Studying Abroad: Good for the Soul, Bad for The Major

I have recently been referring to my upcoming semester in Rome as a dilemma- not because I am not looking forward to it (ask anyone, I AM!) but because it is really starting to affect my development and opportunities as a PR major. We all know that experience is key when it comes to working in the public relations field- and being out of the country (taking only art history classes) isn't getting me too far ahead.

As I prepare to study abroad, I've considered a few things I can do while I'm away to stay on top of my game, and how I may be able to actually benefit from my time in Italy.

1. WRITING -- I plan on keeping an in-depth blog while I learn, live, and travel in Italy. After researching different travel blogs and speaking with other students who have done the same, I've realized that this is one of the greatest benefits of studying abroad. Telling a story and captivating an audience is a key task that PR pro's must be able to master. I also hope to be able to contribute to other travel blogs and websites as well.

2. KEEPING AN ONLINE PRESENCE -- With the amount of knowledge I've learned from social media over the past year or so, it would be very hard for me to abandon it simply because I'll be out of the country. I do however, want to live 'la dolce vita' and not be consumed with my laptop and other things the entire time, but I will try my best to stay actively involved with the people I have made connections with through using social media. And with maintaining my presence online, I also strive to keep up with industry news, trends, and current events back home in America.

3. BECOMING GLOBALLY AWARE -- I haven't thought of it much before, but living on the other side of the world for four months has some hidden perks. One being an edge over those who I may be soon competing with for internships and even jobs after graduation. Understanding and living within another culture could greatly benefit me when it comes to targeting specific audiences in future jobs. I think living as an outsider in another culture will teach me not only patience, but respect and gratefulness to other types of people. And that in itself has the power to help with any type of job.

So as I sit here, ecstatic as ever to be only two months away from leaving for Rome, I can't help but think that I may be falling slightly behind. Missing out on internship opportunities, not taking any PR classes, and being away from peers who help influence me are all downfalls of studying abroad. However, I am the luckiest girl in the world to get this opportunity and there wasn't a doubt in my mind when I booked my plane ticket. The things I'm about to experience will help me in the long-run guarunteed, and I will use my experience aborad to the best of my ability when I return.

Speeches, Lies, & Surprises (No, this isn't about Politics)

I'm starting to think that public speaking and lying runs in my family- why this weird revelation? On this night two years ago I was addressing my senior class at our baccalaureate ceremony (night before graduation- filled with songs, speeches,pictures, etc.) and pulled off the best surprise ever. I told everyone in my family that I would be speaking except for the person that mattered the most- my mom. It happened to fall on the day of her birthday and my mom is infamous for tearing up at any given occasion- school concert, sporting event, birthday party, you name it. I was chosen to speak in January, and managed to keep it a surprise from her until the night of the event. My speech was titled 'The Sparknotes of Life', and it was about looking back on the past and never taking any shortcuts in life. Lets just say I could hear her sobbing from the podium. It was the best moment of my life- looking out at my fellow graduates, having my entire family there, and feeling calm and at ease throughout the entire thing. She couldn't believe I pulled off keeping it a surprise, since nothing ever gets past my mom.

Flash forward two years to today, and my brother is getting ready to do the exact same thing. He also got picked to be one of the student speakers and naturally wanted to surprise my mom like I did. My poor mom is either going to have a heart attack or nervous breakdown when she reads his name in the program tonight. I helped write his speech and gave him advice on how to deliver it, and as much as I hate to say it- it's better than my own! She was questioning me asking, "Your brother isn't speaking is  he?" and "I swear if you two are lying you both are gonna be in big trouble". I can't wait to see her face when she sees him in his cap and gown approaching the podium.

As much as we hate lying to our mom, it is for perfectly good reason. To make it even better, my brother has a section in his speech giving credit to my mom for being so supportive and always being able to give the best advice. Note to self: bring plenty of tissues!

Congratulations to the class of 2011!

My Summer Job vs. My Major

Sitting in a gray, sadly decorated cubicle for the past two weeks has got me thinking- how in the world does my current summer job tie into PR and how will it be able to help me in the future? Although it's not a dream job, I am extremely grateful and lucky to have had this opportunity... It IS funding my entire trip to Rome this upcoming fall semester, to say the least.

This is my second year working at the Pennsylvania CareerLink as a summer case manager, a vague title that could use some explaining: I am part of a summer staff that runs and supervises a youth work program that places at-risk and low-income kids in different types of summer jobs. Half of my time is spent in the office, while the other half is spent visiting the kids at their various job locations. Myself and the rest of our small staff monitor the progress and behavior of the kids, while also maintaining balanced communication with parents, job-sites that employ the kids, and state and county workers who fund the program.

I work with people much older than me, most who have degrees in fields such as psychology and social work- very fitting for this type of job. As someone just a few years older than the kids I supervise, I was definitely intimidated when I first began. However, after returning for my second year, I'm much more comfortable and am also beginning to see how I can use this job as an advantage when it comes to my Public Relations major.

The first and most obvious connection between the two: The need for great communication skills. This job requires me to communicate with a large number of kids and their parents to ensure they have a successful experience in our program. Things that we discuss are extremely confidential in nature, such as income, public assistance, and work history. I need to create a open and trusting flow of communication, and that sometimes can become extremely difficult.

In PR, our main goal is to advocate for our client. In my case, I am advocating for the 100-150 kids in our program. I am the middle person when it comes to problems in the work place and often have to delegate between advocating for the youth and for the work site itself. Crisis communication skills often come into play, and I constantly find myself thinking about the best ways to communicate to different groups of people, whether it be the kids, their parents, or the public.

Any office job is beneficial to college students because it teaches us the basics- answering phones, using the fax machine, simple office etiquette, and what it's like to live in a cubicle for 9 hours a day. These things are all important to know and experience before entering the big, bad, grown-up world.

3 Big PR Mistakes for Politicians this Week

This past week has been rough for a few politicians who made some critical mistakes when it came to communications decisions. Not only are these mistakes embarrasing, but they show just how little some of these current office-holders and presidential hopefuls know about communicating. From bus tours to Twitpics- this week had it all. Here's a little list I created with my favorite (and most entertaining) mistakes of the week:

1. Newt Gingrich and his bizarre PR statement
After speaking out against Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan and stating that Ryan was “right-wing social engineering", Gingrich came under heavy fire from his party, and his young campaign looked a faulty. If that wasn't enough, his spokesperson released the one of the strangest and most unprofessional statements I or anyone has probably seen:

"Washington cannot tolerate threats from outsiders who might disrupt their comfortable world. The firefight started when the cowardly sensed weakness. They fired timidly at first, then the sheep not wanting to be dropped from the establishment’s cocktail party invite list unloaded their entire clip, firing without taking aim their distortions and falsehoods...But out of the billowing smoke and dust of tweets and trivia emerged Gingrich, once again ready to lead those who won’t be intimated by the political elite and are ready to take on the challenges America faces"

I have one word for this statement: WEIRD. Sounding more like a science fiction novel or an epic battle scene from a movie, this statement was cleary out of line. If Gingrich continues his GOP run, I suggest he finds a new press secretary.

2. The name of this scandal says it all: 'Weinergate'

A 'personal' photo from Representative Anothony Weiner's Twitter account was sent to a 20-year-old college student over the weekend. He claims his account was hacked- but why can't he answer simple questions about the controversy? He obviously was not prepped before he faced reporters. Note the recurring 'giving a speech analogy':

3. Sarah Palin's Bus Tour

As someone who is neither for or against this former VP candidate, I have to say that her recently-launched bus tour is a nothing more than a publicity stunt (no surprise here). My Twitter feed was buzzing with Sarah Palin sightings around Philadelphia yesterday and all I could do was roll my eyes. She's been vague at describing the reason for the tour, but it's so obvious. She's testing the water, seeing what happens to her poll numbers, and yet again trying to hype the Sarah Palin 'brand'. And when there's speak of 'hype', Donald Trump most likely isn't too far away.

I put this on my list of bad PR moves only because I think that Palin would have a much better chance at a presidential run by lying low and avoiding these large publicity stunts that made her infamous. A reality show, numerous books, and a bus tour? Is she the next GOP presidential candidate or did she just win American Idol?