Life After Graduation

When I was still in school as a PR student, all I could look forward to was graduation and diving head first into my dream job.

Well, it's been 3 months now...and no dream job. Actually, no job at all!

So what has this whole unemployment experience taught me? (Because trust me, I've had a lot of extra time on my hands to reflect...)

1. Don't ever take a job for granted. I didn't always realize what a blessing a job was. As the days tick on and I am still on the hunt for a job, I realize I'd give anything just to have a structured schedule and a job to wake up for every morning. Luckily, the jobs I'm looking for now aren't about filling up iced teas and bringing ketchup to the table, but they're about using my skills and talents to really contribute to a company. But the work ethic I acquired from waiting tables has given me motivation to find a fulfilling job that enables me to use my talents.

2. Make your job search your "full time job." I've invested hours each day to researching companies and applying to jobs. All of this time invested has resulted in only a few interviews here and there, but at least I'm getting my resume out there and gaining experience that will only help me in the long run.

3. Network, network, network. I try to attend at least one networking event per week, so that I can meet other professionals, introduce myself, and hand out business cards.

4. Follow up. I always make sure I follow up after an interview, so the company knows that I appreciate their time and that I am truly excited for the opportunity to be a part of their team. I also follow up with people I meet at networking events. It lets them know that I want to maintain contact with them, and opens doors to possibly work together in the future.

5. Stay positive. It's disappointing when I don't hear back from a company that I was really hoping to work for, but I have to remind myself not to let it get me down. I know God has a plan for me, and if one door closes, it only means that there is something better in store for me down the road!

So, as I continue on my search for that "dream job"...I try to remember the things we learned in school and the life experiences that have taught me how to handle my job search. Wish me luck as I continue this journey, and best of luck to all of the other recent grads out there who find themselves in the same boat!

Oh...and if you're reading this and you're hiring...keep me in mind. :)

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@shannon_twomey
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WGUR + B.o.B. + Stokeswood + Playboy Tre = One AWESOME Homecoming 2011!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shannon Twomey
Shannonktwomey@gmail.com

WGUR will kick off festivities at the 2011 Georgia College & State University Homecoming concert

Milledgeville, Ga. (Feb. 1, 2011) – WGUR 88.9 FM The Edge will host a preshow for the 2011 GCSU Homecoming concert at the Centennial Center on Feb. 17, 2011.
The preshow will last from 8-8:30 p.m., followed by the concert featuring B.o.B, Stokeswood, and Playboy Tre until 11 p.m.
The preshow will be hosted by M.C. Bryan Smith, a member of the WGUR executive staff. Prizes and WGUR promotional materials will be given away. Student Government Association will also have swag to give away during this time.
“Students can expect an exciting preshow complete with music, courtesy of WGUR, and even t-shirt guns,” Melissa Brown of WGUR said.
Attendees may begin tailgating in the Centennial Center parking lot at 5 p.m.
Ticket sales will begin Feb. 14 in the DEN at the Student Activities Center. Tickets will also be available the day of the event at the Centennial Center box office. Tickets are free for GCSU students with a valid Bobcat card. All other college students are $10 with their college identification. Admission for the general public is $20. All ticket sales are cash only. GCSU alumni will receive free admission upon registering for tickets at homecoming.gcsu.edu.
Shuttles will be available before and after the concert. They will run from West Campus to the Centennial Center, and will make stops at the Irwin Street parking lot.
According to Ben Eliot, General Manager for WGUR, the station and its staff is very excited to be involved with this year’s homecoming activities. Footage from their involvement with MUTEMATH at last year’s homecoming is available online at www.gcsuradio.com.

My Practicum Experience as a Public Relations Manager for WGUR

This semester, I served as the public relations manager for WGUR 88.9 fm, and it also counted for practicum credit for me. As I was writing my practicum paper yesterday, I began to think about how far I've come this semester in regards to doing public relations for radio.

When I was first hired as the PR manager, I was extremely overwhelmed because I had never worked in radio before. I knew a lot about public relations, but it was a whole new ball game for me to apply this knowledge to an industry with which I was fairly unfamiliar.

Leading a team of people who were also unexperienced in the field proved to be somewhat of a challenge as well. We all started off the semester at somewhat of a loss every time we met. Eventually, however, we fell into a groove of brainstorming events together and then I would assign specific PR tasks for each person to carry out individually. One person would write the press release, one person would write a PSA, another would work in media relations, and another would be in charge of community involvement and donations. I would switch tasks for each person as different events occured, allowing each practicum student the most experience as possible.

I learned through this whole experience how to work as a leader in the PR field, not just as a student doing assignments for a grade. I also learned how to apply the skills I have learned in my classes to a broadcasting environment and how radio and PR can work together to produce some pretty awesome events.

I am looking forward to working even harder next semester as I finish the year out doing public relations with WGUR. The experience has taught me a lot that I can take with me as I move on to new experiences when I graduate.

Attention to Details

Tonight, WGUR was present at the home opener tailgate that the PR Admin class worked to coordinate. This was one of our bigger events that we have put on, as it consisted not only of a broadcast but of a raffle, tshirts, key chains, and free hot dogs, chips, and drinks as well. The event was a huge success, as we were one of the only other RSO's besides SGA that was not a fraternity or sorority. The main thing that I learned from this event tonight (well, not learned...but was reminded of) was that attention to detail and pre-planning are so important when dealing with PR. Also, communication is key when dealing with outside people. For example, our theme tonight was "Rock, Roll, & Recycle." We waited until last minute to find out details about recycling, and found that Milledgeville charges money to take items to the recycling center. Since this was not in our budget, we had to think on our toes and come up with a quick last minute solution. We contacted the environmental club and had to communicate with one of its members in order to get recycling containers brought to our location before the tailgate started. Also, attention to detail is something that I constantly have to remember to be aware of. Last night, I made a list of every little thing that we could possibly need once we got to the event. Tape, signs, plates, raffle items, paper for the raffle entries, a jar, coolers, ice, a grill, matches, lighter fluid....but I forgot one important thing: tongs to get the hot dogs off the grill. This forgetfulness made us have to delay our grilling while we sent someone back to their apartment to get tongs. In the big picture, this was just a small mishap, but it reminded me that attention to the small things can make or break an event and the timeliness of what you're doing.

What's happening with WGUR

WGUR has been very busy lately and we have a lot to show for it! 8 of our executive staff members and DJ's attended a conference in Louisville, Kentucky at the end of October in which we learned more about college media. I personally attended mostly PR and advertising related sessions at the conference and I learned a lot more about promoting radio. My favorite session that I attended was 80 promotional ideas in 80 minutes, so keep an eye out for some fun new events that will be born from the ideas I got there!

Mark your calendars for some great upcoming events at Georgia College sponsored by WGUR:

Nov. 17- GCSU Home Basketball Opener. WGUR will be doing a Rock, Roll, and Recycle event at 4:30 in which we will tailgate, have food, drinks, cornhole, a raffle, and promote recycling. Our team hopes to create awareness of recycling at the event and take care of the recycling after the tailgate.

Nov. 19- WGUR will be at Amici with Z97 for a canned food drive. More details to come.

Nov. 22- WGUR will be at the fountain by A&S with free Christmas cards for you to sign which will be sent to soldiers for the holidays. Please come support this great cause!

Nov. 29- WGUR will provide music for the Yule Ball, put on by the GCSU residency programs/dorms. It will be a festive night of music, food, and dancing!

Dec. 1- WGUR is sponsoring an acoustic concert at Chops for Ladies Night. More details to come.

During finals week, we will also be present at Midnight Breakfast. We will provide music and giveaways so don't miss out!

Mark your calendars and come out for some fun events happening the remainder of the semester. I'm hoping I can apply what I learned at this conference and that the PR team at WGUR can pull off some really great stuff this year. Thanks for supporting WGUR!

Frederick Swanston- Big agency experience with little agency attention.

As both a PR and an advertising major, sometimes it is hard for me to differentiate the two because so much of what we learn in each concentration is applicable to the other. Two weeks ago, I got to see how a PR agency runs and the types of things they do daily. Last week, I took the shadowing experience a step further and visited an advertising agency to see what they are all about.

The agency that I chose to visit was Frederick Swanston, located in Alpharetta, Georgia. I was assigned to shadow two account executives on the team, Amy and Robyn. I got to see the types of accounts they work on and how they do an ad campaign from initial contact with the client to the end result. They even showed me the computer programs and ways of storing files on a company-wide database that make it easy to keep all the information on an account organized and available to anyone in any department. I got to meet with various people in the office and talk to them for a few minutes to see what their particular jobs within the agency are. I met a few creative directors who handle the art and copywriting aspects of a campaign. I also got to meet the woman who handles most of the online web design advertising for various clients. I got to sit in on a conference call with her and Amy, as they spoke with one of their clients, Veriphone, about a new homepage design that had been developed. It was interesting to see the interaction between client and designer and how they walk through a printed out format of the site together in order to approve and/or make changes to the product.

My experience at the ad agency helped me to see how PR and ad agencies are similar in many ways, but very unique in others. They both work closely with various accounts and have similar job positions to maintain organization and structure in the office. There are obvious differences, however, in a paid advertising campaign and a PR campaign. I'm glad that I've had the opportunity to witness both sides of the spectrum and be able to compare my two concentrations from these experiences.

PRSSA Shadow Day at Porter Novelli

The GCSU PRSSA chapter offered a special opportunity to students last week when we got to participate in Shadow Day in Atlanta. We selected our order of preference for agency, corporate, and nonprofit PR, and I was assigned to Porter Novelli, a prestigious PR agency known worldwide. When we arrived, we were shown to a conference room and we met some of the top professionals in the Atlanta office. We first met Tia Jackson, the HR manager, and Katherine Mason, the Account Executive. They introduced us to the agency and gave us a basic overview of what is done there. We then were welcomed by Jana Thomas, Senior VP, who talked further about how Porter Novelli is a great company to work for. Jack Newton, Vice President, then introduced himself and presented "Social Media in Today's Marketing Mix," in which we learned how PR and social media go hand in hand. We learned the difference between participatory social media, such as Facebook, in which companies can take part in conversations and interaction with customers. There is also search engine optimization, in which PR agencies can help clients move up the list on search engines such as Bing or Google when people search a particular topic. He also talked to us about how with a product, (he gave us the example of a blog) there are creators, participants, observers, and inactives. Part of what a PR agency strives to do is to move people up this ladder so they are all participating in some way.
After hearing about social media, Wendy Ruben, Account Executive, talked to us about the healthcare practice at Porter Novelli. Most people who work in this department have both PR and medical experience and combine the two skills for a great career. Next, we heart from Katherine Wetzel, Account Supervisor, and Kara McClain, Senior Account Executive, about the technology practice at Porter Novelli. They spoke about how they don't expect all new interns and employees to know how to do everything, but they look for a willingness to learn when they are dealing with people in this department. That was encouraging to me, as I was somewhat overwhelmed with just how much responsibility is placed on the shoulders of someone working with big accounts like Porter Novelli works with. Katherine Mason, Account Executive, then came in and spoke to us about corporate and consumer practice, and then we had a roundtable discussion with some newly hired employees who just finished their internship there. This was the most laid back part of the day, as most of these people where close to our age and had just finished with internships and job searches. They encouraged us to work in an agency for 2-3 years before we step out into the corporate world. They explained to us that working with Porter Novelli will prepare you to have all the PR experience you would need to work somewhere other than in an agency, but that working for Porter Novelli long term is a great choice as well.
Overall, the experience was eye opening since I had never been to a PR agency before. I also enjoyed the mixer at Aja that evening, as I met even more PR professionals and had the chance to network.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to put this day together and let us learn more about this awesome agency. The experience was so valuable and I would love to shadow more great companies in the future.