THE MEDIUM

Virginia Tech PRSSA | Spring 2015 | Vol. 24, Iss. 2

Photo
of
Spring 2015
Page
2 courtesy

VT PRSSA, The Medium

IN THIS ISSUE:
The Power of a Portfolio
by Melanie Ford, pg. 2
Professionally Branding
Your Social Media Pages
by Chloe Sikora, pg. 3
Member of the Semester
pg. 3
Managing Your Twitter
Presence by Kevin
Williams, pg. 4
Virginia Tech Dining
Services by Shannon
ODowd, pg. 4
Soul Investing by
Gabriela Vera, pg. 5
I Am a Hokie by Rebecca
Robertson, pg. 6
Expert Branding by the
Greeks by Tatum Welsh,
pg. 6
Personal Brands are a
Bad Idea by Sara Lepley,
pg. 7

Professionally Branding Your Social Media Pages

One of the best ways to show your

initiative and hard work is through a
portfolio print or online! According
to the College of Charleston Career
Center, a portfolio is a living, changing
collection of records that reflect your
accomplishments, skills, experiences,
and attributes. A portfolio should
showcase your best not all of your
work to a potential employer and brand
you as a standout candidate.

I received a call from my uncle the other

day and before he hung up, he said, Have
fun, but you dont need me to tell you that
from what I can see. He was referring
to the pictures on my Facebook. I know
many students go home and their family
members comment on how much fun
they are having based on what they see on
their social media pages. If thats what our
family members see, then that is what our
employers can potentially see. How can
we transform our social media image to be
both professional and fun in order to have
an appropriately balanced image for our
elders?

by Melanie Ford

#HokiePR

add your portfolio URL to your LinkedIn

profile and your resume.
So what about client work that should
not be shared publicly online? This is
where a print portfolio comes in handy!

Follow these three easy steps and youll

be on your way to wow-ing an employer
in no time:
1. Start by collecting work that you have
done. I suggest using a folder on your
computer or USB drive. Think along
the lines of writing that youve done
for class, published writing or photos,
layout and design work, social media
analytics, business reports, awards, and
anything else that are you proud of from
classwork or internships. For public
relations majors, press releases, strategic
analyses, and publications are a must.
Your resume bullet points can also serve
as a good refresher on your skillset and
work that youve done.

2015 - 2016 Executive

Committee pg. 9

2014 - 2015 Editor-in-Chief,

Katharina Elberti
Copy Editor, Melanie Ford

Page 3

The Power of a Portfolio

Summer Internships pg.

8

Goodbye from the

President pg. 9

career.vt.edu

2. Select your best quality work and

post it online. Wordpress, Wix, and
Weebly are free, easy-to-navigate sites
for a personal portfolio. Strikingly is
another great one that will create a onepage format for your work. Add tabs
so that an employer can easily navigate
sections of your website. Consider using
Scribd to display documents in a more
aesthetically-pleasing way. You can also

3. Print, bind, and bring it to that

interview. Bringing a print portfolio to an
interview helps employers to visualize
the type of work you could do for them,
and shows that youre not all talk.
I recommend this leather binder from
Amazon for $20, page protectors, and
page dividers. I used an X-Acto knife to
cut openings in the page protectors and
allow the dividers to extend beyond the
other page-protected content.
Be sure to include copies of your
resume in the side pocket, a biography
with a professional headshot for page
one, and a table of contents immediately
after your biography.
When you get to the interview, tell the
employer that you brought your portfolio
to show them some of the work you have
done and ask them if they would like to
look at it.
Another tip is to ask a professor to review
your portfolio a few weeks before your
interview is scheduled. Be sure to attend
our portfolio meeting in the fall where
we will discuss more details on how to
make a portfolio with student examples,
and best of luck!

by Chloe Sikora

1. Pictures from parties are okay; just be

smart about them. Employers are seeking
people that are both social and smart.
Having pictures from parties show that
you have a healthy social life and you
know how to talk to people. However,
employers do not want to see pictures of
you drinking. It is already insinuated that
there may be some activity happening, but
leave that as a guess. Employers are more
likely to hire those with group pictures
at a social event over those who are beer
bonging at a college party.

2. ONLY having pictures of parties

is not okay. It shows you are social,
but only focused on being social.
This doesnt mean start taking selfies
of yourself studying at 3 a.m. to
prove you are a dedicated student. If
you are ever having coffee, reading a
book, or notice scenery, take picture
of that. Mixing up the pictures you
display is important to show that
there is diversity in your life.
3.
Share relevant things more
often. When it comes to Facebook
or other multi-faceted social media
platforms, you have the tools to share
your interests. News stories and
interesting events can say a lot about
your personality. News stories show
that you are well versed and keep up
with worldly topics. If you clog your
page with videos about cats, then
your personal branding will be that
crazy cat person.
4. Watch your apps that automatically
share on your profile. When it comes
to Spotify or other music networks
that automatically post on your page,

be cautious of what is being shared.

If you are constantly listening to
profane rap songs, it would be a
wise decision to hide it from your
timeline. The same goes for Vine
or Instagram videos that may
automatically post.

5. Clean your captions; profanity

is not attractive to an employer. If
your timeline and statuses are filled
with the F-bomb, they will probably
assume that you will carry that filthy
mouth into the workplace, too.
Besides, the potty mouth has been
out of style for some years now.
image courtesy of http://blog.thepitagroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ecard-

Member of the Semester - Sara Lepley

Year and major? Junior public relations and creative writing double major
Why did you get involved in PRSSA? My best friend joined and always encouraged me to go to
meetings. Now I cant imagine a better way to spend a Wednesday evening!
Where do you one day hope to be career-wise? Something that involves writing and ideation. Right
now advertising sounds like a good fit, but ask me tomorrow and I might say something totally
different.
What has PRSSA done for you? PRSSA has introduced me to really cool people in my major, as well
as some fantastic job leads. My communications internship last summer with Virginia Cooperative
Extension came from a job posting sent over our Listserv, for example. PRSSA has also given me
space to share ideas and collaborate with other students.
Whats one thing you would tell potential PRSSA members? The easiest way to fall in love with PRSSA is to get involved. Volunteer to write
a blog post or even go on an agency tour. Were all pretty friendly people, if I do say so myself, and we are happy to have you!

VT PRSSA, The Medium

Spring 2015

Page 4

Page 5

Managing Your Twitter Presence as a PR Professional

by Kevin Williams

Social media has become a part of

our everyday lives in the last decade
or so. As such, it has become almost
mandatory to have active, engaging
social media accounts, such as
Twitter, in many professions. Public
relations just happens to be one of
those professions.

over your professional identity. Your

colleagues will not be bombarded
with details about your personal life
or personal opinions. In return, you
eliminate the risk of disengaging
members in your network from your
posts, and you keep your professional
reputation intact.

As many of us enter the work force

we will have to make the tough
decision between having separate
personal and professional Twitter
accounts, or one account for both
personal and professional use. There
is no right or wrong answer to this
dilemma, and both choices have their
advantages and disadvantages.

Having two accounts on the

same platform is not without its
disadvantages though. No matter how
strict your privacy settings are, Twitter
is a public platform and employers
will be able to find your personal
account if they search hard enough.
Sometimes, having two accounts
gives off the impression that there is
some sort of dissonance between your
personal and professional personas
and that you are hiding something.
This is not the image that you want to
give people in your network.

The main advantage of having

separate personal and professional
accounts is that, in theory, you get to
keep your personal life personal and
your professional life professional.
After all, do you really want people
in your professional network to know
what you were up to last Saturday
night? Having separate accounts
allows you to have greater control

Additionally, there is always the

chance that you forget to log out of
your professional account and end
up posting information meant for
your personal account for your entire

professional network to see.

On the other hand, as a professional
you may determine that you want to
be transparent with your network
and keep one shared account for both
professional and private use. Doing
this eliminates the trouble of having to
maintain two different personas on two
different accounts and also provides
the potential to interact with members
in your network on a business casual
level. Having one account makes you
appear more human and less robotic to
your network. It shows that you have
interests outside of your profession and
that you know how to use discretion
when posting on a public forum.

Photo courtesy of career.vt.edu

Soul Investing
by Gabriela Vera

More and more, the world is

fostering goal-oriented societies
lost in the midst of routines. Were
transitioning into an instrumental
era in which productivity and
efficiency have overruled our set of
values. Our priorities are shifting in
order to keep up with the exigencies
of todays world as success redefines
to portray those whove achieved
wealth and power. And a great
majority believes that the climb is
all about the destination. However,
a big portion of the human being
is being understated in the light of
today. Were certainly investing in However, the special factor about
our minds, but what about investing this friendship is that it was created
in our souls?
over an activity you both enjoy.
Moreover, in the case that youve
Many of us dont realize the chosen any activity that requires
importance of engaging in activities teamwork you will gain a great deal
that enrich our souls. This means of responsibility and other valuable
something different for all of us. qualities. If, on the contrary, you
For some it may be a language and a decide to engage in a one-man
foreign culture. For others it may be activity, such as painting the
a sport and the thrill of a game. But challenge will be against yourself.

There is no right or wrong answer as to

whether business professionals should
keep their personal and professional
lives separate on Twitter. Choose the
method that allows you to maintain
an acceptable social media presence
without sacrificing the best parts of
your personality in order to do so.

Branding: Virginia Tech Dining Services

by Shannon ODowd

If theres one thing I have learned

from working in Virginia Tech Dining
Services it is when Im in uniform or
wearing my Virginia Tech name tag, I
am representing the brand of not only
Virginia Tech, but my employer.
Au Bon Pain prides itself on providing
their customers with all the nutrition
facts, making them easily available
rather than easily avoidable, and
providing their customers with
wholesome quality food with a great
dining experience.

Virginia Tech Dining Services

focuses on the quality of the
service by providing great food,
venues, programs and services
while encouraging development
and the sense of community. Their
vision statement is, I value every
individuals right to have a quality
experience.
Working for Au Bon Pain in the
Squires Food Court for the past year
has been a great experience. I work
so often that I recognize costumers
when I see them around campus and

vice versa. This speaks to how I am

constantly representing Au Bon Pain
and Virginia Tech on the clock and off
the clock as well.
At all times, my actions are
representing the brand of Au Bon Pain
and Virginia Tech Dining Services. I
am to act morally, respectfully, and
treat others right to reaffirm that brand
that the companies have. Additionally,
when I am in uniform I am to be
conscious of food safety rules, have
good customer service, and make
sure that my fellow coworkers are
representing the brand well, too.

whatever your passion is, feed it. And

if you dont have one, explore until
you do. Extracurricular activities are
an excellent way to do this. Firstly,
theyre an opportunity to explore
your identity, and discover a set of
skills that you may have not been
aware of and can now exploit. In
the same manner, you will become
aware of your weaknesses and how
to turn them into strengths. This is
the chance to challenge yourself for
something youre passionate about.
Besides learning about yourself,
you will learn about others. These
types of activities involve a lot of
meeting people, and in most of the
cases making valuable friendships.

Regardless of what you choose,

theres always a challenge. In
addition to all of this, youll develop
aspirations that youve never had
before. Youll start to understand
more about your likes and dislikes,
what you love and what you cant
bare, what you stand for and
what you stand against. Little by
little, youll find yourself adding
on to your essence. I call this an
investment because every little
step of this journey is adding value
to who you are, as a person and
as a professional, creating a wellrounded integral version of yourself.
Our souls hold our unique essence.
Theyre the combination of our
greatest passions and our biggest
fears. Without them, wed lack
guidance and orientation. So lets
not forget to reinforce our essence
by cultivating our soul.

images courtesy of
http://nationalwealthcenter.
com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/READ.jpg
and
http://www.nepasocialevents.com/wp-content/
uploads/2012/09/wine.png

Interested in joining? Email mbford94@vt.edu to receive listserv emails,

internship opportunities and meeting information.
Join the Chapters NEW LinkedIn Group | enter Virginia Tech Public Relations Student Society of America
Website: vtprssa.weebly.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/VTPRSSA | Twitter: @VTPRSSA
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Douglas Cannon | Professional Advisor: Lori Greiner | Local PRSA Chapter: Blue Ridge

VT PRSSA, The Medium

I Am a Hokie

by Rebecca Robertson
I am a Hokie, and I couldnt be prouder.
When I think about my personal brand,
Hokie is one of the first words to
come to my mind. I feel so lucky to go
to a school that challenges and inspires
me, one that has taught me a way of life
and given me a community that will
stay with me forever.
From a career perspective, one of the
best parts about being a Hokie is that
the VT community supports you in your
future job endeavors. Hokie alumni
love to specifically target Hokies when
theyre looking for people to hire. As a
student, I definitely recommend finding
Hokie contacts in companies (especially
PRSSA alumni!) and keeping in touch.
If you do, theyre likely to help you get

Page 6

your foot in the door when you apply

for jobs in the future.

What I didnt fully understand when

I was a high school senior frantically
college touring was that the university
you attend leaves a mark on you not
only for your future career, but also
for the rest of your life. As a Hokie,
Ive learned a wealth of information
that I can take with me when I
graduate. I have of course learned the
necessary skills of PR, marketing and
communication, taking classes and
pursuing extracurricular experiences

that have taught me what I need to

know to enter my field. Beyond that,
Ive learned so much more about my
values and how I want to live my life.
Ive learned about the importance of
community service by living out our
university motto Ut Prosim, That
I may serve. Ive learned about
the value of diversity and inclusion,
meeting people from all different
cultures and walks of life. Ive
learned what it means to be a part of a
community bigger than yourself and
feel total pride and spirit toward your
institution.
I am a rising senior, and I still get
excited when someone asks me where
I go to college and I get to respond
with Virginia Tech. I cant wait to
get to continue telling people that I
am a Hokie, both in my career and
throughout my life.

Expert Branding by the Greeks

by Tatum Welsh

There is no doubt that after going

through days of recruitment and months
of pledging, every sorority woman
and fraternity man is going to want to
show off his or her letters. Its a lot
of work to become an initiated member
of a Greek organization, but it pays
off. And what or who pays even
more are the members themselves.
Its the Comfort Colors sweatshirts,
personally designed stitched-letter
V-necks, mugs, and baseball hats that
are the more important dues. While
it may get shamefully pricey, its still
amazing because it is incredibly proud
and confidence-boosting advertising.
One way that Greeks show their spirit

and enthusiasm for their organization

is the members doing personal
branding through their own fashion
and style. The second way the
Greeks show their spirit is through
public advertising with community
involvement. So, heres the 411 on
publicly advertising all things G-RE-E-K:
Who: The Greeks of course! And the
more the merrier.
What: Ribbons, buttons, and cups
oh my! College students love free
stuff. On the Drillfield in a herd of
hundreds of students, its the ribbons
and buttons on the backpacks that
catch our eye - if people dare to look
up from their phones that is!
When: All day, every day. Its the kids
that hand out baked goods before an 8
a.m. and cookies after your last exam

of the day that take home the top prize,

whether that be homecoming queen or
the most hopeful recruits.
Where: The Drillfield. Tents, tables,
and posters galore, this is where most
of the visual advertising and student
interaction takes place.
Why: The Greek community is an
incredible community to be a part
of, but becoming a member can also
be a very intimidating and stressful
process. Therefore, advertising is KEY.
What students want to see are other
students who are happily involved and
enthusiastic about their organizations.
The smiling faces cheering on their
homecoming candidate and the guys
that are chanting outside the new
pledges dorms; these are the real spirit
squads and the genuine advertisers of
their fraternity or sorority.

Spring 2015

Page 7

A Members Take on Why Personal Brands Are Bad

by Sara Lepley

Let me start by saying my dream job is to work in branding. I love how storytelling and values-driven communication has the power to instill a sense of loyalty
to companies like Coca-Cola as opposed to other brands selling the exact same
product. I mean, how many people get annoyed when the waitress asks Is Pepsi
okay?
Strategic branding can turn a company into a household name, which I think
is great. Nothing irks me more, however, than hearing people talk about their
personal brand. Personal branding makes me think of Regina George not letting
Gretchen wear hoop earrings in Mean Girls because it was her thing. Also,
articles that instruct others on constructing a good personal brand often demand that every decision you make from how
you dress to how you sign off phone calls follow a self-prescribed set of rules.
Since saying personal brands are lame, is hardly the basis of a solid argument, here are three reasons you should say
Sayonara to personal brands for good.
Branding is about singularity, but humans are complex. Companies need to create
a brand so that everyone who works for them communicates the same message.
Branding gives employees direction when writing advertisements, planning
events or updating the website. Whereas companies emphasis singularity, humans
are naturally and awesomely complex. I can be both spontaneous and a meticulous
planner. Its okay that Im just as likely to pick up a copy of Elle magazine as a
book written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. There is beauty in contradictions, but the
concept of personal branding demands that you choose just one.
Companies use branding to humanize themselves. You, however, are already human. Chances are you are a human, unless,
of course, you are a highly literate dog or alien (in which case, what are you doing reading this? You should be taking over
Earth right now!) Unlike companies, you dont need a committee-approved set of adjectives to inject you with personality
or a content calendar of relatable social media posts to make you seem less corporate. You are born with the ability to
both have a personality and connect with others. Dont let someone sell you something you already have.
Anchoring yourself to a personal brand can stunt growth. Personal branding asks that you choose a style and stick to it.
Becoming a writer, however, is not about deciding your voice, its about finding your voice and letting it evolve naturally.
Same goes for other aspects of communication, such as design. Your personal style doesnt need to be predetermined. What
a shame it would be if you hesitated trying something new because it didnt match
your personal brand?
Lets be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with knowing what you like, what
youre good at and what you stand for. But thats not personal brandingthats being
self-aware. My issue with personal branding is that it takes what happens naturally and
tries to make it packagable, and therefore slightly artificial. Do yourself a favor and
discard the notion that you need rigidity and structure to simply be yourself.

images courtesy of http://cdn.gijobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/personal-branding.jpg, http://media.tumblr.com/5f7cb16687dbada249d6275adc381a4d/tumblr_inline_

mo0g78YKQ51qz4rgp.jpg, http://www.executiveresumebranding.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/personal_business_advisors1.jpg

VT PRSSA, The Medium

Spring 2015

Page 8

The Virginia Tech Chapter of PRSSA takes great pride in its members accomplishments, both academically and
professionally. A Chapter is only as strong as its members, and we are fortunate enough to have incredibly driven
individuals who are passionate about everything they set their minds to. Take a look at what some of our members will be
spending their summer doing!
Anna Hubbard
Discovery Channel Communications
Publicity Intern

Joe Duquette
Discovery Channel Communications
Corporate Communications Intern

Meryl Ryan
Saatchi & Saatchi
Advertising Account Manager

Rebecca Robertson
Free Agents Marketing
Interactive Department Marketing Intern

Katharina Elberti
Ireland Lacrosse Association
Sports Management Intern

Stephanie Trager
The Surrey Saddlery
Marketing, Sales and Public Relations Intern

TJ Davis
Northern Virginia Family Services
Video Production Assistnat

Logan Kreider
World Vision
Mobilization Team Intern

Ford
ASM Research
Human Resources Intern

Alex North
Roanoke County Parks, Recreation & Tourism
Marketing & Special Events Intern

Nicole Sanders
Serving at the Crossroads
Communications & Fundraising Intern

* Katie Pesek
Virginia Tech Athletic Marketing
Sports Marketing Intern

Chloe Sikora
Friends of the Rappahannock
Public Outreach Intern

Kaitlin Reese
Virginia Farm Bureau
Social Media Marketing Intern

* Hannah Avery

Marin Shipe
Will Marlow, LLC
Public Relations Intern

* Melanie

Polymer Solutions
Marketing & Communications Intern
Casey Parrett
Cross Roads Camp & Retreat Center
Public Relations Intern

* Addie

Orrison
Virginia Tech
Human Resources Intern
* Member acquired internship through a PRSSA connection

Page 9

The 2015-2016 Executive Board

[from left to right]:
Vice President of Finance, Shannon ODowd
Vice President of Membership Development, Addie Orrison
Vice President of Chapter Relations, Sarah Harvey
Chapter President, Melanie Ford
Vice President of Publications, Katharina Elberti
Vice President of Event Planning, MacKenzie Wine
Ut Prosim Firm Co-Directors, Rebecca Robertson
& Katie Pesek
[Not Pictured] Social Media Manager, Kasey Kraft

Chapter Statistics

95

Dear VT PRSSA (a.k.a. the best

PRSSA Chapter out there):

dues-paying
members

clicks to our blog:

vtprssa.weebly
.com/blog

22

Goodbye from the President

586

blogs posted
this semester
graduating
seniors

24

VT PRSSA Fun Facts

1. August 16, 2015 marks the 30th
anniversary of our Chapters
installation on the Virginia Tech
campus!
2. The VT PRSSA website
completely re-vamped

was

3. Our first meeting this fall will be

Wednesday Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.
4. This years PRSSA National
Conference will be held in Atlanta,
Georgia...
5. ...and Virginia Tech has been chosen
to present a Chapter development
session at the conference!

I cant believe it is already May! It has

been incredible to see how much our
chapter has grown and what we have
accomplished this year. Everything
from Tweet offs with PRISM, sports
meetings with VT Athletics and Rec
Sports, to packed committee nights
and an ethics meeting featuring your
favorite television stars; we have
surely accomplished a lot this year.
I personally want to thank all our
members for their excitement about
PRSSA and commitment to our
chapter. Even on those cold and rainy
Blacksburg nights, you all came out
eager to learn and participate.
I just want everyone to always
remember to be proud to be a
student of and future professional
in public relations. Public relations
professionals tell powerful and
amazing stories every day. We get to
associate with amazing clients and
organizations that have something
to say. Public relations professionals
influence people in a meaningful
way and can set the public agenda,
and not many others can say they
get to do that. As students, you are
being equipped with the skills to be
successful, so even when that group
project is killing you just know that
what you gain from that experience
is worth it. Go to PRSSA meetings

and events, because that is when

you will learn whats not taught in
the classroom. PRSSA has taught
me many things, but what sticks out
the most is to value public relations
and always strive to keep learning
in order to be the best you can be. If
you truly get involved and network,
be ready for PRSSA to propel your
career and future.
Thank yall again for a great year!
Please dont hesitate to contact me
(courtp19@vt.edu) at any time in the
future. Good luck PRSSA, I know
there are still great things to come
from this Chapter.
Courtney Edwards

Good luck and thank you for

everything youve done, Courtney!
- Your PRSSA Family