{"id":2271,"date":"2012-04-11T16:26:51","date_gmt":"2012-04-11T22:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.prssa.org\/?p=2271"},"modified":"2018-08-22T11:26:15","modified_gmt":"2018-08-22T15:26:15","slug":"an-underclassmans-perspective-of-com-day-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2012\/04\/11\/an-underclassmans-perspective-of-com-day-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"An Underclassman\u2019s Perspective of Com Day 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before I joined PRSSA, I was unaware of the many resources available to help me launch a successful career in the communications field. After attending a few PRSSA events, including Purdue University\u2019s Regional Conference<\/a>, Com Day<\/a>, I realized these resources represented\u00a0many of the important reasons to be a part of PRSSA.<\/p>\n

At Regional Conferences<\/a> such as Com Day, speakers from all backgrounds provide advice that is essential for young professionals. Below is some of the most important advice I received at Purdue\u2019s Com Day, which addressed the topics of r\u00e9sum\u00e9s<\/a>, internships<\/a>, interviews<\/a> and networking<\/a>.<\/p>\n

R<\/strong>\u00e9sum<\/strong>\u00e9s Must Be Relevant and Specific<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u2022\u00a0Demonstrate experiences that are relevant to the job.
\n\u2022\u00a0Attract attention with your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 to make it stand out from others.
\n\u2022\u00a0Use space on the paper efficiently, to help you keep to a one page limit.
\n\u2022\u00a0Don\u2019t just list but elaborate experiences in detail. Involvement and impact matters.
\n\u2022\u00a0Absolutely no errors allowed.
\n\u2022\u00a0Tailor and make appropriate changes to your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 for different jobs.
\n\u2022\u00a0Leave out all information prior to college.<\/p>\n

Interview Etiquette is Vital<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u2022\u00a0Arrive five minutes early.
\n\u2022\u00a0Impressions are made in the first 30 seconds.
\n\u2022\u00a0Formal attire and good hygiene are necessary. Women watch for skirt length, heel height and cleavage.
\n\u2022\u00a0Speak confidently. Maintain eye contact when appropriate, smile and show passion.
\n\u2022\u00a0Present your portfolio and business card.
\n\u2022\u00a0Have potential answers to interview questions mentally prepared. Also, have a few questions for the interviewer about the job and company.
\n\u2022\u00a0Know general information about the company and be up-to-date on recent news before the interview.
\n\u2022\u00a0Ask for company\u2019s next steps in the interview process before leaving.
\n\u2022\u00a0Send either a thank you card or email to anyone you interview with.
\n\u2022\u00a0Wait two weeks before following up (after the thank you).
\n\u2022\u00a0Ask for feedback if turned down for the opportunity.<\/p>\n

Networking Will Open the Doors <\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u2022\u00a0It\u2019s not what you know, but who you know.
\n\u2022\u00a0Start your networking with family and friends; they are likely to have professional contacts that could help.
\n\u2022\u00a0Be involved and active in your organizations.
\n\u2022\u00a0Build a social media presence through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and\/or blogging.
\n\u2022\u00a0Find a variety of mentors for advice in different situations.
\n\u2022\u00a0Give back to mentors by thanking them and becoming a fellow mentor.
\n\u2022\u00a0Consider reaching out to smaller agencies first. Volunteering at a non-profit jobs can be a gateway to a public relations position.<\/p>\n

At Com Day, speakers motivated PRSSA members by relating their own personal experiences and giving advice the speakers wish they had known when they were in college. Speaker Jeff Bodzewski quoted a simple yet very appropriate encouragement when he suggested PRSSA members to, \u201cThrow yourself at situations; you will only get better.\u201d Special thanks to all the speakers who took their time to come out and participate in Com Day.<\/p>\n

What advice do you have for students for their resumes and interviewing skills? How do you use networking to stay in touch and progress in the industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jourdej Peszek is currently studying communications at Purdue University. In addition to PRSSA, he is also involved in Lambda Chi Alpha – Psi Zeta at Purdue.<\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before I joined PRSSA, I was unaware of the many resources available to help me launch a successful career in the communications field. After attending a few PRSSA events, including Purdue University\u2019s Regional Conference, Com Day, I realized these resources represented\u00a0many of the important reasons to be a part of PRSSA. At Regional Conferences such as Com Day, speakers from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[169,2894],"tags":[1014,849,1348,811,997,1029,1346,422,1347,2226,1110,1015],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2271"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2271"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9181,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2271\/revisions\/9181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}