DePaul University's PRSSA in Chicago, Illinois hosted a two-day regional conference called "Transforming Traditional into Digital: The New Ways of PR", and I jumped at the opportunity. At this conference PRSSA members from all over were invited to come and interact with real professionals and gain advice and knowledge from their experiences. The first portion of the conference consisted of students visiting various agencies in downtown Chicago such as Ruder Finn, GolinHarris and Ketchum to name a few. I had the opportunity to tour GolinHarris and really enjoyed it. This was my first time visiting a PR Agency, and from the looks of GolinHarris, agency life is something I think I would really like. I thought it was so neat how laid-back and eccentric the atmosphere was, something I never knew before experiencing it first hand. After our tours, a young professionals panel was held which was extremely insightful. The night ended with a social at a local pub where everyone was able to get to know one another in a more relaxed atmosphere. All in all, day one was fabulous!Day two of the conference was spent at DePaul soaking up all the information I could get from the Keynote Speaker. Rick Murray, President of Edelman Chicago, spoke with us about his past experiences and current career at Edelman. Mr. Murray is as professional as they come, so any advice or suggestions he made I was sure to instill in my memory for future reference. One tip he gave the audience that has stuck with me since is to "be obsolete, stay smart, and be willing to change".
I have found myself so consumed by social media lately. Consumed in a very good way. I love it! I feel there is always something new to learn which keeps me interested and on my toes! Because of my interest in social media, I was excited when it came time for the seminar sets. I was signed up to sit in on the "McBrand in Social Media" presentation given by, Joe Curry, Social Media Manager of Global Web Communications at McDonald's Corporation. Mr. Curry spoke with us extensively on how McDonald's as a corporation handles its image and values through social media. He also explained that having a good framework is essential when managing a corporate brand through social media networks. McDonald's successfully accomplishes this through:- Listening to their customers
- Planing
- Engaging
- Measuring
Finally, a job fair was held for students interested in internship opportunities to come and interact with organizational representatives from fifteen different organizations. Having such an extensive list of professionals to talk and exchange information with was so exciting and I am very grateful I was able to attend. Physically handing my resume and business cards to the professionals that were at the career fair felt so good! My goal is always to stand out on paper and in person and I felt like I did that not only during the career fair, but throughout the entire conference. What a way to gain practical knowledge and experience right? Thank you DePaul University PRSSA! Great conference!
