By Zak Magno, Graphic Designer
Cleaning Up Social Media Channels 101
Graduation is right around the corner for many students, so it’s the perfect time to start cleaning up your social media channels. With two in five employers using social media to screen potential candidates, it’s especially important to be ready to show off clean and professional accounts.
Why Employers Research?
- To check a candidate’s professionalism, in regards to how they conduct themselves via social media platforms.
- To learn more about the candidate’s qualifications.
- To gauge a potential candidate’s fit for the company culture.
Did you know?
A nationwide study by CareerBuilder found that 51 percent of hiring managers who research applicants on social media said they’ve found something that led them to not hire a candidate.
Top Platforms Analyzed
4 Important Tips
- Google yourself: Take a moment and Google yourself, because it’s one of the first things an employer will do. This will give you an idea of where to start in the cleaning process.
- Clean, clean & clean: Clean up as many of those inappropriate photos and status updates as you can.
- Make it private: Keep anything you’d rather hide from your future employers private and change your settings when necessary. This can mean setting your account to completely private or making aspects of your profile private; like photo albums, etc.
- Make an alternative professional profile: Employers understand that candidates have a life outside the workplace. If you’re concerned about your profile even after cleaning it up, it’s never a bad idea to make a separate professional account. Having an alternative account allows candidates to have a space where they only focus on their professionalism and work life.
Social media will continue to have an immense impact in our society and will be used by many employers during the hiring process. It’s important to make your online persona work for you by refining publicly viewed areas of your profile. Happy cleaning!
By Veronica De La Cruz, Account Executive
Tutorial: Basic Perspective for Basic Drawing
By Tiffanie Hancock, Graphic Designer
Study Abroad: The Experience of a Lifetime
Living and studying in London, England was one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made. This experience abroad afforded me the rare opportunity to live in another country, experience a new culture and learn about myself. I am confident that my time studying abroad was a life-changing experience and one I will never forget. Unfortunately, fewer than 10 percent of all U.S. college students study abroad, and some people fail to see the true value. I am a huge advocate of the experience because in addition to travel, there are countless benefits to studying abroad that are often overlooked. During my semester in London I was challenged both academically and personally as I learned to survive and thrive in a foreign city. I was exposed to new people, new ideas, a new way of living, a new culture and a new way of viewing the world.
Study Abroad:
By Tara Holliday, Account Executive
How to Create Your LinkedIn Identity
By Sara Pimentel, Editor
Photoshop Tutorial: Making Minor Adjustments
By Ryan Corrall, Videographer
Life in Tehama 310
By Nick Fittipaldi, Public Relations Assistant
Infographic: 5 tips for getting better sleep
This past semester, I’ve been dealing with an issue that I’ve found most other students can relate to—sleep insomnia. I’ve done a lot of searching in order to figure out what exactly it is that’s making me unable to fall asleep. Throughout the process, I’ve discovered various remedies that have made falling asleep much easier. From my own trial and error, going to the Chico State Wellness Center, visiting the Chico State Health Center and doing my own research; I’ve come to the fantastic five tips that have helped me with finally getting a good nights rest.
By Monica Fitch, Graphic Designer.
Throwback Blog: Where’s Waldo?
Finding a job in the competitive world of public relations is like trying to find Waldo in the mix of hundreds of tiny people. There you are searching the page aimlessly, trying to pinpoint the man in a red and white stripped shirt, wearing a matching hat and oversized glasses. Once your eyes spot the target, you realize that he stood out the entire time, you just didn’t notice him right away.
Just like you have trouble finding your perfect job, employers also have trouble spotting their perfect employee.Every year, thousands of college students search frantically for a job upon graduation. What makes these potential public relations practitioners stand out from other applicants? While employers have the tedious job of searching through thousands of candidates to find their perfect Waldo, there are things you can do to make yourself shine.
The first thing to do is perfect your resume. Make it stand out and catch the employers’ attention. Just think, employers receive tons of resumes a day. Separate yours from the mumbo-jumbo stack they receive daily.Know the mistakes people make on their resumes that annoy employers.
Remember, you’re just as good as the next applicant, but make sure your resume is professional. Spelling and grammar still count. If employers see one spelling or grammar mistake they will toss out your resume so fast it’s like seeing a perfect baseball pitch thrown straight into the strike box.And please, willwork4food@yahoo.com is not an appropriate e-mail address.
Once you get the interview, research, research, research. I have been told many times that if I want to stand out I need to be prepared and do my research. Before sitting down for your first interview with a potential employer, know your stuff.Research the company. Know it like the back of your hand. Google the company to see what publicity and recognition it has received. Acknowledge their achievements in the interview, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you take the time to know the company, then the company is one step closer to finding Waldo.
A tip I’ve learned is to not only research the company, but research the person who is going to give you the interview. If you find interesting things about them you can bring it up during the interview. This helps breaks the ice and also shows that you really know your stuff.Another thing to remember is to always strive for perfection. Not to sound like the Army, but be all you can be. Don’t show a potential employer B work. Present your portfolio as the best work you have ever written because you only get one shot, two if you’re lucky, at your dream job.Looking for a job is a scary process. Sitting in front of an individual who you have never met, staring at your every move, every word and every gesture is not always comfortable. However, you may meet some pretty interesting people and get a taste of what certain companies are looking for in a potential employer.
To get all the practice you can, interview with a company you know you would never work for. The pressure is off, and you can practice for the job you have wanted since you were 10. Still go to the interview prepared, ask questions and blow them away. You might even surprise yourself.Remember, not only are they interviewing us, we are interviewing them.Like the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” So get out there and practice until you’re ready to become the Waldo your dream job didn’t know it was looking for. Good luck.
By Carly Smith (Published Nov. 9 2007)
Landing an Internship 101
Brace yourself internship deadlines are coming.
While most college students are preparing for finals and end-of-semester projects, journalism majors are busy updating their resumes and polishing their cover letters.
For the vast majority of students, November marks the last full month of classes. But for some, it means that application deadlines for landing a good internship for the upcoming spring semester is only a few weeks away.
For many aspiring journalist and public relations practitioners, internships are an essential part of getting a decent job right after graduation. In a career where experience and work samples often overshadow one’s GPA, landing a good internship can get very competitive.
There are a number of different ways that students can navigate their way through the challenges of securing an internship and separate themselves from their peers after graduation.
Here are a few tips that can help make the process of getting an internship a lot easier:
Make sure that you network
We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.”
This is something that is often overlooked by most intern-hopefuls when turning in their resumes. It is a valuable tool that you need to remember when applying for an internship.
It is up to you to put yourself out there.
Befriend and introduce yourself to as many professionals in the field as often as you can. Shake their hand, give them your name and if appropriate, get their phone number or their email address to stay in contact.
Alumni often come to visit their schools as guest speakers to talk about what it’s like working as professionals in their field. More often than not, they also come to try and recruit people to come work as interns in their organizations.
Being proactive is something that a lot of employers look for in applicants. Even if they aren’t looking for interns at that very moment, you can at least make it known that you are interested in working for them. When the time comes, you would have already gotten the opportunity to speak to them. Hopefully, you’ll be someone they’ll remember when going through resumes. This will give youan edge over your competition when the time comes.
Be active on social media
We are in the midst of the Digital Age. Having a presence on social media platforms or within the web in general, is something that you always need to keep in mind—especially when you’re thinking about a career in journalism and PR.
Make sure that you regularly engage in social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. But keep in mind that future employers will look at your accounts, so make sure that you conduct yourself in a professional manner when posting content. If you need to, make a separate social media account that is strictly for professional use.
Suggestions:
- Twitter is a great platform to network and engage with professionals from your field. Retweet them, post stories they write, engage with them in conversations about your profession.
- Share work samples like feature stories, press releases and newsletters you’ve produced on Facebook and Twitter to show or create the impression that you have an audience and following.
- In addition to Facebook and Twitter, make sure that you post your work samples on LinkedIn. Keep it updated as often as possible. You never know when employers look at your LinkedIn profile. It is also something that can be easily available to show to employers when they ask for a resume.
- Learn how to create a website resume. User-friendly website generators are available online that allow people with no prior web design experience to create aesthetically pleasing and professional websites.
At my desk at the Sacramento Bee, where I held a 10-week internship this summer as as sports writer.
Treat yourself as a brand
Think of it as you being the product and your future employers are the consumers. Why should they buy what you’re selling?
Dress in appropriate attire every time you have to meet with someone who you want to network with. Be conversational and friendly but not inappropriate when talking. You want to look friendly and approachable, but you don’t want to come off as unprofessional. During an internship, you will be in a workplace working side-by-side with your employers on a daily basis. You want to be seen as someone who is fun, or if nothing else, tolerable to work with in a confined space for at least 10-weeks.
Produce content that you are proud of. You will share work samples online that employers can see. Make sure that anything you create will impress them and make them want to hire you. Don’t share content online that could seem like it was created last minute. Always put forward your best work.
Keep in mind that every time you network or post something online, it is a representation of you. Take pride in yourself.
By Jose Olivar, Editor