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  • Have a “Love a Fair” at the N.C. State Fair

    It is that time of the year again where folks from all over North Carolina will flock to our state’s capital for some food, fun, and rides—the N.C. State Fair has finally arrived.  The fair is managed and produced by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and has been ranked among the top 25 fairs in North America.  As the largest 11-day event in North Carolina, the N.C. State Fair draws in crowds of more than 800,000 attendees each year.  It hosts many diverse musical acts and has numerous food vendors, game booths, carnival rides, and commercial/agricultural exhibits.

    This year’s N.C. State Fair is being held at the Raleigh State Fairgrounds from October 13-23.  Each year, the fair has a theme and this year’s theme is “Love a Fair!”  N.C. State Fair officials explain that the theme refers to the celebration of new and old attractions that keep people coming back year after year.  2011’s N.C. State Fair opening weekend brought in over 200,000 people.  So, what is making all these people want to attend (whether they are newcomers or returnees)?

    There are many reasons why people from all across North Carolina make an annual trip to the N.C. State Fair—there is so much to do and see.  The fair offers something for everyone and can be enjoyed at any age.  Each year fair officials are always trying to spice stuff up by adding new and exciting rides, games, concerts, exhibits, and food vendors.   In addition to the rides, games, and concerts, a person can watch and cheer on during one of the squealing pig races, attend the petting zoo, and enjoy a nice display of fireworks, which take place every night.  Of course, we cannot forget about the food (most of which is deep-fried).  The food options at the fair are unlimited and hundreds of vendors offer a wide range of choices, from turkey legs to chicken gyros, from fried snickers to fried pickles, from funnel cakes to blooming onions—the list goes on.  Last year, the fair introduced the Krispie Kreme burger, and this year, the fair is offering some new, fun choices: fried Kool-Aid, fried bubble gum, and fried brownies.

    Beyond the bright lights of the ferris wheel and all of the fried food, however, the N.C. State Fair’s primary focus is on celebrating our state’s agricultural heritage.  In 1853, the State Agricultural Society held the first State Fair which took place as a four day event.  Although the first N.C. State Fair happened 158 years ago, the 2011 fair will only be the 144th staging of the event because of hiatuses that occurred during the time of the Civil War and World War II.

    Today, the State Fair has become a traditional fall-time event that aims to educate all North Carolinians about the importance of agriculture to our heritage and our economy.  By incorporating rides, games, food, and events into the mix, the fair makes for an unforgettable experience and one that people will continue to keep coming back for.

    North Carolina State Fair

    -Stephanie Bakolia, Claire Outlaw, David Glaubach

  • Beer Fest 2011

    Today’s consumer market has been dominated by large mergers in the corporate world that have taken over the competition at the height of what capitalism has created. However, we can look at one industry that has been resisting change in this area.

    Beer.  It is a commodity that Americans have relied on forever.  Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors are the three corporate heads that have dominated the American beer industry since the end of Prohibition.  It has only been in the past decade or so that there has been a new component to the industry.  The phenomenon of the microbrewery has taken off nationwide.  People love the variety of taste that light beer clearly does not offer.  Back in the 70s and 80s there was no variety other than the imports we get and now the business has swung a totally different direction than most industries.  Instead of the industry fusing together, which we see more and more of today, independent brewing companies are at an all time high with over 1400 breweries in the country. 

    This past weekend marked the 10th annual Beer Fest in Wilmington, NC.  Lighthouse Beer & Wine has always been the host of the event since 2001.  Lighthouse is located on Wrightsville beach and has been opened only since 1998. The success of Beer Fest is a prime example of the fulfillment of a fast growing trend in craft and microbrews.  These new brands of beers are not exactly comparable in taste.  They are all unique, something that the American public has found very appealing.  Beer has risen to a new level of connoisseurship, one that rivals wine.

    The Beer market has clearly shifted and continues to change.  Honing in on what now defines the niche market of beer is something that marketers have had to really start to invest time into.  Building brand awareness has shown success through simply having a quality product.  The three corporate heads of the industry have had to scramble in the last few years as they have seen a decrease in sales.  People don’t necessarily want one light beer that tastes exactly like the other.  They want variety in what they drink and knowing the effort and thoroughness that goes into the beer at an independent brewery is a good target buying incentive for customers that are looking for a new beers to purchase.  Anheuser –Busch, Coors, and Miller have started to catch on to this trend and have basically bought into various independent breweries without putting their name on the beer.  Their way into the microbrew trend that has risen is almost to conceal their brand name and emphasize the microbrewery in order to maintain their credibility.  This sub branding of breweries seems to be the future for the corporate beer industry where people authenticate it on a personal level based on quality of the product rather than basing their choices on the traditional mass media advertising campaigns that we are used to seeing on television.

    Beer Fest was a great way to advertise small breweries because sampling the product is one of the most effective way give incentive to customers and gain brand loyalty.

    By: Oliver Evans, Sally Shupe, Jared Sales

  • When you know, you know

    Media portrayals of some of the more recognizable jobs in the field of communications are glamorous and invigorating. Unfortunately, if in college you decide to concentrate in Public Relations in hopes of becoming the next Samantha Jones from Sex & the City, or focus on Advertising to be the next employee at Mad Men’s infamous Madison Avenue firm Sterling Cooper, you may be disappointed to find that in reality, these jobs are not so much fun. On top of being aesthetically pleasing and having an interesting and eventful life, you actually have to do a lot of work and you might not have so much free time. As cool and hip as these jobs appear on TV, they are still jobs, and they require you to work hard; bottom line: things aren’t always what they seem.  If this is the case, how are we really supposed to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives?  How are you to decide on what career you want to work towards while you’re in college without having the risk of hating it after graduation when it is too late to change?

    This is where internships come into play and why they are so valuable for college students.  Internships give students real-life experiences in an actual work environment, allowing them that first step when transitioning from the college world to the career world.  They allow students to feel as though they are an actual employee.  Internships can help you sift out what you do and don’t like in a career, and evaluating your experiences as an intern will be useful when trying to find a career that is right for you.

    If the career you are interning for just isn’t doing it for you, chances are you should rethink your plans for the future As valuable as learning from textbooks and lectures about a career is, you won’t really know what that career is like until you try it.  Most internships are able to work with a university and reward students with course credit for their time spent, and this means that companies are not obligated to actually pay students. While some are unpaid, there are also paid internships, but just like with volunteering, they can be rewarding.

    With an internship, you can meet some powerful people and easily get your foot in the door with many potential employers. What company would say “No” to a fresh-minded student who is willing to work for free and actually desires to succeed? And aside from their educational perks, internships are also a great choice because there never seems to be a lack of opportunities in finding an internship.  So what are you waiting for? Get ahead of the game, test the waters with an internship, and find the career that’s perfect for you!

    -LaPuasa, Dillard, Reindhardt

  • Career as a volunteer

    Job hunting can be a full-time job. With the current state of our economy, it has the potential to be the hardest and most frustrating experience we will ever be exposed to. One issue with the hunt for the perfect job is that the companies we dream of working for never seem to have any openings or we “just-miss” the deadline. It makes you wonder, “How can I get my foot-in to a company that may not have a job posting?” That’s easy — just volunteer! Participating in the simplest form and act of kindness can help you land that dream job (or at least get you in the door to the company) which you have been fantasizing about. Volunteering in your community can be rewarding for many reasons such as: you get to help others and also you are giving back to your community. While experiencing this personal growth gained by helping others, volunteering will also help with professional growth by gaining new experiences and meeting new people.

    College students and recent graduates know the importance of having an aspect of volunteering on their resume. This simple addition can be beneficial for anyone building a resume. For fresh job-seekers, volunteering can help round out your experience and show that you not only have built professional skills but interpersonal ones as well. It can also help fill a gap in your résumé if you’ve been out of a job for a while. This extra-added perspective will allow you leverage to market yourself as a committed citizen who took advantage of their time away from the professional-world to help others in your community.

    What can it do for you? Simple; it allows you to develop new skills or nurture existing ones.  When volunteering in your community you are forced to talk to others in that organization. This interaction shows others the skills you have or ones you wish to develop or improve upon.  Even if the skills you learn do not exactly transfer over to a potential job opportunity, it will show prospective employers that you took the time when you were in need to help others.  Anyone who is interested in taking charge of their career, whether currently employed or not, should volunteer.  It is the best-kept career development secret.  Not only is it a great way to network, it is a wonderful chance to learn how to motivate others in a positive way, become a leader, and to maintain job skills.

    The unemployment rate continues to grow and for those who of us awaiting a job offer, it can be quite unsettling. While waiting for your future , rather than pacing around your apartment, you can make the most of your time by helping others in your community There are numerous websites which can help you join forces with a group who needs your time to assist. Volunteermatch.com should be your first place to search for volunteer opportunities in your local community. You can type in your city or zip code and a generated list and map gives you details on current volunteer opportunities and how to get involved.  This website allows you free reign in picking and choosing your destiny while matching your skills with an organization.

    While volunteering, strike up conversations with others. If appropriate, give out your contact information or ask for theirs. Sure, it might take you out of your comfort zone, but you never know where it might lead. Volunteering will empower you and empower others. You get what you put in, so don’t give up hope if you are jobless — pick yourself and others up and volunteer!

    – Michela Noreski, Jordan Hill, 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

  • Selling Yourself

    When preparing for the aggressive, less-than-thriving job market, it is important to be confident in your abilities to “sell yourself”. The cover letter, resume, and interview process that stands between you and the job of your dreams can all be enhanced based on how you understand your unique skill set and experience. By feeling comfortable with what you have to offer a potential employer, you can have an unmatched advantage over the competition. In order to reach this level of comfort and self-confidence, it is critical to understand the “brand” that you are trying to “sell”.

    Looking for a career can be intimidating at any time in life; however, it can be successful if you can apply the characteristics of marketing as it relates to promoting a brand image. By branding yourself as a diligent, experienced, positive worker throughout the employee recruitment process, the employer is likely to feel confident in the decision to hire you. However, if you are tardy to interviews, send unprofessional emails, and lack the ability to converse with the interviewer, it may be hard to stand out from the competition. By taking advantage of leadership opportunities, working well with others, and being serious about school work, it will be easy to create confidence for what you have to offer a company. The more experience you gain throughout life, and the more consistent you are with your habitual work habits, the more reliable your “brand” will seem to employers.

    -Sally Shupe, Jared Sales, Oliver Evans