Am I Likeable??

I found this article to be very interesting. The topic of likeability was something I never really thought about in reference to “corporate America.” I am a firm believer that kindness will get you a lot further than “unlikeable behavior.” Bruna Martinuzzi discusses the importance of having a genuine likeable attitude in the work environment to show how far you can go if you are liked by your peers. I feel that this is an excellent article for young professionals to read because it helps them to realize that by having a more humble and likeable attitude you can progress within an organization.
Likeability has worked in my favor a lot! One specific example comes to mind when I think about my last internship. When I began my internship I had a manager who I really got along with. We achieved all the goals that we had for the semester and even managed to top the previous year numbers. She left the company and I was assigned a new manager. My relationship with her was strained to say the least. The relationship got to the point where she was trying her hardest to set me up to be fired. Because of my likeability and my reputation with everyone else in the office including my general manager I was able to keep my job and on board for another semester.
Out of the four elements that have been listed I would say that “empathy,” would have to be the one I would have to work on. Sometimes I can come off as a person that is not caring. After, reading this article I do realize that being empathetic can increase your likeability. Before reading this article I viewed myself as a very likeable person. After reading I see that there are areas that I need to work on in order to increase my likeliness within an organization.

Building MY Brand

The Art of Self Promotion is the central theme throughout this article. Sherrie Bakshi explains that it is important to build your brand internally and externally within a company. By volunteering, writing articles, speaking engagements, being active in PRSA and many more activities, you can make yourself an invaluable resource according to Bakshi. She also goes on to explain that it is important to market your skills. Make it known what you are capable of, so that your knowledge is always needed. This will give you the leverage you may need within a company.
Bakshi mentions that volunteering with a non-profit organization can be a great way to share your expertise. Last year I was able to participate in ER for PR. This is an event that is sponsored by PRSA. At the event PR practitioners were giving a free consultation session with various non- profit organizations. Not only was it a “good deed,” but it gave us the opportunity to share our expertise While working on my internship with Pink Alliance I think it would be fun and rewarding if we planned an event that immolated ER for PR. Maybe we could reach out to the local community and find an organization that is in serious need of PR help. Then we could put together a SWOT analysis for the organization and help them think of new and creative ideas to boost awareness.
More and more I am starting to realize the importance of Building My Brand. Blogging, websites, published articles, planning events and much more are extremely important. I think while building your brand you must also remember to protect your brand. The internet is such a powerful thing. I think we as young practitioners have to realize that our business and personal lives are starting to fuse due to social media. What you put on the internet stays on the internet. That however can work to our advantage by staying relevant and thorough we can have a successful career. While on my internship I plan to produce quality work and I also plan to stay innovative and current.

Me as an Intern

My internship experience this semester is really geared towards the entertainment world. Working with Pink Alliance Pr has been really exciting. Our first meeting was jammed pack with information about our upcoming projects. Florida A&M University's Homecoming is our next big project. Pink Alliance along with Ethnicity Models will be hosting a model search at the Moon. One thing that I know we have to do is consider our publics target them so that we have a great turn out. The attendance for last year was around 200 people, which is great but it can be better. We are going to utilize all media outlets to insure that we have better numbers.
My strategic thought process is something that I can bring to this company. I do consider this to be one of my talents. So many times we as practitioners get focused on the day to day and not what we can do to set us apart and give us that competitive edge. I know that I can try to get more clients for the company. Reaching out to contacts that I may have so that the company can build its portfolio.
I would definitely like to develop my own project while working for this company. I want to be able to bring on a client and have Pink Alliance help them to have a successful event. I also plan to use this internship as a way for me to become a better writer. Working with Pink Alliance also offers me the opportunity to gain contacts with people who are working in the entertainment field.

My Last Summer of Freedom

LSAT, job, and school were how my summer was spent. It wasn't how I wanted to spend my last summer of freedom, but I needed to get those things accomplished. I viewed this summer as an opportunity for growth. I really needed to get my life and career goals in order.I took the time to think about how am I going to prepare myself for this competitive field. At the end of the summer I was however able to take a week vacation with my family to Puerto Rico.
Being that this is my graduating semester I do not have that many classes. I am taking 11 hours. I have PR Campaigns, PR Practicum, African American Legacy, Basic Photography, and Colloquium. I feel that these classes will help me become more of a strategic practitioner. PR has become more of a multimedia career, having a class like photography I feel will help to give me more of a competitive edge when applying for a job. I want to do very well in my last semester, I am applying for law school and I need to have the best grades possible in my last semesters.
This fall is going to be busy. I am putting together a campaign book for my friends promotional company, I am applying to law school, I am involved in Hatchett Pre- Law Society, not to mention school. I am trying to involve myself in a plethora of activities so that I can have experience to add to my resume. I know that the more experience you have the better your opportunities are. I am going to utilize all my resources. So in the end surrendering my last semester has it benefits.