The Job of my Dreams

The Jobs of my Dreams

By Kelley

Bennett

For the past two summers I have had the most incredible experiences interning for companies I have admired for many years. Two summers ago I interned at an NBC station in Tulsa called KJRH. I worked in the promotional/creative services department and loved every second of it. Since it was the summer of the 2008 Olympic Games and NBC airs the Games, I was in charge of creating an Olympic media kit to send around to the other media outlets. I also had the duty of writing almost every

press release that summer. It was a fantastic first internship and I learned a great deal about media public relations.

This past summer, I had one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I got an internship at Warner Brothers Studios in Los Angeles. I worked in film development in the production side of film. It wasn't necessarily a public relations internship, but I learned a lot about a

career I would love to pursue. Everyday I read scripts, helped on movie sets, and got to roam the Warner Brother's lot (my personal favorite activity). Not only was it a blast, but I got such great experience being on my own, maneuvering an unfamiliar city, and most importantly, gained fantastic networking skills.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to work in some form of media. I have always loved all aspects of film, television and entertainment in general. I knew that I had to do something that encompasses my passion. I'm so happy that I have gotten to experience these great internships. Internships are key to finding the job of your dreams and gaining real-life experience.

Helpful information that I have found to be useful:

Find what you love: I have always been known as a big dreamer; when I get an idea, I run with it. When I discovered my love for film, television and entertainment, I knew I had to make a career out of it. I used every resource and skill I had to land dream internships. If it weren't for my perseverance and my so-called "big dreams," I would have never gotten these incredible opportunities.

Never give up: In the particular field of work I have chosen to try an go into, I need to learn how to handle rejection and keep dreaming. One of the many things I have learned through working in media, is that it is extremely cut-throat and a tough profession to break into. At the same time, however, we must all learn to not take things too personally. If anything, learn from the rejections, mistakes, etc. and try even harder. Never be afraid to keep dreaming.

Network, network, network: Networking is essential in all aspects of finding a career. I've had three internships while in college and two of those internships have been results of contacts I have made. I toured the KRJH station in my earlier college days and asked for a business card. I immediately went home and sent an E-mail to the promotions director; in return, I landed the internship. My Warner Bros. internship was made possible through a contact I made while interning at KJRH. Do whatever you have to do to make your dreams come true. If you know someone that could be helpful, never be afraid to ask for their help.

Photo is from my personal files.

PR Professionals in the News Room

PR Professionals in the News Room

By Kelley Bennett

Two years ago I had the priveledge of interning at KJRH 2NEWS in Tulsa, OK. I interned in the promotional/public relations department and had an absolute blast! I worked for a woman named Samantha Knowlton. Sam was a great influence in my PR life. She adores her job and really taught me a lot about public relations as it relates to the media.

Sam is the Public Relations/Promotions coordinator at KRJH and has been working at the station for seven years. She attended the University of Tulsa and got her bachelor's degree in English and communications. When Sam was in college, she interned with a local television station in Denver and knew she had to work in some form of media. When she graduated college, she got a job working in public relations at a small newspaper in Colorado. Although she loved that job very much, she wanted to get back to Tulsa and really focus on getting a job in television. She has been working in public relations for a total of 11 years and says she has loved every minute of it.

On a daily basis Sam can be innundated with many tasks. From writing press releases, to tracking audience viewership, to planning on-air promotional appearances, Sam does it all. She actually assignment me a press release while I was interning with her that was eventually picked up by the Tulsa World. One of Sam's favorite aspects of her job is planning the promotional events. Every year, KJRH teams up with Make-a-Wish and publicizes the applicant's send-off party and their "wish." Sam loves the creative aspect of getting to plan the parties and work one-on-one with community.

Sam's job covers all areas of public relations and Sam says she's lucky she gets to do so many different activities so she isn't sitting at a desk all day. She loves being surrounded by the creativity of working at a television station. "There is always something to do and always something that needs to be done," says Sam.

When I asked Sam what her best piece of advice was for future PR professionals, she told me "to always follow your heart and do what you love to do." She says she is so lucky to have found a job that allows her to express herself and her creativity. She also said that as a PR professional, it is important to stay on top of your tasks because PR professionals usually have a lot on their plate at one time.

I had a great time interning with Sam two years ago and it was great to catch back up with her over the interview. I would love to work in television PR someday and she taught me a lot about what it takes to make that happen! I'm thankful for the opportunity to get to work for such a talented practioner.

Photo courtesy of KJRH.com

Graduating Student Seeking Employment in Public Relations

By: Jayse Nelson

With the end of the semester coming to a close my thoughts of life after college have begun to consume my daily life. I have visited The University of Oklahoma’s career service Web site and their office. I have searched Craigslist.com and different hospitality and non-profit career search engines. However, my efforts are not yielding satisfactory results.

I feel like every position I look into is seeking someone with experience of more than 1 or 2 years. I have had experience in Public Relations, but nowhere near 1 or 2 years worth of experience. During my first PRSSA meeting my freshman year of college, I was instructed to get at least one internship before I graduated. I did get an internship. In fact, I had two very good internships. However, both of my internships were only for the duration of the summer and one of them was shortened due to my prolonged semester abroad.

Adding to the stress of finding a job is the recession our country is currently facing. According to information I’ve recently discovered, PR professionals need not to worry about employment possibilities. This is true, if the individual has sufficient experience and skills that can set them apart from the pack. Last year, Time magazines ranked PR jobs 19th on their list of recession proof jobs. In 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is still hope for us graduates seeking employment in the PR industry. Of the 243,000 PR jobs in 2006 the majority were in service providing industries mostly in major cities. Although there is a high rate of job competition in this industry, the BLS states that college students with a degree in PR and work related experience should exceed the competition. Maybe there is still hope for me to find a job after May.

Whittney Beech, Public Relations Manager

By: Leah Packard


Whittney Beech is the public relations manager at First Fidelity Bank. Although she has been working with the company for less than a year she already has many responsibilities but loves the fast-paced nature of public relations. “Every day is different, something that I love about PR,” Whittney said. “I usually handle all of my e-mail in the mornings, hold or attend meetings, move to event coordination in the late morning, copy editing and writing in the early afternoon, and any budget items in the afternoon.”

Whittney advises public relation students to really focus on what you like about public relations when choosing a job. “Every job is different, so know what it is you will be doing before you accept a position,” she said. “If you don't like media relations, don't take a job that requires you to go on camera. If you don't like event planning, don't take a job that has more of a marketing focus. Just know what you want and find a job that compliments your style.”

She also has some words of wisdom for upcoming public relations specialists based on her own experience. “One thing I wish I knew before starting out in PR is that although you may have a great idea about how to handle a public relations situation, someone you work with also has a great idea,” Whittney said. “Counseling in PR is not like counseling a friend going through a difficult time, you have to build trust and report with those you counsel before it can be effective.”

Whittney believes that public relations is already such a versatile and changing field, but the future will being even more technology and social media into the field. “Public relations is absolutely headed towards social media,” she said. “Over the next twenty years, PR will become extremely focused on reaching audiences through social and interactive media. Though this trend has already started, PR professionals must become well versed in social media strategy and language to achieve success with younger generations.”

Sports PR Today

by Callie Cady

Jason Rademan has been the Director of Media Relations for the Dallas Stars since the 2002-2003 season. He graduated from Penn State University in 2000 with a Bachelor's in Kinesiology.

Rademan's background includes an internship with PR department of the Orlando Magic, followed by a graduate assistantship with the athletic department at the University of Oklahoma. He then worked as an intern with the Dallas Stars PR staff for a year before being hired full-time. As a full-time employee he started out as Manager of Media Relations and Team Services until last summer when he was named Directorof Media Relations.

The Typical Workday

Gamedays start at 7:30 am, getting the game notes, clips, stats and roster sheets prepared for that night's game. Rademan covers the morning skate, handles all the media requests for the morning, then heads back to the office. He gets to the arena again by 4:30 and handles another round of interviews in the afternoon before the game begins. Rademan also runs the press box during games, moderates the intermission (or bench) interviews, and then does the same after games. After the last of the media is gone from the locker room, he types up a set of postgame notes that are sent via email to all the local media. On non-gamedays, Rademan covers practice, works on the game notes for the next game, handles interview requests and plans for the rest of the homestand/road trip.

Advice for a Graduating PR Student Who Wants a Sports Career

"I think it's very important to get any kind of experience you possibly can in the sports field, to network with those you work with and to always try to get the job of the person immediately above you on the totem pole. Any and all experience is valuable, any and all contacts you can make in the industry are more valuable, and you should always want to be doing more within the framework of your particular team/department/company."

-Jason Rademan

The Undecided

The Undecided
By Sheila Frazier

Graduation is a mere 4 weeks away, and when someone asks, "what are you going to do next?" I have no answer. The logical choice would be to go into PR, since I am getting a degree in it, but the more PR classes I take, the more I dislike it.

Originally, I wanted to become a meteorlogist. After one semester of college, I realized my problems with math were going to plague me and my chances of achieving that goal. I was advised to try something else, and I went to PR. I am not bad at it, I just do not like it. Maybe it will be different in the real world, but I want to keep my options open as much as possible.

After graduation, I will have to remain in the Oklahoma City metro area due to the fact that my husband is in the Air Force and is permanently stationed at Tinker Air Force Base. He still has 3 years to go (because he signed up for 6). Unfortunately, at the time of my graduation, he will be deployed to Ecuador. Once he is done with his service, we are planning to move back to southern California (where he is from). Until the move, I plan to use my time by finding different jobs and new options. Hopefully by the time we move, I will know what I want to do, and California will host more options for me.

Dream Job? Yes Please!

Dream Job? Yes, Please!
By Michael Maldonado

As graduation creeps nearer and the job search becomes increasingly daunting, I have to ask myself one thing. “What do I really want to do with my life?” There are so many decisions to make and so little time to make them in. I have several immediate options that can assure me food on the table and a roof over my head. However, I’ve never been a fan of taking the easy way out. I want a career in public relations and I want to start it right away.

The easiest option would be to move back my home town, The Colony, at an all-inclusive resort known as Chez Maldonado where my mother is the landlady. I could have a job as a sales associate or possibly a manager position at one of the many north Texas branches of my current employer. As much as I’d love to be a townie and have my mother know my exact location at all times, I have my sights set slightly higher.

I want to be a global citizen. My dream is to work for an international public relations agency or organization that will take me around the world. I want to see how other people live and be forced to learn at least two more languages. When I have not been studying or working this semester I have been exploring how I can get a job in the United Kingdom. The process is actually a lot more difficult than I had imagined.

In order to get a work visa in the United Kingdom, an American has to have an employer sponsor them for the visa. However, most of the time a company does not sponsor people who are not European Union nationals unless they are already staying for an extended period of time. The next best thing for a graduating student to do is to get a temporary six-month working visa through a program called BUNAC. This looks to be the route I will be taking.

In my fantasy, I will make it to the UK by March or April of 2008 with my BUNAC visa and a couple thousand British pounds (which is a couple-couple American dollars). I will have a place to stay with one of the many friends I made during my year abroad in Sheffield. If I must I will get an immediate but temporary position at a GAP in the city I am living in. After a few weeks I will use my two advantages, geography and a well-tailored CV, to get a job with a PR agency that will sponsor me for a 2-year work visa. This company will be pretty notable and have several international offices.

I will then work my way up the PR ladder. After a few years, several PR publications will do feature stories on me and the way I revolutionized the world of branding and consumer PR.

Sounds pretty simple, yes? I will hopefully update everyone in about 10 years from my chateau in Paris or my villa in Barcelona.