After watching a video on marcomblog.com, I feel like I’ll need to repeat myself 20 years from now. The video is called “The Shift,” and it is about the world’s technological changes. One line said that a few years from now (maybe when our children are in college), by their third year, their first year of schooling will be outdated. Do they say the same things about my education now? Or will I need to go back to school years from now, so I’m not replaced by a new, more technologically advanced counterpart.
While just being in my 20’s, I feel like I do have some experiences that might give me an edge over others. And I know practitioners in every field go to seminars every year to keep up with changes. But will yearly seminars be enough to keep us up-to-date? With technology changing so rapidly, it feels like the very computer I’m typing on is probably outdated. Even if it was just bought three months ago. How do you keep up with technology after graduation?
Wow… there really is only a few more weeks of school left. I can’t believe it. It is one of those points that always seemed out of reach, and here it is only weeks away. With all the anticipation, I have lost some determination to finish and finish strong. I’ve worked my butt off for four years, and the finale is here.
When I was younger, my basketball coach tried to talk me into track. Absolutely not. NEVER! I always had a problem with the finish line because I would push so hard at the beginning. Sometimes I didn’t have anything left by the end. So, these next few weeks, I’m going to try my hardest to be prepared and conquer the last class days I have left as an Auburn student. Senioritis will just have to take a hike for a few weeks b/c projects have to get done.
So, I guess my blog today was really just a journal to myself about discipline. It’s going to take a lot. Maybe I should plan every minute of my days, so I can stay busy and on track. Whatever it takes… it has to get done.
With Spring Break came relaxation and a little bit of R&R that was much needed. And it very well may be my last for a long time. But while I was on my huge boat in the Caribbean I did catch some CNN. And I was a little shocked at a segment they called Iran’s PR moves.
Iran’s PR moves? Really? As I watched, I learned that the 15 British soldiers were still being held captive, but I also learned about the face Iran was putting forth. The letters, the interviews, and public statements… it was all political public relation moves. I wouldn’t move to say we are being outwitted because no one really believes that crap, but it’s funny to realize that their strategies are ones small and large companies use everyday.
I guess it was a bit of a wake-up call in the middle of spring break. It reminded me that PR is not just a profession; it is a way of the world. We might not realize our own persuasive qualities, but public relations somehow inches into almost every aspect.
How many people realize that our swimming teams just won yet another national championship?
How many people would know if our football team did?
My bone to pick isn’t about how big football is in our state. I love football. My bone is with Auburn University not forcing swimming on the students. I didn’t even realize their season was over, or that they were now competing for the championship. Why? Because swimming doesn’t bring in the money. Football does. So does it make it right that Auburn doesn’t push swimming for more publicity? I guess it is another moral, ethical question for public relations.
Of course, we will work harder on the clients who pay the most money. More incentive, right?! But does more money make harder work right? Why not spend some of that money that football brings in to start actually BUILDING that outside pool you have promised them for years? What do they have to do? Coach Marsh will be leaving after this season. The person taking his spot will actually be a guy who mentored him, so maybe swimming won’t lose a beat. But here is the question I leave you with- will anyone even notice?
So, last week our group’s campaign for PRCM 4090 took a blow. Our client contact quit for “health reasons.” Last time we met with him, he seemed fine. For some reason, we all have a sneaky suspicion that there are other problems going on. Other than the potential bankruptcy, it seems a little political action is going on behind the scenes. So I ask… what do you do as an agency when your client isn’t being completely honest with you? Do you leave them? Do you force them to tell you everything? Or do you turn your back on what you don’t know and continue? Is that even ethical?
Since it’s just for class, we are told to continue as if nothing has happened. But something huge has happened to our company. Thankfully, all of our material is just mock stuff. They can use it or not. It won’t matter to our grade. But it is kind of sad. I really felt like we could help this organization. Now, we don’t know anyone in it. Who knows… they could be bankrupt by the time the semester ends. I hope not. They help a lot of good people who wouldn’t have these services without their help.
So, it turns out I have an internship now. And I possibly might even have a job. Thursday I heard from the Savannah Sandgnats. They are a minor league team for the New York Mets. I’ll be working in client services and game day promotions. A lot of responsibilities. I’ll be moving on May 11th, and I’ll be gone all summer. I’m going to come back for my graduation and then return to finish the season. There is a possibility I’ll get a job there after the internship is completed. Fingers crossed.
I’m excited about this adventure, and hopefully I can bring a lot of my experiences with me to help out my business. I’m not sure what their weaknesses are, but most people working for them came from much smaller universities or colleges. Hopefully Auburn has given me qualities that will benefit Savannah in the long run.
With that huge boulder off my shoulders, it has been a relief over the last few days. I’ve now been sick for a week and a half, but there is much work left to be done in S&D, Campaigns, and my other two classes. I’m really looking forward to jumping into web design, and hopefully the things I’ll learn between now and May will help throughout my internship!
What does it take? Maybe a little bit of luck and a lot of talent? Or a lot of luck and little talent? Thoughtout my time here at Auburn, I have seen people have important things handed to them on a silver platter.
Parents that pay for their rent, bills, cars, shopping sprees, vacations. Some person they know through whatever hooking them up with an internship in NYC doing something extraordinary even though they aren’t that bright upstairs. They know that. Their parents know that, but somehow power falls into the hands of people who have the most money.
I know, I’m whining. But I’ve worked hard the last three years. I’ve learned so much. But it doesn’t seem to matter right now. When I was in high school, we were taught that good things happen to people who bust their tails. Or maybe that’s just the persuasive social culture I was raised in where everything good happens in those Disney movies to the middle-class.
Bad mood today, and I realize it. Somehow this will be the blog that someone reads even though the rest have gone unnoticed. But maybe if you have read this far you won’t be too critical on my bad day.
For some reason it is always hard for me to begin my blog. It really isn’t that I don’t have an idea. It’s that I don’t want to put my ideas into words and then it doesn’t make sense. After reading MarcomBlog this week, I have noticed that my fears are somewhat echoed in my classmates words as well.
Don’t get me wrong… it has had a positive effect on me so far. I’m writing much more. Not more than last semester with the newspaper job, two journalism classes and PR Writing, but I’m writing more than I would this semester. And that is always good. I’m like a baseball player. If I stop writing for a while, I realize my swing isn’t the prettiest thing in the world. On the other hand, I don’t want my words to prevent me from getting a job. Maybe some people in the PR world don’t agree with blogging. I’m sure that somewhere like that exists. (like half of our class maybe?) Of course I won’t walk into a job demanding blogs. I just don’t want to be portrayed as the girl who blogs her life away.
I understand the benefits… like I stated before. And it also makes us network with professionals around the world. And we all know we can use more networking. I’m just unsure how my own words paint a picture of myself.
This semester me and three other classmates are in a campaigns group together. Our client is EASE (East Alabama Services for the Elderly). Basically they provide services to low-income adults, but they also provide some services to people above the age of 18 with mental disabilities.
Their problem lies within one sentence. No one has any clue they exist. Not even in the surrounding area. After our meeting today with Mr. Graben, I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am. At one point in the meeting he put a certain amount of stress on our shoulders. He basically said that they are relying on this project to get them back on the map. They are in a very bad financial state right now. This should have been something that would normally make me worry, but today, it made me feel confident.
I know this world. I have so many ideas for his company, and that makes me feel good about my education and my future within this profession. We can do so many things for EASE and still run a very minute budget. We might not really need any money at all. Besides printing paper, I think we can get stuff done with our own networking and our own resources. I know we aren’t getting paid for this final project, but this is something we could do several times throughout our lives with public relations. I’m not pursuing a job with a PR firm at this moment. I want to work in sports pr with a team, but after the first steps of approaching this upcoming campaign, I might reconsider my opinion.
I like to take pride in my work. And I really feel like after this project is all said and done, we will both benefit from each other. Hopefully one day in the far future I can still find our new website and see all the work we did years ago.
First, let me say I loved being able to watch the Grammy’s last night. If my voice was just a little better, I would try to sing because I absolutely love music. The performances were unbelievable. I particularly loved the John Legend, John Mayer, and Corinne Bailey Rae medley. I tried to find the performance on YouTube or Google videos, but I had no such luck. If I find it later, I’ll be sure to upload it. Edit… finally found it. Enjoy!!!
So here is my problem with the Grammy’s last night. If they would have done everything else, I would have been able to say it was one of the best award shows I’ve seen in a while. The Dixie Chicks took home five awards. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think they are talented. But it was clear what the message was. They took home these awards because the album was anti-GWB, and because of their “bravery,” they were awarded several Grammy’s. If anyone wants to argue otherwise, I’ll be glad to read their opinion. With the statements made from presenters and several other people throughout the night, it was clear to everyone there and watching on TV. The problem for me is that I don’t need to have your opinion shoved down my throat. Yes, I know your thoughts from a song. Yes, I know Hollywood and the music world is mostly liberal, but do you think I will change my thoughts because you are screaming yours?
How naive for the Grammy’s to try and spoon-feed us a dose of politics in the middle of what was an outstanding night. They may have deserved a few awards because I agree that their stuff was good, but other songs had more playtime. Other albums have sold more in the stores. Do they win because the uppidy people giving them these awards feel like they don’t have enough and they are still paying for their comments from a few years ago? I think so.
