Brand Development. Media Relations. Graphic Design.
Having a strong resumé is imperative in today’s competitive job market. As you prepare to enter the working world it is important to have a professional resumé that will help you stand out among the other job candidates. The following infographic provides key resumé tips.
Written by Tara Holliday, general manager.
by Erin Wylder, Assistant Account Executive
California’s drought deficiency has had me in a steady state of anxiety for well over a year now, and things aren’t looking any better. Growing up in Northern California I have always been able to see our water sources first-hand. I’d see water flowing downriver driving up to South Lake Tahoe and when I’m enjoying boating on Folsom Lake. Now, all I see on trips to the lake is stagnant water with ever decreasing levels. Some people think the situation is helpless, but there are always ways to conserve water.
Turn off the water when you brush your teeth
It seems obvious, but I see so many people run the water while they aren’t even using it! It drives me crazy. When brushing your teeth, rinse the toothbrush, turn off the water, dab the paste and start brushing. Only turn the water back on when it’s time to rinse again. Simple right? Apparently not enough people think to do it, so check out this short tutorial by Thames Water for more insight. The same goes for doing dishes, turn off the faucet in between scrubbing plates and it can save gallons of water.
If it’s brown flush it down, if it’s yellow let it mellow
I’m sure most people know exactly what I’m referring to, but I’ll go ahead and elaborate. Try not to flush the toilet if you don’t have to. Did you know that every time you flush a toilet it uses anywhere from 1.6 to 7 gallons of water depending on the model of the toilet? So unless you need to drop the kids off at the pool, try to avoid flushing.
Leave the ‘Wash Me!’ sign on your car
I love my car and it kills me to see it covered in dust, leaves and bird poop. But it hurts even more to use water to wash something that doesn’t really need it. There are conservative ways to wash a car, for example, fill a bucket up with soapy water, hose it down, scrub and rinse. But this is only necessary when your car is looking desperate for a wash.
Create a song queue for your showers
After a long day, a nice relaxing shower can be just the thing you need. But keep it to a minimum. Dilly dallying in the shower is a huge waste of water – get in, wash up, get out. I like to pick out two songs that run for a maximum of 10 minutes. That way when those songs are over, I know it’s time to turn the shower off and hop out.
It might seem like a lot of inconvenient sacrifices, but when everyone does their part it truly makes a difference. The WREC saves over 19,000 gallons of water a month by stopping the distribution of towels. Desperate times call for desperate measures and right now California is definitely in a time of desperation.
By Julianna “Jane” Eveland, Assistant Account Executive
As college students, many of us are unfamiliar with the concept of personal branding.
However as graduation approaches and the job hunt begins, it becomes clear that having an established personal brand is crucial in differentiating yourself from the competition. It is a combination of who you are as a person and who you are professionally.
Your personal brand can be worth just as much as skills and experience on a resume.
Be true to who you are.
The first step of establishing a personal brand is knowing yourself. Embracing your quirks and differences is key because each of us has the ability to bring something new to the table. Think about all the aspects that make up your personality. What are your passions or hobbies? Stay true to yourself and hold yourself with confidence. This can make all the difference when networking and interviewing for jobs.
Know your values and beliefs.
Whether it’s having a strong work ethic or believing that everyone’s ideas deserve to be heard, know what your core values and beliefs are and stick to them. Your morals are an essential part of your personal brand because they affect decisions you make, both in and out of the workplace.
It’s not just who you are in a professional setting.
Personal branding includes your appearance and behavior in the office and out on the town. Believe it or not, the way you carry yourself outside of work impacts your personal brand, so it is important to always represent yourself in a classy way. This also includes posts and pictures on social media accounts. Before you post, think about if your future employer saw your Facebook or Instagram pictures. How do you want to portray yourself?
Show your personality and sense of humor on social media.
We have all heard that it is necessary to have an active social media presence when applying for jobs. To make your profile stand out against other post-grads, show your unique personality wherever you can. Have a witty and creative bio summary on LinkedIn. Post thoughtful and relevant information regularly on Twitter. Show that you are engaged in the industry that you wish to be hired in. But remember to always make sure the content you post is appropriate and tasteful.
Have a solid elevator pitch.
Whether you’re attending a career fair or a job interview, you need to be able to sum up who you are and why you’re worth hiring in a minute or less. You may need to practice your elevator pitch to make sure you get your main points across. This will be the first impression you give to potential employers, so it is paramount that you sell your personality and skill set as much as possible.
Photo credit : Daryl Scott
by Diana Gallagher, assistant account executive
One of the key things I have struggled with while attending college is budgeting. At the start of the month I feel like I have enough money to last, but then two weeks later I am wondering where my money has gone and how I am going to make it to the end. I bet everyone has been in this struggle at one point or another. And the areas in like that take our money vary from person to person like clothes, groceries, or eating out too much.
Below are a list of tips that have helped me with managing my budget and helping me save some cash here and there:
Tip 1:Realistic About Your Budget
Start by focusing on how much money you are going to have for the month. Then figure out how much you are willing to budget per each spending category like rent, groceries, bills, restaurants, clothes, etc. This helps to give you an overall idea of the budget you will be working with for the month or year even.
Tip 2: Guess High for Expenses
Doing this will give you wiggle room later on during the month. For instance, you thought you were going to have to pay $60 per week for groceries but two of the weeks you only spent $40. So that extra crash can be used for another category or put into your savings.
Tip 3: Always Keep Your Goal in Mind
Whether that goal is to save for a place after college or just to save for a trip coming up, it is always good to keep a goal in mind. This allows you to always be aware of your spending and keep you on track so you don’t accidently go roaming through a clothing websites and buy 5 different scarves just cause you can.
Tip 4: Cant Keep Track of Paper, Use an App!
The need to save every paper receipt and to store them somewhere sounds impossible and just annoying. Plus nowadays nobody goes anywhere without their phone so why not use an app. An app that I use to budget my expenses and love is Mint. This connects with your bank account and breaks up your expenses into categories. You can set the amount you are willing to spend in each category and Mint will alert you when you are getting close to passing that limit. It also allows you to get savings goals for yourself. Overall it is really easy use to use and designed beautifully.
For more info on the app:
Tip 5: Minimize Your Plastic
The amount of credit cards you can open nowadays baffle me. Whether it is through your bank or at one of your favorites stores the possibilities seem endless and all to tempting. The best thing you can do is minimize the number of cards you open because managing all those various accounts can be confusing and lead to forgetfulness.
Tip 6: Stuff Happens!
Above all never forget that life is unexpected and that if your bust your budget on something that you really wanted to do that week it okay, just make it up next week!
I know once I get out of college the need to budget will be that much more important because bills and expenses that I haven’t even thought about now will become apart of my life. So think ahead and master the art of budgeting because money makes the world go round!
by Rachel Frazer, graphic designer
When it comes to the professional world, confidence is key. Successful people will tell you to have a confident handshake, a confident gaze and to dress like a confident business person.
If you do all these things right, you will come off as a confident person. But if your confidence is a façade, it can only last so long.
In my six weeks of being an account executive at Tehama Group Communications, I’ve learned you must have inner confidence before outer confidence can flourish. “Fake it ‘til you make it” doesn’t actually work when you are trying to lead a team of people who count on you to call the shots.
I have always thought of myself to be a self-assertive. Yet when I began my internship at TGC, I found that I was doubting and second-guessing myself. The time came for me to be a leader and suddenly that confidence was gone.
My confidence had never really been put to the test before. A firm handshake and a great business outfit got me through the door, but the rest was up to me to prove my self-assertiveness. From the first week of my internship to now, I’ve learned a lot about how to maintain my self-confidence, even when I’m feeling doubtful.
Image courtesy of leadersinhighheals.com
Get organized and take charge.
You cannot be a confident leader if you do not properly plan. When it comes to conducting a meeting, make sure to create an agenda and know what you will say once the meeting begins. Keep control of the conversation. There will be some off-topic comments, but keep control of the tasks that need to be covered so the meeting stays on track.
Connect with your team.
No one wants to take direction from someone who seems disinterested in the people around them. Connect with the people you are working with and establish a relationship in the first stages of a project. Not only will they see you as less of a tyrant just rattling out order but they will be more inclined to churn out their best work every time they’re tasked with something.
Create a power mantra.
I recently started taking yoga classes and made my mantra, “You are confident, strong and centered.” It sounds cheesy, but convincing yourself of your own abilities can have a hugely positive effect on your psyche. Even if you’re not into the mantra idea, yoga classes may help clear your mind, which can also help you steer clear of being an overbearing leader.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
It is good to remember that your confidence can always be improved simply by asking for guidance. Confident people are not invincible, and can still make mistakes.Asking for help is what led me to become more confident in my capabilities as a leader. It reassured me that being a leader is a learning process, that takes time and experience.
by Jane Eveland, Account Executive
To craft the perfect press release, newsletter article or blog post, PR pros must know how to effectively interview insiders. The following eight tips will help you get the most out of your sources, from business executives to eccentric chefs.
1. Don’t limit your notes to a Q&A format.
It may seem logical to write down all of your must-ask questions with three or four lines in between for responses, but this format can limit the flow of conversation. It’s easy to forget about follow-up questions if you’re focused on making your way down a list.
Instead try writing your most important questions at the top of the page for reference. As you interview, note which questions you still need to ask, and work them in when the conversation slows.
2. Be personable.
It can be very awkward if an interviewer asks question after question and never looks their source in the eye. Ask follow-up questions, show interest and if you’re meeting face-to-face, remember to look up often.
3. Establish purpose.
Make sure your source understands the purpose of the piece you are writing. If you hope to capture the personality of a business owner for a feature story, don’t let your source talk finance for 20 minutes.
4. Limit initial research.
PR pros sometimes serve as translators between industry experts and the public. It’s important to have a basic understanding of the topic before an interview, but don’t do too much research.
It will be much easier to decide what information is important and what information needs to be simplified if you come to the interview knowing just enough to formulate effective questions.
5. Hunt down direct quotes.
Direct quotes establish credibility, express personality and add color to written work. Being mindful of possible quotes during an interview will save you a lot of time in the writing process.
When your source says something particularly helpful, interesting or entertaining, glance at your recorder and jot down the time elapsed. This way it’ll be easy to replay that part of the conversation and get a strong, accurate quote for your piece.
6. Get personal-ity.
When writing a piece in which a person is the subject, remember to capture the individual’s personality.
Ask personal questions, get your source’s opinion and, when possible, observe your source’s nonverbal behavior. What are they wearing? Do they have an interesting smile, laugh or habit? Some of the best feature story leads are drawn from personality.
7. Ask for help eliminating jargon.
Save a lot of time translating terms by asking your source to explain industry jargon in common language. Don’t worry about sounding uninformed, and ask a few questions that focus on the general public’s understanding.
8. Observe your subject in action.
When time allows, witness your subject at work. Whether you’re in the kitchen with a local chef or exploring the features of a new tech item, it’s easier to report on what you’ve seen firsthand.
Keep in mind that as you interview, your sources are observing you in action. Consider these tips to improve your interview conduct and impress the people who supply you with interesting content.
By Jessica Barber, Account Executive
College is a stressful time, and anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or superhuman.
Chico State does its best to provide students with resources to help them deal with the day-to-day stress that classes, work, internships and socializing bring.
But then there are those of us who suffer beyond the average student.
Students with anxiety and panic disorders have the added pressure of dealing with abnormal neurotransmitter levels which manifest in increased heart rate, uncontrollable feelings of dread and other unpleasant side effects.
While the general tips and tricks on how to deal with stress may be helpful in some situations, here are some tips for when your symptoms feel overwhelming.
1. Don’t be afraid of mental health days
If you’re having one of those days where your symptoms are out of control, you’re not doing anyone any favors by forcing yourself to work on that in-class project while trying to ignore the fact that your heart is beating a million time a minute and you’re sweating like a sinner in church.
Take a day to yourself to sit on the couch, read a book, cuddle your pet and get yourself together.
2. Trust people to have your back
People are usually more understanding than you think they will be.
If you need to step out of class to get your panic under control or if you need to leave work early because your anxiety is making it impossible to focus, don’t be afraid to let you professor or supervisor know what’s going on.
More often than not they will be more concerned than upset and they will appreciate your honesty.
3. Don’t go cold turkey
Just because you’ve been feeling better doesn’t mean you should stop taking your medication or going to therapy.
The fact that you are able to keep your symptoms under control and function correctly means that the treatment is doing its job. If you feel that you don’t need to be on medication anymore or want to lower your dosage, get off of it slowly.
Taper yourself off over the course of a couple weeks or months and see how you feel before you take the plunge and stop altogether.
Nothing is worse than going through withdrawal on top of your regular symptoms.
4. Know your limits
When I say know your limits, I don’t in any way mean limit yourself.
Push yourself to do things that may exacerbate your anxiety but only to the extent that you know you will be able to move past it.
If you discover that you aren’t able to balance all of your activities, don’t be afraid to take a step back. Step away from some activities and come back to them when you are better able to deal with them.
5. Create a positive environment
This is a key aspect of treatment that is often overlooked.
People are influenced by who they surround themselves with and if you find yourself hanging out with unmotivated, negative people, I can almost guarantee that your motivation and general affect will take a nose dive.
While oftentimes the last thing you want to do when you have anxiety is to go out and meet new people, sometimes a change in your environment and peers is exactly what you need to stay motivated and in control.
Valentine’s Day is truly the most hyped-up holiday by Hallmark. Whether you’re in a relationship, single or dating, Valentine’s Day is just another day of the year. As backward as it may be, single individuals are the ones who seem to put the most emphasis on this holiday.
Singles should remember on Valentine’s Day that love is not just for couples; it is for all of us and we should embrace it! Here are some ways to make this February 14 fabulous:
1.) Spoil yourself or save some money
Since you aren’t spending a dollar on some dude, treat yourself to something really special. This goes for guys as well; being single on this Hallmark holiday means that you don’t have to max out your credit card on a ridiculously expensive gift for your girlfriend, so spend it on an item that you’ve been wanting.
Last year’s Consumer Reports said that the average American spent $130.97 on Valentine’s Day. This amount is said to increase this year. For college kids, that’s a chunk of cash many would much rather save or spend on themselves.
2.) Share the love
Let your close friends and relatives know how much you care about them. This is a day to appreciate the ones around you and really let them know you care. Go to the dollar store and make your closest friends goodie bags of candy, teddy bears and other cheesy crap to let them know they are loved and appreciated! Send your grandparents Valentine’s cards and let them know that they are on your mind. Caring for others on this day will make you feel good about yourself.
3.) Spend time with friends
Get a group of friends together and turn the night into a fun guys’ or girls’ night out. Start out with dinner at a local restaurant and splurge a little. Then, when the check comes, realize you’re only responsible for your portion, a benefit of being single. Plus, you don’t have to share your entree!
4.) Don’t sulk, go scope out the single scene!
After dinner you can hangout with your close single friends who you really care about. But, don’t get too comfortable or plan on vegging out on the couch. No sulking around the house, romantic comedies or pity parties allowed today. Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year, so why not go downtown with your friends and scope out the single scene? All the couples are bound to be cuddled up on a couch somewhere watching “The Notebook,” so there won’t be any PDA or obstacles for you to avoid.
You can turn this holiday of Single’s Awareness Day into Single’s Appreciation Day all by your perspective and how you choose to spend your time.
Finding a carpool buddy for an 8 to 12 hour drive to my hometown, sunny San Diego, was a challenge when I first moved to Chico a few years ago. I was still so new to the town and a majority of my classmates and friends were either originally from Northern California or the Bay Area. Luckily enough, my research on safe rideshare products quickly led me to the solution to all my worries — Zimride.
Zimride is a fantastic rideshare service that uses social networks, like Facebook, to enable real connections between drivers and passengers. Within seconds, I had my Zimride profile connected to my Facebook and a ride posted from Chico to San Diego for a trip home for a warm winter break. Potential passengers were alerted via email about my post and contacted me within hours. It only took a few hours before I found two friendly students who kept me company and paid me $100 a seat for rides to Southern California and back.
Here are my tips for using rideshare products:
1. Make sure to check the driver’s or passenger’s social media
Getting in a car with a stranger is probably against everything your parents ever told you. Make sure you feel totally comfortable riding with this person by scoping out their social media profiles on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter. One of the reasons why I felt so at ease using Zimride is because it requires that users sign up with Facebook because it adds credibility to a profile.
2. Exchange phone numbers and chat before making a decision
You might be too busy packing for the trip to meet in person, but a phone call also helps verify that the driver or passenger is credible. A casual conversation about where to meet up, what kind of music each other enjoys and where to grab a snack while on the road is usually enough to help me decide how I feel about a passenger.
3. Set a reasonable price
We’re all trying to save money here, so keep the prices reasonable. I typically ask for $50-$75 for a ride to San Diego from Chico, but it varies on the cost of gas and how many passengers I have. Zimride usually has a pretty accurate suggested price that most drivers and passengers use.
4. Pay or get paid safely
Ride payouts via PayPal are super simple and safe. Zimride requires that passengers pay drivers through PayPal, which protects them from flaky drivers. The passenger’s credit card is charged as soon as the driver accepts the request and can be refunded if the driver doesn’t show up. Drivers get paid via PayPal one day after the ride is complete.
5. Don’t be afraid to stay in touch
A car ride with a total stranger can sometimes lead to great friendships. Don’t be afraid to stay in touch with your new carpool buddy if they made the ride enjoyable. That driver or passenger will likely be heading to that same destination again, so let them know you’d like to save a seat for the next trip.
Don’t forget to leave friendly feedback! Seeing a thumbs up and recommendation after such a long drive or ride is very satisfying.