When you think about what you are going to do after you finish your undergraduate, graduate, or even PhD 🙂 – do you see yourself continue to grow as not only a human being, but as a scholar? This is one message I have already been communicating with my students in my Principles class – once you leave and finish your degree in college, that does not make you stop being a student. Public relations professionals have to be life-long learners because our field is not only constantly changing, but it is good for us to keep up with what is happening within society, business, and in our own discipline. If we start learning and growing ourselves, how are we going to effectively pass along our knowledge to the next generation of scholars? Not easily – so that is why we as public relations scholars have to continue to grow as well.
One of the things that I have encouraged in my own classes is that you may not like the new technology that is out there or particularly use it, but you need to be aware of it and understand how and why it is being used. For example, I have a class Twitter and Facebook page for my class this fall, and it has been a great tool so far to share and ask students questions on what they are looking at in terms of public relations. There are some very good points and suggestions from other professors on how to use these social media sites effectively, including Twitter.
Another great resource for professors and students to look at is the Social Media for PR Class by Dr. Corinne Weisgerber from St. Edwards University. There are many good resources for public relations professionals and researchers to implement social media into their PR classes. From ranging to how to create a social media resume to establishing a personal learning network (PRN – great idea and suggestion for students!), and how to blog and use Twitter effectively. I particularly liked the PRN exercise for students to use – it is important to figure out who people are looking at for key information like social media influencers, journalists, blogs, and other media sources in the field. Not only that, it is a great way to network with others online and possibly talk about future job opportunities and establish long term relationships. Thank you for sharing this with the PR and social media community, Dr. Weisgerber! 🙂
In summary, in order for public relations education to continue to evolve and grow, professors and others have to embrace new technology and bring it into the classroom and tie it in with the classic literature and framework already established in Public Relations. We need to make sure that we are not only preparing our students for the real world, but they are on the same page or even better than the other students coming out at various public relations programs. We are living in a tough economy right now, and people will be going after the same positions, and the ones who are skilled and knowledgeable about this new technology and can use it proactively and truly understand it – they will get the job.  There are of course some things to consider and look at when you are looking at these internships and whether or not social media skills are essential. What I have told my students and others is that the more skills you have to offer, the better of you are going to be.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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