exclusive, make them aware of a deadline, so you don’t seem two-faced if you end up giving that information to another journalist.
• Wait at least several days to follow-up, maximum wait one week.
• Twitter is our generation’s newspaper, so get on that!
• Do not bold, underline, or italicize when sending an email pitch.
• Never pitch on a Monday or a Friday; a good time to pitch is in the middle of the week, from 10 – 11 AM before work gets too busy.
• Meet lots of people!
  

Hope you enjoyed these tips!

Till next time,

Claire

VP of Communications

At this Wednesday’s meeting we were lucky enough to have a fantastic resume workshop led by Jamie Wernet of Heyman Associates, and we wanted to share some of her tips with you! 

1. Design is important, but there is no one correct design- Don’t get hung up on alignment, spacing, and fancy designs; what’s more important is the information you have to share.

2.  Have a WHY for everything on your resume- Be sure you can explain why you have included each piece of information you have chosen to list on your resume, know why it’s relevant to the position you are applying for and be sure you can explain this in an interview.

3. Don’t think people will assume things about you from your resume- If you want an employer to know something about you, write it down. Don’t expect them to infer skills based on job descriptions, be explicit.

4. Top skills to have in a PR career: a) global mindset b) creativity c) strategy & tactics and most important 4) interpersonal communication skills

I know these tips helped me to rethink the structure of my resume, hope they help you too!

Cara McMahon

VP Professional Development

We’re giving away 2 FREE TICKETS to see Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark for this Friday, February 15th @ 8pm! Here’s what you have to do to enter the sweepstakes (you MUST complete all 3 steps to enter)

1. Go to twitter.com/nyuprssa and Follow us

2. Show your love by tweeting why you want to see Spiderman with the hashtag #nyuprssalove

3. Embed a picture of yourself in the tweet, doing a spiderman pose somewhere in a public space

Submissions close on Friday at noon, and the winner will be chosen from the list of participants at random (we’ll Direct Message you!)

On your marks…….Get Set……….TWEET (and remember to say CHEEEEEESE)! 

I’ve taken orders, refilled teas, and carried five plates at once for almost ten years.  I can look at a steak hot off the grill and know it’s medium-rare. I can remember a party of 8’s order while remembering table 71’s ketchup and table 6’s new silverware because they dropped a fork on the floor. If you’re a regular and I see you walk in, I’ll have your usual waiting on the table because I’m a good waitress.

After each shift when I was in the back rolling silverware I always thought how useless waitressing was—I just needed to pay for college. And now I’ve realized that it was possibly one of the best jobs I could have had to prepare for a public relations career. Waitressing is worth adding to the resume.

Crisis Management: “I found a bug in my food.”

I automatically go into crisis management mode when my table finds a bug in their food (not that it happens often). Most corporate restaurants prepare servers for situations like this, but when you have a lady yelling for a manager across the restaurant with a fly in her salad you have to improvise. Much like a crisis management plan for a corporation, waitresses have to follow similar steps as a crisis management specialist:

1. Stop the number of victims: First I take away all of the food from the table. The customer needs to know that I am working towards a solution.  
2. Communicate with a manager (a restaurant’s CEO): I have to inform my manager what has happened, show him the damage (a dead bug), and he returns to the table to (a) apologize and accept blame, (b) make an official statement about how it could have happened and how we prevent it, (c) offer a solution- usually free food.

Know How to Pitch: “Have you tried our filet and lobster tail?”

Every public relations professional has to know how to pitch. In my graduate program I have to write pitches via email, social media, and every other way because it’s crucial to my client or organization’s success.

Much like public relations, pitching is what pays waitress’ bills. Restaurant pitching: the higher the cost of the menu item you pitch, the higher your tip is because people tip by percentages. If you can convince a customer they need to try our new key lime pie, that just added to your tip. Sometimes management gives you nightly items to pitch such as steaks that are about to expire or new menu items corporate wants us to sell, and we have to know how to entice our customers to purchase this item. Waitresses know their audiences.

Communication Skills: “Hi. My name is Lauren and I’ll be taking care of you tonight.”

Waitresses are public speakers. We have to greet tables, take orders, and converse with tables about any topics they may bring up (waitresses and bartenders really are like counselors). We recommend menu items or explain them to the table in elaborate detail. I’ve had tables of thirty people I have to communicate with at once, sometimes to explain why we just ran out of their favorite dish.  I know what to say in these situations and how to find a solution. I’m much like a public relations professional waiting tables— I just get paid less.

— By: Lauren Gann 

This past Wednesday, NYU PRSSA had the wonderful opportunity to learn first-hand about the future of the PR industry from its faculty advisor, Lou Capozzi. With over 20 years of professional experience in the public relations industry, Capozzi first began his career at Hill & Knowlton, worked at Ketchum among reputable firms, and eventually made it to the top as CEO at one of the most respectable PR firms in the world, otherwise known as MSL Group. His workshop about important trends to look out for and skills to succeed in such a changing environment was engaging, inspiring, and extremely helpful

Most of us, first of all, can rest assured because the future of the PR industry according to Capozzi, has never been brighter. As long as we keep in mind a couple of things, there should be little stopping us from making a dent in the ever dynamic and fast-paced PR world.

              PR expert, Lou Capozzi, sharing his advice with NYU PRSSA

 First, being active and skilled in how to effectively use social media platforms is a no-brainer and absolutely essential. Social media platforms are especially powerful nowadays and in a nutshell, represent customer empowerment. One Twitter update has the potential to reach millions all over the world. Second, we should maybe rethink law school because according to Capozzi, around 10,000 people recently passed the bar exam in the state of New York for a mere 2,000 jobs.

      Third, understanding how to integrate business with PR is vital to truly succeeding in this world. We are, after all, doing PR for and working with other businesses and firms. The three essential classes to take in college are management, finance, and marketing. Fourth, there is a general consensus in the PR industry that no individual is as good as a group of individuals. Thus, knowing how to work well in teams and with other people is key. Learn to listen and know how to listen. Similarly, along those lines, know when to stop talking. Have an appetite for risk. Be creative, but efficient. Challenge people to go beyond their comfort zones. Be a terrific writer. Have a customer mentality in PR industry. Read the news. Stay in tune with what is going on in the world and be up to date with pop culture because PR professionals always need to constantly be bringing in new and fresh outside perspectives.

And finally, let’s all keep our fingers crossed because we all need a little bit of luck to help us get there.

Eva Huang

NYU PRSSA VP of Finance

During NYU’s fall break, three members from the PRSSA executive board had the special opportunity to attend the PRSSA National Conference in San Francisco. Shira Palka, Claire Ahn, and Cara McMahon went on the 5-day conference, and even managed to get in some sight-seeing in between sessions. Take a look at some of their favorite moments from the trip!

Left to right: Cara McMahon, Shira Palka, Claire Ahn

·         Shira, President: I had such a great time at the conference. It was nice to see many of the sessions run by other PRSSA chapters, and learn from students who are also working hard to better develop their chapters. Some of the key highlights I took away from the President’s session, led by Kevin Saghy, PR and Marketing specialist for the NY Cubs were the following:

o   Be honest and transparent

o   Find out what motivates your members and use it to your advantage

o   Set a strategy and corresponding goals

o   Listen to what people have to say

o   Cast your ego aside

o   Own up to your mistakes

o   Remember to say thank you

Another big highlight was listening to PRSA’s keynote speaker, Twitter co-founder, Biz Stone. It wasn’t just fascinating to hear how Twitter was founded, but it was inspiring to listen to him speak so naturally about a product he truly believes in. From his childhood stories, to how he worked with a team of friends, to starting twitter, he left off with the idea that we should think about how to help make the world a better place, and give back with our ideas. I felt proud to represent NYU at the President’s dinner, and honored to be a part of such a supportive and professional organization. San Francisco was a beautiful host, and after visiting Fisherman’s Wharf and sitting at the same bar as Jack Kerouac, it’s safe to say I will be back to see the rest!

Our PRSA Faculty Advisor, Lou Capozzi representing NYU SCPS

·         Claire, Social Media Coordinator: Overall, the PRSSA National Conference was amazing and unlike any other experience I’ve ever had, related to university organizations. Throughout a four night/five day conference, we had the freedom to pick and choose our own sessions and find the ones that best fit our choices of interest.

Of the many lectures I attended, my favorite has got to be, hands down, the lecture done by Jeffrey Ory on the session of Creativity: Innovative Ideas; Create Unforgettable Experiences. He was a very charismatic speaker, which definitely made the session easy to follow and entertaining. What really caught my attention  was his creative, easy-to-memorize key points in succeeding in the PR world:

o   There’s no place for convention in creativity.

o   Creativity is kind of like pornography - you know it when you see it.

o   At the heart of PR, you need to be CREATIVE. 

So, if you think you are not creative (which is 98% of the world, apparently), then how do you cultivate creativity? According to Jeffrey Ory, “Let your inhibitions down and just let yourself go and dance!” 

But in all seriousness, “You can’t be creative just to be creative; you still need a strategy.” To sum it up, creativity is key in succeeding as a PR person, but one cannot be creative to the point of being illogical. It all needs to fit in with the strategy and campaign. 

Hope you all enjoyed these key points!

·         Cara, VP of Chapter Development: Attending this year’s National Conference in San Francisco was a fantastic experience. It was a great opportunity to network with PR professionals and other PRSSA members from across the country. Over the course of our stay in San Francisco we heard from amazing guest speakers from companies such as Twitter, Google, Pandora and leading PR agencies such as Edelman.

One of my favorite lectures came from Social Media Manager at Disneyland, Matt Prince. Prince spoke on the importance of personal branding as a tool for attaining a career in the industry. Prince gave an engaging presentation with 10 key points that are a must for anyone looking for a job in communications in general. We all use social media, but are we using it in an effective way that expresses our personal brand? Prince’s presentation focused on ways we can use various social media sites together to create one narrative about ourselves that we can present to the public. It definitely made me take a look at my own online presence and tweak some things to present a more cohesive message. 
Prince’s 10 Key Points to Personal Branding:

o   Find Yourself

o   Make an Impression

o   Do Social Right

o   Be Narrow Minded

o   Be a Content Creator

o   Be a Storyteller

o   Take it Offline

o   Repetition of Reputation

o   Know Your Audience

o   Have Fun!

You can find Prince’s whole presentation here: http://theprinceples.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/BrandYou.pdf and I highly suggest you take a look at it!

By: Lauren Gann

Since I was copy editor of my high school yearbook, I’ve always wanted to be the next Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue. I even had the notorious bob haircut once—didn’t work for me. So when I was given the opportunity through my internship at New York Family Magazine to attend NY Kids Fashion Week’s petitePARADE, partnered up with VOGUE Bambini, I was on cloud nine.

At the event, I walked around like a tourist in Times Square. I was convinced I would see Katie Holmes and Suri sitting front row (eek!).  I hurried and checked-in, grabbed a media kit, and headed to my assigned seat. Minutes later lights flashed to the runway as One Direction blared over the system. Bonnie Young’s first model in dark spring top entered the stage; The Spring/Summer 2013 Runway Show had started! Other stylists included: Joes Jeans Kids, Pale Cloud, Monnalisa, and many more. Swarovski Elements also showcased on the runway finale by dazzling designer’s collections.

                                        Waiting for the Show to Begin!                                                                

So, it is with great pleasure, style, and 20-20 hindsight that I share my 5-Tips for an Intern attending their first fashion show:

 Tip 1: Find the Media Kits at the Press Station. Luckily for me, the press station was set up right past the check-in station, but it is imperative to always find the event’s media kit. My media kit had a print piece from every designer in the show and the show’s sponsors (plus a few goodies to take home!).

 Tip 2: Find the photographers and sit next to them. There’s a reason photographers are positioned at the end of the runway! When I first arrived I was assigned a seat right next to the model’s runway entrance.  Initially, I was stoked because I thought I had a great view (so not the case). Models walked to the front of the stage to stop for the photographers, and they walked back out—right past me! If you need great shots or are even just taking notes for an article, sit near the photographers; they will make the models stand still and pose!

 *I also learned that people only come for certain shows, so you can change seats after the first show.

Tip 3: Networking is key. Any PR person knows, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Big events like fashion shows are the perfect place to network and meet other people in your specialty.

At the event, I had the pleasure of meeting two awesome people:

 Andora McConnell, 11-year-old Pale Cloud model: I just happen to meet her mother when we all switched seats for the second runway show. Her mother was able to take me back stage at the event to meet her daughter and other runway models. I got the “inside scoop” on what it’s like to be a child model, which could be a possible pitch for an article for my internship.

                                         Lauren and Andora at the show

 The Owner of Pen Parentis: Pen Parentis is a club for writers, with children, that are trying to maintain their creative edge. She was at the show with her 6-year-old, who was busy painting an organic pillow at the children’s workshop stations. Her organization was a perfect find for my internship’s parent audience.

Tip 4: The round-ups at the end of the collections are important. No matter what you’re doing at the fashion show, the round-up at the end is a nice time for you to see the designer’s collection one last time. Instead of videotaping every outfit, I took a video of the round-up for my notes.  It was a great way to (1) take written notes without having to hold a camera, and (2) maintain battery through out the show.

Tip 5: Make time to tour the venue. Instead of just going straight to your seat, travel around the venue. NY Kids Week had all kinds of awesome workshops set up for kids by different sponsors. They also had concessions with free ice cream, applesauce, and Smart Water. It’s a great way to see what all of the show’s sponsors are doing.

                                                     The Stage

This past Wednesday, NYU PRSSA had the exciting opportunity to hear from the EVP, Director of WorldWide Communications of BBDO, Roy Elvove, who shared his insights on public relations in the field of advertising. Roy touched on many key points in getting us to understand what it takes to make it in the field and what it’s like to be in his shoes. For those of you out there interested in advertising PR, here are a few key qualities Roy narrowed in on:

 1.     Gain satisfaction out of pleasing others: In order to succeed in advertising, it is important that you are okay with staying out of the limelight. Creating ads is all about doing what it takes to make the company look good and that should always be the end goal.

2.     Ability to Juggle: Especially in a global company like BBDO, there are always hundreds of exciting projects going on so it is very important that you are able to multitask while keeping up the momentum that it takes to do great work!

3.     Attention to Detail: Advertising is all about detail, detail, detail! There is no detail too small to worry about, so it is extra important to be on top of even the tiniest spelling errors that can take your work from world-class to sloppy.

4.     Have a “Healthy Paranoia”: Roy stressed what he calls a ‘healthy paranoia’ saying that you should never get complacent with your work. You should always be making sure to stay ahead of the pack and don’t let yourself switch into autopilot.

Photo Credit: Claire Ahn (NYU PRSSA Social Media Coordinator)
Left: Shira Palka (NYU PRSSA President), Right: Roy Elvove

At the end of the day, Roy spoke passionately about what he does and about the company he works for calling it, “a place where clients want to come and people want to work.” From the short time we spent with Roy, it was clear that just as BBDO always says, it’s all about “the work, the work, the work.” Citing examples of thefamous M&M Superbowl commercial and even a project for Save the Children, Roy made it clear that even in the new digital age, advertising is still as relevant as ever.

Thanks again to Roy and everyone who came out to PRSSA’s event! All of us on the executive board are looking forward to more exciting speakers to come as the year continues!

Brittney Bhayana

VP of Communications 

shirapalka:

Last Wednesday, I had the special opportunity of moderating a panel for NYU’s PRSSA chapter. The panelists included Kurt Patat, Vice President of MTV & VH1 Press, Amanda Bird Malko, Group Marketing Director for 360i, and Seth Fradkoff, Director of National Publicity for …

Jonathan Tan/WSN

By Howard Lee

For a club all about networking, it is no surprise that its start was sparked by a connection.

In spring 2010, class of 2012 alumna Doreen Naor was prompted by fellow alumnus Natan Edelsburg, then president of the Communications club, to begin a chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America. Natan Edelsburg’s grandfather was head of Public Relations Society of America, the parent organization of PRSSA. The connection to the society propelled Naor to begin an NYU chapter for students.

For students interested in communications, the NYU PRSSA offers professional opportunities and a platform to talk and meet with like-minded individuals.

The club held its introductory meeting in the Kimmel Center for University Life in room 906 on Sept. 12. The club’s purpose is to introduce students at NYU to the professional public relations world.

“A lot of people think that [the club] is focused on public relations,” club president and Steinhart senior Shira Palka wrote on the group’s Tumblr page. “While in a sense that’s true, it can really be for anyone who wants to develop a career in…the communications realm.”

For its members, the club not only gives a venue to socialize, but also helps expose them to the professional world of public relations. Some of the club’s activities include: national competitions, guest speakers, exclusive internships and career forums. Last year, NYU PRSSA co-hosted its career forum with PRSA New York at NYU.

“As NYU does not offer Public Relations as an undergraduate minor, this organization provides the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through internship opportunities and lectures from important figures in the industry. It’s been a great way to prepare for a future career in PR,” said Cara McMahon, Steinhardt senior and vice president of Professional Development.

This year, the club planned a few guest speakers from public relations firms such as Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn. Also, NYU PRSSA is planning a panel for Oct. 3 in Kimmel with speakers from Sony Entertainment and MTV for all NYU students.

“I would tell anyone who is interested in this field to come and get involved,” Palka said. “Because, honestly, the more people you meet now, the better chance you have of succeeding later.”

NYU PRSSA’s Faculty Advisor, Lou Capozzi is featured in Muck Rack’s article. Take a look!

muckrack:

We approached Louis Capozzi, a PR professional for more than 40 years, to weigh his opinion on how social media have affected, or better yet, revolutionized the PR industry.

Chatting about the constants and shifts in social media, Capozzi concludes with how social media has ultimately…