The Generation Divide

A recent article by Marshall Goldsmith in BusinessWeek discussed this generation, and their lack of drive when it comes to the workforce. According to Marshall, "they don't want to pay their dues, play by the rules, or give their best to any project unless they are sure that it will get them a promotion, a raise, or some kind of recognition. And if they aren't totally happy, or if you look at them wrong, they'll bolt for the next job!"

At first I was a little put off... I mean, come on! Give us a little credit! But then I read on and realized I can understand how he might have come to that conclusion--we've all met people like the ones he describes in his article. However, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with his conclusion.

I think people are as much a product of their home environments as they are the culture they are emerged in. Those who were given everything as children expect to get everything as adults. Those who work for what they get certainly appreciate it more.

So, here's what I have to say to future employers: Please don't group us all together. Some of us have worked for 4 long years to earn a college degree, and can't wait to put it to good use--but that doesn't mean we don't expect to work our way to the top just like any other employee.

Emailing: Why It's Important to Stay Professional

In the fast-paced world of public relations, often times it is more effective to communicate with clients through email.

It is easy to get caught up in the lingo and jargon that are frequently used on the Internet, however it is important to remember that all professional rules still apply.

Brian Zafron makes this same point in his post, The Art of Emailing. According to Zafron, approximately 183 billion emails are sent every day, so it is safe to assume that a large amount of those emails are business-related.

Many successful businessmen have emphasized the importance of professionalism in email communication. Think about it... You don't want to hand in a resume with typos all over it. Why would you let it slide in an email?

Email is frequently the chosen correspondence tool. Often it is the only opportunity you have to make a good impression on a client. Keep that in mind the next time shoot an email off before proof-reading first.

Giving Effective Presentations: A How-To Guide

As college students, we've had good teachers and not-so-good ones. Some where knowledgable, but lacked the ability to present class lectures clearly and effectively. This is where power points can come in handy.

At one time or another--regardless of your major--every college student will have to give a presentation, and knowing what makes a good one can really help you take it to the next level. Here are a few things I have learned along the way:

1) Keep them simple. You don't want too many words on a slide.
2) The audience can read faster than you can speak, so try not to speak directly from your slides. By the time you're done talking, they've already finished and you've lost their attention.
3) Don't use pictures from a generic clip art folder. Everyone's seen them before and they are boring.
4) Try to limit the effects you use. Too much will just cloud your presentation. Only use it to emphesize a key point.
5) Don't look at your powerpoint. Doing so causes you to keep your back to the audience--and they are the ones you're supposed to be communicating to.
6) Reherse, reherse, REHERSE! I can't emphesize this enough. It seems like the most obvious thing, but trust me--you can never be too prepared.

For more helpful tips, check out Scott Stratten's article about the Dos and Don'ts for Power Point Presentations. He had a lot of great things to say.

Corporate Social Responsibility: What Are They Really Doing?

I recently put together a presentation designed to be given on behalf of a large corporation. The presentation focuses on their recent corporate social responsibility efforts. I was given a list of 100 corporations to chose from, and I picked the one my dad works for (I also worked there too for a short time).

In doing research for this, I realized that there are A LOT of things companies to that their own employees probably don't know about. For example, did you know that employees of Allstate Insurance Company can receive new parent benefits, which include discounts on child care, free car seats, and up to $5,000 in adoption reimbursement? Yeah, my dad didn't either.

Like Allstate, most companies have a "corporate citizenship" section on their web site where they discuss the impact of their business on their customers, employees and the communities they serve.

Many of these corporations don't publicize their corporate social responsibility efforts as much as they should. (They probably don't have the right PR person.) But, this project helped me realize that I want to work for a company like Allstate, that cares about the welfare of its customers, employees, the community and the environment. It might be worthwhile to find out what options are available to you within your company.

Social Media in the Job Market...

David Reich had a very interesting post last month about value of social media skills in today's job market... It got me thinking about how the PR industry has changed over the last decade. While I do agree that these skills play a role in the public relations profession, I am somewhat relieved that it is not likely to be the deciding factor.

I enjoy blogging as much as the next person, and I can certainly appreciate the benefits of a good podcast or YouTube video. But no matter how much the industry grows and changes, I feel that core communication skills, such as writing and speaking, will always supersede the latest trends.

Whether you're writing a letter to a potential sponsor, sending an email to your boss, or giving a presentation to a client, it is important to remember the basics. Use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. And, always remain professional.

I am a people person. I always have been. Blogs, podcasts, and other user-generated content has a tendency to seem less personal to me. That is why it has been difficult for me to jump on the social media train. In my opinion, no amount of fancy technology will ever beat a face-to-face interaction.

Getting Your Ink In The Newspaper...

A recent post by Linda Jones really got me thinking about the importance of media relations in the PR industry. As a journalism major, it has been drummed into my head time and time again how to write an effective press release--but that is only the beginning when it comes to getting media coverage for your client, organization or event.

Linda brought up several good points in her post. She emphasized the importance of timeliness when writing articles, keeping news local, and treating journalists with respect.

One other aspect I would like to add to the conversation is the idea of building professional relationships with journalists. Being on a first name basis with local reporters will give PR professionals the upper hand when trying to get their stories printed. Also, before you make contact with reporters it would be helpful to research the publication they work for so that you don't seem like an amateur.

Just a few things to think about...

Ambush Marketing/PR...

For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, Adam Sauer defines it best in his article "Ambush Marketing: Steals The Show" when he states, "ambush marketing--a term often hissed in industry circles--occurs when one brand pays to become an official sponsor of an event and another competing brand attempts to cleverly connect itself with the event, without paying the sponsorship fee and, more frustratingly, without breaking any laws".

A recent guest speaker in my PR Planning and Problem Solving class named Steve Remington spoke to us about ambush marketing. He explained that nowadays, professionals spend just as much time trying to prevent ambush marketing/PR as they do promoting their paid sponsors.

Steve has assisted with the planning of the Eugene Celebration for the last couple years, and part of his job is to make sure that paid sponsors don't take advantage of their privlidges and that unpaid brands don't intrude on sponsor's benefits.

Although these tactics can be very effective, they undermine the integrity of events and damage their ability to attract future sponsors. In my opinion, tactics like these are what gives PR professionals a bad name.