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New Professionals August 2009 Newsletter

Member Relations Committee Update: Onward and Upward!
New Pros BlogRoll
Upcoming Events
Recent Events
Articles of Interest
Member Spotlight
We Want to Hear From You!


Member Relations Committee Update: Onward and Upward!

Mike Greenberg, Member Relations Chair, PRSA New Professionals Section                                                                                                                                                                                         

At the end of June, our Section membership stood at 510, up from 501 in May. We are now at our peak for the year and closing-in on our 2009 membership goal of 525.

One of the Section’s 2009 strategic goals is to support the growth of new professional’s groups in PRSA Chapters across the country. To achieve this goal, we are reaching out to Chapters who have formed groups that are dedicated to meeting the needs of new professionals and asking them to share their secrets of success (so they won’t be secrets anymore).

If your local Chapter has a new professionals group, or is in the process of growing one, let us know. You can contact me via email and copy Candice Beliterra.


New Pros BlogRoll
Janet Krenn, Communications Co-Chair, PRSA New Professionals

If you've been away from the PRSA New Professionals Blog, here's what you've missed in June and July:

July
CASE STUDY: DC's Best Burrito Pulls Off a Quick Social Media Campaign– Janet Krenn
15 Great Twitter Apps for PR Pros– Janet Krenn
A Successful PR Tactic– Brian Camen
Marketing Vs. Public Relations - The final showdown (?) – Janet Krenn
How to Distribute the "Necessary-but-Not-Hot-News" Press Release– Shirley Skeel

June
One Year Down... 60 More to Go! – Courtney Vaught
Do's and Don'ts (but mostly Don'ts) of Crisis Communication Management – Travis K. Kircher
Building My Personal Brand – Brittney Gillison
The Toughest Interview Question that Should Not Have Surprised Me– Janet Krenn
We always welcome new writers to the New Pros Blog. Whether you have ideas or need help brainstorming, if you're interested in writing a post, please contact Communications Co-Chair, Janet Krenn.


Upcoming Events

PRSA 2009 International Conference, November 7-10, 2009

Make yourself and your organization indispensible by attending the PRSA 2009 International Conference, November 7-10, in beautiful San Diego. This year's conference will feature several events geared specifically to the new professional.

Breakout sessions of interest:

View From the Top: How Young Talent Can Stand Out
Tuesday, November 10, 9:30–10:45 a.m.
Sponsored by the PRSA New Professionals Section

How do you keep your boss informed of your successes (without being obnoxious)? How do you get help from management in reaching your goals? Learn what senior leaders of the public relations profession recommend in order for young practitioners to succeed. Get recommendations from top agency and corporate leaders, and hear from young professionals who are progressing well in their public relations careers.

How to Build Your Public Relations Career in a Challenging Economy
Tuesday, November 10, 11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the PRSA Jobcenter

Discover what it takes to stand out and get hired in this competitive job market. Learn career-building techniques that will help you build your resume and win over potential employers. A panel of career experts will provide you with the insights you need to help ensure a successful professional future.

Your Best Bet for PR Success — Navigating the Accreditation Process
Sunday, November 8, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Sponsored by: Universal Accreditation Board

Take the mystery out of how to prepare for the Readiness Review. This 90-minute session will offer you a first-hand look at how a candidate moves through the Accreditation in Public Relations process. You will gain insight through a mock panel who will show you how the Readiness Review questionnaire and the Readiness Review portfolio come together. Learn the necessary steps for candidates who are interested in Accreditation. Also, find out how the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) is expanding the reach of Accreditation to strengthen its position in the public relations profession — all to make your Accreditation efforts more valuable.

NEW! Meet the Experts
Monday, November 9, 12:45–1:45 p.m.
Tuesday, November 10, 8–9 a.m.

This is your opportunity to speak one-on-one with industry gurus. Join in free-flowing roundtable conversations with the brightest minds in the business. It's a full hour of face-to-face networking with those who have the inside track on the hottest topics — including social media, sustainability and brand building. Career counselors will also be on hand to answer questions and offer job search tips.

New Professionals Networking Luncheon
Rockin' Baja, 310 5th Avenue
Monday, November 9, 11:45 a.m.–1:45 p.m.

You've never had seafood quite like this. Experience the "ritualistic" way of preparing lobster delicacies, discovered by the fisherman of the Baja Coast. Add a funky tweak to the historic ambience and the result is a fun-filled dining experience that allows you to experiment with every seafood delicacy available on Rockin' Baja's diverse menu. Don't miss the "baja buckets" filled with multiple choices of local seafood. The restaurant oozes the warmth of the West Coast and offers a unique combination of Mexican platters with traditional Baja cuisine. Tickets are $30. Sign up on the conference registration form.

Help spread the word about this year's Conference.
Click here to use our "Invite-a-Peer" tool and help contribute to the largest yearly gathering of public relations professionals.

Online registration is now open. Register here by the September 25 Saver Rate deadline and save $200!

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PRSA New Professionals Teleseminar
Wednesday, August 19, 3 – 4 p.m. EDT

The Insider's Guide to Becoming a Local Media Expert: Be a Go-to Source for Journalists and Showcase Your Business
It’s early in your career, and you’ve wondered how you make the next step to get on television or showcase your business in the local media. The answer is simple: become the local go-to person. In TV news, people are needed to talk about a variety of topics — maybe as the lead story or simply to fill time on a slow news day. Either way, it’s a win-win for everyone. Hear from Cindy Morrison, with more than 20 years of television news experience who will show you how to connect with local media on social media sites and give you insight as to who needs to get your news release to make a difference. It’s the secrets to TV news that no one is talking about.
 
You will learn:

How to use social networking sites to make important connections with local media.
Who should get your news release and what will make it stand out.
What to do when you get that all important interview.
The inside track that could land you on the national media.
How to market you or your business to fit a “news world.”
INSTRUCTOR
Cindy W. Morrison is an Emmy-winning TV news anchor and investigative reporter with more than 20 years’ experience in the business. While working in Oklahoma City, Morrison covered the 51 day Branch Davidian standoff and the OKC bombing for local and national news outlets, including ABC’s “Good Morning America.” For nearly a dozen years, she has been the nightly news anchor and lead investigative reporter at KTUL-TV in Tulsa, Okla. This veteran journalist has won an Emmy, Peabody and Gracie Allen Award for her investigations, along with many statewide honors.

PRSA New Professionals Section Member $35
PRSSA Member $35
Other Section Member $85
Member $150 / Non-Member $250
APR Accreditation Maintenance Credits Approved: 1.0

Play-Back Registration Available
Unable to attend the live teleseminar? The PRSA New Professionals Section has made the play-back feature available until September 14. Invite as many attendees as you would like to listen to this presentation for one registration fee.

Click here to register!


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PRSA International Section Teleseminar
Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 3–4 p.m. EDT
 
Stand Out in a Down Economy: Tips for Breaking Into International Public Relations

In tough economic times like these, new public relations professionals need to stand out. The growing specialization of international public relations offers an opportunity to do just that—and more.
 
Ever thought about working overseas or wondered what it might be like representing foreign clients at a major agency? Ever considered working at the U.S. headquarters of a foreign-based company or an international non-governmental organization (NGO)?
 
Geared towards new professionals, PRSA’s International Section’s first career-related teleseminar will provide expert advice from real-world practitioners from the global corporate, agency and nonprofit arenas on how to break into this rewarding branch of public relations.
 
You’ll learn how to:


Position yourself strategically in your current job.
Get the skills and experience employers are looking for.
Find out what industries have the best long-term potential
For more information and to register, click here. 

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Relocating for a Job: Risks & Rewards
Brown Bag Conference Call hosted by PRSA Chair-Elect Jacob Day and Communications Co-Chair Janet Krenn. Podcast will be available for download shortly. For more information, contact Denise Mojica.

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PRSA South Carolina Chapter Update
(SCPRSA) New Professionals invite area professionals to save the following dates on their calendars:

August 19, September 16 – Details to be announced

Coming soon: SCPRSA New Pros Facebook group

For more information, contact SCPRSA Chair Jaclyn Deter.

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Media Bistro “Think Mobile”
September 16, 2009

The Concept:
Mobile devices present strong, unique opportunities for media and business. Developers, marketers, content creators, and media professionals alike need to be sure their mobile strategies are up to par. At Think Mobile, experts will discuss and uncover opportunities in mobile marketing, advertising, content creation, and audience engagement through a series of presentations and roundtable discussions.
The Conversation:

Reach
Connect with your target audience through social media apps, and expand your reach with smart mobile advertising, messaging, display, and search.

Sustainability
Improve the user experience, and your return will be a loyal customer who sticks with you. At Think Mobile, user interaction & design experts will talk about raising the bar in device design & experience.

Acceleration
Industry thought leaders will discuss what’s in store for mobile, where the opportunities will be in the next decade, and how to make money as content moves to mobile devices.
Register by August 19 for early bird rates. Registration as low as $100.

For more information, click here.

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Recent Events

PRSA Portland Chapter
“Secrets of Successful Pitching," August 4, 2009

Margo Mateas, nationally known media expert, was in Portland on August 4, 2009 to present a half-day seminar on how to successfully pitch stories to the news media. Margo writes an informative monthly column in PRSA’s monthly newspaper on the topic.

For more information, click here.


Articles of Interest

New Report Finds Many Execs Fear that Social-Media Use Is Crippling Productivity and Threatening Corporate Reputations
Bulldog Reporter’s Daily Dog

Social media has become a fixture on communication agendas across the country, but according to a new survey by Minneapolis-based Russell Herder and Ethos Business Law, social media use is also generating its share of corporate heartburn. Concerns regarding social media use were acknowledged by some eight in 10 businesses participating in the national study of management, marketing and human resource executives.

Remarkably few efforts are being made to mitigate perceived risks. Only one in three businesses surveyed has a policy in place to govern social media use, and only ten percent said they have conducted relevant employee training.

For the full article, click here.


Member Spotlight
Each month, we feature a member of the PRSA New Professionals Section. This month, we are featuring Juan Flores.

Juan Flores, Communications Manager, Anaheim/Orange County Visitor &
Convention Bureau

Type(s) of work performed: Public relations for the bureau including online outreach, editorial and production of the annual Visitors Guide and other publications, anaheimoc.org content maintenance, writing collateral materials, press releases and media alerts, as well as implementing press tours, public relations initiatives and media relations efforts to promote Anaheim/Orange County as the premiere business and leisure destination

Educational background: B.A. in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Awards or honors received: During my eight years working for the Food/Travel/Home & Garden feature sections of the Orange County Register, I was part of the Travel team that won the Lowell Thomas Award

Hobbies: Handball, comics, spending time with my wife and two young children (Sam is 6 and Vida is 2)

Would you like to be in a future Member Spotlight?  Send an email to PRSA New Professionals Newsletter Chair Alyson Campbell. Include a headshot and the areas highlighted above for consideration.


We Want to Hear from You!

The PRSA New Professionals Newsletter Committee welcomes content for its newsletters and monthly e-blasts. Consider submitting information about recent and upcoming events, career tips, feature spotlights (Chapter, member and mentor) and any other ideas. Send your questions and/or recommendations to the PRSA New Professionals Newsletter chair, Alyson Campbell. Thank you!

 

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