Advice for Finding a Job in a Recession

In times like these, everyone's been nervous about finding jobs...but students more than ever. It used to be that simply having a college education was a foot in the door. However, these days, that isn't necessarily the case. The market is getting more and more competitive, and with so many people losing jobs lately, it's only getting worse.

BUT, there is hope. We all just have to be even more persistent and keep sticking our necks out. We also may have to "settle" for opportunities that may not be our first choice. However, I believe that it's a good thing to try to diversify ourselves anyway. Check out this link to some advice for finding great opportunities in a recession.

http://www.mnheadhunter.com/mh/2009/10/finding-great-job-opportunities-in-recession-take-two.html

Mad Men & Sesame Street-Interesting!

NLR-

This is a very interesting concept. I have only seen little bits of Mad Men here and there, but I do think it's great that the key concepts of the show are being utilized in other places. Sesame Street is and always has played a key role in childhood learning and development. The show has always been highly rated. I think it was a great idea to incorporate concepts from Mad Men in the show. I think that also shows why Mad Men is so highly acclaimed as well...it focuses on always relevant underlying concepts.

What a unique connection...

Networking at Marquette

Within the Public Relations industry, there is an obvious undertone of competitiveness that illustrates the importance getting an ‘upper hand.’ This ‘upper hand’ can be defined by a single word: networking. Networking is making various contacts throughout the industry that can be utilized in a number of different ways—for example, instead of simply sending out a resume, a person can utilize their networks to get an interview with a potential employer.

The value of networks is exemplified everyday as more people are seeking careers within the Public Relations industry. As the value of networking rises, more people are beginning to understand the worth of this PR tactic—including Marquette University. Marquette recognizes the magnitude of making contacts, and because of this recognition, they offer a mentor program to help students network and, at the same time, get a feel for what the industry is all about.

The Diederich College of Communication mentor program enables students to meet people involved in various aspects of the PR industry, and then pairs students with a mentor who is involved in an area of PR corresponding with the students’ field of interest. The student and the mentor will then meet and discuss what the each person is seeking out of the newly founded relationship. One of the main gains that students seek out of this relationship is employing the mentor as a network. The student can meet other people through their own mentor, as well as meet other mentors involved within the program at the University.

I have recently become an active member in this mentor program sponsored by Marquette University. I plan on meeting with my mentor for the first time within the next week, and although I am in the early stages, I can already see the potential benefit that this program has to provide. This program can enhance not only my resume, but also my skills, and I am very excited to begin!

The mentor program is just an example of how a person can begin to network in the competitive world of Public Relations. Whether you are involved in the program or not, I believe creating relationships with people in the industry is extremely important, and individuals should start networking as early as possible to create the biggest ‘upper hand’ for themselves.

Social Networking’s Cyber Enemy

Monday, Oct. 19, 2009
8:04 p.m.

How safe are we exploring the latest tools on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook? Now, social networking is becoming the hot topic, not only among the average high school or college student but also amidst the crowd of the college classroom. Teachers are starting to implement these “useful tools” into the curriculum because many believe these venues will not be leaving our realm anytime soon.
I, for one, have always been skeptical of completely emerging myself into the social networking world. One, I do not like sharing an ear load of personal information online, and two, call me cynical or one who does not like change a great deal, but I think online communicating through Facebook profiles and “tweeting” will harm our personal communication skills in the future.
An article found on the below website seems to verify my doubts of social networking: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/19/social.networking.crimes/index.html?iref=24hours . After pointing out the fact of how vulnerable users of Facebook and Twitter can be to cyber thieves, as the article quotes, I find my unwillingness to put myself out there-pun intended- is plausible.
As much as social media websites, Twitter specifically, are quality information sources, I fear the risk we, the users, implement if we completely rely on these sites in the future. The article claims that since 2006, approximately 3,200 account hijacking cases have been reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. These ‘cyber thieves’ are finding numerous break-in methods to gain access to our personal information posted on social networking websites. Not only do they have access to these information bits, but they also can publicize and share this material with interested parties who could further the damage and do something harmful with it.
Yes, you may be thinking that you consider yourself a smart user who knows not to open suspicious Facebook messages or download any unrecognizable applications, but your intelligence does not grant you complete immunity. Considering one of Facebook or Twitter’s most notable attributes- the ability to be connected with however many people you want- this puts you at danger if, say, one of your Facebook friend’s profiles gets hijacked, because there is opportunity for them to find and attack you through your friend’s networking list.
With Facebook and Twitter dominating today’s communication society- Twitter grew 1,382 percent to more than seven million users this last year- it will become a challenge for us to protect ourselves against cyber crimes, as the number of online hijackers, considering the opportunity, continues to increase. Social networks have already initiated protection limits on their respective websites to prevent their users from getting robbed, but it’s the nature of the worldwide web beast that still forces anyone online to be aware of what they offer as available information online.
In case you feel the need or share a common concern with me, the website (http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/19/social.networking.crimes/index.html?iref=24hours does offer ways to prevent yourself from identity theft or from being another victim of social media hijacking. If after reading this article, assuming you have gotten this far, and thinking that I am a total nerd for not hopping on the bandwagon and facing Facebook and Twitter with open arms, I should admit that I have profiles on each of these websites, and as dangerous as cyber space can be, I thoroughly enjoy checking out pictures on Facebook and being able to talk to family miles away within seconds. As much as I really do not enjoy tweeting, sorry Rain Pebble, I do agree that this site has been a revolutionary creation that has captured the interest of a majority of individuals and large businesses and organizations. Twitter can connect you with people that can serve as valuable information resources and provide you with significant news; not to mention its usefulness in connecting people across the globe.
I credit social networking sites for being critical mediums for the sharing and presentation of information; this is simply a reminder that not everyone uses the information you provide responsibly and respectfully.

Balloon Boy and Social Media, a match made in heaven.

It is official--we are crazy. By we, I mean the U.S. and by crazy, I mean we will do ANYTHINGto be noticed. As if celebrities like Kanye West at the VMA's or those guys on youtube that made a beach video to the Miley Cirus song weren't ridiculous enough, last Thursday we get the worst of the worst--Balloon Boy and his family.

I was working out at the gym on campus. Forgetting my I-pod, I had to plug my headphones into the treadmill to watch TV. I tuned to BREAKING NEWS ON CNN about a young boy who disappeared and was thought to have been floating around in a home made hot air balloon over Colorado! I was at the gym for an entire hour while CNN talked about poor little Flacon, the boy who got in his father's hot air balloon. However, soon enough, the balloon landed and was found empty!! Where was Falcon?! Search and rescue teams swarmed the area and almost every other channel's daily news covered the story. So many times CNN announcers said, "Lets just hope that he's hiding in his house somewhere, and is afraid to come out and be punished" and what do you know...that's what DID happen! Or, kind of. I got back from the gym and turned my TV on at home.

Details of the Heene family started to surface during the search. They family had appeared on the reality show Wife Swap before, and the father was a professional storm chaser with a website. The Heene's were known for "living life on the wild side".

Eventually, Falcon was found hiding in his attic. Soon after, interviews with the Heene family surfaced and something funny happened. The entire event was ruled a hoax! It turns out that Falcon's parents told him to hide in the attic and when he was interviewed by CNN later, Flacon gave up the secret. When asked why he didn't come out of the attic when he heard his father calling him he said, "Um you guys (his mom and dad) said we did this for the show."Leave it to a young child to tell the truth.

Here's the actual CNN interview with the Heene family when Falcon spilled the beans:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI6UONWCq7A&feature=player_embedded

But the Heene family are not the only ones to be blamed in this situation. The media plays a large role. First it was breaking news and all over the media. Then, as the story was ruled a hoax, even more coverage was given. Try searching "Ballon Boy" on Twitter. After your first result, guaranteed within 2 seconds 60 more posts will surface and you'll have to refresh. The story spread through social media like a wild fire. Everyone was talking about it, and it ended up getting more attention than it deserved. America could just not get enough of the sick and twisted hoax the Heene's pulled.

The whole situation escalated into something that makes me sick to even think about. Have we really gotten to the point in our society where the best way to get attention, is to fake a missing child? Not only that, but it seems as though social media is just a freak show! We as American's love these kind of stories, and we eat them up. But this has to stop. Instead of blogging out a hoax, lets blog about more important things. There are plenty of educational blogs out there, whether political, international, environmental, etc. If we paid more attention to the stories that matter, I think our country would slowly fade from the reputation we have earned. It's no wonder the Heene's were chosen to be on Wife Swap in the first place. When we have families that are willing to waste the selfless efforts of search and rescue teams, police officers, and more because they knew that the media would easily grab the story, we've really got a problem on our hands. The Heene's should be ashamed of themselves, but I have a feeling they're not. They got the publicity they wanted, and even though it's not good publicity, they're infamous. Does this seem right to you?

By the way, the Heene's are going to court:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8315042.stm

Mad Men and Sesame Street

I am not sure you familiar people are with the show Mad Men. It is one of the most critically acclaimed shows in recent memory. The show is about Don Draper, a creative director in an ad agency and all the happenings that go along with him in his interesting and twisting life. It is my favorite show, and I try to emulate Don Draper's style, hence the side part, but enough about that. I saw an interesting short blurb in Ad Age not to long ago about how the very successful show was being used for a segment on Sesame Street, minus the smoking, drinking, and sex. Sesame Street characters were portrayed in the board room, in their dark suits, and skinny ties, deliberating. Even though Mad Men is not a show appropriate for children, it does provide an interesting insight, that being, the need for creativity. In both Mad Men and Sesame Street, creativity is the way to success. Having a great idea, and being good at it shows reward, which I feel is a valuable lesson. But how does this apply to our PR writing class? Well for us as PR students, what we might be taught to us now, might not hold true five years down the road, due to the ever-changing world, but with all that changes, there is one thing that remains constant. That creativity will get you a long way, being able to think and react and come up with something original can get you places, even if all around you seems uncertain. So take a lesson from Don Draper and Sesame Street and create.

here is the youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgvKCfZqxrQ

There's an app for what?

Pepsi's Amp Energy drink recently issued an apology for their iPhone app, "Before You Score". This app was created with to serve as a humorous "roadmap" to successfully picking up different kinds of women. The app categorized approximately 24 different types of women including cougars, bookworms, tree huggers and more. After choosing which woman to pursue, the app would provide pick up lines relating to the woman of choice.

Although this app was intended to be humorous, many women found it sexist and degrading. "I don’t know what was going on in that marketing meeting that got this application anywhere near a drawing board, but I do know: despite not liking Pepsi beforehand simply because of a difference in taste, now I have a reason to dislike the brand for creating this little gem. I knew guys would put women in groups before (and honestly, don’t we do the same with men?) but this…this is just offensive," one woman wrote.

On the other hand, many guys feel that criticizers need to lighten up. “People need to get over themselves. This is a great app and will be popular. It’s for guys. Don’t tell me girls don’t joke around like this either," someone wrote.

Not only did Pepsi Amp issue an apology, they created a "fail" hashtag on Twitter in order for consumers to criticize the app in a public domain. Although the idea may not have been strategically considered, it was pretty gutsy for the brand to create their own roast via social media.

Thoughts?