A collection of important things I learned in Professor Barbara Nixon’s PR class.

By: Meghan Spillers

MY TOP 10 LIST FOR INTRO TO PUBLIC

RELATIONS

NUMBER 1: COMMUNICATION

Communication is extremely important in Public Relations. It is essential for PR pros to work together and make sure to stay on the same page during projects.

In class, we learned to how interact in groups and discuss our ideas together.

It is always good to learn how to communicate with people who are different than you are.

NUMBER 2: INTERVIEW TIPS In class, we

discussed several “Dos and Don’ts” of interviews.

Always dress professionally. Appearances matter!

Make sure cell phones are turned off, not on vibrate.

Do your research before the interview.

NUMBER 3: RESUMES When putting

together your resume, it should not be more than a page long.

A good resume could win you an interview with a possible employer.

NUMBER 4: NETWORKING We created Twitter

accounts for class and were opened up to a whole new world of networking.

It is important to make and maintain good connections in public relations, so start early!

NUMBER 5: ETHICS In public relations,

you should always keep your ethics in mind when making decisions.

Good PR people will always follow the Golden Rule to love your neighbor as yourself.

NUMBER 6: NEWS RELEASES We learned how to

write news releases which is one of the most important tactics used in PR.

You should use the inverted pyramid style of writing when writing news releases.

CHAPTER 7: INTERVIEW WITH PR PROFESSIONAL One of our

assignments in class was to interview a person in PR. By asking questions, I was able to find out information first hand from someone in the business. It was an extremely helpful assignment!

NUMBER 8: DEALING WITH CRISES

PR people must always be aware of anything that could possibly damage their client’s name.

In class, we discussed the Domino’s video where employees were unprofessional and the negative effects that resulted from it.

NUMBER 9: RESEARCH It is very important

for PR people to do careful research in planning campaigns.

For example, in WKRP’s “Turkeys Away” episode, their campaign failed due to their lack of research on the subject.

NUMBER 10: THANK YOU NOTES I learned in class

that we should ALWAYS send thank you notes after interviews, even if you do not get the job.

It is important to let the person know you appreciated the time they took out of their day to speak with you.

ONE LAST THING..

Professor Nixon’s class has taught me more things than I could possibly list in a Top 10 list. I came into this class not knowing much about public relations, and now I have a better understanding of the business. Thank you Dr. Nixon for making our Intro to Public Relations class enjoyable!