The pressure is on

I might be beating a dead horse here because I continue to talk about approaching my last semester of undergrad. But...

The closer I get to ending my victory lap at Indiana University, the more frequently people ask me what I'm going to do with my life after college. While I'm glad to know that people are interested in my life and future, the answer to the question is always the same complicated answer: I HAVE NO IDEA.

Here's the situation: I have made every effort to experience the different aspects of public relations/marketing/advertising. I have managed to try marketing through my dad's company, the agency side of public relations, non-profit work, the radio/broadcasting aspect including promotions, and this coming semester I'm trying out health care public relations. While this experience has certainly cushioned my resume, it further complicates my decision as to what field of PR i will pursue in the real world, beginning in May. Also, I think I'd like to try event management and possibly sports PR too. Oh, the choices.

My question for you, invisible audience, is this: how do I figure out what I want to do with my life? Where do I go from here? All I know is that I can't make the living I want (think $) doing non-profit work, despite enjoying it immensely. I also know that I want to get out of Indiana for a few years and move to a city buried in snow. Think Boston, NYC, Chicago, etc. There has not been a field of public relations that I haven't enjoyed. How do I choose?

If you have advice on how to choose a career path, or maybe how to narrow down my choices, I'm open to suggestions. Leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail. I need all the help I can get. My future is on the line here and I have the next 4 months to find my yellow brick road. The pressure is on!!

Public Relations-- why don't you do the research

I'm currently finishing my final year of undergrad at Indiana University, hoping to leave with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. My public relations classes have spent a lot of time emphasizing the methodologies and the importance of objectives/strategies/tactics in public relations communications plans. No one has truly emphasized research. This, I don't understand. How can someone truly understand a business without doing research? How can you accurately rate competitors, understand previous communications, and even identify target audiences if you're not putting in the time and doing your homework.

The best example of lack of research happened during the election this year with Christine O'Donnell-- the Tea Party candidate for senator in Delaware (http://christine2010.com/). Apparently, her promotions people did a total of zero research into her history and missed the fact that Christine had PUBLICLY identified herself as a witch (i.e. Wicca, spells, etc.). How do you miss that?! So of course, the news comes out and Christine's interview as a "witch" is publicized during her race for office. How does she respond? "Hi I'm Christine O'Donnell and I'm not a witch." Excellent. Fire your public relations guy, he's worthless. This whole fiasco would have been avoided with a little homework.

It's not just political candidates jumping the gun and skipping the research. I've noted that research is being neglected in school settings too. Many of my professors have stopped emphasizing research for clients and instead, emphasize the importance of deliverables and a pretty plan instead. I'm not a professional yet, but what good are deliverables if you have your audience pinpointed incorrectly?

Needless to say, research is the easy part. A couple hours worth of digging on Google is a better start than not digging around at all. Avoid catastrophes. Don't waste your own time. Do your research. Plus, if you do the research then you gain a better understanding of who your client is and who you're actually trying to reach. The pros outweigh the cons... so get Google-ing!

The summer continues

So as we reach the middle of June, I thought it might be appropriate to recap my summer so far.

The first weekend of May, I went white water rafting in West Virginia with Tony and his brothers. We went with Class VI/Rivermen (http://blog.rivermen.com/) and it was a blast. We camped for two nights. The bath facilities were super clean, the food was superb, the view was outstanding, and the trip leader and package deal were unbeatable. Our trip with Class VI was well worth it and created so many wonderful memories!

Next, I began my internship with Emmis Communications in downtown Indianapolis. I'm working mainly with Country 97.1 Hank FM and WIBC 93.1... two very well known stations in the area! Again, I'm having a blast and learning so much about the promotions and media relations business, of course, from the bottom up! I could see myself pursuing public relations in this field for my future... but who knows. All I know is that there's nothing better than having fun and learning at the same time. Emmis definitely takes care of the fun.

Finally, I'm also working for Dr. Tavel Family Eye Care-- as usual. I'm filling all my "free" time with work hours. These hours are certainly needed considering my internship is UNPAID!! Yucky. Come and visit me sometime if you need new specs or contacts, or even just to pop in and say hello! 3536 W 86th St (corner of 86th and Michigan Rd).

I can't wait to have some fun outside of the workplace this summer. So, friends... if you're reading this and want to hang out, I'm scheduling 2 weeks out at this time (haha, seriously!) so let's get together.

Insight, it only comes when you least expect it.

Today, I had the pleasure of hearing the Indiana University Women's Basketball coach speak at my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. The coach, Felisha Legette-Jack, is an awesome speaker with a captivating and inspiring personal story that brought her to her position with IU athletics today. History aside, her words were incredibly wise and moving. So, I logically thought I would share my two favorites with you.

"Choice not chance determines your destiny." -- This could not be truer. Especially for me during this time in my life when I'm making educational decisions, career choices, financial decisions, internship choices, etc.Think about it. This quote applies to everything. Your choices indicate the path your choose in life. Your life has very little to do with chance.

Only surround yourself with great people. People that make you feel great! Always put yourself in the position to be great."-- this is the second great quote I took from Coach Jack's talk. This quote is exactly what my parents consistently told me as a child/when I lived at home. While this advice seemed ridiculous coming from my parents, it makes much more of an impact coming from a renowned coach. I agree with her, and my parents (I admit it!). You are who you surround yourself with.

That is all for now!

Life is changing and technology is advancing... how did I miss that?

There comes a time in every girl's life when she has to choose a life path. Today was that day. And I failed.

While planning my Fall 2010 classes for my last required undergraduate semester, I realized that I could potentially graduate in December. This is mind-blowing! Why, you ask? Because: I changed my major more than any normal student should, transferred colleges, and switched between schools at Indiana University (former majors include: sociology, spanish, music, business, marketing, telecomm, and now journalism/PR). I had planned to take a full "victory lap," or a full 5th year, of undergrad to compensate for my major-hopping and this screws up everything. With an extra semester on my hands, do I really have the opportunity to take FUN classes? Do such classes EXIST??

After having a minor panic attack, I went to open office hours to talk with my advisor. This was a poor idea. After leaving her office, I realized she did not choose a path for me, tell me what to do, or even tell me what NOT to do. Logically, I then turned to my parents. I thoroughly discussed my options with my mom and dad. Being the logical adults that they are, they pointed out that I have already signed a year-long lease for a single apartment in Bloomington. Sub-leasing here is next to impossible, if you didn't know, especially for a single. Long story short, my dad told me to finish out the full year and use the last semester to any courses I want. Never in my wildest dreams would I have foreseen myself OPTING to take more school classes, but I did.

One thing led to another and before I knew it, my dad was asking me the dreaded question: "Do you know what you want to do with the rest of your life? What is your ideal job?" I was caught off guard again. I've known for a while now that public relations is my dream job, but for whom? Do I want to pursue communications? What about Agency PR v. corporate v. non-profit? All of these are questions running through my head. If you have a job you love that is related to pr, please write to me and tell me what it is. At this point, I have no clue where I'll be at this time next year... I'd love some direction!

Finally, the bit about technology. I was reading for my PR writing class and came across a section about blog and podcast content. According to this textbook, I blog incorrectly. I apologize for this. My blogs are apparently too long, too personal, and not relevant. If you choose to read them, thank you. I appreciate your time. Also, I learned that RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication... something I had completely forgotten about! If you don't know what those, look up RSS on wikipedia. Technology is fantastic these days.

Until next time, enjoy the upcoming Spring weather!