Dream Job

Dream Job

Amanda Miller

I always thought that I would have plenty of time to look for a job and find the perfect match for me. Now as my college days are coming to an end, I'm starting to realize that I do NOT have all the time in the world. Starting a new life as a young professional is an exciting but scary time in one's life. I just hope I find the best job for me. 

I have always been interested in international pr. Ever since I studied abroad at Middlesex University in London, I've wanted to work and live abroad. I recently applied for a work visa for the UK with a company called BUNAC. It is a company that supplies work visas to newly graduates and whom want to build a life in the UK. Luckily enough, I received my acceptance letter along with my work visa in the mail in February. 

I have been doing research and I am very interested in a firm called Weber Shandwick. It is an international pr firm based in London and it would be my dream to work for them. I also like a pr firm called Fleishman-Hillard. They are based in the U.S. Their offices are located in New York City, Dallas, LA and other major U.S. cities. It would be wonderful to work for a company that has branches in the U.S. so I could be transfered with the same firm once my visa has discontinued. My future is bright. I hope I can find my way!

This Is My Dream Job

This Is My Dream Job
By Holly Jones

Music has always been my passion. I remember purchasing my first album when I was very young. After high school I worked at a music store and know about music, songs, and artists you’ve probably never heard of. I loved it and would eventually love to work in the industry. This semester, as the pr coordinator for the Norman Arts Council, I have gotten a little taste of that industry. The NAC has been planning a music festival that will take place Saturday, April 26, in downtown Norman.

I have been working as media relations director, marketing director and have been working with a team of pr students from OU who have helped me with some of the responsibilities. As well as another individual who has experience working with bands and promoting a festival.

Today my team and I were calling the media to find out their interest in the festival. We wanted to know if they would need passes, let them know what times certain bands would be doing interviews and let them know the guidelines for media the day of the festival. We also were calling the bands promotional contact. Since most of the bands were local, it was usually someone in the band. But, I called The Polyphonic Spree and that made my day!

My internship with the Norman Arts Council has been the perfect job for me in PR. I absolutely love the two ladies I work with, the office always has interesting art on the wall, I get paid to promote the arts and best of all the dress code includes jeans!

Wimgo.com and Fowler Auto Group present the first annual Norman Music Festival to be held from noon to 11:30pm on Saturday, April 26, 2008. The festival is free and open to the public and will take place on the 100, 200 and 300 blocks of historic Downtown East Main Street, east of the railroad tracks in the Arts District. The Polyphonic Spree will headline the event along with The Octopus Project, British Sea Power, and a reunited Chainsaw Kittens.

Life After College

Life after College
By Ashley Rahill

With graduation rapidly zooming into view, it has become apparent that there is life after college. What a tragic reality. It seems like yesterday I filled out my college applications, moved into the dorms and attended my first class. I cannot believe I am a senior graduating in less than a month! Getting a job scares me more than anything I can imagine, so law school is the natural alternative.

Throughout high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in law. When I enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, I had no idea which major would best prepare me for such a goal. However, I had spoken with several practicing attorneys, and they all offered similar suggestions: Choose a major that develops your writing skills. One piece of advice led me in the direction of public relations: you should simply pick a major that you will enjoy. From the beginning, I had no intention of pursuing a career in public relations, but the field itself fascinates me. Public relations is fast-paced, exciting and requires excellent writing skills. It has been a perfect solution for me.

This semester, I was accepted to the University of Oklahoma School of Law where I will spend the next three years of my life. The last couple of months, I have begun to contemplate what type of law I might specialize. I have heard numerous times that not having a distinct area of interest when beginning law school is okay, sometimes even preferable. That’s great for all the other students in my class, but I prefer to have a concrete objective. So, in all of my frenzy, I have been researching various types of attorneys.

Just last week, I came across a website for communications lawyers. This type of attorney typically represents clients who need help with cases involving the communications industry. They are also concerned with the regulation of radio and television broadcasting to ensure satisfactory service. Wow, what a novel idea for someone with an extensive communications background! It would be hard not to retain at least some communications skills after spending four years studying public relations.

Bottom line: I will continue to hone the exceptional writing and communications skills I have acquired from my public relations background, and I will certainly put these abilities to use in whatever area of the law I choose to pursue.

The Job of My Dreams

When I was a little girl, my parents always told me that “when you grow up, you can be whatever you want to be.” Although this is true in our country, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to eventually get the job you have always dreamed of. As I am nearing the end of college, I am now faced with the reality of finally deciding exactly what I want to do. With a degree in Public Relations, I feel like there are so many opportunities for me in the real world. There are many different types of PR to choose from and many other jobs that are related to the field of PR.

There are actually two different types of public relations that I am considering: sports PR and PR in non-profit organizations. These two fields of public relations are very different from one another, but they are the most interesting to me.

I have always dreamed of working for a sports agency because I grew up in a family that loves sports. I actually held a job here at OU my freshman and sophomore year at Sooner Sports Properties. I got to help with some game-day operations and work in the suites at the football games. Sports have always been something I have loved, especially all OU sports, so my ultimate goal would be to hold a job in the sports department at OU.

The other public relations job I am interested in is non-profit organizations. I would love to give back to a non-profit agency such as the United Way or Habitat for Humanity. Going to a job every day where I feel like I am making a difference in the world would be an amazing feeling. I know the money for non-profit is not that great, but that is not important to me if I am fulfilled with what I am doing.

Hopefully in a couple of months when I am looking for jobs, I will stumble upon a great job in either a sports agency or a non-profit organization. Right now, either one of those would be the job of my dreams.

Campaigning For Not-For-Profit

Campainging for Not-For-Profit

Leah Parker

Our group, High 5 PR, was assigned to work with a Norman youth organization called Bridges, formerly known as ILSY for our PR capstone class at the University of Oklahoma. ILSY stands for Independent Living Services for Youth. Bridges is a nonprofit organization, in Norman, Oklahoma, with many volunteers and donors throughout the Norman area dedicated to serving students without a home. The organization is funded by United Way and additional funding is provided by community donations.

Throughout the semester High 5 PR has worked with this organization to create a new name and to spread the word of this organization around Norman area. The former name, ILSY, was hard to say and hard to remember. The organization’s board wanted something easy to remember, a name that conveyed a strong image and respectful for the students within the organization.

High 5 PR is working with two other groups, as well, to suit the needs of Bridges. Each group has done extensive research to come up with the new name and find better ways to promote the organization. High 5 PR performed focus groups and distributed surveys to our target audience, which is young business professionals. One specific task our group had was to recreate the Career Coaching brochure. This is one of the many perks that the students receive at Bridges. The students are paired up with a business professional to help them set goals after graduating high school. This includes finding a college to go to, choosing a degree and finding further guidance for the students to get on their feet.

We are now entering the last few weeks of class and our preparing for our event. This event will reveal the new name Bridges and provide Bridges with the opportunity to get this name out to the community. This event will take place Wednesday, April 23, 2008. There will be a media conference and then the actual event open to invited members of Bridges.

High 5 PR will present our camapain to judges on April 30, 2008. We will present to them what we have done and executed throughout the semester and what the results were.