Detroit Firm Tour Experience

By: Denise Halmaghi, PRSSA member

The Detroit Firm Tour was definitely a great experience.  Career workshop fairs are a great way to learn how to nail that internship, prepare that “elevator speech,” or how to network yourself, but firm tours offer a great experience to see inside the world of public relations. On January 29th, a few PRSSA members and I went on a firm tour and visited Marx Layne, Tanner Friedman, and Weber Shandwick. All three firms offered valuable advice, tips, and information about their internship program. In the future, if I decide to apply for one of their internship positions, I can say that I visited their firm and know more than others about their company.

Marx Lane is a public relations firm that also deals with a bit of advertising and marketing. Lauren Herrin, an account executive, spoke about her experience with public relations. She doesn’t work the typical 8-hour a day job. Every day is a different experience, and you have to be both flexible and able to juggle more than one task. She advised us to get some more experience with creating time slips and learning how to make a media list. Down the street from Marx Lane was the second visit on our firm tour, Tanner Friedman. Their firm deals more with strategic advertising and communications. Some advice the account and internship coordinator’s, Justin and Kaylee, offered was to definitely become familiarized with the AP style writing. They also explained the need to keep your online presence professional in  a world where social media is at its’ peak, whether it be Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter. The last visit on the firm tour was Weber Shandwick. Their public relations firm has firms located around the globe. Some great tips they offered were to keep an online blog, especially for students studying abroad.

All three firms could not stress the fact enough that in order to succeed in the profession of public relations, you need to understand the news around you and know how to write. Also, adding different writing samples to your portfolio will help during interviews. All the advice and tips I learned during my firm tour will help me prepare for future internships, interviews, and working in the area of public relations.

President’s Update on Spring Semester!

By: Christina Capoferi, President

Hello!  Welcome to MSU PRSSA’s blog. Why are we utilizing this blog, you ask? It’s not because everyone else has one- trust us. The purpose of this blog is to give you an inside look into the PR world through our eyes. We will have information regarding future meetings, reflections on past or current events in the PR world or how real world events used PR well, and much more!

We have a really exciting semester ahead of us. If you are just joining us, perfect timing to do so! If you have already been around, you already know what a ride we’re in for this semester. Instead of boring you with paragraphs of information, here’s my list of the top 5 coolest things to look for in the spring semester:

1. Regional Activity- February 27 at the Union. (This is a one-day conference, highlighting the unique, cool niches of PR)
2. PR Links- February 12 at Wharton Center 1-4 p.m. (This is a career fair we host for only PR jobs and companies. MSU PRSSA members get in free; everyone else has to pay!)
3. Detroit Firm Tours- January 29 (This is a limited attendance event. We’ll be visiting three of the top PR firms in the Detroit area. An event not to miss!)
4. Relay for Life- April 17 (We placed 6th at MSU last year for amount of money fundraised- we’re working hard to come in higher this year!)
5. CMPRSA Lunches- all semester (Awesome, free events that five members go to each month- networking made easy!)

Our first meeting of the semester is this upcoming Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. in 147 Communication Arts and Sciences.

Please come and introduce yourself to me or any of the other executive board members. We want to know how we can help you!

All the best,
Christina

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

By: Aubrey Zimmerman, VP of Professional Development

It’s that time of year again; a time when everyone storms into the library with their grande coffee, two red bulls and snacks to last them at least ten hours… finals week! I can’t complain too much, though. I finished my one and only final Monday at approximately 1 p.m. while the rest of my friends had been up for hours cramming (and acing) their exams. I feel pretty lucky to be done, but at the same time, nervous since I have only one semester left at MSU. Over the weekend I had time to reflect on the great experiences I’ve had at MSU during finals week and felt it necessary to share it with friends who can relate.

My top five finals week moments as a Spartan:

1. Midnight screams!!!

2. While minding my own business on 2 West of the Main Library, the elevator door opens with someone dressed as a wolverine and runs down the middle aisle as Sparty chases after “it” with a wiffle bat.

3. Walking to the library from my dorm room freshman year, I slipped on a patch of ice in the stadium parking lot and fell, spilled my coffee, and had to walk in with the coffee stained on my jacket.

4. A girl at the business library decided it would be a good idea to take an entire table (a rarity) for herself. When we asked if we could sit with her, she scowled, and refused until my friend just sat down to spite her.

5. Sitting, listening to my i-pod at a table at 3 West in the Main Library (quiet floor!), a girl just begins rapping a Lil’ Wayne song.

I hope everyone studied hard for their finals and did well. Have a great, safe holiday break and come back with lots of memories and stories to share. Happy holidays to all!

Thanks for a Great Fall 2009 Semester!

By: Angela Minicuci, Vice President of Public Relations

To introduce the Ned S. Hubbell chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America at Michigan State University, we would like to begin our blog with a wrap up post of all the accolades and accomplishments our chapter has recently received.

My name is Angela Minicuci and I am the current Vice President of Public Relations of MSU PRSSA. I am graduating a semester early so this is my farewell to this outstanding pre-professional organization.

Within the past year, our chapter built and launched a new Web site, got our student-run firm, Hubbell Connections, off and running, and won multiple awards. Last year, MSU PRSSA was named Professional Student Organization of the Year by the MSU Registered Student Organizations. We also placed 6^th out of 95 teams in a very successful fundraising effort for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

This year, members of our chapter attended the 2009 PRSSA National Conference in San Diego, California. At this conference, our chapter received their first Teahan award for best Web site design. The Teahan awards are a series of prestigious awards recognizing the best chapters in the country. Past President and current V.P. of Professional Development for the PRSSA National Committee, Nick Lucido, was awarded the Golden Key for professional and academic excellence, and the current Chapter V.P. of Member Services, Julia Wendzinski, was recognized with the President’s Citation award. 

The chapter was also presented with a plaque for winning second place in the 2009 Bateman Competition, a national case study competition held every year. The team won second place after being chosen to present their project in front of a panel of judges in Washington D.C., beating out more than 80 other chapters for a spot in the top three teams in the country. 

Those are just to name a few of the prestigious accomplishments that our chapter has earned recently. With more than 130 paid members, a dedicated and professional Executive Board, and wonderful faculty and professional advisors, it’s no wonder that the MSU chapter of PRSSA has remained a competitive and nationally recognized chapter within the pre-professional society.

It is with a heavy heart that I say my final goodbyes to the friends, networks, and relationships that I have built during my time with MSU PRSSA. I am confident that this chapter will continue to leave a lasting legacy with my alma mater and expand upon its professionalism and accomplishments. Congratulations Michigan State University PRSSA and thank you for all that you do for your students. I look forward to seeing the esteemed accomplishments I know I can expect from you in the future.

Angela Minicuci

Introducing MSU PRSSA

The Michigan State University Ned S. Hubbell Public Relations Student Society of America is joining in another social networking sphere: blogging.

Please feel free to check out our Facebook group, Twitter, or Web site at our links on the right as well.

In order to stay more connected to our members and national PRSSA happenings, we are creating a blog to share our experiences and insights as well as receive yours in return. We invite other chapters, alumni, members, and professionals to join in reading our posts as well as participating in them.

Post your comments here and let us know what topics you would like to see covered in our blog.