Review of Professional Dress Day

Today was Professional Dress day in my practicum course.  Needless to say the students were thrilled to dress in their interview best and be critqued in the front of the room. The assignment, which originated with Todd Goen, visiting Assistant Professor at Clemson University, calls for students to stand for 30-45 seconds and then sit for an additional 30-45 seconds as each of their classmates offer written constructive criticism. Below is a recap of some of the positive and needs improvement issues.

Positive:

• Hair out of face
• Appropriate use of color with chosen wardrobes
• Did not see any backs, boobs, or butts. YEAH!
• Trendy, yet professional
• Suit jackets

Constructive Criticism:

• Nail polish colors (Think subtle and/or neutral)
• Ponytail holders on wrist
• The word for the day is stockings. (Sheer stockings are your friend.)
• Heel heights were high. (Say that three times fast.)
• Splits in your skirt should not reveal the back, side, or front of your thigh. Pin it down or pick another skirt.
• Overuse of bold pieces of jewelry.

One of the reasons behind this assignment is to make students aware of the things they take for granted. Despite the groans and moans during the assignment, it was a good experience. I hope they see that after reading their classmates critiques. What would be your dress suggestions for students going on job interviews? How much is too much, and what should they stray from?

Our practicum course is designed to prepare students for life after graduation–work force or graduate school.

Urkovia

Image courtesy of Flickr as found in fuzzcat photostream.

Surviving the remainder of the semester…

This ad is a great pick me up as students (and profs) push to the end of the semester. Enjoy!

Urkovia

Peter Shankman’s 4 rules of social media

Picture courtesy of Google images

“We get distracted by the shiny-ness of social media that we forget what it boils down to” said Peter Shankman in his presentation to PR Where UR conference attendees. Shankman even joked that he was diagnosed with something more severe than his ADHD diagnose, something he calls ADOS or Attention Deficit…Oooo Shiny disorder. The one and a half day conference that revolved around social media ended with keynote speaker Peter Shankman.

During his presentation, Shankman lead the audience through the ups and downs in his life that eventually lead him to a career in public relations. Speaking podium-less, and note-less for the most part, Shankman’s personality and honesty was welcomed among all in attendance.

Although I could never describe the presentation in it’s entirety–as Shankman said, “Humor doesn’t translate well on the Internet”–I can synthesize his four rules of social media.

1. You must be transparent. If you’re not, you will be found out. Don’t forget Enron. Privacy no longer exists. “Privacy died 30 years ago. Bury it and move on.”

2. Relevance. People will go somewhere else if they don’t like the way you give them information. You need to ask people how they like to get their information. “Social media is not about being cool, it’s about generating revenue. If you are not generating revenue, then you are wasting your time.”

3. Brevity. In the ’80s the attention span of American’s was 3 minutes. In 2011 the attention span is 140 characters or 2.6 seconds. “Embrace the concept, not the brand.” Learn to write. You can never be to good of a writer.

4. Top of Mind. Personal information trumps professional information. Social media allows you to reach out, but also be the guy that everyone reaches out too. It boils down to engagement.

“In short,” said Shankman, “transparency leads to trust; relevance leads to reaching people in the right way; brevity is a way to get more customers; and finally you must be top of mind.”

Check out Peter Shankman’s blog and/or follow him on twitter (@petershankman).

Urkovia

(Check the PR Where U R website in a few weeks to view video of Peter Shankman’s talk, along with many other conference speakers.)