PR Musings

Generation Y is Narcissistic

2009-09-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but notice the recent avalanche of studies, blogs, and reports circulating the internet that claim generation Y is narcissistic. As with most controversial topics, I am on the fence (it's a Libra thing). Generation Y is an attention-seeking-slightly-narcissistic group, however, the narcissism ends there. The previous generation was less attention obsessed and more confident. If you ask the average college student if they know how to negotiate their salary or how much they are worth depending on the city they are located, most of them (including myself) will look puzzled; on the other hand, Gen. X would have offered an accurate response. In essence, Gen. Y is more narcissistic thanks to social sites such as Facebook, but unlike our predecessors the confidence does not cross over to the business arena. Most of us want to graduate and find a job.

The stories I read about recent graduates requesting six figures for an entry level position are few and far between and should not be a representation of my generation. We need to be more business savvy and less attention seeking. Please watch the short video and share your thoughts.

Is Social Networking a Worthless Distraction?

2009-08-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

According to internationally bestselling author Seth Godin, if done incorrectly—yes. I was web surfing on YouTube and came across some of his videos. When I first heard him insinuate social networking is a waste of time I thought he was crazy, however, Godin brought up a valid point. Just because you have 200 “friends” on Facebook or a zillion connections on LinkedIn doesn’t mean anything unless you are going out of your way for these people.

Godin brilliantly used the analogy of counting website hits to keeping track of the number of “friends” you have; this does not translate into anything.

What translates?

“Are [there people] who I would go out of my way for and who would go out of their way for me? That’s what you need to keep track of and the way you get there is by going out of your way for them and by earning the privilege of one day having that connection be worthwhile.” (Godin)

After watching this video, I started to think; how on earth can I earn the privilege of having a worthwhile connection? What can I do for a professional?

Here are a few of Godin’s tips:

Help people
Refer/Connect People
Give people access to resources and information they need

If you are interested in learning more about Seth Godin you can visit his website at http://www.sethgodin.com

*sorry for the poor formatting

Job Seekers Beware

2009-08-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Everyone is on some type of social networking website whether it is MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. We often flock to these sites because it provides us a platform to disseminate our ideas, fears, and good news we may want to share. With the boost in mobile technology, people are literally communicating with hundreds of people throughout the day. Sounds great doesn’t it? Well not exactly! We’ve all heard horror stories of employers snooping on job candidates’ online profiles, in an attempt to see how they conduct themselves outside of work.

A recent survey conducted by CareerBuilder, found that 45 percent of employers use social networking sites to research potential employees and an additonal 11 percent plan to in the future. Some of the top offensives that took job candidates out of the running were:

Discriminatory comments
Poor communication skills
Photos of drinking or doing drugs
Bad mouthing previous employer
Questionable friends

Considering it’s an employer’s market they will find any way to minimize the list of applicants; as unfair as it may sound, your friend’s spring break photo showing up on your profile could jeopardize you from getting employed. Here are some tips for turning your online persona into a positive one that will not only clean up your image, but help you get a job. 8 Tips to Building and Maintaining a Professional Online Image

Is there a magical number for internships?

2009-08-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were a kid and all you had to do was climb into your Mom or Dad's lap and ask them a question? They always had an answer. Boy do I miss those days! If my parents could answer the question that's been plaguing me for months I would feel a heck of a lot better. I talked to numerous recent college graduates and PR professionals and asked them the same question: Is there a magical number for internships? I received an array of answers.

There is no magical number. Quality is worth more than quantity.

I'm sure we all know at least one over achiever who had five to six internships, which makes you think...do I really need that many? Every professional I spoke with informed me that employers are looking for students who can prove that their skills benefited the company. Just mentioning you can write well and send off press releases is good, but what was the result of your work? Did you have any measurable goals at your internship and were you able to meet them? Employers will be impressed if a recent grad. can walk into an interview and prove (with numbers) that they were of value to the company they interned with.

If you do not have the time for an internship volunteer!

Whoever said there is ONE way to gain experience in Public Relations? Not only is volunteering an excellent choice for students who do not have the time for an internship, but it's an excellent networking opportunity. You can only imagine the high volume of people you will meet by simply asking if you can volunteer at a college career fair, networking mixer, or a huge event like the Philadelphia International Flower Show.

I know there are more answers to this question. If you would like to add your expertise to this list sound off!

Vick Unleashed!

2009-07-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Michael Vick is officially relieved of his 23 months prison sentence today. The formal NFL star tried several publicity tactics to repair his damaged image, but none worked. When you ask people how they feel about Michael Vick you will hear a range of answers from “he should be reinstated into the NFL” to “he needs to rot in prison”. PETA even threatened to protest if he is not psychologically examined before he’s reinstated. Having all this animosity toward one person is not only challenging for the individual, but even more challenging for his Publicist.

How would a Publicist successfully remove the stigma that comes with the name Vick? Agreeing to be the national spokesperson for a humane society did not work. Arranging a press conference apologizing for his mistakes didn’t work either.

I would never represent someone who engages in dog fighting or any activity that jeopardizes the livelihood of animals. Nothing will erase the memory of a highly publicized football star, being hauled off to prison for participating in the murders of numerous dogs. The best option for Vick is to leave animals alone and focus on his career once they reinstate him (you know he will be reinstated!). The more attention he draws to his previous actions, the least likely the topic will be thrown onto the back burner.

Lizzie Grubman Tell-All

2009-07-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Don't we all remember the infamous Lizzie Grubman who gave all PR people a bad name? She claimed to be a publicist, yet only planned parties. Her staff lacked substance; oh did I mention she ran over innocent people in the Hamptons because she could not enter a club?

Lizzie’s former assistant Robert Rave wrote a book about his grueling experience working for the “PR Pro”. He described her as a smelly-black dress clad- racist- breathing- dragon. Ok not his exact words but its close enough. It seems like Grubman rubbed more than a few people the wrong way. This book should be a cautionary tale to any high profile employer that mistreats their employees. Then again, this brings up another important question: Did Rave make a huge mistake by writing this memoir? Let’s say the book bombs and he has to find another job. Who is going to hire someone that not only bad mouthed their past employer, but wrote a book about it!

I never bad mouthed my past employers even though I have plenty of information to write two books! I think it is unprofessional and could potentially keep him from future employment opportunities. Do you think it’s better to keep your negative thoughts about your previous employer to yourself? Or do you think Rave had every right to write about his experiences?

Time to Dive Into the Blogosphere!

2009-07-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading blogs for years, but never had the discipline or time to create one of my own. To be honest, I still don’t have the time but, I will make a consistent effort to “feed the machine”. I started this blog to have a living archive of this pivotal stage in my life. This is not a personal blog or diary of any sort, just a reflection of my views on various topics pertaining to PR.

Since I will be a senior in the fall, there are many thoughts swimming through my mind. Where should I live post graduation? Is my resume up to par with industry standards? What’s the state of PR in our current economy? Will I get a job?! With the current state of the economy and the thousands of students graduating from college to only end up living at home (might I add penniless) is frightening.

As I search for the answers to my litany of questions I will share them with you. I figure the same questions and concerns I have are shared by others.