Voce Student Weekly Reading 9/30: Defining the Future of PR, How to Land a Communications Gig & More

Social Media

How Social Media is Reshaping News

“Half of social network site users have shared news stories, images or videos, and nearly as many (46%) have discussed a news issue or event. In addition to sharing news on social media, a small number are also covering the news themselves, by posting photos or videos of news events.”

Voce Insight – Most college students may find it hard to find time to keep up with news. It’s very important, though, to stay up-to-date on what’s going on in the world – especially in the communications field. Find a way that works for you to stay on top of what’s happening both in the world as a whole and in the communications/social media industries.

Public Relations

Defining the Future of Public Relations

“Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other social media outlets have transformed the relationship between the members of the public and those communicating with them. The public relations process used to be singularly dimensional–“the filter down theory”–but the future of PR is now a conglomeration, primarily focused with facilitating an ongoing conversation while remaining on the forefront of innovations in the communication arena.”

Voce Insight – Public relations isn’t always traditional media. In fact, there is a huge emphasis on the importance of social media for brands in the PR world today. Social media ensures that a brand’s message keeps moving, creating brand exposure and grabs the attention of key influencers in its sphere.

Career

Four Career Mistakes You Should Be Making – And The One You Shouldn’t

“Of course we all want to appear to our coworkers and customers that we know everything about our company, service, or product. But, the truth is, none of us know it all and more than a few of the people we spoke to, told us how valuable it was to have their ego crushed. Why is this a great mistake to make? Because, once you know you can be wrong, you approach work differently knowing that your next decision might not be correct, but it will be a learning experience that leads you closer and closer to finding the most successful result.”

Voce Insight – Mistakes should be held up as high as successes in your career, if not higher. Remembering that failure is a necessary part of advancing can go a long way to saving your sanity. However, it is also true that there are some types of mistakes you truly would rather not make.

Why Employers Don’t Respond After Interviews

“The recruiting process can start and stop and be interrupted along the way. Maybe the company started interviewing external candidates but then had a couple internal people pop up. Or the funding for the position has come into question. There are a lot of “structural” reasons that a job opening might fall through that have nothing to do with your quality as a candidate.”

Voce Insight – The author sensibly points out that if a company doesn’t have the decency to respond to you after going in for an interview, you probably wouldn’t want to work for them anyways. If you’re not getting a response from a company, following up once and then thanking them for their time leaves you looking professional and poised to lock down the next opportunity that comes your way.

5 Ways to Land Communication Gigs

“Many companies, full-time recruiters, and individuals tweet about job openings as well as freelance opportunities. Keyword, key phrase, and hashtag searches can help you find a variety of communication positions, along with guest blog posting and speaking opportunities, which might help you land additional gigs.”

Voce Insight – There are more ways than ever to make contact and get in the room for an interview. Make sure you are exhausting all avenues to find the opportunity you want and the person you need to reach to make it happen.

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Voce Student Weekly Reading 9/23: Facebook Updating News Feed Algorithm, Career Advice for College Seniors & More

Social Media

Facebook News Feed to Surface More Timely Stories

“To decide the posts that surface to the top, Facebook is also going to factor the rate that people are liking or commenting on a post. Facebook currently looks at the total number of likes that a post received, but now it will look at when people like, comment and share posts.”

Voce Insight – This is an interesting update that comes as Facebook is trying to decide what it will become next. This change could shift it more towards being a source of hard news, something that Twitter has long done well.

Twitter Updates Profiles on iOS in the ‘Biggest Update to Date’

“The redesigned profiles include three tabs: tweets, photos and favorites. The photos tab displays images you have tweeted, while favorites surfaces tweets you have favorited. User bios are also immediately surfaced in the profile view; previously, you had to swipe across the top of a person’s header image to view his or her bio.”

Voce Insight – Twitter updated its iOS app today with a new look for profiles that places additional emphasis on pictures. The emphasis on the bio means it’s more important than ever that students be clear about their experience, interests and what they want to do in their career in this space.

Public Relations

5 Ways to Be a Superhero in the News

“The reporter will ask whatever questions they want to ask and they’ll write whatever angles they want to write. You can’t, no matter how hard you try, control the story. Instead of worrying about controlling the story, focus on what you can control: Your mouth.”

Voce Insight – Knowing exactly what you are talking about, respecting the right of reporters to ask the questions they want to ask and speaking genuinely in response will go a long way to establishing a positive rapport. Being quick to respond, accurate and fair will likely result in reporters acting in the same way.

Public Relations vs. Media Relations

“Media relations and public relations are often terms used interchangeably. Contrary to popular belief, the two are not the same. Media relations accomplishes one goal, and public relations accomplishes another.”

Voce Insight – Media Relations is an aspect of public relations. The terms are not interchangeable as media relations focuses solely on the relationship between the company and the media. They use different media outlets and coverage to tell the company’s story, rather than directly engaging with the publics and key stakeholders.

Career

How To Approach Your Professor For a Reference

“Believe it or not, your professor has a life outside of teaching. With a hectic schedule they may not be able to quickly respond to an email regarding your situation. Give yourself at least a week before the application is due to request for a reference.”

Voce Insight – Like most things in life, relationships are key. Don’t be that student who never shows up to class and then expects a glowing reference. Stay committed in the classroom and out. Sign up for your professor’s office hours at least once during the semester and use that time to ask academic major/ career advice. The more engaged and dedicated you are, the more likely it is that your professor will want to recommend you.

Career Considerations for College Seniors: Resume – Building Begins Now

“When it comes to networking, practice makes perfect — and it’s often easier to establish a professional relationship with influential contacts while you’re still in school. Alex Mooradian, CEO of Readyforce, says that students shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to business leaders or alumni at companies and in industries in which they’re interested.”

Voce Insight – It may not feel like it, but your college years are when you have the most career resources at your fingertips. Take advantage of the career center on campus and build relationships with your professors. They will have contacts and references that may help you land that first post-college gig.

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Voce Student Weekly Reading 9/16: PR Interview and First Job Advice, Internship Expectations and More

Social Media

10 Social Media Blunders That Cost a Millenial a Job – Or Worse

“So remember your boss, work colleagues, and hiring managers can see your most polarizing tweets, even if they aren’t following you. And even if your public Facebook profile looks like Fort Knox, anyone can see images you’re tagged in by using graph search. Typing “photos of person’s name” into the search window reveals hidden pictures. Test it out to see how creepy it is.”

Voce Insight – If you’re surprised at what you can find out about your classmates online, just remember that the same might be said of you. Nothing is safe once posted online, and neither are your job prospects if you over-share.

Facebook is testing a feature that lets you schedule the deletion of your posts in advance

“Based on the screenshots we’ve seen, Facebook is letting users opt for anything from 1 hour to 7 days, after which the given status update will self-destruct and disappear from view.”

Voce Insight – This (possible) new feature might have some interesting applications for communications professionals marketing a brand. Having the option to make a post time-sensitive may drive more engagement. However, it should be said that any content on Facebook is already fairly ephemeral. Everyone’s news feed is an never-ending river that will quickly take your post downstream and out of sight. Focusing on creating quality content that people will remember long after should still be the primary goal.

Public Relations

Everything You Need to Know About the Public Relations Job Interview Process

“Public relations is an exciting and dynamic field. It’s also very competitive, so if you are fortunate enough to land a job interview you want to make sure you’re well prepared. Since public relations is all about generating publicity and making a strong impression, you will have to do some PR of your own when being interviewed. Here are some tips to keep in mind.”

Voce Insight – Presentation: Public relations job interviews are essentially presentations. You must engage the interviewers and get them interested in what you have to say. Your presentation is your own personal PR.

Career

How to Handle an Internship That Isn’t What You Expected

“When you don’t have much to do, there is no harm in asking! This may seem somewhat daunting at first, depending on what kind of relationship you’re building with your supervisor, but it will make your internship much more worthwhile and your supervisor will appreciate your enthusiasm and proactivity.”

Voce Insight – Even if your internship isn’t turning out the way you dreamed, it’s important to keep your chin up and make the most of your situation. Stay productive by developing your personal brand during downtime through blogging, educational Twitter chats, etc.

7 Things No One Tells You About A First Job

“Unlike college, in the ‘real world,’ there are no As, Bs or Cs. New employees soon learn that it’s only pass/fail. Most entry-level employees receive less training now than at any point over the past 20 years. Employers expect you to hit the ground running — already expert in the position you’re expected to fill. So, don’t over-reach for a job that requires more skills than you currently possess.”

Voce Insight – The harsh reality of your first job is that nobody is going to spoon-feed you and hold your hand. Didn’t meet that deadline? Your boss isn’t going to fall for the whole “it got lost in email” excuse that used to work on your professor. A first job is about working extremely hard to prove yourself as a valued employee, even if the work you’re doing isn’t exactly glamorous.

Career Advice That No One Told You – And You Might Not Want to Hear

“Many young people finish high school or college and wrongly assume that they’ll love every aspect of every job they’ll ever have. The truth is… that isn’t going to happen. Literally no one loves every part of his or her job. That’s okay. The trick is to figure out the parts you love and the parts that you don’t like that much, and then come up with ways you can make the icky parts more fun.”

Voce Insight – One of main complaints about millennials is that “they always feel entitled.” When it comes to your career, put the entitlement aside. No boss wants to deal with an arrogant, elitist personality, and they definitely won’t want to promote one. Work your way up from the bottom, by proving your worth time and time again. It helps to keep perspective- “it’s not about what your company can do for you, it’s what you can do for your company.”

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Voce Student Weekly Reading 9/2: NatGeo a Top Social Media Publisher, Twitter Testing Favorites in Stream & More

Social Media

National Geographic Is Reportedly No. 1 in Social Media Among Publishers

“National Geographic is the king of the social media jungle, according to a top 10 list released by Shareablee. The New York-based digital data company has ranked NatGeo as the most effective publisher in the social space for the month of July, with 46.4 million engagements on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.”

Voce Insight – While this certainly isn’t the entirety of their strategy there’s a lot to be said about taking advantage of steady access to amazing photography. National Geographic sits on a treasure trove of high-quality pictures and so is perfectly positioned to thrive on a social web where visuals are the native language.

2 Essential Qualities of Successful Social Media Strategists

“Social media now represents an opportunity for PR practitioners and marketers to establish themselves as strategic leaders, with one eye on business goals and the other on budgets and resources.”

Voce Insight – You can’t get to the top without working your way up from the bottom. An effective social media strategist should be knowledgeable about the processes across all levels of the business. You can’t build a successful social media strategy if you do not know the ins and outs of the business, and what their specific customer needs are.

For Its Latest Experiment, Twitter Is Showing Faves As Retweets

“As pointed out by a few people yesterday and this morning, including Re/code’s Peter Kafka, Twitter looks like it is testing a feature that makes favorites (faves, if you prefer) appear in other people’s timelines…just like a retweet.”

Voce Insight – This might be the first move Twitter makes to a more algorithmic Timeline, and many have pointed out that Twitter’s FAQ has already been updated to include things like this. But while it’s already causing much hand-wringing among power users, for whom this is a major change, it’s something that could help Twitter attract and maintain more new users and clear up some of the confusion that often keeps them from participating.

Public Relations

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Has Nonprofits Rethinking ‘Public Relations Dollars’

“The ice bucket challenge’s phenomenal success is making other charitable organizations rethink how they connect with a younger generation of potential donors. Since the ALS Association began tracking the campaign’s progress on July 29, it has raised more than $53.3 million from 1.1 million new donors in what is one of the most viral philanthropic social media campaigns in history.”

Voce Insight – The ALS Ice Bucket challenge’s success is due in large part to the online connections of many people, rather than any one individual or public relations executive. The fact that it’s difficult to trace the origin of this viral sensation underscores this point nicely.

Why Public Relations and Media Relations Don’t Mean the Same Thing Anymore

“The challenge today for public relations is adjusting to the constant drum of news from social media and mobile. No longer are episodic, big budget launch campaigns the ticket to success. Instead, brands must widen the net and maintain an always-on presence. This means using a combination of third-party validation, along with branded content and social.”

Voce Insight – Though reaching out to a select number of influencers with your message is certainly important, it should be remembered that the end goal is always to get the greater public talking to you and amongst each other.

Career

Learning How to Score a Job Using Social Media, for Beginners

“With 92% of companies using social media in their hiring efforts, job seekers can’t afford to overlook social as a vital resource in the job search. While you’re busy job searching, employers are leveraging online resources to find candidates just like you.”

Voce Insight – Treat your job hunt as a client project (you’re the client!), using social media as one of your primary means of communication. That way, you’ll be able to reference your skills in the interview, and companies will see them as more than words on a resume.

5 Ways to Stay Calm at Work

“Work is stressful, especially for PR pros. It’s in the nature of the job, and the stress is well-documented. According to Forbes, the PR professional has the world’s sixth most stressful job, keeping company with enlisted military personnel and airline pilots.”

Voce Insight – A short memory for failure (remembering only the lessons learned) and an always optimistic mind frame are imperative for success in PR. Stress is going to visit you during your PR career, but so will success. Sharing both with your colleagues will keep you even-keeled.

Things I Wish I Had Learned In College to Prepare Me For PR

“Microsoft Excel is one of the most-used tools at a public relations agency, but I spent little time in it as an undergraduate and instead focused on writing and learning AP style.”

Voce Insight – While having an education in PR is beneficial, there are many things you don’t learn in college that could benefit you for a career at a PR agency. Microsoft Excel is an extremely vital program that is used in agencies, and it’s good to know how to use it before entering the work field. Money matters! In undergrad, most college students aren’t taught how to manage reports and budgets. In reality, it’s important to know how to navigate finances.

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