The Importance of Networking

I know. You read the title of this blog post and probably rolled your eyes. I’m sure many professors, guest speakers, parents, and anyone else concerned about your professional development has told you how important it is to network with people.

I was in a similar position, especially during COVID. I was getting really sick and tired of everyone basically saying the same thing to me; “Network, network, network.”

However, once things were able to “return back to normal,” I decided to really take this advice and do as I was told. Once I was allowed out of the house and able to socialize with people in person again, I began to network as much as possible.

Now, I’m sure when you hear the word “network,” you think of well-organized professional development events or conferences where you have to wear business attire and act all proper and professional. While these events certainly can’t hurt to attend, networking doesn’t always have to be this way. Honestly, anyone new that you meet, both in a casual and business setting, has joined your network, especially if you get their contact info.

Public relations is all about relationships and who you know (I’m sure you’ve heard that one before too). The more people you meet, from students to public relations professionals, only makes your network stronger and your list of opportunities longer.

Networking is how I got my job with Live Nation. Someone through Temple’s Music Business Club tipped me off to a hiring fair at the Mann Center, which was the stepping stone for me to work live events for almost a year at the time of this article being written.

Networking is also how I got my internship with Brian Communications, one of the largest public relations firms in the city. Christina Billie, our former president, let me know when Brian was hiring, and even put in a good word on my behalf to management.

Overall, it pays to put yourself out there and be a good person to people. Give people respect and kindness without expecting anything in return. Spread your passions and goals to anyone that’ll listen. You never know who will be able to hook you up with your next opportunity.

This blog post was written by Gavin Joyce, Vice President

How to Write a Strong Resume

The internet can give several different pages and websites on how to write a good resume. Which can be a lot of different information, especially when you don’t know what to do with it all. In this blog post, I tried to take all the information I could find and put it into one page.

A good resume should only take six seconds to look at. An employer will make the decision to read more just based on what they see first. In a resume, there should be five different sections.

Heading

In your heading you should have your name large and bolded centered at the top. Under that, with a location of where you are currently living. For college students, you can put your hometown and then schooling location. Then your email address, this should be a professional or school email. Not a personal address. Lastly, a phone number which you can be contacted by.

Education

This will be your first headline, starting at your education only in college, not high school. Your college should be listed first, with the location of the school next to it. Under that, you place the school in which your major is associated with. For example, Klein College of Media and Communications. Below that you can place your major, such as B.A in Public Relations. If desired, your minor can be identified as well. Then you can put down an expected graduation month and date. Some optional things you can include are your GPA, study away, and deans list. Only put your GPA if you have a 3.5 or higher.

The only things bolded in this section should be Education and the college/university.

Skills

The skills described should be what is called hard skills. Hard skills are skills that focus on specific tools, equipment, languages, etc. needed to complete a job. To give you an idea, this could be GarageBand, Teleprompter, Adobe Lightroom and more. These should be placed in three different columns on the left, middle, and right. You can put as many as you want on there, but keep it relevant.

Relevant Coursework

In this section, you can show any classes you have taken that may complement your experiences. List only the most important that an employer may ask about and could be relevant for a position. When spelling out the class names, make sure to list their real name. For instance, Intro to Advertising should be Introduction to Advertising.

Relevant Experience

Here is probably the most important section of your resume. This is where you can really show future employers what makes you qualified for the job. In here you can place any internships, jobs, professional clubs, and freelance work relevant to your intended career. Formatting your experience should start with the company/clubs name, bolded, then the location. Under that, you want your position held, italicized, also with how long you were employed there. This can look like June 2021-Present.

The large part of your resume is stating what you actually did. This can look very different for everyone and position. This can be placed in bullet points and usually 3-5 tasks or activities accomplished in your time there. Every point should start with an action word, creative, organized, etc. But keep in mind, if it is a current job it must be in the present tense and if you are no longer at that place of employment, it must be past tense.

Optional

Depending on the amount of space you have you may add more like work experience, awards, and volunteering. But keep in mind that you only have one page.

If you don't like a “simple” resume a great resource to use is Canva. Where you can find free templates available to use and create a standout resume.

Key Reminders

• All headings should be bolded and underlined.

• Do not use the word “I”

• Use simple fonts and 11-13 point

• Keep your information short and direct

• Have all formatting look the same for the sections, keep things consistent

• Make sure before you submit or print, check for any and all spelling error

Hopefully this format will help you either start a resume or build on to the one you had before. Having a good resume can help the employer understand who you are and why you are the best fit for the job.

This blog post was written by Julia Anderson, General Body Member

Hannah Poor, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, is Keynote Speaker at “PRacticing Sustainability”

Media Contacts:

General Inquiries | TemplePRSSA@gmail.com

Rachael Dickson | rachael.dickson@temple.edu

Zoe Tucker | zoe.tucker@temple.edu

Natalie Devlin | natalie.devlin@temple.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hannah Poor, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, is Keynote Speaker at “PRacticing Sustainability” Virtual Conference, Sunday, April 16

Temple University’s Public Relations Student Society of America Set to Host Virtual 2023 Mid-Atlantic District Conference

PHILADELPHIA, PA, MARCH 20, 2023- Hannah Poor from the Union of Concerned Scientists will be the keynote speaker at the PRSSA Mid-Atlantic District online conference "PRacticing Sustainability," hosted by Temple University. The conference begins at 9:30 am, Sunday, April 16, via Zoom. Guests will hear about different forms of sustainability and how it pertains to public relations; the environmental, social, human, and economic elements of sustainability in public relations. The event is open to all students and professionals in the public relations and sustainability-centric fields.

Early bird tickets are now on sale until April 3 for $10 via Eventbrite . After April 3, tickets will be $20 and available to purchase until the day before the conference. For more information, please visit https://www.practicingsustainability2023.com/

Along with Poor, confirmed speakers so far include:

· Grace Savage, Public Relations Coordinator at The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

· Haniya Shariff, Corporate Communications Specialist at Radian Group Inc.

· Kathleen Weber, ESG Specialist at Carpenter Technology Corporation

More speakers will be added in the coming weeks.

“We are so excited to host a conference for the entire Mid-Atlantic district that takes an innovative look at sustainability and PR,” stated Chloe Maher, Temple PRSSA Chapter President. “Sustainability is essential for the future of our industry, and we're excited to educate the next generation of leaders in the field.”

In the public relations profession, one can pursue a range of career opportunities, from agency, corporate, nonprofit, travel and hospitality, sports, and entertainment, as well as many others. These topics will be discussed, along with how those working in public relations and communications might improve their efforts to make their profession more sustainable.

ABOUT TEMPLE PRSSA

Temple’s nationally recognized PRSSA is the largest and longest-standing chapter in the Philadelphia region, and one of the oldest student chapters in the country celebrating its 54th year. The goal of the chapter is to prepare its more than 120 members for a career in the public relations field through its commitment to leadership, networking, and mentorship.

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