Congratulations to the newly elected 2012-2013 Eboard! We are so excited to have everyone on board and hit the next semester off with a bang. A big congratulations to the graduating board as well, and an electronic round of applause to them for making the past year a wonderful PRSSA experience. Looking forward to great times ahead!

And here is your new board:

Shira Palka, President 

Eva Huang, VP of Finance

shirapalka:

During this year’s Internet Week, I attended Likeable U Class of 2012: Beyond the Buzz, in which speakers such as Peter Shankman, Aliza Licht, Dan Kim and other respected professionals shared their expertise in the industry. Though I was only able to attend the second half of the event, I…

Want to stand out in the field of Public Relations? Apply to be a leader in PR by joining the PRSSA Executive Board!

The Executive Board position gives you the opportunity to network with other clubs on campus, PR organizations in NYC, develop leadership skills, and build your resume. 

Click here for the official PRSSA Eboard Application. More information about available positions could be found here. If you have any questions, feel free to email nyuprssa@gmail.com or tweet at us @NYUPRSSA! The deadline to apply is next Wednesday, April 25th.

Good luck!

We know that many of you unfortunately could not attend tonight’s meeting, so here are some highlights of our talk with Adrianna and Meg!

• Make sure you’re familiar with the latest social channels.Training programs are becoming more popular at agencies, and one day you may have to teach your boss how to use social media like Twitter or Pinterest.
• In such a stressful field, many people can easily burn out, but it is important to slow down and just breathe. At the end of the day, it’s up to you on how much you want to accomplish and this is an industry where you can really grow and shine.
• Some of the daily work tasks include planning and media relations; social media writing, a lot of media outreach, brainstorming and executing. And remember- “no idea is a bad idea in a brainstorm.” ~A
• “Intern as much as possible, no matter where it is.” ~M
• Experience is the only way you’ll truly learn about the industry, so try to intern, or even just learn about a company through informational interviews.
• An ideal intern from the NYC PR Girls’ perspective will: follow through and keep the flow of communication going at all times, be responsive, speak up, go the extra mile to complete a task, and mess up. That’s right, it’s important to make mistakes and you’re there to learn, so don’t be afraid to call out an error and learn from it afterwards.

The girls also discussed salaries, living in the city vs. commuting, making friends after college, and the perks of being in the industry.

Thanks for hanging out with our chapter, we hope you stop by again!

-Shira Palka
NYU PRSSA VP of Communications 

I’ll be the first to admit that it is pretty easy to pass off STUDY ABROAD as just BEING ABROAD. My experience thus far studying at NYU Prague has been that classes are more lax, professors are more lenient and schedules are generally more forgiving. That’s not to say that studying doesn’t occur… it just occurs less often. 

After “living the life” my first few weeks in Prague, I attended an NYU sponsored internship fair. NYU Prague has a great internship program, which has established relationships with many of the city’s biggest business and important firms. I know similar programs exist at other sites, and I recommend checking out the opportunities online before deciding on a site.

At the event I met Rachel, my current boss. Rachel is an ex-pat from America who has lived in Czech Republic for eight years. She has worked with several big name magazines, but in the past year has decided to open up her own Public Relations agency, Clout. Since she is growing her business, I have been lucky in that I am given a good amount of responsibility and am allowed to pursue my own initiatives. After working in a larger PR firm this past fall, it has been exciting to see how “traditional” PR works and I’ve loved being able to see our growth so far. The cultural exchanges that go along with doing PR in a different country, much less a Central European country, have been great to experience too.

If you plan to go abroad and are debating whether or not you want to intern, these are the main concerns I’d think about:

• Travel: If you plan to travel every weekend, it may be difficult to fit an internship into your schedule. Although bosses seem to be understanding, you want to make sure you devote enough time to your job.
• Free Time: Much of being abroad is about immersing yourself into the culture, daily life of the locals. If you rather be out exploring neighborhoods while you’re not in class, interning probably wont be worth it.
• Burning Out: Many use study abroad as break from interning. If you’ve had an internship the previous semester, and plan to have one when you return from abroad it may be nice to take a semester off while you can. 

Why I would recommend it:

• Balance: Daily life abroad is so much different than life in New York, that having an internship to schedule life around can help balance all of the crazy that is going on around you.
• Opportunities: The internships available abroad are usually well connected back to the states, expanding and enhancing your network for when you return to the city. 
• Immersion: Being able to do business with and interact with locals on a daily/weekly basis offers an immersion experience that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

-Gentry Brown

Over my spring break, I had the wonderful opportunity and honor of attending the PRSSA National Assembly in Charlotte, North Carolina, as NYU PRSSA’s official delegate. This was my first national conference and our chapter’s first representation in the assembly since its foundation. If I had to sum up my experience in one word, it would be Inspiring. Over 200 delegates and PRSSA members from around the country represented their universities, in order to learn important leadership skills, understand the role that ethics plays in PR, build their chapters, and spread the PRSSA love.

The assembly started out with an optional Day of Competition event in which I was placed into a group and asked to create a PR campaign for Duke Energy in just one hour. Though my team did not win, I got a little taste of what it’s like to work with a group of people I literally met on the spot, coordinate and work together under time pressure, and present a plan to a “client.” Over the course of the assembly, we had some very interesting sessions about the ethical standards of PR, chapter development for different board-member titles, and the history of PRSA and PRSSA.

I took away many valuable tips from the assembly, such as:

• How to develop an effective Student-Run Firm
• How to concisely explain what PRSSA is and encourage students to join
• What it takes to be a leader and why the executive board is so important
• What types of fundraisers to host each local chapter

It was wonderful to not only see how loyal and devoted the national committee was in helping other chapters grow, but to interact with other delegates from around the country and share personal stories with one another about our chapters. I believe we can learn more from our mistakes than our successes, and this was definitely the case when we were all able to share our mishaps and issues within our own chapters. The open discussions were effective in allowing me to look at my own chapter and think about our strengths and weaknesses.

During the assembly day, all of the delegates were given the task of electing their new PRSSA national committee. After listening to the speeches, I was so impressed with the leaders who are growing this organization and so proud to be a part of the process.

To end off the post, I want to quote Mary Tribble, the keynote speaker during our farewell reception, and Chief of Events for the upcoming 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. “It’s all up to you, each day and each career. Your happiness is up to you.”

Shira Palka
NYU PRSSA VP of Communications

The things that social media is doing these days…

I just found out about American Express using Twitter to further enhance member rewards. Once you sync your Amex to your Twitter account and tweet using the related Amex hashtag you can take advantage of special deals involving statement credits after purchases at certain stores and online retailers. How amazing is that?

I thought the Amex/FourSquare partnership was brilliant and now this one is just as great. American Express is one of the best examples of companies using social media to enhance their business. It seems crazy to me that anyone who has an Amex and is a social media user wouldn’t use FourSquare or Twitter to get credits back on purchases. If you love to spend money and love to save money then you pretty much need to partake in these partnership deals. Sure, I’ll keep using my Amex card if I’m going to get statement credits back with my purchase. Why wouldn’t I?

This latest partnership is a win-win situation for the consumer and American Express. If you think about it, American Express is paying members to promote the company. They are not only getting members to discuss the brand in the digital world, but they are doing it with added value to the member. Plus, all the member has to do is tweet using the related hashtag and the special is loaded onto the card. That’s it! For example, if you want to get the H&M deal going on through 4/20/12 tweet #AmexHM and you get $10 back on a $50 purchase. I plan on tweeting away when deals I like comes up. I admire American Express as a company and have been happy with my experience thus far, so I have no problem promoting the brand.

Companies being able to come up with these great ideas provide us with a look to the future of business. Social media is only going to get more advanced and companies are going to need to keep up with these trends. American Express is one company that I know will continue being a success and being innovative in the social media realm. They truly understand how to work with it to connect with customers on a deeper and more meaningful level.

Elisa Freese
NYU PRSSA VP of Chapter Development 

At yesterday’s Career Forum hosted by NYU PRSSA and PRSA NY, guest speaker Kevin Mercuri kicked off the event with some wonderful words of wisdom to aspiring PR professionals. With twenty years of PR experience under his belt, and as the President and Founder of Propheta Communications, Kevin highlighted key aspects of making it in the business:

• “Once you’re out of college you’re a brand.” You must continue to manage yourself as a brand and be in touch with your inner type A.
• Use social media to your advantage. Clean it up and make sure you are up to date on all your channels. 
• Follow influencers and professionals on Twitter. Reach out to them and get on their radar early!
• Do your homework; read trade publications and stay on top of the buzz.
• Treat your internship as a full-time job. Take advantage of the resources you are given and make a lasting impression.
• “Polite persistence pays a premium.” Always follow up, send a note to a colleague, tweet out to a professional, and be persistent when networking.
• When it comes to networking events: leave your friends behind. The morning events are more business oriented, so be sure to go to those as well. When you’re there, work the room and ask good questions. 

Kevin ended his speech with some lasting remarks. He pointed out to know the trends and able to look ahead. It’s always helpful to know the agencies and the work they do, be able to handle stress, and have that aggressive edge that companies look for in an intern and full-time employee.

Thanks very much Kevin!

Shira Palka
NYU PRSSA VP of Communications 

Tara Smith, Doreen Naor, Elisa Freese, & Shira Palka (Left to right) at NYU PRSSA - PRSA NY Career Forum

Doreen Naor (Chapter President) Shira Palka (VP of Communications) & Elisa Freese (VP of Chapter Development) (Left to Right) at the PRSANY-NYUPRSSA Career Forum!

 As part of my duties as Vice President of Professional Development, I helped organize a joint event with the New York Chapter of the PRSA. After months of planning, all of our hard work came to an end.

The PRSA-NY/NYU PRSSA Career Forum was held last night at the Rosenthal Pavilion in the Kimmel Center. With over 100 attendees and 16 exhibitors, Rosenthal was filled with eager minds looking to network with PR professionals. Companies, including Edelman, Peppercom and Marina Maher Communications, sent representatives to the event to speak with the attendees about possible opportunities at their respective organizations.

As both an organizer and attendee, it felt great to see everyone connecting with one another. The event also reminded me of two very important things: the importance of networking and the power of social media.

By now, everyone knows how important networking is. In today’s world, it’s all about who you know. You meet a person at an event like the PRSA-NY/NYU PRSSA Career Forum and connect with them via Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. From there, it’s up to you to stay involved with the people you meet because you never know when they can inform you of internship/job opportunities. I’ve met people once and they have remembered me from that event and later through social media.

Last night, there were 2 exhibitors who remembered me from events I went to last year and because we follow each other on Twitter they are exposed to me on a daily basis. I was actually amazed when one exhibitor pointed out the mutual Twitter following before I even got a chance to. It’s little things like following a person on Twitter that can make you memorable in a person’s mind. So my advice to people looking for jobs or internships, step your social media game up. It will not only make you more marketable, but it allows for connections you wouldn’t have had before.

A big thank you goes to the attendees, exhibitors, my fellow E-board members who came to the event and Tiffany Winbush and Tara Smith from the PRSA who let me help out with the planning. Hope everyone had a great time!

-Elisa Freese

PRSA-NY Career Forum

Attention Communications Students and New Professionals                   

Whether you’re a college graduate or student applying for your first position or internship, a newprofessional ready to make a move in the industry or seeking information on continuing education…

…come meet HR recruiters from top New York City-based public relations and communications companies and gather information on leading continuing education programs.

When: 

Monday, March 5, 2012

4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Where:         

New York University: Kimmel Center

10th Floor, Rosenthal Pavilion

Entrance located on 60 Washington Square South between LaGuardia Place and  Thompson Street

New York, NY 10012

*Cost:           

$15

How:             

Register online at www.prsany.org

RSVP:          

By Wednesday, February 29

*Pre-payment is mandatory. Refunds will not be given after the registration deadline. Those who cancel their registration after the deadline or do not attend the event will remain responsible for the registration fee.

*The PRSA-NY Career Forum is hosted by the chapter’s New Professionals Affiliate Committee and the NYU PRSSAChapter. Follow the link to become a member of the New Pros Committee today! For more information about the NYU PRSSA Chapter, please contact chapter president, Doreen Naor, at doreen.naor@nyu.edu.

For more information, please visit www.prsany.org or email us at info@prsany.org.

Welcome back from winter break! We’re excited to start the spring semester with all of our returning and new members on board. If you missed our first general meeting, here are a few important notes to stay active:

• If you would like to become an official PRSSA member: $50 dues should be handed in by the next meeting (February 21) (Cash or check are fine. Checks need to be made out to Eva Huang).
• There will be a Social Media Committee for the PRSSA chapter, in which members will be encouraged to take turns blogging, posting content on our Facebook page, and giving our Twitter handle a voice. A few members have showed interest in this, and if you would like to be a part of the committee or handle a specific aspect, please contact me at shira.palka@nyu.edu. Feel free to shout out some ideas!
• We already have a nice lineup of guest speakers with specific topics for each meeting. Want to see something covered in particular? Let us know!
• On March 5th, NYU PRSSA and PRSA-NY will be hosting a Career Forum at the Kimmel Center, where you will get to meet top PR agencies and network with NYC’s professionals. Mark your calendars people!
• THIS FRIDAY Ketchum and The Lagrant Foundation are hosting a Career Development event, where you will have the opportunity to ask both organizations questions, and even land an internship with Ketchum! DEADLINE to apply is this THURSDAY bit.ly/npYphI
• FIT PRSSA is hosting a speed-dating event for all other PRSSA chapters this THURSDAY- check out their facebook page for more info titled “A Match Made on Seventh”.

Remember to connect with us on Twitter, FB and Linkedin! Looking forward to seeing you all at the next meeting.

Shira Palka
VP of Communications

mbooth:

This infographic, designed by Emily Caufield via Mashable, highlights Tumblr’s major growth and influence over the past few years. Founded only four years ago, the platform now hosts over 33 million accounts, supports 8 languages, and produces 38,000 posts per minute. Whether the success is due to its friendly user interface or shareability, Tumblr is currently leading Wordpress in the race to be the top blogging platform. The overwhelming increase in users of 900% in the past year suggests that Tumblr will not be backing down any time soon. 

What blogging platform do you prefer to use?

-Shira

A few weeks ago I attended Smash Summit in NYC held at Microsoft and produced by 500 startups, with .CO as one of the main sponsors. The one-day conference featured top startups with speakers discussing platform strategies, tactics, and tips on attracting customers. Although I missed the morning sessions featuring executives from Youtube, Foursquare, Facebook and others, I came across other companies and took home some great advice:
 
Billy Chasen, Founder and CEO of Turntable.fm noted that the best way to acquire users is through the product itself. As the first truly social music network with over 625,000 users in over three months, the CEO admit that it was all due to word of mouth publicity, not your typical press release pitch. Turntable wanted to first target the community that loves music before anyone else; Chasen advised that you need to find the right crowd for your product at the right time. If you treat your core product as always evolving, there’s no such thing as the product “getting old.” Keep it fresh, add some features if you need and stay true to making a better user experience.

Stew Langille, CEO of Visual.ly expressed that in social media, people look for the stuff they want to share with friends, and infographics are a great way to do that. Publishers have grown 12% using visualizations compared to 1% of those who have not. You can use infographics for company presentations, to drive page views on your personal blog, impress clients and educate people, and of course don’t forget to give credit where it’s due!

Dan Porter, CEO of OMGPOP, talked about customer acquisition through gamification. Gamification is a huge trend, from the foursquare badges to the various leaderboards on Facebook and smart phones. A few key takeaways:

1. Guide the user- having an instruction that says “Click the tile” vs. “Click the tile (with picture of an arrow pointing to the tile)” showed that users were more engaged with the latter. EX) Turbotax deconstructs and walks you through filling out your taxes quickly and efficiently.
2. Think in loops- sites like Autocorrect, Twitter and Formspring are examples of sites that loop information back.
3. Create friendly competition- Linkedin, for example, shows users how many connections they have made (similar to how many Facebook friends one has), but rather than having it be a popularity contest, the site makes it so that users who rack up over 500 connections are all equally classified as “500+” so that everyone is happy.
4. Make things fun- post interesting and relevant content on your company’s Facebook page, make your product appealing and competitive in some form so that users will be more included to engage.

Overall there were some great tips to take away for one’s own company and product. The night ended with an inspiring speech from .CO’s very own Vice President, Lori Anne Wardi, who discussed .CO’s emerging influence in the domain world in spite of ICANN’s recent announcement to release all domains to the public. The night ended on a fun note with an after party hosted by .CO at INC lounge; one lucky person won an iPod shuffle and 50% off a .co name.

Shira Palka

VP of Communications