Media Morgs

college, internship, life, PR, Public Relations, school, student, toronto

April 9, 2012

Life as a Healthy Publicist (yes, it IS possible!)

For those of you who don’t know, I lead another blogging life on another little platform called Tumblr. There, I blog about weight-loss, healthy eating and my attempts at becoming a fitter, stronger, and healthier version of myself.

One of the trends that seems to be common in PR is the fast pace of the industry and the ever-changing daily schedules of publicists, and as someone who’s done it before as a student working at the Toronto Zoo, I know that healthy, active lifestyles ARE possible in PR – you just have to be committed.

I am far from a poster girl of fitness and health. One look at me and you’d probably smirk at the though of me offering health advice, but don’t let my non-super model figure fool you! I am a fitness girl in training and have picked up a few tricks of my own along the way to becoming not only a publicist, but a healthy and fit one too.

Think of your commitment to healthy eating & fitness as a relationship in of itself. Treat it the same way you would any relationship – make time for it, reflect on it, recognize what’s working and what’s not working, and be willing to change your approach every now and then. Sometimes, we’re stuck with very few alternatives or solutions to eating or finding time to exercise, but let’s be serious – we’re in PR. We can handle anything.

My top tips for staying on top of your health? Read on…

1. Prepare your food for the week ahead on Sunday night!

Sunday nights are the best time to gear up for the week. Prepare all of the basics, from boiling a carton of eggs to barbecuing or baking a bunch of chicken breasts, to separating snacks into easy-to-grab portions and mapping out a meal plan for the week. If you’re in PR, you probably work best with some kind of plan in place, even if you know it’s never final. It will save you so much time and energy during the week and you’ll thank yourself come Friday night!

2. Educate yourself – be a label expert!

Some days, we’re stuck without our food from home, whether we’re travelling, at an event or something came up. Knowing what truly is healthy, whole food and how to read a label is one of the best tools you can have in your healthy-living toolbox. You’ll be able to make an educated decision on what to eat and stay on track.

3. Schedule in gym, running and grocery shopping dates.

Clean Eating Magazine (amazing recipes!)

Plan ahead (it’s what we’re built to do) – once grocery shopping or working out is in your calendar like any other meeting, deadline or coffee date, it’s practically written in stone and you won’t schedule anyone or anything else in over it (unless it’s some kind of crisis).

Little things like walking to work, ditching soda and drinking at least 2 liters of water a day, and getting enough more sleep will also help you be the best publicist and person you can. It’s so important to manage our health and treat our bodies right, even if we are all in PR and running around like chickens with our heads cut off sometimes!

My bible! Image Source.

For more resources or info on the eating plan I follow (The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno), check out some of the links below.

Eat Clean Diet

Oxygen Magazine (also great recipes and workouts)

-morgs

Life, PR

advice, communications, eat clean, fitness, health, PR, Public Relations

April 2, 2012

Work & Love – Can it Really Work?

I love lots of things. My family, my boyfriend, my pets, my friends, and my work. Let’s face it – PR and me are a match made in my own little heaven. I’m lucky to have found something that makes me so happy at this age.

Something I’ve noticed in meeting young pros like myself, specifically women, is that their dedication to the field leaves their social life and relationships in the dust as they fall lower and lower down the old priority list. I can honestly say I’ve felt this with my schooling, and I’m genuinely concerned that once I start my summer internships and, eventually, my first full time job, I’ll experience the same thing with my boyfriend.

On the flip side, I am still a hopeless romantic and will tell you I truly believe relationships and friendships can work no matter what, as long as you make them a priority. It can be tough, but it’s so important – so here are a few little things I recommend as a young pro to make sure you don’t totally lose your head!

1. Schedule dates and hangouts in like you would anything else! – This is my ultimate trick for anything (especially the gym!!) as once it’s penciled in my agenda, there’s no turning back. Pro: You have guaranteed non-work time once it’s put it writing, meaning you have something to look forward to! Con: This really only works as long as things are planned in advance. I reeeally don’t like hearing about parties or being asked to do something at the last minute, simply for this reason (it throws everything off!).

2. When you do notice some free time, choose to either spend it alone or with your spouse/partner. – This is a bit of an exception to the last minute deal. If you find you’ve got a Friday evening and no pressing work, see if your partner might be interested in watching a movie or grabbing a drink. Nine times out of ten, they’ll be up for it and you’ve got yourself some quality time with your loved one!

3. Take up a hobby with your friends or partner. – I go to the gym with my sister about three times a week, I go to cadets with my boyfriend and also try to run with him. Having non-work related ways to fill your time with a hobby that requires a partner or can be shared is a great way to stay on top of your relationships. It gives you time to catch up with the other person and avoid thinking about your work.

It’s so important to stay on top of your schedule and leave room for your loved ones. They make everything a little less crazy and way more bearable, and most importantly, help to relieve stress. Go make a date with your boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend/any friend NOW!

-morgs

Just Talk

college, PR, Public Relations, relationships, student

March 25, 2012

Vacation Time – Yay or nay?

You’re probably thinking, “Is that title seriously even a real question? You always say YAY to vacation time!” Trust me, I know – everyone needs a little time off now and again to kick back, relax and sip on a drink (or five) at the beach.

Here’s my question, though -

Can an intern or part-time employee afford to take a long vacation? Are they even able to?

You see, last summer when I worked at the Zoo, I was expected to work every weekend. We were entitled to one weekend off for the summer (You could split it up as one Saturday and one Sunday, which is what I did) and that was okay – but it really had its disadvantages. I missed out on many camping trips, weekend nights out and family gatherings, but in return I had an incredible work experience in my first PR job.

Additionally, every part-time job I’ve ever worked had no sort of vacation-time rule in place – makes sense, of course, but as the weeks go on and my unpaid summer internship approaches, I have to wonder what kind of policies are in place. Now, by no means have I made some ridiculously long trip plan for the summer – I fully expect to be a little work-a-holic – but I do know of at least one trip I’ve been asked to attend for supervision purposed (my other life as a cadet officer) over a long weekend, and I have to admit I’m terrified to bring it up.

Thinking about all of this got me wondering what is normal for an entry-level professional (intern or paid employee) to ask of when it comes to vacation time. See, established pros in the industry can get away with take a week off in the summer, or they have specific vacation day guidlines to follow so they can get away from all the madness. In many cases, they don’t have a choice!

During my short, short time in PR and after many meetings with more seasoned pros, I’ve learned that starting out, you have to show you want to move up and you’re prepared to work your ass off, no matter when or what the task may be. Believe me, I’m ready to enter PR with this attitude, but let’s face it – I’m only human! I have a breaking point just like anyone else, and sometimes I need to step back in order for my brain to continue functioning properly.

For what it’s worth, here’s my two cents:

Starting out in PR, if you want to go far, you have to be prepared to make some sacrifices (just like anything else). Just like giving up cookies and chips to lose weight, I’ve had to give up some pretty huge parts of what used to be my social life and deal with more outgoing money and less incoming money. I’ve had to schedule in dates with my boyfriend, family gatherings must be planned weeks in advance, and I simply cannot change plans at the drop of a hat anymore. My priority is establishing myself in PR and landing a kick-ass job, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there, even if it means going without a legit “vacation” for who knows how long. Instead, I find time to do little things for me (like running, going to the gym and making small dates with my boyfriend) to keep sane and always have my end goal in mind to keep me motivated.

-morgs

college, intern, internship, PR, Public Relations, student, vacation

March 19, 2012

25 Things You Should Know About Word Choice (via TerribleMinds)

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/03/06/25-things-you-should-know-about-word-choice/

Great, funny read. Love it!

Just Talk

writing

March 14, 2012

Facebook: To delete or not to delete?

There’s been a trend lately in my peer group that I’m finding rather intriguing…as we’re all entering the work world, some are trimming down their Facebook pages, ridding them of embarrassing pictures, or “purging” their friends lists. Others, though, have resorted to completely deleting their pages. I haven’t personally taken it that far – but I have to wonder, is it worth it?

See, during my time at Durham College in the PR program, I’ve learned what it means to manage your “personal brand” and “online presence.” At the start of the year, I did a little spring cleaning on my Facebook page myself and got rid of silly photos from high school and did a friends list purge. I’ve been very particular about what I post online since, and I made sure my privacy settings were at their highest. I’ve also been mindful about what I tweet, comment on, blog about, and so on, all in an effort to create the personal brand I hope to achieve.

A personal brand goes much further than who you are online, but these days it’s a pretty big part of the whole package. Therefore I’ve pondered whether or not to delete my Facebook page myself – then I remember all of the friends I have from all over Canada and the world that I use Facebook to keep in touch with. It’s also a great way to reach a lot of people at once for get-togethers and whatnot, and for me, it’s a way to keep memories of friends of mine who have passed away.

I don’t think I’ll be deleting my Facebook anytime soon, but I totally get where people are coming from when they decide to pull the plug on the social network. If you’re like me and your not ready but you know your page could be under scrutiny during your job search, stick to a few personal rules to make sure everything is PG-13!

1. Proofread your posts – Silly as it sounds, it’s really important to do this if you’re trying to convey a smart, professional image. I’m not saying stick to grammatically correct and formal language all the time, but definitely watch for silly spelling/grammar errors (I’ve posted before on how important it is to use the right they’re/their/there, you’re/your, and so on…) even though it’s your personal pages. Twitter is a bit of an exception because of the 140 character limit, but you should really only need to make one, maximum two spelling adjustments to make a tweet fit. Anything worth saying can easily be said in 140 characters.

2. Post only what you’d want the entire world to see – This goes for updates, tweets, blog posts, and most importantly – pictures. Everything you put online is forever and fair game for the entire world (at least, think this way and you’ll always be safe). There are days I’d love to post a really passive aggressive updates when I’m in a foul mood, but the better part of me says don’t bother, so I don’t. There are things that are best kept for your close friends and family in real life and just not worth putting online, so save the photos for your personal files on your computer from last weekend’s bachelorette party and keep your bad days to yourself.

Mashable shared an interesting case study last year on a Facebook experiment, where the person deleted their page to see how it made them feel and what would happen. Check it out here.

Social media and the online world is tricky – be smart with it and it can stay fun & productive for your personal brand!

-morgs

advice, college, communications, PR, Public Relations, social media, student

March 13, 2012

Strengths & Weaknesses: Know them!

As I continue my search for an internship and prepare to enter the world of professionals, one question that always pops up in any ordinary interview is one I know well, and I bet you do too.

“What would you say your biggest weakness is?” (It’s usually followed up with/goes hand in hand with what your strengths are too).

I'd say he looks pretty strong. Image Source.

We all know the right way to handle this one – “Just pick a weakness that’s secretly a strength! THEY’LL NEVER KNOW AND THEY’LL THINK YOU’RE SO CLEVER!”

If only that were true. I’d be lying if I said I can’t help but pick something that comes across as a positive in interviews anyway, but it raises an important topic entering whatever field you may be starting out in, and that is you should know yourself well enough to name off your strengths and weaknesses without any hesitation.

My strengths? Writing. Working under pressure/on a deadline (I swear). Public speaking.

My weaknesses? Organization (I prefer to call myself a functioning, chaotic, scatterbrained fool – my life is a series of handwritten to-do lists on long post-it notes). Design (not that I’m bad at it, per se – I just wouldn’t go calling myself a graphic designer). I over-commit (Again, I swear).

You see? Some of these things are genuine strengths and weaknesses, and I know myself well enough that I’m prepared to back myself up when asked about them. I truly do perform better when it’s getting down to the wire – my brain shifts into a mode I can’t seem to get into unless the pressure’s on. I’m terrible at organization, but I’m at a point where I’ve figured out how to cope with my disorganization that I’m chaotically organized – and I’m prepared to explain to a potential employer exactly how I do so, and why it’s working for me.

Everything I can name off as a strength or weakness, I can follow-up with proof of some form (writing samples, speeches I’ve written and effective speaking competitions I’ve won, results I’ve produced with little time to spare) that it is in fact a strength or weakness, and I think that is key when going after a first job. I think knowing what you’re good at gives you an advantage, because when that next question – “What can you bring to our team?” – gets thrown out there, you know exactly what to brag about and why. It’s also helpful when you’re learning, because as tasks are assigned to you, you know when to throw up a white flag and say “Hey, I’m really not that good at this yet. I could use some serious help or a bit of training on this.” I think this shows employers that you know who you are, and gives you an opportunity to truly maximize any internship or first-job experience.

Success Kid is my favourite meme. How motivational is he?! Image Source.

So, do yourself a favour, be a little critical, and make a list of your top strengths and weaknesses, and attach some reasons/examples as to why you’d call them that. It will help you walk into interviews with more confidence and you’ll be an expert on you!

-morgs

advice, college, communications, internship, internships, interview, PR, Public Relations

March 5, 2012

The Search for an Internship

Ah, summer internships. The final piece to earning my diploma, the ultimate work experience…the bane of my existence.

Since last December, I have been officially on the hunt for my summer corporate placement in order to finish my diploma and legitimately call myself a PR Practitioner. It’s been quite the experience, and through the interviews, resumes, portfolio work and research, I’ve learned that it’s important to remember a thing or two while you’re looking.

First – decide if you’re going to go agency or in-house. The research and work you’ll need to do prior to asking for the interview will be very different, so do your homework and see where you want your first work experience to be. I personally want to go for an agency, so I made sure my portfolio was diverse and I researched the clients the agency had listed that I really wanted to land a placement with. I know other girls in my program who wanted to go in-house, so they tailored their portfolios to the places they wanted to end up and did extensive research on their PR departments.

Image Source

This leads me to my next point – ensure your portfolio is filled with solid work and shows a wide variety of examples that are proof you can do it all! From critical paths to writing to design samples, your portfolio should have it, but ensure it’s all your best work. More importantly, make sure they’re pieces you can segue into if you’re asked a question. Did you plan an event? Whip out that critical path to show you have excellent teamwork skills! Get published in a magazine? Show em’ that article when they ask if you’re comfortable with Canadian Press style. The portfolio is like the perfect accessory – not the focus of the complete package, but it certainly makes you look that much better. (Side note – if you have an online portfolio, make sure you leave a link behind. Business cards with QR codes are starting to surface – an idea I LOVE!)

Image Source

Additionally, remember to look the part. One of my idols, Kelly Cutrone, always says you have to fake it ’till you make it (but that will only get you so far.) In the cadet program, we always tell our cadets that if they want that promotion, they need to start acting like the rank they want. To land the position, you have to prove you deserve it and can handle it. Granted, the employer isn’t expecting you to go in and know the job inside and out – it’s an internship because you’re learning. With that said, you should at least know enough about the company that you can confidently speak about their clients, and you should know what their every day work clothes look like so you can dress the part for the interview. Be confident and have an answer for everything, and you’ll walk away feeling good about how you presented yourself (even if the job doesn’t work out).

Finally, it’s important to make sure the placement feels right for you. You might apply for something, go for the interview and nail it, but then walk away feeling a little off about the whole experience. Personally, I think life is too short to give time to things that you don’t feel good about, so make sure what you’re going for is something you’ll really enjoy.

I have yet to get the placement I’m really hoping for, but I felt good about the interview and the writing tests I submitted – so here’s hoping.

Happy Internship Hunting!!

-morgs

P.S – Check out Intern Queen – it’s an American site, but the blog is good & she’s got a book out now!

communications, intern, internships, kelly cutrone, PR, Public Relations, school, student

February 28, 2012

Information Interviews

She's so happy!

Image Source.

Now that I’ve had the opportunity to do many Advice from a Pro posts over the last ten months, I’ve learned a valuable thing or two by completing a few information interviews. They’re something that my profs didn’t really start mentioning until this year (and there I was thinking I was doing something really different), and I’m really glad I started to do so many, as I’ve benefited from them in a number of areas.

So, why are they so great? Let me count the ways…

1. Networking (kind of an obvious one) – Reaching out to pros in your field simply to talk is an amazing way to put yourself on their radar. It’s one thing to network at an event or by volunteering somewhere, but it’s a whole different experience when someone gives you a half an hour of their time dedicated to you and any questions you have to throw at them. You have a chance to show your personality, ask really tough questions (the kind that make them remember you), and get to know them better. Not only this, but once you’re connected to them, you can find all kinds of people in their networks to talk to – I don’t know how many people I’ve followed on Twitter because I knew they were connected to someone I’ve met, and I can safely say all of my Advice from a Pro guys/gals are well within 6 degrees of separation from each other.

2. Practicing your speaking skills! – Before I went into PR at school, I could proudly call myself an effective speaker when it came to getting up and delivering presentations. Put me in a group of strangers to mix and mingle though? That was a different story. I’ve gained a lot of confidence during my time as a PR student, and part of that has been because I’ve forced myself out of my comfort zone to sit down with strangers and ask them questions, all in the name of blogging. I didn’t know it when I started, but since I’ve been interviewing pros, my one on one speaking skills have improved immensely – something that’s pree-tty important in public relations.

3. The information itself – duh! – Of course, the best part about information interviews is all the amazing information and advice you get from the people willing to make time for you. You can ask the silliest questions and you will get real answers that you don’t always get in a classroom, and that’s the kind of info that is invaluable when starting out in any field. At the end of the day, most, if not all, professionals want to see the youth moving up the chain in their field do well and succeed, so they’re happy to give you the ins and outs of what the real world has to offer when it comes to being a pro.

Information Interviews are well worth the time (and money, if you’re travelling to see people) if you can arrange them and I highly recommend them for any new professional, in any field. Be curious, ask tough questions and be yourself – I promise it will pay off somewhere down the road!

-morgs

Advice from a Pro, PR

college, internships, networking, PR, Public Relations, students

February 21, 2012

FGI Branded!

Last week, I had the opportunity to volunteer at an event hosted by Fashion Group International, which was a presentation from Lori Schafer, co-author of Branded! How Retailers Engage Consumers with Social Media and Mobility.

The book has been featured in/on outlets including CNN, NY Times, Businessweek, NPR, CBS MoneyWatch, Bloomberg. Lori Schafer is the Executive Advisor for Retail at SAS Institute (where the event was held) with 25 years experience in retail.

The event was a good old fashioned networking/professional development style evening, and my volunteering duties including helping to set up & serve food to guests. I haven’t had the opportunity to volunteer nearly as much as I had hoped I could this school year, so I was really glad to get out and give some time to meet new people.

Those are my hands. And my gross fingernails...

The event was on the small side, with about 60 people in attendance. It started out with the networking/food & wine, and then everyone filed in to the presentation room at about 7 p.m. for the presentation to begin.

At that point, I was invited to grab a seat and watch the presentation. I sat down and listened to the first bit of the presentation and watched as Schafer began to discuss social media and mobility in the retail world. It was something I haven’t had the opportunity to explore very much – how smart phones and social media play a role in retail specifically.

I was able to enjoy only the first part of the presentation, as I had to get my tired little self back to Oshawa in time to get to bed (I’m secretly an old lady) so I could be up in time for school the next morning. The parts I did see, though, were very thought-provoking and opened me up to a side of social media I personally haven’t explored yet, since retail isn’t a huge focus for me at school. Understanding where it fits in a customer’s experience is definitely a new question I have on my long list of things I’m just generally curious about, and I’m hoping to explore some more events that might be related to it to check out in future.

Overall, I enjoyed the night for meeting some new people in PR/Marketing in Toronto and finally getting my butt out to volunteer this year. As my year starts to wind down and the focus at school is shifted to finding a placement, I can hopefully attend more events like FGI’s Branded! event and learn a few things along the way.

Branded! can be purchased on Amazon, or check out the website here.

-morgs

Events, PR

communications, fashion group international, networking, toronto, volunteer, volunteering

February 14, 2012