 By: Steve MunozPRSSA-LB members had the opportunity to have a really special guest, Jaymee Jo Meck.
Jo Meck graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a bachelors in merchandise. Even though her degree doesn’t relate to public relations, she still managed to incorporate her merchandising skills into this field! Jo Meck is now the manager of global marketing at Too Faced Cosmetics Jo Meck became a licensed cosmetologist while she was in high school and since then, she realized that the beauty industry was for her. Jo Meck describes herself as creative and that’s why when she got accepted into CSULB she started as a fashion design major, however, over time she realized that fashion design wasn’t for her and switched to merchandising. Jo Meck talked to students about how being “scrappy” is one of the best things to be. “Scrappy is definitely one of my favorite words,'' she said. Jo Meck shared with us that sometimes being “scrappy” can help us to develop better ideas and even better resumes when it’s time to put ourselves out there in the real world. Her first internship was at L'Oréal. That’s where she started to learn more about the field of public relations. It was a great experience for her because from there she realized that the beauty industry was the right path for her. After some time, she found an internship at Too Faced Cosmetics where she started as an assistant, but thanks to her dedication and passion for her job she ended up becoming the manager of global marketing for Too Faced Cosmetics. Jo Meck talked about some of the challenges that she must face at her job. One of them being that she works a lot. Her position requires a lot of time and sometimes it can be hard for her to manage everything at once. However, her job is something that she enjoys no matter what. One of her favorite things about her job is strategizing campaigns. “I really like making PR modern,” Jo Meck said. Bringing something new to the table is something that Jo Meck enjoys the most about her job Jo Meck concluded her talk by giving us some advice on how to build our resumes. “Don’t make it more than one page… do as many internships as you can… research the company… and give some personality to it.”
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 By: Steve MunozThere are times in a person’s life when they regret not taking advantage of an opportunity that could have changed the course of their professional careers. I avoided this by deciding to attend the 2019 PRism Award Gala. PRSSA Long Beach members Alex Torres, Jordan Hall and myself volunteered for the gala without really knowing what to expect from it. I’m still deciding on whether or not to pursue a public relations bachelor's degree, so I was skeptical on whether to attend. However, it was a great opportunity to network with PR professionals and to learn more about the profession.
At first me and the guys didn’t know what to do, we were just students at some big gala! What helped us break the ice and something that I truly appreciated was that Professor Holly Ferris, who teaches and mentors at Long Beach State, introduced us to some of her colleagues. “What industry are you guys interested in?” Ferris asked. Without hesitation she started to take us around the venue and introduce us to her colleagues. We garnered useful tips and even collected some business cards! We later served as ushers and controlled traffic through the hallway and other completed other small tasks.  By: Thuyvi Pham
Continuing PRSSA’s guest speaker series, Chipotle’s External Communications Manager and CSULB alumnus, Stefani Green spoke about her journey in public relations and her experiences at various companies including the Aquarium of the Pacific, Murad, Mattel and more! From a nonprofit organization to fashion, skincare, consumer goods, hospitality, fitness and now food, Green has accumulated extensive PR and marketing experience. She began her first internship at the Aquarium of the Pacific and shortly after interned at Michael Stars, a retail company, where she met PRSSA’s advisor, Jennifer Newton. “Don’t underestimate the internships you do because they can add up and connect you to people you still talk to today,” Green told students. She explained how through her relationship with Newton, she was able to land a job at Murad and learned a lot about the beauty industry and PR. Green also talked about her time at Mattel, where she managed marketing and branding for Barbie for six and a half years. She explained how even though it was a great experience, she loved public relations and moved to Chipotle. Green provided insight on what it’s like at Chipotle, explaining how “every day is different and day-to-day tasks can change at any moment, but that’s also just the reality of PR.” She goes on to explain how since her career, she’s learned that PR is not like any other field, but that’s what she loves about it. “I’m thankful for all the professors and classes here because they were the building blocks of my career in PR...this is the start of your career, so leverage it,” Green explained as she talked about her time as a student at CSULB. During her time at CSULB, she also interned at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Though unpaid, Green emphasized the importance of focusing on what you’re passionate about regardless of the pay. Green concluded her talk with valuable tips on how to pitch a story, emphasizing that the key is to find your story and passion, reach out to those connected to it and tell their story. Green also gifted students who asked questions a free entree card for Chipotle Waitressing helped me build confidence for my future career  By: Lorraine Debbas
So here’s the tea...I’ve had a million restaurant jobs. To some, this doesn’t seem like valuable experience. However, I would argue that the skills I’ve learned from customer service jobs are valuable and will set me apart in my future career in public relations. Working customer service jobs are NOT easy--it’s easy to be taken advantage of. This sounds a lot like a post grad in their entry level job. They’re new, scared and feel like they don’t have much to offer. Not true! I want to give you three tips I’ve learned from my restaurant jobs to help you be your own advocate in the workplace, without getting fired. 1. Show that you are irreplaceable. When I waitressed at a restaurant, thou shall not be named, they were always firing people. When working there, it was like walking on eggshells. Managers saw their employees as replaceable. It’s easy to find people to work the job; however, I made sure that I built relationships with customers. After a few months in, I had a handful of regulars that came in just to see me. If my managers lose me, they lose business. You have to show your worth and show your employer why you’re special to the company. 2. Don't expect a promotion, earn it. We’ve all been there. You’ve been working at your job for some time and you’ve outgrown your position. You DESERVE that promotion. When I was hosting at a restaurant, they were stubborn about moving hosts up to food runners. I wanted to run because they made more money but I knew if I waited for someone to hand me a promotion, I wasn’t going to get one. Instead of asking for a promotion, I phrased it differently: “I’m interested in food running, what can I do to get there?” I didn’t wait for them to schedule me training shifts, I came in early or stayed late to help in the kitchen and learned how to run food. After a few weeks, my manager was impressed and promoted me! You have to show that you’re willing to learn and sometimes that means thinking outside the box. 3. Don’t be afraid to pitch ideas Employers appreciate feedback. We have a fresh perspective on the company and our little college brains are up to date on the industry. Obviously, it’s all on how you word the critique. Never use an arrogant tone. I once told a manager that we should implement a beer social, targeted toward college students. Our social media had a low following and I said it was because our primary customers don’t have social media. If we reach out to college students for an event, they would naturally post about it on Instagram and it would be free advertising for us and he ended up loving the idea! Working in restaurants made me a more confident person. I will carry the experience with me for the rest of my life. So for all those full-time students/part-time workers, this one's for you, you’re doing great sweetie. For those of you that have never worked in a customer service job, I hope these tips help you thrive in your career.  By: Steve MunozAnother day another dollar or is it another Tuesday another guest speaker? Of course, it’s time for another guest speaker!
Matt Prince took the main stage this past Tuesday and introduced himself to the members of PRSSA Long Beach, He talked to us about his experience and gave us some advice on what to do before we graduate. Matt Prince graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a bachelor’s degree in public relations. However, the path of public relations was not something that he initially planned for. When he was accepted to CSUF, he wanted to be an English major. Later on, Prince realized that English was not for him and decided to go for public relations, not knowing what he was getting himself into. Prince is now the senior manager of public relations and brand experience at Taco Bell. Prince discussed how fun his job can be and shared with students that since starting at Taco Bell, most of the things he’s done there are fun. He was able to work on projects like the Taco Bell hotel, the creation of the taco emoji and even Taco Bell weddings! However, it has taken Prince some time to get where he is right now. “Everything starts with an internship,” Prince said. Prince shared with students that internships are a great way to start a career. Internships can help students figure out what they want to do and can help them set a pathway if they’re lost. “Public relations people love to talk and they love to talk about themselves,'' Prince said. Prince talked about how the more experience a person has, the better it is for them to get a job. It doesn’t matter if you think that your current job position is not related to your dream job because every experience matters. “Fake it until you make it,” he said. To close up the night, Prince shared that education and networking are also important. Prince encouraged students to study, read and understand how the public relations-field work. He believes that as long as students educate themselves and learn how to network, they will succeed in this field. Undoubtedly, Prince knows how to taco ‘bout public relations. On October 1, PRSSA-LB hosted Urban Decay PR Professional Janice Nickloff as she shared valuable advice with our members! She talked about key points such as the importance of a strong resume, interviewing, and keeping your social media channels clean. If you couldn't make it to our meeting last week check out the video done by our Membership Ambassador, Emmanuel Tanap.By: Melanie Morales PRSSA-LB members had the opportunity to tour Golin, a progressive public relations agency with an office located in downtown Los Angeles, on Friday, September 20. |
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