Real World PR 2009

Everyone says college isn’t quite like the “real world.” To give soon-to-be public relations professionals a taste of the real world, Georgia’s Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) chapter hosted its annual event, Real World PR 2009, last Friday.

As a participant, I was given the opportunity to attend four break-out sessions, have my resume critiqued, network with numerous professionals, meet students from other schools, visit recruiters at a career expo and mingle with PRSA members at lunch. Wow—all that and I got to miss class! 🙂 

But, honestly, every minute between my 4:30 a.m. wake up call and the 5 o’clock traffic on the way home was both educational and enjoyable. Below are a few of my favorite lessons from throughout the day:

• The one social media tool that advanced the most because of the 2008 campaign is Wi-Fi. Without 3-G networks, it would have been a very different campaign. –Impact of Social Media on Politics panel
• TV used to be considered a lean back activity while using the Internet was considered a lean forward activity—now, society is rocking back and forth, using the Internet while we watch TV. –Impact of Social Media on Politics panel
• Have an “elevator speech” and practice it! Be ready to give it to anyone, anywhere, anytime. –Make Yourself Marketable panel
• Think of an interview as a conversation! –Make Yourself Marketable panel
• Research, research, research—companies you want to work for, that is. –Seal the Deal: What You Need to Know to Land the Job panel
• It’s important to understand how media outlets work to understand why they publish the stories they do. –Media Relations panel
• If you can’t explain what your story is in 30 seconds or less, it’s not ready to pitch! –Media Relations panel
• Know what’s going on in the news and make your story relate to the national trends but with a local angle. –Media Relations panel
• Persistence pays off. –Travel, Tourism and Hospitality PR panel
• PR doesn’t stand for public relations, but personal relationships. –Travel, Tourism and Hospitality PR panel

In the conference program, the coordinators state that the goal of the event is for students to “enjoy today, make contacts you can use throughout yours career and leave as excited about working in public relations as we all are.” Job well done, PRSA Georgia, because I can say with confidence that statement is 100 percent true for me! 

Clear the way!

No more waiting in never-ending security lines for some travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Last month, Clear was launched at the world’s busiest airport.

The high-tech Clear cards allow passengers to easily and quickly pass through security lanes.  The most emphasized benefits of the new option are that it saves time, alleviates stress, maintains security levels and enhances the overall travel experience. Members pay an annual fee of $128 for this luxury.

Many local officials have praised the advancement.

“I’m pleased to see that this increasingly busy international airport is initiating the fast pass security lanes which will make flying out of Atlanta more efficient while maintaining the security of our airlines,” U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss said.

And, the technology is projected to decrease wait times by “up to 30 percent,” Congressman Lynn Westmoreland said.

For a frequent traveler, especially a business traveler, this seems like a great investment!

To enroll in the Clear program, passengers must visit www.flyclear.com and then visit an enrollment center. At that time, they will provide personal identification information, fingerprints and iris images. Noticeably, they go above and beyond the normal registration measures, but that helps ensure the security level at the airport is not compromised through this innovation.

While this technology was first introduced three years ago, the local Georgia residents and travelers have just begun to reap the benefits. I believe it will prove to be a great selling point, especially for business meetings, conventions and trade shows.