IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Career

  • What’s Your Unique Brand Style?

    UNCW’s Communication Studies Day includes an informative Dress for Success Fashion show for college students of all ages and levels. The fashion show will also include skits demonstrating the importance of an elevator speech, professional attire, portfolios, and how necessary it is to be prepared for interviews. This year the theme, “Will You Make the Cut?” is based upon the Food Network show “Chopped.”

    One idea about IMC manifested in this fashion show is that company image and brand management is very vital for growth and success. Individuals, as well as companies, have always had their own image and have to manage their own brand. It is sometimes hard for college students to transition from a student image that they have had for the past 13 years to a business professional image. The great part about the fashion show is that it shows students how to transition from their current image and brand to something more professional.

    Whether people realize it or not, we are branding ourselves every day through the types of clothes we choose to wear in professional or unprofessional settings. Your unique brand style can be a description of who you are in a job interview setting. It is very important to make interpersonal connections with job interviewers through your developed style and authenticity that will make you stand out from others. Branding yourself when looking for a job is very similar to branding a product. Basically, you are selling yourself as a product to your potential employer with the goal of standing out amongst the rest. Are you casual business, formal business, chick, trendy, preppy, classic, or a hybrid of several?

    By: Laura Simmons, Mollie Berthold, Dorothy Conley, Christina Stevenson

  • Gone, but never forgotten: Joe Paterno

    Fact: Joe Paterno is and will always be a legend in the sport of college football.

    Fact: Joe Paterno is the winningest coach in top-level college football.

    Fact: After 46 years as head coach, Joe Paterno is no longer the leader of the Nittany Lions.

    Previous to this week, Joe Paterno was considered the most respected man in college football. He is small in physical stature, greying, wears outdated glasses, and has a soothing-yet rough voice; basically, he fits the description of a typical grandfather. To his fans, the thousands upon thousands of Nittany Lions across the nation, he is their grandfather. His abrupt and unexpected departure from his long-held post as leader of Penn State Football has left his fans in a state of hysteria.

    Students at the university are outraged over the board of trustees’ decision to fire Paterno. These students fully support their beloved coach, regardless of this situation, but why? How can anyone support a person who was aware of such wrongdoing and allowed it to go unreported? Penn State students are different. On Wednesday night, students hit the streets voicing their love for “Joe Pa”, knocking down sign posts, yelling at police, shattering car windows, and turning over trash cans and newspaper boxes. Students even overturned a television news van in an attempt to illustrate their infuriation with the media, which they largely blame for the boot of the beloved coach.

    Under Paterno’s leadership, and motto of “success with honor,” a program was able to defy records and challenge teams across the nation. Although ‘Joe Pa’ was an amazing coach on the field, it takes more than Saturday games and weekly practices to make a good coach. Because Paterno neglected to consider the other duties of being a leader, a man was allowed to repeatedly desecrate innocent young children. In a 15-year period, 8 boys were sexually abused by one man, Jerry Sandusky. This one man has been charged with 40 counts of child abuse, 21 of which are felonies; however, because of him a powerhouse program has been forced to start all over.

    Paterno had announced Wednesday morning that he would step down as coach at the end of the season. But amid the outrage, Penn’s State’s Board of Trustees held an executive session late Wednesday night and fired him and the schools President Graham Spanier, triggering the protests and media frenzy.

    The Penn State story has been a lesson in what not to do in terms of crisis management from a public relations perspective. In a world filled with social media and news happening 24/7, companies, and in this case a university, cannot afford to mishandle a major crisis. It requires preparation and nurturing. One cannot just announce the events in such a manner that Penn State did.  They waited too long to address the allegations after the story had gone live-online, and began being broadcast on news outlets. Not only this, the university cancelled Paterno’s weekly-football press conference, which then caused chaos among the media. If anything good can come out of this, it will be that horrific instances such as this, and men such as Jerry Sandusky, never happen again.

    – Jordan Hill, Michela Noreski, Ashley Nelson

  • Connecting to Potential Jobs

    When it comes to the big job hunt, there are a plethora of considerations that come to mind. Seeking out career fairs, perfecting your resume, and getting the right professional look all seem to be high on the list. However, there’s one tool we sometimes neglect when it comes to seeking out jobs in our field, whether it be Marketing, Advertising, PR, or IMC: social networking. Sites such as LinkedIn provide a huge leg up for those looking for a job in our current market. You will be able to get your resume out to multiple different audiences with the click of your mouse, while also putting your resume out to employers who you may have initially overlooked.

    Not only is LinkedIn important for initially creating new job opportunities, it is also useful in growing and cultivating new connections and relationships. Networking is extremely important in the field of IMC and every connection you get could be a potential for a new opportunity. Active use of this resource shows those you have connected with, what you are up to, how you are looking to grow professionally, and if you are currently looking for employment options. With the current economic state, we have to exploit every avenue we can to ensure that we are able to find a job upon graduating.  While it is necessary that we have a strong resume and good interviewing skills, we also have to remember that our potential job opportunity could be found through LinkedIn.

    – Lauren Phelps, Alaethea Hensley, Jessica Kingman


  • Finding IMC related career openings

    Thanks to unlimited online resources, job hunting in 2011 is far more different than what it used to be.   Some people have career ideas in mind, and some people are unsure about what is out there.  For the people who are unsure, we have some advice to help you figure out what careers are available and suited to your skills and talents.  For those who are interested in an IMC related career, advertising and PR firms are great places to start looking for openings.  Even if you don’t know which job is best for you, look at all the openings and read the descriptions, then you will be able to start matching your abilities and interests to the postings.  Eventually, it will become easier to identify job titles that you may be qualified for since most of the companies are set up similarly.

    If you still don’t know where to start, there are many publications, like AdWeek and PRWeek that contain news about communication related companies.
    Both publications have yearly awards that they give to exceptional firms, so if you want to research cutting edge and innovative companies, you should conduct a Google search, like “PRWeek awards 2010.”  Information about the award recipients will become available which is a great way to figure out the names of different firms, and to see what they do well.

    Many PR and advertising companies are owned by a few larger corporations that specialize in communication.  The three that we have noticed are Omnicom, WPP and Interpublic.  Each corporation owns multiple advertising and PR agencies and their websites provide links to the agencies.  When you visit the agencies’ websites, you can find more information about their clients and what they do.  Most agencies’ websites have a careers link as well, where you can start your job research.  Some agencies, like Burson-Marsteller, have a “careers path” section, explaining the levels of employment and how to apply for a position.  The next step is making sure you have a stellar resume and attention grabbing cover letter that displays talents and skills similar to those found in the posting to which you are applying.  Go to a career center for help so that you can have a better chance of landing your dream job or internship.  The UNCW Career Center is located in the University Union Room 2035 and is open Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm.  There will also be a resume coach assisting with tips on resume format and content in Randall Library Lobby on October 13 from 10am-3pm.  Good luck!

    -Stephanie Bakolia, Claire Outlaw, David Glaubach

  • How Green Do We Go?

    When an organization “goes green,” what does this really include?  As some of the other posts on this topic have noted, it is important for an organization to establish what “going green” means for them and what it means for their patrons.  Is it enough just be a business that recycles? Do you only purchase certain products from outside sources?  How far does the organization need to go?

    “Going Green” impacts more than just the environment.  If the concept is important to the organization it can dictate so many decisions and can mean big changes.  These decisions go further than creating a new marketing campaign.  Many corporations started using the “green” movement to revamp their brand image a few years ago.  Convincing campaigns can lead a viewer to believe that more is being done than in reality.  Eventually, environmentalists will uncover their efforts.

    Walmart, for example, implemented their new packaging strategy in 2006.  The new plan decreases the amount of packaging materials used and is supposed to reduce the total amount by 5% by 2013.  Even though 5% may not sound like a lot, after considering ALL the Walmarts and companies owned by Walmart (Sam’s Club, etc) it certainly adds up.  The idea of Socially Responsible Investors (SRI’s) is weighing heavily on organizations as well.  Without investments or capital, how is an organization going to pay for production?

    As the “going green” movement proceeds, it is important for businesses to cater to the developments not just to appease customers, but to appease other business owners that will influence growth.  Establishing a plan without exaggerating the strategies can go a long way when creating a new face for an organization!

    -Katelyn Truss

     

  • On Wisconsin! The Protest Continues

    Starting last week, up to 25,000 peaceful protestors have surrounded the Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin.  It isn’t a matter of what they want, but what they don’t want.  Republican Governor, Scott Walker, proposed a bill that many union members are viewing as anti-union.  The bill requires state employees to pay a larger share of health care costs and pensions.  It also diminishes some of their collective bargaining rights and no longer would require state workers to join unions or pay membership dues.

    With Democratic State Senators fleeing Wisconsin to avoid voting on the bill, doctors writing sick notes for teachers to protest, and President Obama calling the bill an “assault on unions,” Madison’s liberal brand and activist reputation are giving the Governor a run for his money.  So why are other states watching the clash anxiously?

    Wisconsin is not the only state dealing with an extreme budget deficit.  With no easy way to fix the problem, they must consider some very tough budget cuts, many of which are opposed by organized labor.  Unions across the nation have successfully rallied and won many such battles, such as in Oregon and Arizona last year.  However, as seen in New Jersey and New York, governors from both political parties have reached out to business groups to form political action committees to advertise and put out messages to counteract unions.  If Governor Walker is also successful, he will be paving the road for many more states to stand up against government employee unions.

    These unions get their power by charging dues, these dues are used to run their daily operations and support political campaigns or individuals for elected office.  For example, in the 2008 elections, $400 million dollars were given by unions to elect Obama and other Democrats.  With Wisconsin threatening to remove unions’ rights to require state workers to join and pay dues, the unions’ relationships with members and political figures will no longer be one offering as much financial reciprocity. 

    How does this relate to IMC?  Government employee unions have large budgets to advertise their political views on bills, candidates, campaigns, etc.  They also survive knowing their membership will not diminish and their relationships with members and elected officials will remain productive.  However, if Wisconsin approves this bill it has the potential to reduce the financial power and sets up a pattern that could be followed by other states.  

    To learn more, click here to view a video on the protests:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFU7mn9pOhA

    -Carissa Niederkorn, Tiffany Evans, Deji Adeleke, Anna Kate Babnik, Katie Eagle

  • Public Relations Specialist: A Top Job for 2011

    According to the U.S.News and World Report, one of the 50 best careers for 2011 is a Public Relations Specialist. One definition for Public Relations given by the Public Relations Society of American (PRSA) is that “PR helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other.”PR specialists are hired to create a relationship with the public and to hopefully generate success.

    U.S. News and World Report stated that between 2008-2018, the employment of public relations specialist is intended to rise 24 percent. That 24 percent increase is appealing for us future PR specialists, especially in this current economic climate.

    So, what does it take to become a PR specialist?

    First off, most PR specialists have a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies, Journalism, Public Relations, or Business. In any field, it is important to get experience. Internships, especially in PR, are important to build your résumé because that is what projects yourself to potential employers. You must be able to think fast and accurately, have stress control, and be confident in what you do. In all communication fields, having good writing skills is obviously a necessity along with strong communication.

    In the previous post, Katelyn Truss talked about how important it is to create a brand for ourselves. Knowing your brand allows you to be more appealing to employers and eventually, your specific brand could attract customers for the business. It is appealing to employers when the person they are thinking about hiring is proud of what they’ve accomplished and has a positive outlook about the person they’ve become.

    Gary McCormick, CEO, of PRSA gives some advice for future PR Specialists in U.S. News’ article for “Top 50 Jobs of 2011”. He explains that getting a job in PR comes down to networking and that, “it’s really the cornerstone for what we do for clients and companies all the time.”

    Integrated Marketing Communication programs use public relations to advertise, market, influence, promote, build relationships with the customer, communicate new products, defend products, build excitement over a product, and so much more.

    Check out this video from PRSA: “The Value of Public Relations.”

    -Micaela Fouhy