The Search...

Los Angeles, here I come!


I have oficially finished my final class for my business minor, and I am off to the big city in search of my dream job in Public Relations.
While I feel more than prepared with the wealth of knowledge I received in my studies of PR, what I am most nervous about is the interviewing process.
How can a person make an excellent first impression?
What can a person do to prepare for an interview?

During my college experience, many of my PR classes discussed interview skills, but now that it is down to the wire, I decided to do a little research of my own.

Below are links to some excellent Sites and articles I found about how to become a job interview expert!

- Winning Interview Skills: I think the most valuable lesson to be learned from this article is that it is imperative to learn as much as possible about the company you are interviewing with before you walk into that office. Research, research, research.
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewsnetworking/a/wininterview.htm

-Interviewing Information from CollegeGrad.com: This site is great for all recent graduates venturing out into the corporate world because it covers all aspects of the interview process from research to follow-up.
http://www.collegegrad.com/intv/

-Interview Skills from Boston College: This Site emphasizes that how you come across in an interview can be even more important than the skills you posess.Information is provided on everything from dressing for interviews to dealing with anxiety.
http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/skills/interview/


Congratulations to all of my fellow graduates...and good luck out there!

A Red Haute Thursday Night

I have been interning at HIV Alliance, a Eugene, OR non-profit organization, for almost nine months now, and through this internship I have gained so much invaluable experience.
As part of this internship, I did PR for, modeled in and helped organize a benefit fashion/music/dance show last Thursday called "The Red Haute Ribbon".
This one-of-a-kind fashion/performance/benefit show featured performances from local bands, hip-hop groups and dancers, and stylings form local stores and designers.



We were extremely pleased with how the event turned out. We raised over $1600 in ticket sales alone, all of which went straight to the HIV Alliance since we had a grant for the venue and all services and performances were donated.
We also raised a lot of awareness for the HIV Alliance and sparked interest in potential donors and volunteers.
On top of all of this, all of the performances were perfect, and everyone who attended seemed to have an amazing night.

This event was by far the most challenging yet fun and rewarding experience I've ever had. Donating so much time and effort over a period of months to one thing and then being able to see the success of the final result was so motivating. It made me confident that PR/event planning is my passion and I can't wait to graduate and get started in a career where I get to do what I am passionate about every day!


For more information on the event visit http://www.redhauteribbon.info

For more information on the wonderful cause that all or our money and efforts went to, visit http://hivalliance.org

Well, here goes nothin'....

I have just begun my last term of school...EVER. While this is a very exciting thought, and I feel more than ready for the adventure of being thrown out into the real world to fend for myself, I am also conflicted.
For as long as my concious mind can remember, I have been a student. School has been what has defined a major part of who I am. SO in this transition time between being a student, and starting my career, what the hell am I?

Never have I felt more pressure, and confronted more expectations than I have at this time in my life. I can't count the number of times I have been asked "So, what do you plan to do with your degree when you graduate?"

I definitly don't have all of the answers right now, and I'm OK with that. While everyone else seems to expect me to know exactly who I am and what my future holds,I am actually excited that I don't. I just feel lucky that I am young, healthy, and passionate about what I'm studying. Graduation is like starting over with a clean slate for me.


I could go anywhere from here.

Spring Break in Oregon

So, I took an English class entitiled "Literature of the Northwest" and we were required to do a creative project on Oregon humor.
We decided to address how Oregonians deal with the rainy weather.
This video is what we ended up with. It is mocking MTV's Spring Break shows but it is set in Lincoln City, so instead of a wet t-shirt contest, they are attempting to hold a wet sweatshirt contest.
I think any Oregonian would appreciate it.

Let me know what you think...

I'm not Irish...

So, I've never been a big fan of St. Patrick's day. I guess the whole wearing green and pinching people thing has just never appealed to me.
Last night however was one of the most fun nights I have had in quite a while. I decided to just throw myself into it. I drank green beers, wore green clothes and pinched those who didn't.
I guess any excuse to have fun with those closest to you, wear matching clothes and celebrate life is a good one.
Hope your St. Patty's day was as good as mine.
Cheers!

Following are some links which explain the traditions of St. Patrick's Day:
http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm

http://www.holidays.net/stpattys/customs.htm

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blnotes5.htm

PR Portfolios

While I have learned more in my PR classes this year than any classes I have ever taken, there is one thing that I wish I would have learned a little more about. That one thing is Portfolio Building.
We discuss portfilios and their importance quite a bit, however I have yet to learn exactly how to put a portfolio together, what it should look like and what it should include.
So I did a little online research. Here are some awesome sites that contain information about and images of quality PR portfolios.

http://advertising.about.com/od/careersource/ss/perfectptf.htm
This one contains 10 tips to building a perfect portfolio, and explains what order th included documents should be in.

http://www.stepinsidedesign.com/STEPMagazine/Article/28588
This one explains the importance of an attention-grabbing portfolio, and how to make an online version as well.

http://www.ucalgary.ca/careers/students/sample_resumes/pdfs/Portfolio_Tips.pdf
This one is a step-by-step guide of portfolio building from start to finish.

-Happy portfolio building!

I love vintage style. My bedroom is adorned in black and white photos of Marilyn Monroe and old 1940s and 1950s movie posters. To me, these images just exude a type of classic glamour that no longer exists.

However, that time period was not as glamorous as it seems from our perspective, looking back. It was also a time of great oppression...especially for women.

Take this ad for example:


This image may make you giggle to yourself, or maybe even gasp, but as a society, have we really evolved past this kind of advertising?

Take a look at the high-fashion advertisements in any Vogue or Vanity Fair magazine today. Just because these images are now shown in a more artistic, avant-garde style, aren't the same messages being delivered?
When in the line between art and insult crossed?
What do you think?


For more vintage ads, click here: http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/