The DC Social Learning Summit #SLS13

Posted in Public Relations, Social Media, Washington DC by Stacey

This Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend Social Learning Summit 2013 (#SLS13), a social media conference hosted on American University’s campus by the AU Social Media Club (@AU_SMCEDU). In attendance were social media savvy professionals and students, from the DC area and beyond!

From the 13 panels offered, I chose to attend “Me.com: Branding Yourself for the Digital World,” “It Takes a Village: Managing An Online Community,” “You Are What You Tweet,” and “Style Yourself Social.” I heard from leaders in the industry and found the experience one-of-a-kind! I definitely recommend browsing through #SLS13 on Twitter to read through everyone’s insights – and you can check out the whole conference schedule here. Below, I’ve included just some of my favorite tweets from the event!

Networking through #socialmedia for #fashion be personable, be professional #sls13 #slsstyle @au_smcedu

— Tala Odeh (@talaEodeh) April 13, 2013

Important to highlight the ROI for clients to encourage them to invest in Social Media. – @evangman #SLSMetrics #SLS13

— Jonathan Lipton (@jklipton) April 13, 2013

Be willing to share your expertise in what you’re passionate about. Wow them with what you’re an expert at. #SLS13 #SLSme

— What’s Next DC (@WhatsNextDC) April 13, 2013

Go to conferences relevant to you. If you come to a bunch of marketing events, you’ll establish a brand there. #SLS13 #SLSme

— What’s Next DC (@WhatsNextDC) April 13, 2013

“If you apply for a job with us, we ARE going to Google you” #slsme #sls13

— Aris Kyriakopoulos (@DistrictOfAris) April 13, 2013

Bloggers are the pulse of the community @styleauteur #SLS13 #slsstyle

— Taylor (@taylor_maxine) April 13, 2013

@gabbibaker advises against dividing professional and personal tweets. Let your personality get out there! #SLS13 #SLSme

— Ben Wax (@BenWaxBen) April 13, 2013

“Anything that you ever write: make sure you could stand on the 5 oclock news and own up to it.” #SLSme #SLS13

— Stacey Levine (@staceyalevine) April 13, 2013

“Community management and social media is the new PR.” – @aaronestabrook #sls13 #slsvillage

— Amanda Zimmerman (@AmandaSZim) April 13, 2013

Writing for the web, attention to detail, knowing your brand, and identifying with people are key to running a community. #slsvillage #sls13

— Jon Hussey (@GWjonlhussey) April 13, 2013

“If you can find trends, you’re going to get hired.” – @aaronestabrook #SLSvillage #SLS13

— Megan Emily Ackerman (@MissMeganEmily) April 13, 2013

2011 was about acquisition, 2012 was about engagement, 2013 is about ROI #slsmetrics

— Aaron Estabrook (@AaronEstabrook) April 13, 2013

“Do you go to social media to build a brand? Or do you use social media to build a community around your brand?” @frijolita #SLSnoms #SLS13

— What’s Next DC (@WhatsNextDC) April 13, 2013

If you attended #SLS13 and you’d like to connect – feel free to comment, email, or tweet @ me!

15Apr2013

PR Agency PRofile: Large Global Agency

Posted in Internships, Interviews, Public Relations, Social Media, Washington DC by Stacey

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to attend, through American University’s School of Communication, a lunch + learn site visit trip to a large international PR firm. The agency’s original office is located in Washington, DC – one of its 90 global offices – so we headed to Farragut Square last Wednesday for a visit.

Our group of 20 students had the opportunity to sit around a boardroom table, eating pizza and listening to presentations by various employees of the agency. We heard from a Senior VP, VP, Account Exec, and Asst. Account Exec, from four different departments. They really gave us a comprehensive looks at the values of the agency, the specific responsibilities of each department, the structure of account teams, and the factors that go into the entry level hiring process.

The trip was hugely helpful to me, so I’d like to share with you all some of the key insights and takeaways I learned today!

1. Research is key. Analytics plays a huge role in shaping PR campaigns, because you want the work you’re doing to yield measurable results.

2. If you want to work in digital, you should naturally live + breathe a digital lifestyle outside of work. Otherwise, you won’t be up to date on the latest social media platforms, news, and technologies.

3. Hiring at agencies depends on winning bids for new business. Follow the news surrounding the agencies you want to work for – when they get new accounts, they’re more likely to be hiring.

4. When you need to send writing samples for an agency application, send: press releases, pitch letters, and online portfolios.

5. When interviewing for a job, there are a few things that can set you apart: a can-do attitude, willingness to go the extra mile, a flawlessly written resume/cover letter, showing that you’re a team player, and a good dose of common sense.

6. Things that won’t get you hired? Attitude/arrogance, vagueness and lack of detail in an interview, and being all talk and no content.

My New Online Portfolio

Today a friend sent me an invitation to join a website in its beta phase: www.pressfolios.com. After playing around with it for a few hours, I’m hooked. It’s an extremely user-friendly website that allows you to create an attractive online portfolio, something that is so important to have, especially when you’re applying for internships and jobs!

Click this link to check out the online portfolio I created – and if you’d like me to send you an invitation to try out the site, leave your email address in the comments!

18Mar2013

Mastering the Phone Interview: 10 Tips to Help You Succeed

Posted in How To, Internships, Interviews, Public Relations, Social Media by Stacey

It’s March again, which means many of you are probably in the process of interviewing for summer internships. In the summer internship world, February is application month, March is interview month, and April is find out and decide month! Often college students will be applying for internships in cities other than where they attend school, which brings us to today’s topic: The Phone Interview.

I’ve heard from so many people that they dread the phone interview, but for some reason, I love it! In my opinion, the phone interview allows you to be the most prepared. Here are my top 10 tips for mastering the phone interview!

1. Do your research on the company, the position, and the interviewer. I like to read through a company’s case studies and choose my favorite, that way I can reference it when I’m asked why I’d like to work for that company. Your answer to this question should reflect why you want to work for their company, not just in the field of, say, PR. Also make sure to have a compete understanding of the job qualifications, that way you can show why you’re the best fit! I also like to look at my interviewer on the company website and/or LinkedIn, so I can get a sense of their professional background and interests.

2. Mirror the company’s phrasing. From your research, you’ll gather that each company has their own way of referring to clients, meetings, continued learning, internship programs, etc. Prove to the company that you fit in by mirroring the language they use!

3. Set up a phone interview kit. When I’m doing a phone interview, I like to sit at my dining room table. In front of me I have a notebook and pen to take notes, a glass of water, a copy of my resume and any other application materials I’ve submitted, and a list of the questions I’m going to ask at the end of the interview. I also like to have my laptop in front of me, with the company’s website and internship description in front of me. It helps me feel more comfortable and allows me to reference specific details of the job!

4. Prepare strong questions. These questions aren’t just to prove you’re interested – you want to make sure you’d enjoy working for this company, too! Some of my favorite questions to ask on an interview are: ”What has been your favorite client/account to work on?” “What is the company culture/atmosphere?” “What are some of the qualities exhibited by your best interns in the past?” “How are account teams structured; do interns work primarily with one client, or several?” I also research the company and ask any questions about their specific programs that I’d like to know – be specific!

5. Prepare strong answers. You’ll never know exactly what an interviewer will ask, but there are definitely ways to prepare anyway. “Tell me about yourself” is an opportunity to showcase your strengths, passions, and dedication – not just tell them what they can read on your resume. Some other questions I like to prepare for are: “What stood out to your about our company?” “Why did you become interested in this field?” “What are some of the publications/blogs you read regularly?”

6. Dress the part. Yes, this is important for a phone interview, as well! If you’re too casual, you won’t feel the need to be as professional, especially since they can’t see you. Dress the way you want to feel: prepared!

7. Smile. It will help you sound friendly and also let your personality come across, which can sometimes be a challenge on the phone!

8. Volume, then silent. Leave your phone on full volume to make sure you don’t miss the interviewer’s call, but then flip the switch to silent as soon as you answer. You don’t want the “ding!” of a text message to come through, causing you to miss the interviewer’s question!

9. Prepare your environment. Use the lighting, room temperature, and chair that makes you feel most comfortable for this setting. Make sure not to start your washing machine or dishwasher right before the interview, and if you have any roommates, let them know you’ll be interviewing so they can keep quiet, too!

10. Email your thank-you note. Thank-you note emails have become much more acceptable in recent years (instead of, or in addition to handwritten ones), but especially with a phone interview, an email is necessary. They will definitely make a decision before your handwritten letter will reach them, so I like to send my thank-you email within 3 hours.

How do you prepare for a phone interview? Let me know in the comments or tweet @staceyalevine!

6Mar2013

Vine: Instagram for Videos

Posted in Fashion, Giveaways and Discounts, Jewelry, Social Media by Stacey

Have you heard of the new app, Vine? It’s been popularly referred to as “instagram for videos” — and it’s the new hot app, especially in the fashion world. It was acquired by Twitter and was released in late January, and my favorite thing about it is getting a real-time, 6-second glimpse into the world of your favorite brands, celebrities, and icons (and friends!)

One of my absolute favorite brands, BaubleBar, has just launched a Vine contest in honor of their new stylist guide – and you could be the winner of a $100 gift card! (Yes, to BaubleBar. Yes, #dreamcometrue.)

Check out the rules below, and if you need some inspiration, here’s my submission!

Have you started using Vine yet? Follow me @staceyalevine, and tweet at me with your username so I can follow you too!

Follow “Strategy in Stilettos”