2014 YP PRSA-LA Board Application

Are you interested in becoming a part of the Young Professional’s of PRSA-LA Board? If so, please fill out this 2014 Board Member Application and return it to Evan Nicholson (evanenicholson@gmail.com) by November 30, 2013.

**We are no longer filling the role of Collegiate Outreach Chair.

Thanks!

Polite Persistence: A Guide to Wooing Potential Employers

By Lauren Lewow, Trevett Chair

Oftentimes new grads and college students feel lost as they set out on the path of their first professional job hunt. Here are a few tips that will help you win mentors and friends, even if you don’t clinch the job.

Submitting your resume
It’s easy to fall into the trap of sending your resume and then feeling lots of anxiety. If you sent your email directly to an individual, you’ve got to remember they’re human. We quickly forget that they’re likely juggling multiple projects and reviewing resumes for an open position. It’s best to follow up if you’re really interested in the position. Sending a friendly email every 7-10 days gives the recruiter breathing room, while still showing your interest.

Either way, be sure to proof your text and then proof it again. Even have someone else look over it. You’re looking for grammar, spelling and even formatting mistakes. In PR, your writing must be polished; your ability to express concepts and frame issues is the product clients pay for. If you email a prospective supervisor with errors, they’ll only assume the worst of you.

After the interview
Within a day of your interview, you should send a thank you note. I know this may sound old-fashioned, but do it anyways! Feel free to send an email, or go the extra mile with a hand written note (check out our infographic for more on this). Be sure to add in a few details from your interview to show them that you were listening and interested.

If you don’t clinch the role
Ask where you went wrong. Not many of us like to hear about our weaknesses, but they are critical to our development. Asking where you could improve or what skills you are lacking will help you refine which roles fit you best and how you can obtain them. Asking these tough questions also shows your commitment to your professional development.

Take this one step further and ask the interviewer to coffee or lunch, especially if you feel like you got along very well. Having a mentor who can share insight about the industry is invaluable.

Always be polite and follow up consistently. You’ll build your network and gain insight along the way.

Job Interview Tips to Get You Hired

By Kristin Soo Hoo, Treasurer

With summer just around the corner, many of you have already begun the tedious search for an internship or job. You’ve probably spent countless hours perfecting your résumé, crafting a personalized cover letter to each potential employer and nervously awaiting replies.

So what happens when you’ve finally been invited for an interview?

Before you have an anxiety attack, review these interview tips to help you secure your dream job!

 Before the interview:

• Research!

Learn about the company’s history, values, scope of work, case studies, awards/successes and key employees. Identify how the organization differentiates itself in its industry. Then, skillfully tie this information into your interview responses.

• Remove inappropriate or unprofessional content from your social media profiles.

Employers need to trust their employees to represent the organization in a positive light. Many will turn down candidates because of inappropriate social media content like pictures of excessive partying or posts about participating in illegal activities.

• Assemble a portfolio for the interviewer to keep.

Insert copies of your cover letter, résumé and relevant work into a solid-colored folder. You can place the papers in sheet protectors to avoid hole-punching.

• Print business cards.

Use a pre-made design or create your own business cards on relatively sturdy cardstock. You can order them through an office supply store (Office Depot, Staples, etc.) or websites like vistaprint.com. Include your name, phone number, email address, home address and possibly social media links.

• Review common interview questions, and prepare answers.

There are only three true job interview questions, according to an article in Forbes:

• Can you do the job?
• Will you love the job?
• Can we tolerate working with you?

But here are more examples:

• Top 50 Job Interview Questions
• 5 Interview Questions You Should Always Prepare to Answer
• The 10 Most Common Job Interview Questions

• Conduct mock interviews.

They will allow you to assess and improve your verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Practicing will help reduce anxiety and discomfort during the actual interview as well.

Interview day:

• Arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time.

Potential delays include traffic, parking or finding the meeting location.

• Stand up and introduce yourself with a firm handshake.

• Think quickly, but feel free to pause for a moment to gather your thoughts.

• Support your answers with details and stories of personal experiences.

• Pay attention to body language.

• At the end of the interview, make sure to ask a few questions.

Write down questions beforehand, such as “what is your company’s corporate culture?” or “why did you choose to work here?”

• Send a handwritten thank you card.

Impress the interviewer by mailing a short handwritten thank you note. Employers appreciate the personal touch and thoughtfulness, so it will help you stand out.

Most importantly, remember to:

• Relax
• Be confident
• Be yourself

Also, check out job interview do’s and don’ts for recent PR grads.

Question: What additional job interview tips would you like to share?

Graduating This Spring – Now What?

By Kaylee Weatherly, Collegiate Outreach

For those of you graduating this spring, the thought of what’s next may cause you some stress and questioning. It’s best to think of this as a time of many possibilities, because it is. There are a lot of different paths to take in public relations – whether it is to find a full-time job at an agency or in-house, try another internship, or go to graduate school. But don’t feel that these are the only directions. You can go into PR indirectly, even if you don’t take a job specifically titled “public relations,” you might even still be performing the basic functions of PR and will get tons of experience there.

• Full-time job– Full-time jobs are hard to come by these days, and even if you receive an entry-level position, there still might not be much job security. Many people right out of college face the anxiety that they have to take the first full-time position offered to them, even if it’s not what they’re interested in. Keeping an open mind is good, but be careful. If there’s no passion to be brought, then what’s the point of working 40 hours a week at something you can’t see yourself doing? If you still want to shop around, internships and temporary positions can also be a good path for you until you figure out what kind of work you really like.

• Internships- Internships are always great experiences, but make sure to know your worth. Always go into an internship that will teach you something and will set measurable goals for you to reach. Agencies offer great full-time, paid positions. Nonprofits are usually unpaid, but you’ll get to wear a lot of different hats and work for a great cause. The following Forbes article asks the founder of Internqueen.com how to land a great internship: http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/01/31/how-to-get-an-internship/

• Graduate school- My decision to go straight to graduate school right after my undergraduate career was tough and filled with questions about what I really wanted for a career, what I was passionate about, and whether I could afford more student loans. At the time of graduation, I felt like I wasn’t prepared enough to go straight into the ever-changing field of PR. Sure, I knew how to write a good press release, but I knew that wasn’t the only skill I needed to know. I wanted to also gain a solid background as to why we do the things we do in PR and how to conduct strategic PR, not just tactical PR. Yes, the student loans are expensive (especially because I decided to get a masters at a private school), but my thought is that it’s just going to be like any other bill you will have to pay. Here’s a great article about choosing to get a masters degree in PR and why it will help you. http://prnewpros.prsa.org/?p=1071.

But don’t think that a masters in PR is the only option. You can also choose to get a degree in communication or an MBA.

There are many options you have after graduation. The important thing is to tame your career anxiety by allowing it to motivate you. It’s also important to continue to network and meet people in the PR field, like joining the Young Professionals of PRSA organization. It will help keep your foot in the door and offer you a lot of opportunities to meet other PR professionals like yourself.

Congratulations on graduating – now go show the world what you’ve got to offer!

Apply for the 2012 Trevett Award Now!

Each year, PRSA-LA recognizes one outstanding young professional in the chapter with the award named after Tom Trevett, APR, co-founder of the chapter’s Young Professionals Section–the first in the nation. The Trevett award recognizes outstanding young PR pros who have demonstrated excellence in their work, advocacy for the profession and a commitment toward community service.

In addition to coveted recognition of colleagues, the winner receives a trophy and monetary prize ($1,000) awarded at the PRSA-LA PRism awards banquet. Second place receives $500. Each recipient is strongly encouraged to use at least some of the winnings for professional development.

All young professionals in the greater Los Angeles area, who are employed full-time in public relations, have five years or less of professional experience and are members in good standing with PRSA-LA are eligible. If you are overqualified for the award, we ask that you encourage your eligible colleagues and associates to apply. Please note that the application does not require a nomination.

The deadline for all entries is Wednesday, October 19, 2012. We strongly encourage you to apply for this honor. Click here to download your application. Further details can be found online at http://www.prsala.org/Trevett-Award .

The 2012-2013 Board Welcomes You to PRSA-LA YP

As young professionals in a down economy, we know how tough it is to get your foot in that door, your resume on that desk or that phone call that will determine your future. Especially in Los Angeles – the epicenter of public relations and young, bright-eyed hopefuls. This is why we’re here: to help you get to where you want to be.

The 2012-2013 Young Professionals Board is here to provide with you with opportunities to learn about the public relations profession, to network with other new professionals and to meet the seasoned industry pros. We were also once recent grads knocking on doors and making calls for that one shot, and like you, we still have a lot to learn about the PR field.

To get the year started off right, our Programs Co-Chairs, Carlos Gaona and Allie Marsh, have been working hard to plan the perfect mixer for new professionals and recent graduates. Carlos, a publicity coordinator at Warner Bros. Pictures, and Allie, a client-staff assistant at Burson-Marsteller, have been putting together an exciting schedule for this year, with events such as entertainment panels, sports “field trips” and digital media learning. Carlos and Allie both have a range of PR experiences to share with members. Prior to his current position, Carlos worked with Murray Weissman & Associates on the Paramount Pictures, AMC Networks and FX accounts. He has also worked on the 83rd and 84th Academy Awards, and has held internships at Universal Pictures International and DreamWorks Animation. In Burson-Marteller’s Consumer & Brand Marketing practice, Allie supports a variety of accounts including San Francisco International Airport, Saban Brands, KONAMI and Oakley. Allie has conducted media outreach with national and regional travel and tourism media and has also assisted with communications planning and strategies development for SFO. Allie is also a member of the Burson-Marsteller Sports Marketing sub-practice group and previously worked as a public relations coordinator for Disney Consumer Products, where she assisted in daily media relations, as well coordinated and executed special events and trade shows.

Carlos

Allie

Getting the word about the events and mixers are the Board’s Communication Co-chairs, Kristin Loe and Shannah Katz. Both will be the primary correspondents on our social media accounts and are dedicated to bringing you the chapter’s news, career advice and public relations trends happening in Los Angeles and around the country. Kristin and Shannah bring unique perspectives to the board. As a public relations coordinator at a law firm, Kristin supports the firm’s media and communications efforts for more than 400 attorneys and professionals, as well as operates the firm’s social media accounts. Prior to her legal PR position, Kristin has worked with fashion, consumer and lifestyle brands, both in-house and at an agency. As an intern for a creative agency in San Diego, she supported the PR and social media teams on major client accounts, including Se San Diego Hotel, Electra beach cruisers and the San Diego Museum of Art. She has also been on the other side, doing freelance work for publications such as 944 Magazine.  With a passion for social media, Shannah Katz brings her digital marketing and PR expertise to the new board.  Recently joining the Social Media team at Disney Interactive Media Group, Shannah focuses on social media strategy for the Disney Family Portfolio. Prior to joining Disney’s team, she managed a variety of social media campaigns and blogger partnerships in the toy industry, fashion, and beauty industries while at Dynamic Designworks, Inc. Before she received her Bachelor’s of Arts in Fashion Merchandising at California State University, Long Beach, Shannah interned at Sanrio Global Consumer Products, where she supported the Hello Kitty Brand Marketing team on planning and executing Sanrio’s 50^th Anniversary event.

Kristin

Shannah

If you’re not a big tweeter, always feel free to reach out to us via email: yp@prsala.com The Board’s Membership Chair, Hannah Klodt, can help answer any questions you may have about being a YP member, or just a young pro in general. She has more than four years of experience in public relations and marketing, having worked with clients ranging from healthcare and pharmaceuticals to consumer goods and travel/hospitality. Recently, Hannah’s work with Philips Oral Healthcare’s Zoom! Whitening was awarded with a Silver SABRE Award. Additionally, her work with the launch of The Living Christmas Company was honored with a 2010 Silver Quill Award, the 2010 Gold Communicator Award, a 2010 PRSA PRism Award and an Hermes Award honorable mention.

Hannah

As treasurer, Diana Rhee can answer any of your questions regarding cost of PRSA and YP memberships. If you’re already a member, be sure to take advantage of our special promotions this year! Bring 3 nonmembers to our mixers and events, and receive the next on free yourself! Diana is an Account Coordinator with Nakatomi & Associates where she helps manage and support public relations campaigns for a wide variety of clients including public education, philanthropy, community outreach programs. She is a graduate of The University of Southern California with a degree in Communications. In her spare time, she loves to try new restaurants, travel, and cook.

Diana

This year, Samantha Lin will be coordinating all aspects of the Trevett Award, which is given out by YP each November to two outstanding members. Samantha is a graduate of SDSU with a BA in International Relations. She currently works as an office coordinator at a Law firm in downtown Los Angeles while pursuing a Public Relations Certificate at UCLA. She is fluent in English, Taiwanese and Mandarin, and has professional experiences in automotive, hospitality and non-profit organizations.

Samantha

For any college students looking to learn more about the opportunities PRSA and YP have to offer, Sheila Rodriquez will be the go-to source for students and PRSSA members. Sheila will act as a liaison between PRSSA chapters at local universities through coordination of the mentorship program, which pairs two levels of PR pros: students with YP members, and YP members with more experienced professionals. Sheila is a California State University, Northridge (CSUN) alumna with a degree in Journalism. She formerly served as the Public Relations Student Society of America President for the CSUN Chapter in Fall 2011. She is the Communications Specialist for Building Connections for Success, a Hispanic Serving Institution Title V Grant Project that aims to expand educational opportunities for low-income students through academic programs and services at CSUN.

Sheila

Managing our organization’s professional development and outreach this year is Marlee Dippolito. You can reach out to Marlee to help increase awareness about any new career opportunities at your PR firms, or even if you have a speaking engagement proposal you’d like to pitch to us. Marlee works as an assistant account executive for Edelman Los Angeles. Since joining Edelman’s Consumer Marketing practice in June 2011, Marlee has helped drive national campaigns for major U.S. brands including Nestlé USA, The Dannon Company, Evolution Robotics and others. Marlee graduated Magna Cum Laude from Pepperdine University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and a minor in French language.

Marlee

Overseeing the Board this year are your President Robert Tate and Vice President Evan Nicholson. As President, Robert will organize and coordinate all of the Board meetings and will fill in as needed. Robert holds almost five years of account support experience in the consumer, media relations, social marketing and public education arenas.  Currently, Robert serves as a Client Service Coordinator at Citizen Paine’s Los Angeles location. He serves as the project support roll on Kraft, and is also a member of the Diversity practice at Citizen while also assisting with work on General Motors and various Proctor & Gamble brands. Robert currently resides in Tarzana, CA and holds his Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations.

Robert

As Vice President, Evan will assist Robert in his role as president. Evan is currently an account assistant at MPRM Communications, specializing in television and digital media and technology. Prior to joining MPRM in August 2011, Evan was an assistant account executive and personal assistant at Skai Blue Media, a boutique lifestyle agency in Philadelphia, until May 2011. She graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications, as well as minors in Marketing and Art History.

Evan

As the 2012-2013 YP Board, we hope that you take advantage of the amazing opportunities we will be presenting to you this year. Please feel free to reach out to any of the Board members with any questions, suggestions or feedback. We hope to see you soon!

Tonight! December 14th, don’t miss the last mixer of the year!! Also new board positions are open!

Hello Everybody!

This has been a great year, tonight come join us as we are holding our final mixer of 2011. Come mingle, network, meet those in the PR, marketing and communications fields and enjoy some free appetizers with  the young professionals of PRSA-LA.

The cost to attend the mixer tonight is FREE for everyone!

As the 2011 year is coming to an end we will be having board positions for the 2012 LA Young Professionals Board opening up and would love to see anyone who is interested in joining and holding a position come and apply or learn more about it!

Where: Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica (upstairs)

1351 3rd St. Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Time: 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM, Wednesday, December 14th 2011

Cost: FREE!

 

Don’t Miss the Entertainment and Sports Panel at Dodger Stadium Wednesday the 14th!

This will be a fantastic event not to be missed!

Come out this coming Wednesday to the great Dodger Stadium and join us at our Entertainment and Sports panel where you will gain valuable insight into the world of sports and entertainment public relations by our esteemed panel of speakers as well as network with Public Relations professionals and peers in the industry!

We have an amazing panel of speakers who will share their invaluable experiences and advice they’ve learned in their many years of professional entertainment and sports public relations and communications practices. Among the speakers there will be Josh Rawitch, Vice President of Communications at the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rita Tateel, President at the Celebrity Source, and Ana Martinez, Vice President of Media Relations at the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

This is an educational event that is relevant to both entry and mid-level PR and communication practitioners, anybody interested in the entertainment or sports industry and those seeking to further their knowledge in PR, communications, sports or entertainment. We want to help you further your career and knowledge! Hope to see you there!

Date:

September 14th, 2011

Time:

7:00 – 9:00 pm

Location:

Dodger Stadium,

1000 Elysian Park Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

 

Cost: $10 for PRSA/PRSSA members and $20 for non-members/guests. (Please note new cost for non-members.)

PR tips – How and how not to handle a scandal

In PR, when a scandal occurs it is always beneficial as to the outcome for the company/brand/person etc. to immediately be honest, forthwright and issue a statement apologizing or making the issue clearer as to what really happened. If the press release or statement comes off as blurry, evasive or unclear it is extremely detrimental to the company/brand/person etc. Here is an example of a bad way to handle a scandal:

Dress Scandal Latest: Oscar De La Renta Sues Nadia Buari’s PR Company!

Ghanaian actress, Nadia Buari has been dropped by her US based PR firm, JMG MEDIA RELATIONS. A few weeks ago, new stories emerged online claiming that the Actress, Nadia Buari lied about the gown she wore to the Pan African Film Festival in February 2011. The Press release issued by the PR Firm credited Oscar De La Renta as the designer. It turned out that Oscar De La Renta denied ever making the Dress and contacted the management company to sue. The management company quickly issued a press statement washing their hands off nadia and her supoosed 10k USD dress..This is the press releasewhich caught the attention of the oscar group-”Febuary 18,2011 – Los Angeles, California – Ghana’s Lead Actress, Nadia Buari attended the opening night Gala for the 19th Annual Pan African Film Festival held at the Culver Plaza Theatre in Los Angeles California. The Award winning actress famous for her role in the African Blockbuster Movie, Beyonce: The Presidents Daughter adorned the PAFF Red carpet in a Black Oscar De La Renta gown”

Contact was made with Joy Onyeukwu CEO of JMG a leading Consultant for African Celebrity clients, Events and Products. She is well known for her expertise in Celebrity Public relatons, within the realm of modern African Media. We asked her the following questions and below are her responses:

Q: Investigative reports posted on a Ghanaian blog revealed that Oscar De La Renta denied ever making the Black Dress quoted in a Press Release issued by JMG MEDIA RELATIONS. A few weeks later, your company issued a letter announcing the “Withdrawal of Media representation” for Ghanaian actress, Nadia Buari. Did the fake Oscar De La Renta dress claim have anything to do with this?

A: In relation to the Oscar De La Renta Company, I am limited to the information I can divulge publicly. Our decision to part ways with Ms.Buari was based on a mutual understanding. We wish her the best in her career endeavours.

Q: Prior to this Oscar De La Renta scandal, it is rumoured that, there had been exisiting conflict between your P.R Firm and Nadia Buari’s mother who is also her manager.

A: Not to my knowledge. We dealt solely with Ms. Buari..

Q: There are reports that she blamed your firm for not ensuring her daughter, Nadia’s career profile outshined that of Omotola Jalade Ekeinde’s which was submitted to PAFF for the Roundtable discussion.

A: Not exactly. It was just a minor misunderstanding A Manager is expected to look out for their Client’s best interest. Ms.Buari had quite an impressive profile as well. On the other hand, Mrs.Ekeinde’s Bio was submitted by her Management – Bishop Entertainment Consult. JMG only assisted with the Media Distribution to the African Press and provided pictures of both Actresses to accompany the Press Release.

Q: You had a personal relationship with Nadia Buari
before she became your Client. When you realized she lied about the Dress, why couldn’t you protect her instead of dropping her like hot coal?

A: Nadia is like a sister to me and I would do anything to protect her. Nothing justifies the name-calling she’s received in the recent past. As humans,we are bound to make mistakes.

Q: You are well known for playing an instrumental role in the early days of Nollywood actress, Ini Edo. Your Company also handles Media Relations for the Ex-Miss World, Agbani Darego, Ghanaian Actor, John Dumelo, Super Eagles midfielder, Sani Kaita, the Legendary Mike Okri amongst others. Till date, there has been no public scandal with your Company involved. Do you think it was a mistake to have Nadia Buari as a client?

A: Not at all. For the record, I enjoyed a very pleasant working relationship.It saddens me that our relationship has come to this Every experience is an opportunity to learn. No matter how bad the situation may look, I don’t regret ever representing her. She has a wonderful personality and I hope that soon enough, every wrong impression of her in the Media will be corrected.

A: Can you correct the impression we have on her Romantic relationship with congo singer Fally Ipupa? there are first hand reports that there is actually an on-going sexual relationship between Nadia Buari and Fally Ipupa which is contrary to the Official Statement from JMG MEDIA RELATIONS. Was this another lie?

A: No further comments. Please feel free to contact Ms.Buari’s new Management company.

SAVE THE DATE! PRSA-LA YP’s March Mixer

WHAT:

Are you interested in a variety of public relations sectors but aren’t sure which one is right for you? Join us at the first event mixer of the year for a chance to network with multiple public relations professionals representing a wide range of areas!

PR fields represented include:

• Healthcare
• Entertainment
• Sports
• Corporate
• Multicultural
• Nonprofit
• Environmental
• Technology

Parking: There is valet directly in front of the restaurant on the right hand side of Culver (just past Irving Place). Or there are two parking garages on the left hand side of Culver. One of them is located on Cardiff Ave (stay in your left hand lane and turn left onto Cardiff and parking garage will be on the right hand side).

Cost: $10 for PRSA/PRSSA members and $20 for non-members/guests (cash or check will be taken at the door) 

To RSVP contact Katrina Keilman, PRSA LA YP Programming Co-Chair at katrinakeilman@gmail.com.

 

WHEN:

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Networking begins at 7:00 p.m.

 

WHERE:

 Rush Street – 9546 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232
*Food will be provided