By Melissa Clark
Monday night was an amazing start to week four with yet another great turn out at the Scripps PRSSA meeting. We were glad to see many new faces in the crowd, as well as our returning members!
If you have signed up for the Mentor/Mentee program, International Education Week Committee, Social Affairs Committee, or the PR and Social Media Committee, you should start receiving emails shortly with more information. If you are still interested in getting involved with any of these committees, make sure to let us know at next week’s meeting. Also, if you are still interested in attending National Conference in Philadelphia, please email scripps.prssa@gmail.com ASAP!
The University Communications and Marketing Department spoke first at our meeting and left us PRSSA kids with so many ideas and opportunities to expand and build our portfolios right here on campus with Ohio Compass News. If you are interested in writing for Compass News, please email Todd Stone, the Senior Manager of Internal Communications at stonet1@ohio.edu.
Also, we had the privilege of hearing from a group of international students from Leipzig, Germany. It was remarkable to see how PR can eliminate international boundaries. Ann Marie, a speaker from LPRS, did a fantastic job in explaining the similarities and differences of PR between the U.S. and Germany.
We hope the Leipzig group members are enjoying their stay here in the States!
Travis Kessel, Director of Recruitment at Edelman, joined PRSSA as our keynote speaker this week via Skype. Not only did Travis open the floor for any and all questions, but he also left us with some helpful interview tips. He especially stressed the importance of taking notes during an interview because it shows that you are actively engaged and listening.
“When following up on an interview, send an email that night and a handwritten note a few days later,” said Travis. “Your persistence will make the company keep you in mind.”
He also added that if you’re trying to gain real-world internship and job experience, it is important to be engaged in clubs and volunteer during college in order to show active participation and incentive on your resume.
“Recruiters look for candidates who are an exact match for the available position,” he said. “Read your resume. Read it again. And then have two more people read it before you submit it. One little error can ruin all your chances.”
Amazing insights, Travis! Monday’s meeting provided so much good advice to keep in mind with future interviews and applications.
Don’t forget to attend next week’s Monday meeting at 6 p.m. in Scripps 111! See you there 🙂