Last weekend I went to Podcamp Ohio, a new media unconference. I like the idea of an unconference and enjoyed the Ragan Unconference I attended last May. This unconference was structured quite differently than the Ragan one.

This unconference was not targeted towards professional communicators. There were podcasters, bloggers, marketers, event planners and a variety of other people.

Despite this, I still learned quite a bit about marketing and SEO. I also picked up a little about Twitter tools, event planning and LinkedIn. At one session, Chris Brogan was even brought up on Skype.

It would be great to see a PodCamp in Central Michigan sometime. Better yet, I would love to see a public relations unconference. Maybe we could call it PRoCamp?

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.

There’s one thing I never was told about in the classroom: In PR, you do a lot of research. I would estimate that currently 80 percent of my time is spent on research. It seems that every single thing I do require some amount of research, whether I am writing a pitch, working on a social media project or creating a report.

Here are four tips to help with research:

1. Use a variety of different keywords.
2. Consider searching on different search engines for blogs, including Technorati, Ice Rocket and Google Blogs.
3. If you want to know what people are talking about, search on Twitter. People will be sharing links and information related to the subject.
4. Try searching on delicious. A real person bookmarked the links, so it might give you different results. (This is a tip Lara Kretler gave me.)

What are your tips for doing research?

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.

My recent post about wearing jeans brought up another thought related to perceptions and professionalism: tattoos and piercings.

Although I don’t have any tattoos and only have pierced ears, which never wear earrings since I seem to be allergic to most, I am still curious about how professionals and interns feel about this.

There are many inked professionals who keep their tattoos hidden. But what if you have it in an open area–like your neck, hand or even your foot? Are you concerned about how employers and coworkers might perceive you?

With piercings, what would an employer think about a nose ring? Or a tongue piercing? Or even an eyebrow piercing?

Although I have my own opinions, I’m more interested in hearing what you think.

Are tattoos and body piercings acceptatble in the public relations field? Have you ever not gotten a job because of your visible tattoo or piercing? If you are a professional, how do you think having a visible tattoo or piercing might affect potential interns or employees in your workplace?

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.

I wore blue jeans to work today…

Now before you go off in a big lecture about how I should always dress professional and dressing unprofessional could kill my career, let me get to the details.

First of all, I think professionalism and how you are perceived in the workplace are very important. There are many things I would never wear to the office, such as a tube top or mini skirt (especially considering I don’t own any!).

I’m not a style diva, but I am a cautious shopper. I even go as far as trying to buy closed-toe heels because a conservative employer might see it as “too much” and avoiding too much pink so I don’t come off as one of those girls who have no brains (have you seen Legally Blonde?).

On my first day of my internship, I wore a black suit. The next day I wore dress slacks and a button-up. But then Monique told me “wear jeans on Friday.”

What!? Jeans? In the workplace?

This morning I had a serious debate with myself about the situation.

Should I really wear blue jeans? Will I be judged as a “lazy Gen Y intern” or sloppy? Is it really acceptable?

After going back and forth, I put on a pair of dark jeans with a nice shirt. Driving into work, I kept second-guessing myself. Maybe I shouldn’t have worn jeans, I thought to myself.

I didn’t relax until I counted several others wearing jeans.

What do you think is most appropriate for an intern? Is it acceptable for an intern to dress casually when the other employees are? Should an intern always dress business professional, even if they are told jeans are acceptable?

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.

Yesterday, I arrived in Ohio. I start my internship with Fahlgren Mortine tomorrow morning.

Internships offer valuable experiences and I believe accepting an internship outside of Michigan will give me a different perspective.

I could have taken the less stressful route, accepting an internship within close distance to my apartment. I could have avoided the tearful goodbyes. If I wouldn’t have come to Ohio, I wouldn’t have made my five hour drive into an eight hour drive by getting lost and/or off track multiple times.

But, by the end of the summer, I’m sure it will all be worth it. And when I graduate and start my career, I believe my internship and experiences with Fahlgren Mortine will put me “a step ahead.”

Reflecting on this, I am reminded of “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost. Someday, when I have a successful career in public relations, I hope to be able to tell people that I had a choice between internships and I took the one that I considered to be less traveled…and I hope to be able to say that it made all the difference.

Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.

I started my internship at Fahlgren Mortine today. I learned how to use tools like Cision and Factiva. I also edited a media list and worked on researching editorials for a client. First days can be intimidating, so here are a few tips for your first day at a new internship. Nick Lucido also has a few reminders.

1. Be proactive about working from day one. If you’re not doing anything, review information about your clients, look through the manual or ask if there is anything you can do.

2. If you’re in a new city (or state, like I am), leave early in case you get lost or stuck in traffic. I actually drove to work before my first day so I would know the route and left very early in the morning to avoid the rush.

3. Ask questions. They expect that you won’t know what you’re doing. It is better to get things straight than to ask about simple things a month later.

4. Bring necessary information for HR. Sometimes they will need a copy of your social security card or your driver’s license.

5. Be excited. You’re an intern! You are one step closer to being a professional.

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.

Today I sent in my application for another scholarship.  It sounded like something I qualified for, but I’m sure there are plenty of other great PR students applying for it as well.

But I started thinking: Applying for internships and scholarships is a good alternative to lotteries and casinos. At least they are judged on some sort of merit rather than random chance.

Even though I live near a casino, there’s a better chance of me getting this scholarship than winning the jackpot or a Harley Davidson. That’s why I invest the time and the postage costs into applying for internships, scholarships and awards.

I know I’ve spent more than $50 in the past few months on priority mail alone. Fifty bucks doesn’t sound like much…unless you’re a college student and advertising account executive working on commission.

It’s also tough to apply for scholarships because more often than not, you will not get them. Some people won’t bother to write the essay, gather the letters of recommendation and fill out the application unless it’s a sure shot.

So far, I’ve done pretty well “winning the lottery.” But, it really wasn’t luck. I’ve worked pretty hard to get where I am today. I know I wouldn’t have gotten any awards if I wouldn’t have had the guts to apply for them in the first place despite past failures. Sometimes, you need to take action over uncertainty.

For example, I applied for the Edelman Award and the Deveney Communication Summer Scholar Program. I may have lost, but I applied for the next great internship program I heard about, which was the Founder’s Award. I was amazed when I got it (even though I wanted it more than anything and I’m sure it showed in my application). At my own university, I also was given the Allan Schoenberg Award.

Every student has self-doubt. In an old post on Penelope Trunk’s blog, she suggests just pushing through it (with a box of Oreos if you need them).

So if you’re a college student, try the gambling alternative: Apply for scholarships, internships and awards. If you’ve worked hard, you might just hit the jackpot.

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.

This post is a part of PRofessional Development Week. The posts from March 2 to March 6 will focus on the development of professional skills of public relations students. If you would like to contribute to this special week on A Step Ahead, e-mail Rachel.M.Esterline {at} Gmail.com.

Renee Walker, the associate vice president of public relations and marketing at Central Michigan University, shared this quote with us at the CMU-FSU PRSSA Regional Activity:

Don’t let the fear of falling keep you from knowing the joy of flight.

— Lane Wallace

Here are three ways to help launch and manage your career that I learned from Renee:

1. Create a list of “must haves,” “deal breakers,” “professional goals” and “personal goals.”
   To help you evaluate whether or not your career is going in the right direction, Renee suggested creating a list. For example, one of my “must haves” is a job that challenges me. If it is too easy, I won’t be learning much. A “deal breaker” is a job that requires me to fetch coffee. I believe in paying my dues, but I don’t want my position of intern to be taken advantage of.
2. Identify your talents and experience gaps.
   By identifying your talents, you can better promote yourself. And, by identifying your experience gaps, you can find ways to gain the experience you need. My talents include social media and writing for publications. But, I don’t have a lot of experience in media relations. In order to close the experience gap, I should work on gaining experience in media relations in order to advance my career.
3. Establish stretch goals.
   Since working with Renee when I was an intern in her office, I have realized she believes in pushing yourself to reach higher goals. She calls these “stretch goals.” She said it is OK if you don’t always reach your stretch goals, but you can never reach them if you don’t try. This is where her favorite quote, at the top of this post, comes in.

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.

Constructive criticism can help you develop something good into something great.

Feel free to tell me, “You’re doing it all wrong!” Then, I can fix it.

But, how can you give and receive criticism without it being taken the wrong way? It’s not always easy.

A friend recently gave me a piece of criticism. After mulling it over, I could see her angle. I also could see several other angles coming into play.

I’ve been more aware of what I’ve been doing lately because of her criticism (which could be seen more as a piece of advice). PickTheBrain had a lot of great advice on taking criticism. I think one of the best points made was to ask what you can do better.

You can help others with constructive criticism.

I recently critiqued a resume and writing sample for a PRSSA member at another chapter. I enjoy helping others when I can. PickTheBrain also has advice on the art of giving criticism.

The best thing you can do when giving criticism is tell the person exactly how they can improve.

Don’t say: “You need to rework your resume.”
Say: “Your bullet points need work. I would suggest developing them into measurable accomplishments rather than just job duties.”

Don’t say: “This press release needs work.”
Say: “I think it would be better if you focused your lead on this aspect. Then lead into the next paragraph with more information.”

So don’t tell me I’m doing things wrong. Instead, tell me how I can improve.

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.

Nick Lucido’s post about being a career strategist really resonated with me. I knew I wanted to go into PR before I graduated from high school. At the beginning of my freshman year, I created a color-coordinated spreadsheet mapping out the next four years of my life. You might call me a pre-career strategist.

I recorded each class I needed for my PR major and for my journalism and communication minors.

Reviewing all of the requirements to graduate and my course of study, I was able to make at least nine classes double-count and one class triple-count.

This academic map has kept me on track for graduation and has saved me a lot of money in tuition. During the semesters I could only afford twelve credit hours, I was able to stay relaxed knowing I would still graduate within four years.

I review this document every semester to rearrange courses and to see how I am progressing. I have four other spreadsheets to track more specific aspects: General Education Requirements, PR Major, Journalism Minor, Communication Minor.

How have you kept yourself on track in college and your career?

Rachel M. Esterline works as an account executive for Central Michigan Life, the nationally award-winning school newspaper at Central Michigan University. She is as an account executive for PR Central, CMU’s student-run public relations firm and as a public relations executive with the Student Government Association. Additionally, Rachel serves on the executive board of the Public Relations Student Society of America at CMU and has completed a seven-month internship with her university’s public relations and marketing department. Rachel will graduate in May 2010 with a degree in public relations with minors in journalism and communication.