​PRSSA held its first-ever senior workshop. The workshop's purpose was to help seniors prepare for the search for internships and how to make themselves presentable. The workshop also provided helpful advice with interviews and elevator pitches. The correct way to prepare for elevator pitches and determine the difference between a lousy elevator pitch and a good one. Advice about elevator pitches was also provided during the workshop, where Thomas also talked about being calm and collected when speaking. It may be terrifying, but the key to a successful elevator pitch is to stay calm. Michael Thomas, the senior campus operations manager for Ripple Match, was the special guest for the workshop. Thomas had provided ways to clean up your resume and essential key factors to include on a resume. He gave insightful advice when hiring managers to look over resumes, "most hiring managers will only take a few minutes, even seconds to judge whether your resume is up to their expectations," he said.

Thomas had also looked at his website, RippleMatch.com. The website was a way to help students discover new internships and have been sponsored by many well-known companies. RippleMatch is a unique website where you are paired with an actual representative who searches for positions that may fit you. Thomas had given a step-by-step process on creating a profile and a walkthrough of finding internships or open jobs available for its users. The website's presentation was a great way to help students find other sources for internships required for JPR students. At the end of the workshop, there was a small Q&A for questions regarding internships and resumes.

"One crucial tip about improving resumes is to have it looked over by a professor or mentor. They truly understand what strengthens a resume," Thomas said.
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​The SoCal Coalition held another memorable panel focusing on Esports and the gaming industry. The guest speakers are employees at prestigious companies within the gaming world. The speakers were Michael Beadle, senior director of public relations at Ubisoft; Robert Tayler, communications manager for Call of Duty; John Nomis, public relations manager for esports team Cloud9. Many of the participants were too excited about this panel. They started the panel by giving their exposure to the industry and they also talked about some of their favorite moments while working at their current positions. 

They talked about the evolving state of games and how working in the industry is ever-changing. They also discussed how different social media channels could have different reactions from fans. How releasing a trailer or downloadable content can have different responses in a wide variety of social media accounts. They also mentioned streamers' arrival and celebrities within the gaming industry and how it will continue to change. Every day is never the same for them, but they are genuinely passionate about it when it comes to video games or esports. 

The passion and advice Beadle gave were very inspirational, “What differentiates from gaming PR to traditional PR is the passion for gaming. How passionate they are and how far connection it has brought. The emotion behind things. The lifestyle and passion of gaming and PR, it is a win-win," he said.

Nomis also provided additional comment by saying: "Don't do well on perfectionism. Take your time and look where you want to be. More chances to choose. See what they are working on and make sure it applies."

Tayler chimed in as well, saying: "Drop your preconceptions and drop everything; look at your surroundings which will be your biggest benefits."

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​On Wednesday, February 3, 2021, PRSSA Long Beach held its first guest speaker for the spring semester. Brittany Mehciz, a CSULB JPR alumni who is the Communications Manager at Hulu, was kind enough to talk to the PRSSA members about her role and what she does for her position. Mehciz, with her cheerful and positive attitude, talked about her journey and previous job experiences. She mentioned how helpful PRSSA was on her job hunt, "PRSSA had helped me so much. Usually, the first thing they would ask me about is my experience in the club," said Mehciz. 

The importance of networking is something that she also mentioned because networking can unlock so many possibilities. The most exciting part of the panel was her mention of her day-to-day schedule at Hulu. She mentioned how every day is never the same, with plenty of memorable moments. Mehciz described preparing for the release of Hulu's content and the importance of communication with executives and the actors in the show. Focusing on the public and monitoring the news is always important, especially within the streaming industry. Mehciz mentioned her fair share of working with well-known actresses and how exciting it was to work with them, "It is kind of crazy how you grew up watching them in movies, and then all of a sudden you're 5ft away from them. I've had my fair share of moments being starstruck, but I had to be serious and keep my composure." said Mehciz.

The workshop was very informative on the importance of networking and how beneficial it was to join a club like PRSSA. The end of the panel concluded with a Q&A session on advice about internships, work stories, upcoming projects, and the endless possibilities that can occur at Hulu.