IMC Hawks Blog

Category: Career

  • Event Planning- Glamorous or Not?!


    As a new intern at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation, I didn’t realize how many careers could all be considered “corporate communication” titles. It is a small office, consisting of six women and myself. Their titles are: Annual Gifts Officer, Major Gifts Officer, Administrative Associate, Special Events Officer and Finance and Stewardship Officer. One of the main issues associated with all of these titles is how wordy they are and the fact that all of these women undertake several tasks outside of their job titles.

    Our professor often touches on the realities of event planning; I can relate well to this since I work under the Special Events Officer at NHRMC Foundation. The realities of this corporate communication position are long hours, planning with some very opinionated committee members, having to constantly be organized, the ability to multitask and working with a limited budget (especially in a non-profit office). Third party events are also a majority of this position’s responsibility. So far for our Pink Ribbon Event, there have been third-party events consisting of: Monty Miller’s Boot Camp, Rock for the Cure, Pink Martinis at Ruth’s Chris, TrySport’s 5k and Angie’s Amazing race…and these are just for one event! The special events officer is responsible for attending all of these.

    This is just insight on ONE corporate communication career, the list of other titles is almost infinite. While event planning may not be as glamorous as films such as “The Wedding Planner” portray it to be, it is a very rewarding and fabulous career for the right person!

    -Emily Hunter

  • Does the word “corporate” in a job title mislead people?

    How are careers in corporate communication defined exactly? What kind of careers are even designated to the field of corporate communication?

    Jobs and professions in today’s society are categorized much more specifically by their titles than just being a doctor, dentist, blacksmith, plumber, or teacher. For example, careers that fall under the category of corporate communication are: corporate communications director, corporate communications specialist, internal corporate communications specialist, corporate communications/public relations manager, and corporate communications coordinator. What does all this mean? From the job title alone, it is hard to know what exactly the job description is and what it will consist of.

    Careers in corporate communication can be linked to jobs in public relations, advertising, integrated marketing communication and other related fields in communication studies. If you are searching for a job in any of these fields, don’t be afraid by the word “corporate” if it is in the job title. Society has given emotion to the word, corporate. It is made out to be this tough, professional, dictating vocation where everyone walks around in blue and grey suits all day. Yes, in reality there are people that wear blue and grey suits daily, but those are popular business colors. But, in all actuality, the word corporate is defined as “belonging to a corporation or company; pertaining to a united group.” Therefore, when a company assigns a job title with the words “corporate communication” in it, they are most likely informing people that they are looking for someone who can handle the specific communication tasks between many people either within their own corporation or with outside corporations whom they do business with. These companies are looking for people who can perform the needed skills in the public relations and advertising fields for a large company, not a small, local business for instance.

    -Danielle Dorantich

     

  • Haha… j/k… lol

    Why are so many of us under the assumption that the workplace has to be so serious all the time? Many corporation’s business hours are anywhere between 7 am to 7 pm. If this is the case, when do we have time to joke around and have some fun in our day to de-stress from our busy lifestyles? In corporate communication, there is a time and place for everything, this includes humor.

    As we all have encountered, probably on more than one occasion, humorous or not so humorous misunderstandings over text messaging and even conversations over the phone. These misunderstandings can also be the same communication failures in corporate communication. Though a topic or scenario at work might be funny, there is a certain time and place for that. In an e-mail, a comical statement may be taken the wrong way and come off as offensive and even rude. In e-mails, there is no body language or tone of voice, which makes it harder for the receiver to understand what your intentions are. Conversations over the phone are a little bit easier to pick up on the humor because you are able to hear the laugh or chuckle in the speakers’ voice. Even with this type of communication, if the speaker doesn’t offer enough information, or any hint of humor, it will be difficult to catch the joke or phrase.

    Face-to-face communication is typically the easiest way to read and understand a joke, comical phrase, or sarcasm. In a corporate setting we all could stand to have a little less stress. During a presentation for a client, humor may not be the best idea depending on what you’re presenting and who your client is. Take for instance, a weekly staff meeting. It has to be done, and most of them just go over all the same basic information. Many of these could be less mundane and stressful if a joke was said during it or more comedy was incorporated into it.

    Here is a manager’s perspective on humor in the workplace.

    Lauren Dehart

  • Some Unpaid Experience

    As already stated in this week’s blog, internships are becoming more and more common among students in the Communication Studies field at UNCW. Let’s be honest, the job market today is brutal. Everyone needs a little edge that will put him or her above his or her competition. An internship provides students with experience in a field of interest related to Communication Studies. With a number of sub-disciplines such as media production, public relations, and marketing, UNCW’s Communication Studies program offers a wide variety of unpaid, course-credit internships.

    For many students, working for large corporations like MTV and Warner Music would be ideal. But the reality is that any experience is better than none at all. There are several firms and businesses in Wilmington offering internships in almost any sub-discipline of Communication Studies. In an ideal situation, that internship could even turn into a full-time job right out of college. In today’s society, that extra work experience is vital.

    In my experience with internships, I have found that they are very beneficial. After seeing my friends take on internships, I decided I should give it a shot. Although it may seem unusual for an internship, I assisted and shadowed the event coordinator at the Bluewater Grill in Wrightsville Beach for five months. I learned a great deal about event planning and was actually offered the job as the Assistant Event Coordinator after my internship was completed. A job is not always guaranteed after an internship, but the intern is certainly put above other applicants, assuming the intern went above and beyond in tasks and activities. No matter what, the experience is once in a lifetime.

    The Communication Studies department at UNCW strives to find the perfect internship for every interested student. By offering course credit for internships, the department works with students to meet their required hours in the field while serving as a liaison between student and company. The Communication Studies website offers student requirements for an internship, along with how to begin the process.

    The importance of an internship cannot be put into words. The experience gained is unlike any other. From a personal standpoint, I would encourage all students in the Communication Studies field to take on an internship. An internship combines the formal training with actual work experience, opening students’ eyes to the possibilities of a future career.

    – Lacey Inman

  • Going Global

    As one of my business school professors always says, “If you’re not thinking international, you’re not thinking business.”  UNCW is constantly encouraging their students to either study abroad or do an exchange program in another country.  In January 2009, I made my way across the Atlantic Ocean and landed in the city of Arnhem, located in the Netherlands.  I journeyed with the intent of studying in a local school for six months.  It was more than a culture shock when everyone around me was speaking a language that I knew nothing about.  However, over time, I became more comfortable in talking with my peers and locals.  In class, we always spoke in English, but it wasn’t always that simple.  Sometimes having to re-word a sentence or change a sentence altogether was necessary to get one’s point across.  As an English-speaking native, I couldn’t take for granted the fact that the other students knew what I was saying.  This is exactly what organizations have to be mindful of on an everyday basis.  They must pay close attention to the communication they use within their company so that they provide a consistent and effective message to all of their shareholders.

    International student dinner in Arnhem, Netherlands.
    International student dinner in Arnhem, Netherlands.

    Internationalization is key in organizations today.  Often, when searching for new hires, organizations look for candidates with some experience abroad.  Some students think that this isn’t a fair measurement of one’s ability and even you may be asking, “why is international experience so important?” Well, with the increasing push towards globalization and companies easily having affiliates in other countries, it is imperative that these different cultures communicate effectively.   Within an organization, clients, customers, employees, colleagues, and even supervisors could potentially be from a different culture or nationality.  Multi-cultural business ethics and communications must be a priority to organizations because in one culture, a quick, to the point email is acceptable, and others, it’s not.  It is imperative to be aware of these differences and function accordingly.

    UNCW and the Communication Studies department are continually trying to make students aware of the need to be more global.  Offering courses such as Intercultural Communication, International Management, International Marketing, Business and Professional Communication, International Organizational Communication, and numerous foreign language courses as well as speaking partners for students that English is their second language, UNCW is committed to molding students into culturally aware career candidates in organizations.

    Breanna Alexander

    For more information about UNCW’s international programs, visit their website here.


  • Looking Forward…Looking Back

    A professor here at UNCW told me on the first day of COM. 490 that we as students are a lot like the Sankofa bird. ”The Sankofa” teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward.” This resinates even more now that graduation is practically upon us. I am reminded of the student I came here as during orientation and the professional I will be exiting as during graduation. Moving 12 hours away from my family, friends and everything I knew was hard; it was the most difficult thing I had ever done. I knew no absolutely no one. Would I fit in? Would I be happy with my choice to up root my life half way down the east coast? The answer to these questions are YES. As graduation is rapidly approaching I find it only appropriate to looking back at the university that made me who I am today in order to be secure in where I may go in the future.

    Entering as a freshman I was undecided on my major. A friend I met in the dorms told me she was a Communication Studies major so I looked into it and decided to try it out. It ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. I finally found where I was supposed to be. As I got deeper into the major I found to love what I learned even more, I feel that earning a degree in Communication Studies will not only help me professionally, but personally as well. I have learned to take a look at all the relationships in my life, both personal and work related and be aware of the communication among them. How can I be more supportive? How can I be more effective in presenting my ideas? I have learned life lessons which I will carry with me wherever I chose to go in the future.

    IMC has opened my eyes to the fact that I don’t have to settle on just one aspect communicating in the marketplace. I can focus in on my attention to detail through event planning, while still using my creativity and research skills for marketing and advertising. It has made me more aware of the close relationship that now exists among pr, marketing and advertising, which some people in the work force now are not even aware of. I feel lucky to have been given training in IMC prior to entering the workforce.

    As the days countdown to May 8th a rush of emotions come along with it. Like most of my fellow graduates I am nervous to leave the home  I have known for the past few years, but  excited to see where life takes me. Each of us is confident in our ability and knowledge of what this major has to offer each and every one of us. I will be taking a paid internship this summer in Wilmington  while job searching in multiple locations as I am open to wherever a job may be. Where ever I end up may it be California, New York or North Carolina, I will always remember the impact UNCW, the Communication Studies Department and the students had on my life.

    Jess Smith

  • Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick

    “But meanwhile it is flying, irretrievable time is flying.”    -Virgil

    That’s exactly how I’ve felt over the past few weeks as a graduating senior. ‘Where has the time gone?’ Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not a poetry buff nor have I read anything from Virgil since high school AP courses. However, it always feels like time is just flying away. But while time is irretrievable as Virgil puts it, the memories of past times certainly are not.

    And yes, the title of this blog is the open verse of ‘Time after Time’ by Cydni Lauper…Don’t hate

    This post is chance for me to look back at the time I have had as Communication Studies major. I have learned so many things and gained a better understanding of who I am through this major.

    It is through Communication Studies that I’ve come to find a home. What makes this major and department so great is the fact that the students and teacher in it can almost be considered as family. Just think of all the group projects you have worked on, what type of friendships have come from those groups. There are professors in this major that I consider to be my mentors. In the Communication Studies everyone is allowed to express themself, or that’s what I’ve learned in my Adv. IMC class (I think we scared some of the Intro to IMC students at the TED event). But that is the wonder of Communication Studies, it is a major about effective and professional expression.

    The Communication Studies major has allowed me to combine two of my professional interests. Public relations has always drawn me to the profession due to its emphasis on creating relationships. I also have an interest in marketing. However I thought it was impossible to combine these two, and I would just have to choose one or the other. In Communication Studies that is not the case. Integrated Marketing Communications emphasizes the strengths of both professions into one. I have greatly enjoyed learning about brand marketing, and how you relate that brand with publics from Dr. Persuit (I am one of the lucky few to be her first class at UNCW).

    I must thank Communication Studies for not only providing me a home of learning, but also providing me opportunities to advance my life. I will be attending the NCSU Communication Graduate School in the fall. I look forward to continue my education about the subject to better myself and the major.

    Finally, remember that little section about group work and creating long lasting relationships. Well I am the success story. I met my fiance, Holly Souther, my freshman year in COM 110 Public Speaking. We then were COM 200 group mates. While it’s true that happened two years ago in my sophomore year, I believe that created a foundation for what Communication Studies is mostly about, relationships.

    So thank you Communication Studies, but remember this is not a good-bye…it’s simply a see you later.

    -Jesse Bazemore