Tales of a PR Enthusiast

College graduation. Those two words have been haunting me in my dreams for the past seven months. I sometimes have nightmares about failing a class and not being able to graduate or falling off the stage after receiving my diploma. Once I even had a nightmare that my graduation gown was a big, scary monster with a face that looked like Mike Tyson chasing me through the halls of Otterbein College (I’ll have to ask my shrink about that one). All I know is that graduation is right around the corner and it’s all I have been able to think about every second of every day.

I keep asking myself over and over and over again, “What the hell am I going to do with my life?” I know for a fact that I am not the only college senior about to graduate asking the very same question. I’m sure it’s pretty normal actually, or so my professors and mentors tell me. But in all honesty, I’m freaking out no matter what anyone tells me. It gets pretty exhausting day after day with all the freaking out and stressing. I wanted to create a support group called “Graduation Freak-out’s,” but that fell through. Now I just resort to tweeting my sorrows away while eating anything chocolate in sight.

Although I am excited to finally be done with school and get my new life started, it is absolutely horrifying not knowing what will happen next. As a student, I would always expect to start another year of school and work my crappy waitressing job and have my life somewhat planned out. Now, with graduation in just a few weeks, I have no clue what will happen with my life. For all I know, I could be back to serving crotchety old people water with plates full of lemons and free bread baskets. Or I could become a young entrepreneur making millions of dollars while gallivanting to luxurious locations around the world. Either way, the thought of not knowing is scary.

One thing I do have going for me is that I have some sort of idealistic plan for my future after graduation. First, I would like to enter into the wonderful professional world of public relations. Second, I will do anything to get out of Ohio and into the amazing New York City or even London. Third, drop everything and just backpack through Europe for the summer. Even though none of those things may happen, it feels a little more relieving knowing I have a potential life plan for after college.

I have learned to lean on my friends and family for support through my graduation hyperventilations. Since they know me the best, my family and friends always know the right things to say to calm me down, even if they aren’t true. I have also turned to my professors and mentors. They are the ones that help me set goals and make a plan to reach them. Last, but not least, I rely a lot on my social networks, like Twitter and Facebook. Before social networks like Twitter and Facebook, I never realized how many random strangers are willing to go to extra lengths to help you. It baffles my mind every day. It’s also a great way to connect with people going through similar experiences; kind of like online therapy.

For all of those lost, scared and confused soon-to-be college graduates, I would like you to know that you are not the only ones who feel that way. Not knowing what happens next in life is quite terrifying, but it’s also very exciting. I have realized that we are approaching a time in our lives where we can do anything we want. Why not go backpacking through Europe or move to a new city? What do you have to lose? Just do what you feel is best for you and follow your dreams. I know, that sounds extremely corny but it’s true! Just one last piece of advice: always wear protection. Isn’t that what everyone’s last piece of advice is?

Has your brain ever reached a maximum capacity where you can’t even focus or see straight anymore? What about a lack of sleep where you toss and turn all night and all you can think about is everything you have to get done tomorrow? Or, my personal favorite: when your eye twitches for days or even weeks at a time. If you answered yes to any of these, I’m sorry to inform you, but you are most-likely suffering from stress. I have been an avid stressor pretty much all my life, to the point where stress triggers migraines and panic attacks (lucky me). Fortunately, I have learned how to manage and deal with the side effects of my stress. Now, if only there was a way to prevent stress from even starting.

Now that college graduation is right around the corner and I am potentially facing the worst job market ever, the amount of stress overtaking my life is sometimes unbearable. I worry that I won’t find a job right after I graduate and if I do, I may not like it and I’ll be stuck forever. I worry that it could take up to a year or even longer to get a job, when six months after I graduate I am removed from my parent’s insurance coverage. Most of all, I worry that I will be trapped living with my parents for the rest of my life and won’t be able to experience the world all because I couldn’t find a job after graduation.

I’m sure I am not the only college senior feeling the same way. That is why I devised five main steps for graduating college students to de-stress while job hunting.

1. Talk to a professor or professional in your career field
I have discovered that listening to first-hand advice from my superiors is the best action to take when stressed about finding a job. Professors and professionals have been there, done that and are willing to help you in any way they can. Although they probably have not dealt with finding a post-graduate job in a miserable economy and job market like the ’09 grads, professors and professionals have years of experience and hefty knowledge to offer. If I ever have a question about a cover letter, resume, application, etc. I know I can count on professors and professionals to help me. Or if I’m having one of my mental breakdowns about life after college, the profs and pros are always there to help bring me back to reality.

2. Lean on your social media networks
Let me just say right now, Twitter is your de-stressing savior. I am absolutely amazed everyday by the amount of people on Twitter willing to help with any issue or problem I face. Whether it is school related, job related or socially related, the tweeple are there for you to vent to and will do their best to try and help. Especially for graduating college seniors who are stressed about jobs, Twitter tweeps can lead you to potential job opportunities or other opportunities you never even realized were there. LinkedIN is also a great social network to lean on while stressed about job hunting. Connecting with professionals in your career field can give you a sense of relief, and receiving recommendations gives you tons of confidence to forget about the stress. Don’t forget about Facebook or MySpace because communicating with your friends is always a great way to forget about the stress.

3. Vent
Family, friends, your significant other or close colleagues are all people willing to listen to you vent and rant and rave about your stressful job hunt. It can feel extremely relieving to vent, especially to people like your friends and family who will always listen and show support. They are able to offer you advice and help you create a plan to diminish the amount of stress you are facing. If you’re lucky, they may even help you look for jobs.

4. Stay organized
During your job hunt, stay as organized as humanly possible. One way to stay organized is to create an Excel document including the names of the companies you applied to and plan on applying to in the future, the dates you applied and names and contact information of people you sent materials to. This way you can track when you should follow up with people and what other companies you can still apply for. Other things you can include in your Excel document are the locations of the companies, application due dates and anything else you think would help keep you organized in your job search. Making lists in general almost always help with organization. For example, write a list of everything you have to do for the day or make a list of all the people you have to call or e-mail. Throughout my years of stress, I found that organization is key in maintaining a low stress level.

5. Don’t forget to take some time for yourself and rest
Taking time to focus on something other than your future is definitely a great stress-reliever. Find something you enjoy doing and take at least an hour or two a day to actually do it. Listening to music, watching a movie, exercising, reading, or playing a sport are all great ways to distract yourself from the stress. It doesn’t hurt to go out with your friends and throw back a few beers every once in awhile as well. You also want to make sure you are getting enough sleep and rest because you don’t want to be cranky and grumpy on top of being stressed. That is not fun for you or anyone else around you, trust me. I asked some fellow tweeters what they like to do to de-stress when job hunting and here are some responses:

• @AmandaMcKelvey: I like to watch movies. I have an account with Netflix and it's a great way to take time to myself.
• @ceonyc: Exercise! Stress needs an outlet!
• @Grubersauce: Beer. Duh.
• @Unmarketing: music always did it for me. Oh, and lots of beer.
• @JHirz: lose yourself in a book, working out, or drinking w/ some good friends. you'll find a job. just let it be.
• @TomOKeefe1: Hanging out with friends, going out, watching a movie, SLEEP, or listening to some wicked good tunes
• @koskim: running is my #1 de-stresser, followed by being with friends. whatever works for you- throw yourself into it!
• @samemac: Reading a book [for fun] and exercising. Sleep always chases away the job hunting blues!

I know for most graduating college students finding a job seems utterly hopeless and pointless, but don’t let it get you down and stress you out. Follow these five tips and they are sure to help you de-stress during your job hunting. They work for me and I am the self-proclaimed Queen of Stress. Happy job hunting!

The first time I ever felt completely overwhelmed and lost by the concept of social media was last October when I attended the 2009 Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) National Conference. Before the conference I really hadn’t heard or been told much about social media, or what it even was. I was an avid Facebooker, but that was about it. No one ever discussed it in my classes at school and I had just started hearing things about social media here and there around the public relations agency I was interning with at the time. So, when I attended the PRSSA National Conference it seemed like all everyone focused on was social media. As a college senior about to graduate in a few months I felt lost and doomed and that I was a failure for not knowing about this new Internet media movement. Don’t get me wrong, the conference was one of the best learning experiences of my life and an amazing networking opportunity. I guess it was just a big shocker and I realized I had to start gaining more knowledge and kick my butt into high social media gear. But then I asked myself, “Where do I start?”

I found it difficult to get started on my social media quest without knowing where to begin. I also discovered that I was not the only college student who didn’t have a clue how to get involved with the social media world. Over the past few months I have relied on three main tactics to buff up on my social media knowledge and skills. If you are a college student, like me, who wants to know more about social media and become a part of the phenomena taking over the world, here are a few tips:

1. Ask someone
This may be one of the easiest strategies I discovered, as well as one of the most effective. After a few weeks of stressing myself out over social media, I was sitting at my desk at my internship one day and a light bulb went off in my head. I thought to myself, “I should ask the social media expert here at work. Maybe she can help get me started and point me in the right direction.” I immediately e-mailed her and within a few days she was sitting down with me explaining the ins-and-outs of social media and answering any questions I had. It was nice to know that someone was so willing to help and lead me in the right direction. Now, whenever I have a question about anything social media related I never hesitate to ask someone I feel might be knowledgeable of the subject, such as a fellow student, intern, co-worker, supervisor or professor. I found that most people jump at the chance to talk about social media and want to spread the word of its benefits.

2. Google “Social Media”
When in doubt, Google. Over 136,000,000 results show up when you Google “social media.” Between Web sites, videos, blogs and more, the amount of research you can gather through a Google search is endless. Some Web sites I find extremely valuable include TechCrunch, WOMMA, Mashable and Brazen Careerist. Be sure to subscribe to Google Alerts for the phrase “social media” so you stay updated on a daily basis. You should also subscribe to any RSS feeds for social media blogs you find beneficial.

3. Start joining and teach yourself
After asking someone and doing all the research, the best two things to do would be to join social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, and start teaching yourself. You are your own best teacher when it comes to social media. Being able to discover everything on your own and learning through personal experience is able to teach you more than in the classroom. I posted a question on Twitter yesterday asking, “@heatherdamico: How did you learn the ins-and-outs of social media? Did you teach yourself, learn through college courses, seminars/conferences, etc.?” With an overwhelming response, here are a few replies I received:

• @ErinNorton: taught myself. you cannot learn SM in school, it’s definitely something you need real experience dealing with

• @jaephlec: only way to keep up with it is to be constantly reading and paying attention to the success of others and learning from it

• @joshualogan: I don't believe you can be *taught* social media. Social media is what you make of it, not what other people tell you it is.

• @andynewman: A little bit of discovery, a little bit of watching the big dogs (@kevinrose).

I am still learning something new every day about the growing world of social media. For those college students who feel out-of-the-loop with social media and that it’s too late to catch up, you are wrong. It’s never too late to start, but start as soon as you can. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and intimidated, I still do. Don’t forget to ask for guidance, research through Google or other search engines, start joining and teach yourself. A few other strategies you might find helpful in enhancing your social media knowledge include attending local social media seminars/webinars or conferences or even join your college’s PRSSA Chapter. By joining PRSSA, you may be exposed to more social media event opportunities, as well as guest speakers at the meetings specializing in social media.

Hello blogging world. My name is Heather D’Amico and I’m not afraid to admit that I am quite nervous about writing my first blog post. I feel like I’m entering into a whole different dimension. It’s exciting but weird all at the same time. I think I am suffering from a case of “scary first time blogging” syndrome. I’ll recover.

I have spent many nights lying in my bed thinking of the most creative, intriguing things to write about in my first blog post. Now I’m here and…blank. Maybe it’s due to Robert Downy, Jr. on TV in the background blowing things up in his Iron Man get-up. Or maybe it’s because I am dreading waking up at 5 a.m. to go fold bras and panties for four hours at the Victoria’s Secret stock room. Or it could just be that I am slightly freaking out about graduating during a recession and as much work as I put into finding a job, I probably won’t. Either way, all of the ingenious sentences I had created in my mind while attempting to sleep are gone, vanished, vamoose.

I guess I will first start off by fully introducing myself. I am a 22 year old college senior majoring in public relations, broke as a joke and dream of living in New York City after I graduate in June. Being broke and living in New York City doesn’t normally go very well together, so that is why I had to do the one thing every 22 year old college senior dreads…move back home with the parents. Although I lost a minor sense of independence, living with the parents hasn’t been too excruciating. No rent, free food and an endless supply of toilet paper really isn’t all that bad. I just keep telling myself that I only have a few more months and then I will be strolling the streets of Manhattan.

Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio I thought it would only be fitting to attend an Ohio college. So, I enrolled at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and a year later I transferred to Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. The reason for transferring from OU to Otterbein was due to the fact that Athens, Ohio only contains a Wal-Mart, Ruby Tuesdays and corn fields. Not really my thing. While attending Otterbein I have been involved with the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and served as the Otterbein PRSSA Secretary over the last year. Being involved in PRSSA was probably the best decision I ever made in all my college years. Great organization, great people.

Ever since I saw my future husband, Christian Bale, in the movie Newsies when I was five years old I have wanted to live and work in New York City. I have visited many times and I realize this sounds very corny or tacky, but I truly believe it is a city of hopes and dreams. Be that as it may, I will be spending the next five months devising a plan of how I will survive once I am there. If you have any suggestions, please inform me. I am willing to listen to just about anything at this point.

To sum this thing up, I wanted to write a blog about college seniors or entry-level public relations people trying to figure out their lives and future. As I attempt to figure out my future as we speak, I thought it would be suiting for others to read about my failures, successes and just plain silly life so that we all don’t feel like lost college students. I hope I will be of some help, if not, I am sorry in advance. I just take one day at a time, hoping I come out alive.