The world of public relations through the two blue eyes of a recent Uni graduate.
A simple diary or rather a reflection on my life as a student and PR and events management graduate. I usually share notes on what caught my eye. Please don't forget to feed my fish :)
I finally found the time to upload my BR Corporate Strategy PR Brief presentation on SlideShare.net! Yey! I am really excited about it!It is an example of the way I work I suppose – I am a perfectionist who focuses on details and spends lots of time doing research.
The presentation has unexpectedly improved my personal SEO too, which is just a cherry on the cake. I was encouraged to upload more of my work by some of my Twitter followers - BTW thank you all for you support. I intend to do exactly that ;)
The world's favourite social network Facebook turns six. There certainly is a reason of two to celebrate.
Mark Zukcerberg launched an experimental little website out of his student room at Harvard University. Today, he is the world’s youngest (he is just 25 years old) self-made billionaire.
What started as a small Harvard only social network soon expanded to include other colleges and secondary schools in the US and then from across the world. There are over 350 million active users today. This makes Facebook the most popular social networking site in the world.
Facebook has turned out to be a hugely successful idea. The Dragons would be more than happy to invest their money if Mark Zukcerberg came to the Dragons’ Den to pitch for money.
The question is: Can Facebook retain its position as the world's ‘darling’ social network?
Social networking has changed our culture and the way we communicate. We tend to TALK to our friends by updating the: “What’s on your mind?” tab. We also use status to say that we are engaged, messages to say Hi!, wall posts to share the YouTube video we like, and then we send out party invites, share and tag photos so all our friends know who is who. We join groups, become fans of our favourite brand, look for jobs and sell old books via marketplace. We do all the things we would do anyway just in a perhaps more interesting digital way.
Now, Facebook is due to introduce a full featured webmail product. How great is that? I love my Gmail but having it incorporated into my Facebook profile would save me so much time.
The benefits of new apps and features just keep on coming so let’s see what’s next.
Third year in a PR course is always tough. It is no longer only about delivering assignments, chasing deadlines and sitting exams. The new addition to the busy life of soon-to-be-graduates is the hunt for the dream job. Most of us decide to focus on the PR Grad Scheme applications and some start using Twitter and blogging to enhance their ‘digital footprint’ and ‘PR themselves’... there is a lot to do to succeed!!
In November, I started working on a 2010 Grad PR Scheme list. I found it essential to kick off the whole process of applying EARLY because you never know how busy you are going to be after Christmas.
The first Grad Scheme I applied for was the WPP Marketing Fellowship. I didn’t get in but not because I wasn’t good enough. Yes it was a bit upsetting to be rejected but I always wanted to work in PR so Marketing Fellowship wouldn’t give me what I wanted anyway. The WPP Marketing Fellowship comprises of three one-year rotations through WPP companies – PR, Marketing, Research, etc. Yes I’d have gained a broad experience during the Scheme but what for?
After the initial set back, I had to RECONSIDER my aspirations, desires and preferences. It would be a massive waste of time applying for something I wasn’t into. So since then, I have applied only for PR Schemes that I found interesting and felt that they were ‘right’ for me.
I have discovered a hidden passion for the digital world so started looking at agencies offering jobs/schemes in Digital PR, Consumer Technology, and similar. I’ve applied for quite a few and I am now eagerly awaiting THE phone call.
Recently, I’ve been thinking of the benefits of being in a PR Grad Scheme: team building, training, support, etc. These key aspects are highly desirable by most of the students who need some initial introduction. It is quite interesting to see recent graduates counting only on their social media presence hoping that it will do the trick and get them the dream job in PR.
Don’t get me wrong I’ve been focusing on my ‘digital footprint’ too but still made the time to apply for PR Grad Schemes. Some students only ‘PR themselves and their communication skills’ to the agencies via Twitter & Blog, etc. Is it a good strategy? - Certainly yes. I managed to get my PR Internship this way. But is it enough?
To conclude, any soon-to-be-graduate has to do his/hers best to enhance the ‘digital footprint’ they have, select and apply for the appropriate PR Grad Schemes that fits their aspirations and desires, and also finish the University in a decent way – with good marks. It is tough! I am in this process right now and sometimes I had to prioritise what was more important to do – Uni or Applications.
