PRSA 2008 International Conference in Detroit

by Adam Denison, PRSA New Pros, Director-at-Large

At the risk of being accused of self-promotion here, I wanted to alert everyone to a post I wrote yesterday for PRSA's new blog, ComPRhension. My post is all about the great city of Detroit and things we have to offer for this year's International Conference.

But this post is not merely an effort to get everyone over to read my post, but rather a chance for me to find out more about your feelings about PRSA International Conferences. How many of you have attended either a PRSA or PRSSA International/National Conference? Are you going this year? If you have attended, when and where? What was most beneficial about attending? If you've never attended, what stops you from doing so?

My first conference was the PRSSA 2006 National Conference in Salt Lake City where I served on the planning committee. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet other PR students from around the country as well as get advice from many PR professionals. In fact, I actually got my current job at GM because of my attendance at the Conference! They were there recruiting interns and I was able to secure an interview with them. I wouldn't have had this chance had I not been at Conference.

I also attended portions of last year's PRSA Conference in Philadelphia. This time around I was a "professional" PR practitioner so I had frequent opportunities to network with many people from diverse backgrounds.

I'm a huge advocate for attending PRSA International Conferences, but I wanted to get your take. What do you think?

Back with blogging

by Adam Denison, PRSA New Pros, Director-at-Large

Hi everyone! Welcome to the official PRSA New Professionals blog. We’ve had a bit of a hiatus here as we’ve made the transition from the 2007 executive committee to this year’s committee, but we’re back now.

My name is Adam Denison and I’m serving as this year’s director-at-large. I will be coordinating the content for this blog, so I would love to hear from all of you as to what topics you would like to see discussed here. Hey, maybe some of you might even be interested in writing up a post or two for the blog! Gotta build that portfolio, right?

There are a number of resources available for you to become more acquainted with what we do at New Pros, and how you can you get the most out of your membership. Some of the resources include:

* Quarterly New Pros newsletter
* Monthly e-mail blasts
* This blog
* New Pros Facebook group
* The PRSA New Pros Web site

Additionally we will also host a number of teleseminars directed solely at us, the new professionals in public relations. The PRSA New Professionals teleseminars will open a flood gate to industry news and announcements and access to what a new professional will need.

That’s it for this post. We look forward to hearing from you, so submit a comment here or get involved with the Facebook group. Till next time!

You Have An Attitude Problem!

Has anyone ever told you that you have an attitude problem right to your face? What about behind your back?

According to a report done by 60 Minutes, "The "Millennials,” the generation born between 1980 and 1995, are today “taking over” corporate America with an attitude." Employers are talking and what they are saying about us isn't good. While we apparently run back to mommy and daddy's house we also have no problem demanding an answers that please us says this report. Some even feel that "You do have to speak to [the Millennials] a little bit like a therapist on television might speak to a patient…You can’t be harsh. You cannot tell them you’re disappointed in them. You can’t really ask them to live and breathe the company. Because they’re living and breathing themselves and that keeps them very busy.”

How many of us "Millennials" out there really feel this is true? I would classify myself as a go-getter, a multitasker and someone who is very respectful of the older generation whom I put effort into learning from. And, to boot, I would say that on most days I certainly do live and breathe the company I work at.

It's nice to know that all they can talk about it my bad attitude.

Read more of "their" opinions at: http://templewest.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/60-minutes-discovers-young-professionals/

It Is About Building Relationships

There are many things in this New York Times article, "Young People Plug Into Politics" that raised my eyebrows and made me nod my head up and down but the one thing that touched me the most is the observation made by Barack Obama when he said "It is about building relationships." This is so true!
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-usa-politics-youth.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
As a young professional entering the workforce this life lesson was one of the first I learned. Building relationships with your boss, your vendors, your colleagues and your peers is one of the most important things you can do to further your career. It is also about building the right kind of relationships. You know what I mean here. I was never more surprised than I was when I observed the adults that I worked with acting like high school students.
The one thing Obama left out is that it is about building relationships with the right kind of people. Spend the time to get to know your mentors and your role models and spend even more time staying away from people who are nice to your face and nasty behind your back. A life lesson learned like this is worth getting a refresher course on every once in a while.

What Makes A City A Hub?

There any many cities out there that are headquarters to recognizable companies, the home town of popular food chains and the hub of all the action. And, there are some cities out there who aren't known for any of this? So, what makes a city into a hub?
I believe that it is the energy, drive, passion and curiosity of a young professional that makes one city over another a hot spot for hubs and start ups. I think any city who is smart enough to engage their young professionals in community involvement and education is setting themselves up to reap the benefits of that fresh and young entrepreneurial spirit and poof! That city become a hub!
Okay, okay, I know it is not as simple as that. But, how young were Ben and Jerry before they became Ben and Jerry? How old was Nantucket Nectar Tom and his partner before that exploded? Now, these hometown cities can't get enough association with these companies. It can be easily summarized that it is the young professionals that play a large role in making a city a hub and thereby putting that city on the map. How is that for power of the age?

Enough of Social Media!

I for one am sick and tired of reading article after article about social media and Web 2.0. Isn't there anything else to write about? I know! I know! Here I go with my article about the very same things I gripe about.



I see comments, articles, features and blogs about social media twice a day or even more. OK, I get it. This topic is timely and interesting (to some), obviously. However, as a long time user of the tools of social media myself I am tired of reading about how this "new revolution" is "the best thing to happen to PR" or "the worst tool for those silly young professionals who will never have the wisdom and knowledge of someone my own age" or even how hard it was to get signed up on Linked In for the first time user.



The only thing that keeps my eyes on those articles these days is to see who wrote the article, how old they are and what their opinions are. I bet you can guess which ends of the age spectrum are more for or against social media. So, because of this snooze fest I challenge people out there to write about something else for goodness sakes but if you must write about "the social media phenomenon" write about the possibilities and what social media can do for the PR profession, the Internet or bridging the gap between generations.

Brand Yourself

Blogger, Penelope Trunk makes a valid point, you can only depend on yourself, in her blog, Three Steps To Building Your Brand.

Today young professionals are given more creative freedom, more responsibility and even more room for fast advancement but there is definitely not anything I would call job security. That is why it is important to build your own individual brand. I heard about this "personal brand building" in college but couldn't really grasp at its importance until now. Apparently I am not the only one who believes in this method of self-protection in the work force either.

Check out Penelope's blog and start building your brand today because you can't be guaranteed your job tomorrow.

http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/careerist/45655;_ylt=Ar79BaOJepkvwU87Oy0GImC7YWsA