Posted on Mon, Jul 19, 2010
Notes from the Intern's Desk:
By Darcie
Online portfolios have become increasingly popular among college students and professionals. They’re great tools for all majors including journalism, public relations, graphic design, biology and more. Everyone has work to show, whether it’s a design portfolio, public relations campaign, magazine spread, thesis paper or lab experiment.
If you’re looking for the easiest and cheapest way to create an online portfolio, then check out http://carbonmade.com/. This website features more than 220,000 online portfolios. The free option (called “Meh”) allows you to upload five projects and 35 images, as well as create a profile with your picture, your contact information and your biography. The best part? You determine your web address at carbonmade.com. I would recommend your name; for example, mine is http://www.darcieguilbert.carbonmade.com.
If you don’t think “Meh” offers enough room for your work, then check out Carbonmade’s “Whoo” option. It allows you to upload 50 projects, 500 images and 10 videos, including Flash. This costs $12 a month, but it also includes tech support and other features.
For those of you who are Mac users, you’re in luck. You automatically have the iWeb program on your computer. iWeb is a simple website design application. The interface is user-friendly and allows you to upload images, videos, text, blog and podcasts. The only downfall is you have to find your own web hosting site. MobileMe is most compatible with iWeb, but Justhost.com, iPage, HostMonster, GoDaddy, Yahoo, Google and BlueHost all work, too.
Now that you know where to start, check out this great article from Smashing Magazine http://bit.ly/jMlPM to help you develop the content of your site.
While online portfolios are a terrific tool, they should not replace traditional physical portfolios (especially when going for an interview). Having your work present gives the interviewer the option to ask questions about it and for you to answer.
What do you think of online portfolios? Do you have one?
Posted on Tue, Mar 23, 2010
By Ben
On the job hunt for an entry-level PR job?
To both the chagrin and excitement of college seniors, graduation day is almost here. While the transition from college to working full time is tough, I’ve learned a lot. For those hopefuls looking to land a job in public relations, here’s some advice to help you prepare for your first job.
I graduated from BC in the spring of 2009 and started my work at Metis in November. I’ve worked consistently since the age of 13 and am certainly no stranger to hard work. My past job titles have include cider presser, swimming and canoe teacher, prep cook, restaurant gofer, after school teacher, barista, Resident Assistant, diversity consultant and more. All of these jobs have granted me insight into the working world, customer service and some areas of marketing, nowhere have I learned more about PR, online marketing and social media than at Metis. With each day, I strive to make what I am learning more actionable to further improve the quality of my work and optimize my day.
So, what are the Metis lessons from my first four months and how can they help you?
1. Write everything down - documenting every conversation and saving every e-mail ultimately cuts down on so much confusion in the long run. You never know when you are going to have to re-access information. Make sure it’s saved and organized.
2. Ask questions, ask questions and ask questions - Ensuring you understand every aspect of a project gives everyone the results they want, passes the time and makes it more fun. Asking questions is not irritating. It only shows you care and are trying to better understand your job.
3. Learn how to say “no, but…” - If you’re overwhelmed by what you have going on in any given day, don’t be afraid to say no to a new project. Just be sure to find out if what you’re doing is a real priority so you can help identify the best course of action for getting the new task done.
4. If you make a mistake, own it, fix it and move on - Mistakes happen. Getting wrapped up in defending yourself only makes things work. Figure out what went wrong and how to fix it ASAP and learn from that. Agencies have a short memory for mistakes… as long as you learn from what happened.
5. Build your network - Networking offers a great venue to expand your social and professional circle and there is nothing better than having another person you can call who will deliver advice when you’re in need.
6. Get into the habit of bringing lunch - Ok, so I am still working on this one. Eating out every day is not only a waste of money and time but it get’s repetitive. Even with so many restaurants in the South End, you quickly realize there’s only so many ways to make a sandwich and a debit card is not the same as having a meal-plan. Skip it and pack bag that lunch.
7. Listen to everything that goes on in your office - No, you’re not trying to become a mole. However, your coworkers have rich experience. Simply listening to how they handle a call, interact with a client, or run a meeting grants you so much insight into how to improve what you do.
8. Be diligent about reading up on industry news - Keeping up-to-date on news going on in your industry requires a lot of front end investment but offers a major reward. Reading daily identifies leads and allows you to creatively tackle any project.
9. Keep a list of daily responsibilities, set reminders and jump in- Sure, looking over the “to-dos” at the start of the day can be overwhelming. Yet, once you begin, everything takes less time than you would imagine. That’s why reminders are vital. It’s only when you let something drop and work begins to add up that you become overwhelmed.
While constantly implementing what I’ve learned is a challenge, it’s one I’ve become passionate about doing on a daily basis. Keep these in mind and you are sure to see a huge return on everything you do.
Want to learn about some other skill sets that will make you successful? Check out Dave Fleet’s great blog post, 14 Key Skills & Attributes For New Public Relations Professionals.