Member Monday

This week we want to shoutout Nylah Jackson for being such an amazing PRSSA member!

Q: What year are you?

A: Sophomore

Q: What is your major/minor?

A: Public Relations Major, Content Creation Minor

Q: Where are you from?

A: PG County, Maryland

Q: How long have you been a member of PRSSA?

A: Since the beginning of this semester

Q: Why do you love PRSSA? What do you hope to get out of it?

A: I love PRSSA because of the new people I’ve met and the panels for Black History Month and Women’s History Month have been extremely inspiring and helpful. I hope to gain new experiences, learn more about the world of PR and network with new people at this year’s conference.

Q: What committee are you a part of? What have you done with this committee?

A: I am a part of the Conference Committee and have been selling chocolates.

Q: What other TU organizations are you a part of?

A: D2D: Dare 2 Dance.

Q: Coolest place you’ve ever traveled to?

A: St. Lucia an island in the Caribbean.

Q: Favorite social media platform and why?

A: Instagram but only because of its multitude of uses.

Q: Dream job?

A: Anything that combines my passion for dance and interest in PR.

Instagram: @nysimonee

6 Tips for Landing An Internship

Whether you’re looking for your first internship or something to keep you busy over the summer, it’s important to go into the application process for an internship strategically. I have landed four internships during my time at Temple, and I’m going to provide you with 6 tips on how you can land an internship!

1. Make sure your resume is up to date

It’s really important to keep your resume up to date to ensure you’re highlighting all your skills and experiences thus far. Even if you’ve learned a small skill, put it on your resume! If you haven’t had experience, include relevant coursework you’ve taken that can make you seem more valuable to the employer.

2. Name drop!

Whether it’s in the cover letter or introduction email, it’s really important to include the name(s) of connections when you reach out to employers. For example, if you know someone who has interned at a place you want to work, let the employer know that you know them and how they encouraged you to apply! It never hurts to name drop, but be sure it’s okay with the person first.

3. Be formal in your introduction email

It’s important to be formal when making your introduction to the company you want to work for. Don’t use any type of slang, and try to use as few exclamation points as possible. This is essentially your first impression to the company, so it’s important to make a good one.

4. Look up common interview questions and write down your answers to them

I found that this really helped me when doing interview prep. It allowed me to not stutter nearly as much as I would have without the answers on hand. Brag about yourself a bit as well; show the employer how great you are and how you’re a great fit! Be sure to also write down questions you have for the interviewer or company in general. You may have to do some stalking to create these questions (i.e. looking at the website or the interviewer’s LinkedIn page).

5. Send a thank-you email after your interview

Once your interview is over, send a thank you interview to whoever you spoke with. Thank them for their time to speak with you and bring up what you enjoyed about the conversation you had.

6. Sharpen up on your grammar and writing skills for the writing assessment

Once you get past the interview stage, you’ll most likely have to take a writing assessment. This is really common especially if you want to go to an agency. Sharpen your grammar skills, practice writing press releases, and be sure to have Grammarly on! Take this assessment on the internet first so you have access to Grammarly; it finds grammatical and spelling errors for you that Microsoft Word might not catch right away.

This blog was written by Christina Billie, President.

The Importance of Diversity in PR

What do you think of when you hear the word diversity? To me, diversity goes beyond skin color; it includes all races, genders, sexual orientation, disabilities, and more. In today’s climate, diversity has become a trend in workplaces. Corporations often preach diversity, but we still see a lack of representation in the workplace. It’s important we understand the importance of diversity, especially in PR, and how it benefits a work environment.

Diversity Promotes New Ideas and Perspectives- Walking into my PR classes and seeing that I’m often the only male or only person of color is quite nerve-racking. I question if I will be the go-to person if the topic of diversity comes up, or if my thoughts or opinions would be taken into consideration when having group conversations. It’s important to view your differences as a positive. Ask yourself how your stories or your experiences can influence a conversation or idea. Diversity encourages the search for fresh information and perspectives, leading to better decision-making and problem-solving.

Diversity helps educate and inform others- We all come from different walks of life. Different cultures, traditions, and morals. The best way to get to know someone different from you is to hear their story. People who learn about different cultures during their education feel more comfortable and safer with these differences later in life. Not to mention, interacting with different groups of people helps build confidence when interacting with other different groups of people in the future.

Diversity helps eliminate unconscious bias- Bias is still a huge issue in the workforce. Many biases are unconscious; racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism and more are so deeply ingrained in our brains that they become a habit. Socializing with people of diverse backgrounds can help uncover some biases a person might have so they can work on implementing change. The first step in getting rid of biases or stereotypes is being made aware that they exist.

In most workplaces, diversity remains more of an idea than a reality, although there are clear benefits in what diversity brings. We need to go back to the drawing board of diversity, what barriers stand in our way from achieving it, and what we can do to overcome them. Hopefully, after reading this, you have an idea of the importance of diversity in the workplace.

This blog post was written by Sean'dre Reid, Secretary.