Month: May 2015

Even a junior in college, I still struggle with the difference between business casual and business professional attire. As if an interview is already stressful enough, deciding how to dress just adds to the anxiety. Instead of reviewing the values of your potential hiring company and practicing various interview techniques, you seem to spend an awfully long time choosing what to wear. So with a new job or internship in your future, or even as you being attending career fairs and various PRSSA networking events, it’s important to know what is appropriate to wear and when. Hopefully, you already have some basic business-appropriate garments in your closet, ready to use. But if you don’t, it’s time to start building you “work wardrobe.” Here’s your guide to office-ready essentials for any situation.

Casually Appropriate

This is not casual in the way you may hope. This means jeans and sneakers do not apply. It is important to maintain a professional presence, even if you’re not in a suit and tie or a dress and heels. Remember, you are a direct representation of your organization, so you want to make an effort, no matter what day of the week.

Casually Appropriate

• From day one: Dress more formally–observe your peers, which can help you decode your office. From there, you can build a wardrobe that correlates with your coworkers.
• Women: Tailored pants, blouses and sweaters to casual dresses (not more than an inch or two above the knee.) Footwear should be conservative and does not necessarily need to be a heel.
• Men: Dress pants, collared shirts and a belt is the standard. Unique blazers, tailored sweaters and leather shoes accompany the look well.
• For everyone: Avoid jeans until you’re certain when they are acceptable. Take business casual days to dress in more fun and trendy clothes.

Professional Standards

Business professional style expectations may vary across industries but there are basics to a professional look. Professional attire always means:

• Men: Tailored suits with a tie, paired with a solid-colored dress shirt.
• Women: Dress or pantsuits and tailored dresses with a jacket (blazer, dress cardigan, ect.)
• For everyone: Clean grooming, ironed clothes, attention to detail, neutral colors and conservative footwear.

Business causal can mean different things to different employers. And unfortunately, there is no strict definition of the phrase. Until you are sure about its definition, dress professionally. One of my mentors once told me that it is better to be over dressed than under dressed. Take this into consideration when dressing for an interview or for your first day on the job. Make sure to ask yourself, “What do i want my first impression to be?”

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Sophie Lair is a junior at the University of Oregon, majoring in public relations and minoring in French. She is obsessed with her little white five-pound puppy and never misses an episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” She hopes to pursue a career in the fashion industry.

 

Recently, I took an interview with a PR agency for a post-graduation job oppurtunity. One HR director and four employees in 60 minutes; I was nervous.

Before the interview, I sent the HR director my resume, and the four employees had the oppurtunity to review it and Google me online. After about 10 minutes with the HR director, it was time to meet this first two employees; both account directors for different clients. After initial “hello’s” and “how are you doing?,” the first thing one of the account directors said was, “I really enjoyed reviewing your resume and your website. It was nice to have something other than a resume to see what you’re all about.”

I was automatically thankful that over the past six months I had kept my online portfolio and blog up-to-date.

There are many times we hear from professors, current students, and graduated students from the School of Journalism and Communication mention that having an online presence is huge. Having a website that houses your work puts you ahead of the game, and connecting it your blog is a major plus. Often we find this to be time consuming, especially with all the work we’re constantly doing for our classes, keeping a website up-to-date is difficult.

I get it. Designing the site, reviewing your work before you upload it, and putting just the basics up seems like a weekends worth of time that could be used doing other things that have hard deadlines.

If I told you that one of the reasons I moved forward in my interview process was because of the work presented on my website, would that change your mind about it? I bet it will make you consider it.

I was on the fence about creating my own site for a year, until I heard a similar story from three of my friends who graduated last year. They’re now working for two national PR agencies; the top-dogs of PR agencies.

I’m not saying having a website is going to get you a job. An online portfolio and blog will give an employer more of an insight to see your skillset that may not be all on your resume.

Here are three tips to help you get started with your online portfolio and blog:

1. Utilize the blog writing assignments in your early journalism classes. 

Yes, I’m talking about that WordPress blog you had to create in J452, or the guest-student blogs you had to write in a topics class. These are writing samples. Take them seriously, but also take advantage of the opportunity. If you’re anything like me, you’re not a blog writer. Maybe because you don’t like writing blogs or maybe you don’t feel as though you have the time. That’s OK. Classes that freely give you the chance to write a post that will be publishes online is something you should be excited about, not dead.

2. Look at current or graduated students’ websites and blogs for inspiration.                                                                                                        

 Chances are, many of the assignments you are currently doing has been given to students before you. Not everyone presents themselves the same way. Find inspiration from either online portfolios or blogs on WordPress and Squarespace. Once you can imagine how your website will look, it’s a lot easier to actually see yourself owning one.

3. Grab a few friends to help create the site.

If you don’t have a website because you feel as though you aren’t “creative enough” or you “don’t have design skills,” open your eyes to the peers you’re surrounded by. Many of your friends in the journalism school are talented folks. If you’re struggling with creating the basics of website, and I mean just creating a WordPress account and becoming familiar with the interface, grab a friend to help show you the ropes. Don’t know how to code or you’re confused on how to get an image on the site? Chances are someone in your class has done it before. Looking for a design guru? Ask an advertising major for some recommendations.

Think of your website being on extension of your personal brand. Your resume can’t tell your entire story. Your online website can.

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Abigaelle Mulligan is currently a senior at the University of Oregon, majoring in public relations and minoring in business administration. Upon graduation, she is joining the Grow Marketing Team in San Francisco. She enjoys learning about upcoming digital and experiential marketing and how it affects the public relations and advertising realm.

Internships are a great way to start your career in the public relations industry. Most of us focus on how to get an internship and how to excel during the internship, but the importance of what you should do after your internship is over is often overlooked. Here are five things you can do to ensure that you get the most out of your experience.

1. Don’t forget to say ‘thank you’

Remember to say ‘thank you’ to everyone you feel necessary. Send well thought out, handwritten letters to the company stating specific reasons you are appreciative for the experience. Remember to also thank specific people you worked with while you were there.

2. Don’t lose touch

Keeping in touch with fellow interns, co-workers and managers can be a great way to build your network. These people can also potentially get you connected with other great career opportunities. Be sure to send them an email occasionally to see how they’re doing or ask them out to coffee every once in a while.

3. Ask for feedback

Your boss can give you solid advice on your development as both a student, and a new member of the workplace. Show that you are open to constructive criticism and ask for feedback on how you are doing in the company. This will also show that you truly care about the work you are doing and strive to do better.

4. Ask for a letter of recommendation

Once your internship is over, don’t be too shy to ask for a reference or a letter of recommendation. Even if you realize that you do not want to pursue the field that your internship was in, your boss can still express your dedication, intelligence and overall work ethic. If you ask for a general letter of recommendation based on your performance, you can use it for multiple opportunities.

5. Don’t badmouth anyone

If you weren’t completely pleased with the way your internship went, it’s best not to vocalize it publicly. Keep your professional reputation in mind and never talk poorly about your employer on any social media platforms. Word of mouth can travel faster than you may think and the last thing you want to do is burn bridges within your network.

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Baylie Waller is originally a Chicago native who is interested in brand management and fitness and nutrition public relations. She can one day see herself working in Portland or Seattle.

A little less than two years ago, I sat in a large introduction to public relations class. Hundreds of students sat in desks around me, and I’ll admit, it was a bit intimidating looking at how many of my peers would be going into the same job market as myself. How was I going to stand out? How was I supposed to know how to land an internship or job? What did I need to focus on during my time in the School of Journalism and Communication? I was brand new to the program, and although I didn’t know what the future of PR would hold for me, I was eager to learn everything I could to succeed in the industry.

Fast forward. It’s my last term of college, and I just returned home from a full day of work at my PR and marketing internship. Two years have flown by, but I learned so much and took on many opportunities to get where I am today. For me, it was mostly trial and error, figuring out the answers to those questions I asked myself in that big classroom.

If you are one of those students who is just starting out on the PR track feeling nervous like I did, I have some great news for you. You can get all the inside scoop about classes, instructors, internship tips and more by doing one simple thing. Join the PRSSA mentorship program! I am taking the time to tell you about this incredible program because I was not fortunate enough to be a mentee during my time of need. If I had a mentor during my journey through the PR sequence, my questions would have been answered by a peer who already went through the same experiences. Your peers are often some of the greatest sources of knowledge when it comes to the process of working your way through the sequence and on to the professional world.

I’m going to switch gears to address those of you who have already embarked partway through the PR sequence. The mentorship program is just as important for you as it is for those students just starting out. Become a mentor! I started in the program as a mentor, and it has been such a rewarding experience. Not only are you able to give advice to a peer just starting the sequence, (who doesn’t feel good when helping someone out?) but you also learn from them as well. I’m confident my mentee and I will continue to stay in touch. We learn from each other and encourage each other as we take on new opportunities, which is an awesome connection to take away from this experience.

There’s nothing better than Ducks helping Ducks, and this program gives PR students a way to start building those relationships while you’re still at the SOJC. For more information about the program, check out the PRSSA website.

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Kati VanLoo is a senior at the University of Oregon graduating in June. She has interned in both the corporate and agency settings, including her current position she holds as a part of the Portland Senior Experience. During her time at the SOJC she was an account supervisor for Allen Hall Public Relations, a writer for Her Campus Oregon and a mentor in the PRSSA mentorship program. Check out her PR lifestyle blog or follow her on Twitter at @Katelyn_VanLoo.