PRSA offers tools to acquaint seniors and recent college graduates into careers in the PR industry  Senior year can be the most stressful point of time throughout your college journey. PRSSA-LB allows students to attend helpful workshops, career tours, listen to guest speakers and build connections with PR professionals in the industries members are interested in. Then, graduation comes and goes and you might feel like you lost all your available resources for finding a job. What many people don’t know is that as a former PRSSA member, you have access to a discounted membership price for PRSA, the professional organization that oversees PRSSA, up to two years after graduation. So instead of paying $115-$325 for the other types of memberships, you would simply pay $60 annually! And according to the PRSA website, $60 could get you more than you ever expected. Here are five ways to maximize your PRSA membership:
1. PRSA Job Center The job center has over 1,000 listings for available public relations jobs in various industries. It allows members to sort through listings based on location, job type, job function, organizational setting and industry. You can also upload your resume to the PRSA Jobcenter and apply to job listings directly from there. This is especially helpful when you need to narrow down what kind of jobs you would actually liketo apply for, rather than mindlessly scrolling through different job sites. 2. Resume & Cover Letter Assistance Once you upload a copy of your resume and cover letter onto the Jobcenter, you will receive a free resume review from a PR professional. Under “Careers,” you are also able to create an updated resume using PRSA’s resume builder . Soon after the completion of your resume, it can be made public to be searched by employers or kept private to your profile. 3. Networking Events PRSA hosts a multitude of exciting conferences and workshops aimed at educating and connecting members around the world. Most of these events do come with a registration fee, but it can definitely be a worthwhile investment in your future career and members receive a discounted price. Who knows? You might meet your next employer at one. 4. Webinars and Online Courses If money is tight to travel or you have a conflicting schedule, PRSA also offers webinars, Case in Point online programs and online courses called “On-Demands.” These are geared toward strengthening your skill sets and developing new abilities. Case in Point is a program that gives members the opportunity to read case studies from a variety of industries and topics. 5. Career Articles Finally, with a membership, you can divulge into the many newsletters and blogs on the PRSA website. Strategies & Tactics is PRSA’s very own newspaper that stays up-to-date with new trends and information about implementing the best PR strategies.The PRsay blog also has articles with relevant and modern topics that focus on career advice, leadership, and PR training. So, the next time college stresses you out and you feel like you are failing... Remember that you have more resources available to you now than ever before. Now it’s up to you to take advantage of them.
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Professional Personal StyleYour guide to showing off your personal style at your next interview4/9/2020 By: Kassandra Dume Understanding a company’s values and persona can help you find your perfect interview style. Some businesses pride themselves on being a more lax and non-traditional workplace, so wearing an elevated casual outfit could work to your advantage in an interview
Congratulations! Your hard work paid off and you’ve got an interview for your dream job. You have a fresh copy of your resume, you’ve prepared questions to ask your prospective employer, and you’ve anticipated questions they will ask you in return. Now you’re just missing a professional outfit that doesn’t look like you borrowed it from your parents closet or threw it together in a hurry. Here are four tips to help you look and feel great at your next interview, while looking like your bestprofessional self. Don’t be afraid of color and prints There are no rules that say you can’t wear color to an interview; so incorporate your favorite hue or one that boosts your confidence. Wearing a printed shirt under a blazer or statement earrings with a neutral outfit shows employers you are confident and have a playful side. Find your fit We don’t all have the luxury of having a tailored suit on hand for an interview, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look tailored with what you do have in your closet. Stay away from clothing that is noticeably too tight or too baggy; you want to look sharp. Find cuts and styles of shirts and pants that make you feel comfortable. Mix things up with a blouse with structured shoulders or flared pants. Subtle flare Whether it’s a frat, sorority, PRSSA club, or any other CSULB activity you’re proud of, if you have a pin or similar accessory, incorporating it into your outfit is a great way to start a conversation with your employer. It also gives you an opportunity to share your interests and achievements. Details, details, details Once you have all the pieces of your outfit picked out, be sure to take the time to look everything over to ensure the quality and cleanliness before you head out the door. Make sure every item is wrinkle-free and crisp. Make sure your nails and hands are clean, and are ready to shake hands. Take extra care to not have makeup or sweat on the collar of your shirt or on the sleeves. Keep your breath fresh and keep cologne and perfume to a subtle minimum. Dress for success isn’t just a cliché phrase we’re all told as young adults; it holds a lot of truth. If you are trying to enter into a particular field of work, you want to dress like you’re already part of it. Taking the time to look put together demonstrates that you are serious about your goals and understand a professional appearance is part of any job, especially one in public relations. By: Gio Gonzalez To you it all feels contrived; you don’t enjoy it in the slightest and you grit their teeth pretending you aren’t ready to scream inside. You’re an introvert at a networking event and your goal is simple: survive and make useful contacts. With any luck, this event will land you the job you’re looking for and you may make a professional connection or two. But first, you just need to get through it!
Social media crutches Greeting someone in person is much easier after breaking the ice on social media. LinkedIn and Twitter are going to be your greatest allies in online networking. Public relations professionals essentially live for online networking.Additionally, you can look up your peers and get to know them. It is a lot easier to approach a fellow student than a professional already in the industry. You never know when one of your fellow PRSSA members will point you in the direction of a job. Fake Charisma Let’s face it, you aren’t charismatic, but that just means you’ll have to fake it. Anyone can do it, but it’s a conscious effort for introverts like us. Think of an extrovert you know. They’re all over the place! They’re quick to introduce themselves with a welcoming smile and a firm handshake. It’s time to mimic extroverts until introductions become a comfortable experience. Networking isn’t going anywhere and itis up to you to adapt, overcome, and survive that networking event to land that job you’re looking for. Faking charisma is an established strategy. Anxiety It’s not always an issue of simple introversion. For some itis social anxiety stemming from any number of reasons from low self-esteem to just being afraid of meeting new people. Socializing can feel like a game of chess and you don’t know the rules. I’m not qualified to give advice to help people overcome their social anxiety and tackling the baggage causing their issues, but I know of someone who is. That someone is CSULB’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). If that anxiety has a source, it may be in your best interest to get to the root of the problem and get on your way to networking unobstructed by social anxiety. The cost is already covered by your tuition, so get on in there and overcome your barriers to the start of your career. Attitude Not very many people actually like to network. Many of us groan at the thought of having to meet a myriad of strangers, but you’re not going to go far with a negative mindset. Your networking event should begin and end with an “I can do this” mentality. You’re introverted and that’s okay! Plenty of introverts attend networking events and get by just fine. With the tips I gave you you’ll be able to survive and thrive in any networking event with just a little self-work. You’ll be indistinguishable from an extroverted networking champion. by Lindsay Dickens  Going to the movies is all about the experience. There is a difference between seeing a film debut in the theatre versus streaming it at home. Since the invention of streaming services, movie theatre chains need customers now more than ever. The only reason chains are still in business, comes down to their marketing strategies. Concessions Theatres keep about 50% of money from ticket sales. The rest of the money goes back to the film distributors. In order for the theatre to stay in business, they count on moviegoers to buy from their concessions. More than 71% of attendants purchase something from concessions. If you really think about that, it makes a lot of sense. You can't walk into the screening itself without passing the concession stands. The layout of theatres are intentional. Not only do you have to pass the counter in order to get to the theatre but, the concession counters are psychologically stimulating. In order to draw moviegoers to purchase concessions, there are vibrant colors and tons of detailed imagery. The large TV screens display beautiful images of popcorn and soda. Images of food matched with warm lighting, physcologically brings us comfort. Unlike a restaurant, concession food is prepared right in front of you. You can see it and smell it. Food paired with certain colored cups and tubs (red and yellow) have an effect on the brain that stimulates hunger. Popcorn as the traditional movie snack is not a coincidence either. Popcorn is cheap to make and salty. The profit margin on popcorn is huge. Once the salt kicks in, you just may have to buy a drink. AMC even offers student discounts on concessions because they realize that even getting some money out of students is better than none. Chains will do anything for people of all ages to purchase concessions. Previews Have you noticed your movie never starts on time? Let’s say you’re seeing Spiderman: Far From Home at 7 p.m. At around 6:30 p.m. the commercials play. Next, at 7 p.m., the trailers begin. Then, at about 7:25 p.m., the feature bumper begins. During the bumper, the theatre thanks their exclusive members and reminds you of their concession deals. Most importantly, they show happy, attractive people, you guessed it- eating food from concessions! After about 30 minutes of waiting, your movie finally starts. This is done intentionally. If you have to sit for 30 minutes, you might cave in and buy soda (especially if you see someone else drinking one). Getting You to Come Back Going to the movies can be expensive, so why do we keep going back? There is a mutually beneficial relationship between theatre chains and movie goers. Let's take AMC for example. On Tuesdays, AMC movie tickets are cheaper. If you spend less money on your ticket, you might be more inclined to spend money on food. AMC encourages you to get their app. Once you download it, they send you push notifications for deals. Even if you’re not at the theatre, one push notification could make you change your mind. AMC also gives you reward points for each dollar you spend. These are great motivators to buy food and drink. Rewards make you feel like you’re getting something back from spending. Since we know that half the money goes back to the distributors, it’s hard for chains to stay in business. In order to provide high-quality forms (DOLBY or IMAX), they need to gain revenue. You may not have realized, but theatres know just how to reel you in.  |
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