Kris Ruby delivers a masterclass to Journalism 470 students via Facebook Live

By: Alex Torres

Kris Ruby, CEO of Ruby Media Group, stopped by Prof. Newton’s Digital Public Relations Toolbox
class via Facebook Live this past Tuesday. Ruby is one of the preeminent social media experts in
America, and is a frequent on air contributor for FOX Business and Good Morning America, amongst
countless others.

The Facebook Live session was a Q&A format that allowed students to gain priceless knowledge from
who the Business Council of Westchester calls the youngest “40 Under 40” Rising Star. When asked
about tips for graduating college students, Ruby’s response was in line with the theme of Newton’s
course.

“The number one tip is to work on creating your own personal brand. You should create your own
personal website…and you want to put together a portfolio from your internship experience,” Ruby
advised.

Journalism 470 students recently finished a professional portfolio website for Newton’s course, so
hearing Ruby stress the importance of having one is extremely encouraging.

“Right now LinkedIn is hot, LinkedIn is where it’s at,” she further explained. “It’s a great place to spend
your time when you’re graduating…write the bio for the job you want, not the one you already have.”

Like many others, Ruby believes the PR industry has changed exponentially. People would come to her
and say they want to work in PR, but when asked about their graphic design skills, they’d lack the
experience.

“I don’t think you can say that anymore. You have to really have a skill set where you’re a good writer,
good at traditional PR, good in digital PR, and [have] a basic understanding of video editing skills,” she
stressed. “It’s not like the old days where you can just do one specific thing and that would be enough.”
When asked for tips about landing your dream internship Ruby said, “Be the solution to someone’s
problem.”

She also covered a variety of topics such as influencer marketing, public speaking, and how to succeed on
Facebook as the platform goes through changes.

She concluded by saying that in an industry where a person’s path to success can be so unique to them, it
is important to find those on similar paths to you. “Connect with people you relate to, everyone’s career
path is so individual to what their journey is.”

If you missed the Facebook Live chat with Kris Ruby and want to hear everything she had to say about an
evolving PR industry, you can still watch it on the Ruby Media Group Facebook page.