IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: Jobs

  • A Few of the Careers

    Everywhere we turn we are faced with some sort of an advertisement. Products, services, and ideas are more profound than ever due to the easiness of communication from mass mediums. When we stream music online, go to “on demand” for the television shows we missed, or even surf the internet, we are stopped from our entertainment to encounter an advertisement that was carefully and purposely placed there. Although we might dislike waiting to hear our favorite song, our discipline from a Communication major can eventually lead to careers in fields that contribute to such advertisements.
    The process of producing an Advertisement takes several different people, with several different talents. Jacquelyn Smith, reporter from Forbes magazine, described how “Marketing and advertising professionals are also responsible for a company’s message and brand image, ”Your brand’s promise, or unique selling proposition, separates it from all the other brand”. Smith featured eight professions in Advertising and Marketing, ranging from the artistic careers of writers, photographers, and graphic designers to more business savvy jobs as marketing manager to sales reps. These eight professions were also broken down by median salary and job out look, which is listed below. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/03/13/the-marketing-and-advertising-jobs-with-the-best-future/

    Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Manager
    Median Salary: $108,260
    Job Outlook: +14%

    Advertising Sales Representative
    Median Salary: $45,350
    Job Outlook: +13%

    Film and Video Editor
    Median Salary: $45,490
    Job Outlook: +4%

    Graphic Designer
    Median Salary: $43,500
    Job Outlook: +13%

    Market Research Analyst
    Median Salary: $60,570
    Job Outlook: +41%

    Meeting, Convention and Event Planners
    Median Salary: $45,260
    Job Outlook: +44%

    Photographer
    Median Salary: $29,130
    Job Outlook: +13%

    Writer
    Median Salary: $55,420
    Job Outlook: +6%

    These advertising jobs pertain primarily to traditional forms of advertising (More careers are emerging as online ads get more popular.) All the careers listed show promising median salaries and positive outlooks! One interesting one to think about is the outlook for Advertising Sales Representative. Online only campaigns are becoming widely used by companies everywhere and rightfully so. They have the potential to go viral, reaching millions, all while being virtually free to put out there. This of course is a bit more ideal than paying thousands for fifteen second time slot. But the outlook for Ad Sales is still up 13%. One would think that with all these campaigns going online, the outlook would be less promising. This just goes to show that the advertising industry is full of promise and opportunity! In a world of constant innovation and evolution one must be dynamic within our fields. The use of advanced computer programs helps to aid in the quantification of online data. The interpretation of this Big Data opens up a new field of market analysis.

    Austin Johnson, Jade Lester, Jami Rogers, Ty Thomas

  • Going Green, Brings Green

    Brands can promote themselves through almost any medium nowadays. Pens, stickers, posters, billboards, you name it, you can put your brand on it. Planet Earth Promotions is a company that is designed to help brands promote themselves in an eco-friendly way. There is constantly increasing awareness about environmental protection and a greater consciousness about how important it is to protect these environmental and natural resources. Planet Earth Promotions is leading the way for this “EcoSmart” promotional item trend.

    Planet Earth Promotions’ mission statement indicates that their “goal is to help companies and corporations around the nation proactively enhance their brand through the use of environmentally conscious and educational promotional items”. They have certainly delivered in this respect. This company has been ranked #1 in promotional advertising for the past ten consecutive years. Not only are they paving the way for other companies, they have become a greatly successful brand that is little to no impact on the environment. Planet Earth Promotions has built a successful brand on a trend that is becoming increasingly important as time goes on. This brand is very strong considering they have remained at the top of the list from Arizona Magazine for the last ten years and they are here to help other brands.

    They are able to offer many alternatives for companies to help cut back on environmental damage by providing recycled goods, information about recycling and environmental days in the USA and tips to bring pollution down. With so many companies shifting focus to being the “EcoSmart” companies and LEED (Low-energy electron diffraction) certified, it is a challenge to stay on top. Planet Earth Promotions has paired up with other environment-friendly companies such as AWEA (American Wind Energy Association) and Women’s Business Enterprise to built a very powerful and successful brand and continue to pave the way for other companies looking to create environment-friendly products and solutions for all varieties of businesses.

    – Julius Roberts, Leanna Marshall, Leslie Tyler and Bryce Koonts

  • Learn about Communication Studies at COM Studies Day

    When Communication Studies majors share their idea with others they are often met with a variety of  questions. These questions often range from “what is Communication Studies” to “what on earth are you going to do with that?!,” and can leave the student wondering just why exactly did they pick this major in the first place. Fortunately the UNCW Communication Studies department is hosting its annual Communication Studies Day this Friday and will answer many of these questions.

    The Communication Studies Day  will have panel presentations of UNCW graduates from the major discussing their careers and experiences since college. Students will be able to hear from individuals who are currently doing things with their Communication Studies degree that they are considering doing after graduating, such as marketing, graduate school, broadcasting, and public relations. Many of the panelists graduated recently and will be able to relate to the students attending the presentations as they only recently were in the same point of approaching graduation and having to decide what they wanted to do and how to go about it. There will also be networking sessions for students to speak with faculty, friends and alumni. Another aspect of Communication Studies Day is the Dress for Success fashion show, in which attendants will get to see outfits of business casual and business professional attire. Attire is an important component of a professional image and many students are unsure about how they are expected to dress for a successful career.

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    Communication Studies Day is not just an event that is simply put on by faculty and that students can show up to if they want to. The event is being  coordinated and marketed by UNCW Communication Studies students. Dr. Persuit’s IMC II class will be tweeting, posting photos, and sharing information about the event as it is occurring on this blog. Individuals can learn more about the event by following #DressForSuccess2012 and #COMStudiesDay on twitter.

    ~Molly Jacques, Josh Vester, Ashley Oliver and Hunter Wilson

  • 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

  • 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

  • When the Going Gets Tough the Tough Get Going

    Although the economy is looking brighter than it has been in recent years, the marketing world is still facing two major problems: people are still feeling the effects of lay offs and are not quite in the position to spend money frivolously and companies are also feeling the wrath of the economy and don’t have the money to spend on expensive and elaborate ad campaigns. So what are they doing in order to get their message out? An age old trick in the marketing books and what most of us in IMC like to call, guerrilla marketing.
    It is more important than ever for companies to make their brand stand out and to develop loyal consumers who are actually able to come in contact with the brand. Guerrilla marketing provides both local and national companies that opportunity and gives them the chance to break though all the clutter and noise of traditional marketing.
    We all are familiar with the game Clue, right? Well take a look at how they are using guerrilla marketing to remind all of us of a favorite childhood game.

    And Clue isn’t the only one hopping on this train. Many companies and non-profit organizations are increasing their guerrilla marketing strategies in order to save money and gain direct contact with their consumers. What this innovative strategy and the downing economy have in common is that it’s forcing a lot of us to do something we haven’t done since elementary school: think outside of the box.

    -Alaethea Hensley, Jessica Kingman, and Lauren Phelps

  • COM Studies Day is finally here!

    Today may be April Fools Day but this is no joke, it is finally here, Communication Studies Day at UNCW. Our Advanced Integrated Marketing Communication class will be covering the event minute by minute right here on our IMC-Hawks blog. The event starts at 10 a.m. where a panel presentation will be held in Leutze Hall featuring 5 alumni of UNCW informing students, faculty and guests of the different graduate programs and professional positions they have pursued post graduation, which will be followed by questions from the audience.

    This presentation will last till 11 a.m and will be followed with a 30 minute networking session for the panelists. Starting at 12:15 the Communication Studies Society is hosting a fashion show where the students will be strutting their stuff in business professional and business casual attire. This is a part of the event that can’t be missed, fashion tips are always a necessity. Following the fashion show will be an afternoon panelist presentation featuring 5 more alumni of UNCW from 2-3, with a follow up 30 minute networking session. This day is a perfect chance for faculty to see where their previous students have been since graduation and for undergraduates to know what to expect once they leave the doors of Leutze Hall. To follow up the day us Communication Studies students, faculty and guests get to have some fun while continuing to converse and network with Alumni and each other at Fox and the Hound from 4-6 for the reception and social gathering. April 1st is going to be a day of fun, networking and informative learning of what exactly it means to be a Communication Studies major and part of the Communication Studies family. Stay tuned all day for up to date blogging by Dr. Persuits Advanced IMC class….
    Com Studies Day Live Blog

    -Lindsey Baggett, Drew Mayer, Micaela Fouhy, Will Cosden, Brianna Golden