May

15

TGC summer break

May 15, 2009 | | Leave a Comment

TGC is currently on summer break until the end of August. We will resume weekly blog posts then!

Thank you for visiting, and please feel free to contact us with any questions, comments or concerns.

- TGC staff

May

14

“Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”

May 14, 2009 |  Tagged , | Leave a Comment

When I was a little girl my mom’s favorite book to read to me was, Dr. Seuss’, Oh, The Places You’ll Go. It wasn’t until high school I understood why my mom loved this book so much, and the hidden knowledge behind Dr. Suess’ brilliant rhymes.

It seems as though his messages continue to become more and more applicable to my life and although I am not graduating this year, it is important for the graduates of 2009 to follow the rhymes that lead them through grade school.

So, soon-to-be Chico State alums, as you receive your degree and make your final goodbyes to professors, friends and favorite bars; as you embark on new adventures and begin new chapters of your life, before you start your journey, remember that “Life’s a Great Balancing Act.”

Congratulations TGCers,
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head: AP style, press releases, pitching and more
You have feet in your shoes: Experience with working in teams and with clients
You can steer yourself: Leadership skills
any direction you choose: Agency, Hospitality, or Entertainment
You’re on your own. Remember what Debra taught you
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

So…
Whether your degree be public relations, communications,
Biology or Anthropology
You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your job is waiting.
So…get on your way!

- Caitlin Millar

May

13

Personality Sold Separately

May 13, 2009 |  Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment

Many times when graduates are applying for jobs, their skills and accomplishments are extremely similar to a majority of other candidates. In such cases, organizations look for something that makes one candidate stand out more than the others; this extra something may be an internship with a prestigious organization, or community involvement for something they’re passionate about. Being that most applicants in today’s market are bound to have something unique and noteworthy on their resume, there has to be another variable to the employment equation. And there is. It’s called personality, and I’m not talking about the difference between an introvert and an extrovert.

The definition I’m referring to is “a distinction or excellence of personal and social traits; a person of importance, prominence, renown or notoriety.” And, believe it or not, others mostly perceive your personality based off of informal interactions, such as Facebook and Twitter, more so than professional accomplishments, like promotions or job titles. No matter how many movies he starred in, Ashton Kutcher was not a personality the world could understand and relate to until he built his massive Twitter following. With the ease and convenience of social networking sites, building a personality has become simple for anyone to do, but also calls for much more caution given the unforgiving nature of the Internet. Once something is sent into cyberspace, you better be ready to face up to the consequences.

The best way to develop your personality is to blog. Sure it’s a trend and everyone is doing it. But there’s a good reason for it; people love to hear what other people have to say, and thus, people love blogs. Not only can a blog share your story with the World Wide Web, but it can showcase your rock star writing abilities to your future employer. What you write about on a consistent basis can also give great insight to what kind of team member you will make, so employers love to see the personal side of potential employees. This is also a good reason to keep your blog professional and appropriate. Beyond being a great tool for marketing your personality, blogging is also a great skill to have in today’s ever-changing media landscape. With more and more journalists losing their jobs due to the economic downturn, you want to be as knowledgeable as possible about the new possibilities for media and communication.

The most tell-tale sign of your personality is what others say about you, so only give them good things to say by being genuine and sincere. Always strive to be the person everyone will nominate for employee of the month.

Even if you don’t have time to blog or overhaul your social media habits, you do have time to be a good person. Not only is it good for yourself tomorrow, but it’s good for the world today.

- Krystle Perez

May

10

Crisis Management In the Face of Social Media

May 10, 2009 |  Tagged , , | Leave a Comment

Twitterpated was a concept introduced to me courtesy of Walt Disney in the animated flick “Bambi” some 15 years ago. In the age of social media the term has taken on a totally separate meaning.

Twitter is increasingly becoming a titan in the PR game with many organizations using the social network to strengthen corporate images. Just like blogging took center stage at its development, Twitter is holding its own against the ever-prevalent social networks like Facebook and MySpace.

Crisis management in the face of the developing social media culture is beginning to get more complicated as cyber-savvy individuals are hopping online at every chance to tweet or blog about some organization’s misstep.

Last month, multiple major public companies fell under fire as social media created a fire out of a spark. By neglecting the reaction of social media, companies faced an even worse situation than they had started with. As the Los Angeles Times reported, the twittersphere created a vacuum with tweeters filling the silent void with threats, criticism and petitions against the company.

Corporate industries are currently at a place where attention needs to be paid not only to traditional means of media but also the new wave of social media. The increasing use of social media has presented itself as a front-runner in the face of the ever-changing game of PR.

Social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace will not be going away at anytime in the future. While there are new networks popping up everyday it is crucial for companies to get on track and become twitterpated with new technology.

- Ricki McCarroll

May

8

Group Project Success

May 8, 2009 |  Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment

A year ago I was asked to join a Red Cross public relations team.  After every meeting I get in my car amazed at how much we accomplish in two short hours.   Our current project is a huge black-tie event that could turn out to be the biggest fundraiser for the local chapter this year—all because of the dynamic of our five-member group. 

While driving home tonight, I reflected on the team’s productivity, and why I feel so energized after we have been together. 

Collaborative Is Interactive

First, I realized that every member empowers the other by encouraging each person to contribute their ideas, and then everyone respectfully considers what was said.  The team responds to ideas with questions and insights, while the conversation takes the form of a solution toward a common goal.

Second, each member is accountable to one another, and we depend on each other.   For instance, because the dinner is centered on honoring heroes who are ordinary people that have done extraordinary things this past year, we needed to solicit the public for nominees.

 Each committee member discussed and selected different avenues to accomplish this task.  When nominations came in, e-mails were sent to each other that included suggestions, information and praise.

Before long we had more nominees than we could possibly consider, so we had to pare down the list.

When we met to finalize who we were going to honor, the meeting took on an air of careful consideration toward each other and our goal.  The Red Cross is about helping people in distress, which takes capital.  Our job is to raise that capital.  At the same time, this dinner is about honoring selfless people who have changed other’s lives.

Every team member had their own particular favorites, but as we discussed each nominee we all carefully considered what each person had to say.   Soon we narrowed the list down to four incredible people, and all of us felt very good about our final decision.

Our dinner will be over in two weeks, but I’m looking forward to our next project.  I think I am addicted to our collaborative success.  Our mutual respect and dedicated focus toward reaching our goal is a powerful elixir.  I can not wait to see what our next challenge will be—and that is what I consider a group project success!

- Susan Jernigan