I have written on this subject a few times, but I do beleive that one of the roles of a PR researcher and scholar is not only to have excellent research skills and be an expert in their given field, but they also have to be leaders in the classroom as well. We have to make sure that we are giving our students the tools and knowledge about public relations that will best prepare them for their first position and in the workplace. The question that you might be asking is – well, where do we start?
I believe that public relations education is moving in the right direction – we are offering our students courses in the foundations of public relations, PR strategies and management, and research methods. However, there seems to be a missing element to our education curriculum – we discuss how we manage our client’s reputation and branding, but what about our own personal reputation or brand? How can we present ourselves positively online and manage how others perceive us? I have done several guest lectures on this topic, and it is a research area that I am particularly interested in.
Dan Schawbel, who is a leading expert in personal branding, has a web site dedicated to student branding. It is an interactive web site that shows how students – undergraduate, graduate, and even high school students – can manage their reputation proactively and strategically. This site gives you insights from fellow students about their own experiences and what worked for them. From blog posts to videos – this blog is very integrated and user-friendly. There is a lot of information here for students and even faculty.
I believe that this is a very good resource for college students to be aware of. It is important to understand how to manage your presence online and in real life in the most professional manner. However, a good reputation starts with the person. All of the sophisticated branding and reputation techniques and stategies will only work if the person has these positive characteristics.
These are just a few of my thoughts regarding the subject. Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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