We are lucky as Iowa students to have a WHOLE WEEK off for thanksgiving break, so here are some PR related ideas to fill up some of your downtime over break:
- Check out PRQuickStart.org – This is a free online program that will help you get more acquainted with the public relations field. Try to complete the entire program over break; it shouldn’t take too long and might even be fun.
- Set up an informational interview – Try getting in contact with a company or agency in your area and see if they will let you come in for an informational interview. This is a great way to learn more about a company you might want to work or intern for in the future.
- Start a Twitter account – If you don’t already have a Twitter account, break is a great time to start one up. You’ll have plenty of time to tweet new content every day and work on building your connections. If you already do have a Twitter account, make it your goal over break to get retweeted by a professional in the PR field.
- Perfect Interview – If you have a webcam or can borrow one from a friend, practice your interview skills with the Pomerantz Career Center’s Perfect Interview program. When you get back from break, you can set up an appointment with a career advisor to go over your interview. It is never too early to start practicing for interviews, and this is an easy and free way to start.http://www.careers.uiowa.edu/perfectinterview/
- Volunteer – Check out your local food pantry or crisis center and see if they need any extra help during the week. Holidays are often the busiest time of year for these organizations and they will most likely need extra volunteers. This will look great on a resume and will also help you build connections.
- Blog – Come up with a blog entry about anything you are interested in whether it is related to PR or not. If you don’t have your own blog, post it to the PRSSA blog by contacting Kelly Trettin. Employers are looking for social media savvy students to hire, and blogging is a great way to start.
- Watch the American Music Awards – The AMA’s will be on ABC on November 22nd at 8/7c. Pretend like one of the performers, announcers, or winners is one of your clients; after the show, write a press release for him/her. Yeah, it sounds silly and won’t be published anywhere, but it will give you some practice writing press releases. Use the template we received from Karla Stevenson at our press release workshop and get creative.
Have any other ideas of fun, PR related activities to do over break? Feel free to leave your own ideas in the comment section!
Kelsey Thortsen – Finance Director