Want to know the key to success?

Let’s be honest, picking a major is extremely difficult unless you knew your niche before college. I had trouble finding my niche and sometimes struggle to maintain my niche.

I knew I loved talking to people, helping people and basically being around people. Communicating has never been a problem for me. It took be about 2 years and three failed majors to decide I needed to be in a field surrounded by the idea of “people”. Whether I work as a PR guru, marketing professional or writer, I know my niche is people.

When I dove into PRSSA and found my comfort in strategic communication, I found that networking is the key to EVERYTHING. If someone says that networking got them nowhere in life, I would be completely shocked.

I have received internships from knowing people, extending my information and connecting with people in the industry. In any industry and especially the PR industry, you have to be willing to make relationships with other professionals. Those relationships will help guide you, build you and create a long-lasting network of opportunity.

As a senior now, I couldn’t be more thankful for my experiences I have gained and the resume I will leave college with. This all came from networking and communicating with others.

Get out there and socialize, you won’t be disappointed. Attend a PRSSA meeting at Ohio State, go to a PRSA Central Ohio mixer or meet peers for coffee! Create a business card with your information and bring it with you wherever you go because you never know who you will run into. All of these things and more will open doors and build a network you won’t regret.

What you should be asking…

As I was checking my Twitter feed today, I ran across an interesting article. “20 Questions You Should Ask a Potential Employer in a Job Interview,” written by Rachel Kay, shares the importance of asking questions and which ones you should ask to a potential employer.

Here are a seven of the questions that I find very important to ask in an interview:

1. What does a day in the life look like for the person who takes this position?
2. What qualities are you looking for?
3. Tel me about the culture here. What are the team members like?
4. I like to challenge myself. Do you support outside education opportunities or conferences?
5. While I know this is an entry level position, would I have the change to participate in client strategy or new business? Those are areas I’m really excited about.
6. I’m anxious to get active in the local PR community, is this something that you encourage?
7. What’s your stance on employee involvement in social media? Is it discouraged?

No matter what type of company you interview at, you must make sure it is a culture you can work in. It is important that you feel comfortable in your workplace environment. A person spends a lot of their time associated with that environment, so it’s extremely beneficial to ask the question of culture. Also, knowing what your workday will look like can help you understand if you could potentially handle the job.

Discussing the qualities your future employer is looking for can be a deciding factor in your job hunt. You have to be willing to understand the qualities you need to have or need to strive for. This will help you gauge what they expect from you upon taking the job offer.

Another great questions that should be asked in an interview is to know if a future employer supports outside education opportunities or conferences. I believe it’s very important to be able to seek outside educational conferences or classes. We can never learn too much. Having this option will help any person grow as a professional and bring great ideas back to the company. It’s a win/win for the employer.

Check out the rest of the 20 essential questions you should ask in an interview here: http://communikaytrix.com/2012/11/01/20-questions-you-should-ask-a-potential-employer-in-a-job-interview/

Social media – A power house?

This morning I grabbed a cup of coffee, turned on my computer and logged on to a Twitter chat. As I followed along, I found a particular person’s perspective on social media very interesting. The idea that companies use creativity through social media to advance themselves in the industry seems to be a trend. Does social media hold that much power? I think so.

According to mediabistro.com, 94 percent of corporate companies use social media and 85 percent say they use it to gain more exposure. Companies find  it so easy to become more involved in society and expand their audiences with the help from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkIn, Instagram, etc. They hold contests, promote products, and connect with their consumers, all online.

As a inspiring PR and marketing professional, I find social media the key to success for any company. Think about how much this generation uses social media. It is the mastermind behind my procrastination, millions of people are connected and it seems to be the new form of communication. The opportunities social media provides are in a way responsible for failed and successful businesses. These platforms have given companies access to the world. One click of a button and a companies message is shared.

It will be interested to see social media grow and what is next to come. Will it just keep getting better?

Check out this cool info graphic on social media and corporate businesses – http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/corporate-social-media_b24077