Greek Life to Real Life, Pledging Your Way to Professional Success

I hear the stereotypes all the time; “so, do you like pay for your friends?” “Do you guys party all of the time?” Obviously my answer to both is “absolutely not!”  Shaking off all of the stereotypes and media depictions aside looking back on my years in being in a sorority, I realized I have learned more than I ever could have imagined. More than I ever thought when I pledged 2 years ago.  Yes of course being in a sorority is fun and exciting, but through all of that, us sorority women learn something along the way. Who knew that my sorority would help me with my future endeavors? Here is a quick list of some ways being in a sorority has prepared me for the real world after college:

    Rushing AKA Interviewing 101

You don’t think about it while you are doing it, but going through recruitment for a sorority is basically going on tons of interviews! You need to shine through all of the other women that this girl is going to talk to today, and show what an amazing of a person you are! Keeping eye contact, actively listening to what she has to say, and being able to keep a conversation flowing, are all aspects of interviewing for a job in the future. If you can’t speak to someone without being able to establish some kind of eye contact, an employer won’t think you are as qualified, skilled or trustworthy!

Chapter Meetings- What to Wear to Work
When you get into the real world, you are going to have to put aside that comfy sweatshirt and jeans when you have to go to work (unless you work for someone that’s cool like Becki!). Having to dress up every week for sorority business meetings, extended my wardrobe to include stylish and professional pieces that I can use at internships and a future job. Since most college students rely on jeans, t-shirts and yoga pants to go to class, having a professional wardrobe already in place is a time saver later on! 

Networking Opportunities

When you join a sorority, you are joining an organization that has thousands of members all across the country. I am a part of my sorority’s LinkedIn group, and I get emails every day with postings of different jobs and opportunities. The best part is that  I get to utilize these opportunities to further my career. Plus, if I ever need helping making a connection or learning about job opportunities in a new city, I know that there is a sister out there that can help me! 

I never knew the benefits I would get out of being in a sorority until I joined one! I will always recommend it to someone, not only because I have made amazing friends, but also I've learned it can help you on your path to becoming a successful career woman!

Written by Lauren Cafarell from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Day One to Last Day: What I Learned This Summer

I will never forget my first day as an intern at Rebecca Adele PR & Events. It was my first day as an intern, period.  Having just finished my second year of college, I was jumping head first into a field with which I had little to no experience beyond intro college classes. I was nervous, inexperienced, and had no idea what was in store.

Now, as my summer draws to a close, and my internship with it, I cannot believe how much I have learned. I feel like a completely different person; more experienced, more grown up, and more confident – and I have Becki to thank!

From the moment I sat down at my desk on day one, I was given real work to do. From social media plans to press releases, Becki gave me countless opportunities to write and create; giving me guidance, but at the same time allowing me to learn things myself. 

My first social media plan seemed like it took forever, but now I can crank one out in no time! I learned from watching Becki in action that PR is fast-paced, exciting, and requires constant dedication and hard work. Not everything will be perfect, and you will make mistakes, but producing something that is received well by a client makes it all worth it.

I could not have asked for a better internship experience. I learned invaluable things about not only my aspiring career field, but life as well. Working with Becki every week was more like hanging out with a friend. From blasting Fiddler on the Roof while pounding out work at the office, to spending the day at the East Side Summer Avant-Garde show, every day was a fun learning experience.

Becki recognizes and invests in the strengths of each of her interns, and gives us work that will display the best of our skills. I have always loved writing, and now have a portfolio full of social media plans, press releases, and blog posts to show potential employers. This internship has only solidified my desire to become a copywriter, and Becki has done so much to encourage and strengthen this. Becki is truly an inspiration, and living proof that the only thing between you and your dream is hard work and dedication.

This internship has forced me out of my comfort zone, and taught me to be more confident, outgoing, and disciplined. I am extremely lucky to leave Rebecca Adele PR & Events with invaluable experience, a portfolio full of work, and a friend and mentor whom I will continue to email incessantly for career advice!

Written by Kate Glending from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Life Lessons, Obstacles, and Life-Long Friendships as a Public Relations Intern

Starting off as a Public Relations intern for Rebecca Adele PR & Events, I expected to be stuck in an office for long hours and dress up every day. However, when I met with Becki for the first time in an interview, my summer took a turn for the better.

My first day on the job I realized that everyone I worked with was super laid-back. When you have a lot of things to get done in one day, one thing that helps is to be comfortable. Being able to come in to work in sweats in a relaxed environment makes for a productive day. I love to be able to listen to music and take a break with some girl-talk or play with the pets (Google is my favorite) when I get writer’s block.

Becki is not your ordinary boss. She not only taught me so much about my career and what it takes to be successful, but she turned out to be a role model, a mentor, and a friend. I can come to her with career or even life advice. I can truly say after a full summer internship with Becki that she is one of the most inspiring individuals I have ever met.

As an intern at Rebecca Adele PR & Events, I not only learned so much about but I learned so much about myself and what kind of career path I want to go into. With Public Relations being an extremely broad field, being exposed to all different types of related fields allowed me to find out what kind of niche I really wanted to get into. I learned that I love social media and writing plans for clients, but I am not a big fan on writing press releases. As embarrassing as it may be to see, I have also learned that I do not have much common sense, although it has gotten better after my internship.

The advice I would give to any Public Relations intern would be:

§       Ask LOTS of questions—The most valuable career advice I received was from conversations I have had with my supervisor in down time.

§       Take things one step at a time— When you have a lot of things on your plate, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Take a deep breath, make a list, and take things one at a time.

§       Practice Practice Practice— In Public Relations and any type of career path you choose, writing is a great skill to have. The only way to get good at writing is to practice! Creating a blog and posting regularly is a great place to start.

As I am finishing up with my internship and searching for a full-time job post-graduation, I am thankful that I have this wonderful experience under my belt and that I have acquired a lifelong friend. Thank you for everything, Becki!

Written by Rachel Ausperk from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Today is My Last Day!

Today is my last day at Rebecca Adele PR & Events! I can’t believe how fast summer has flown by! I start my senior year at John Carroll University in a few weeks, so I obviously have a mix of emotions. I’m sad to leave my summer internships, I’m excited to start class and see my friends, and of course, I’m terrified to graduate and enter the real world.

Despite my anxiety, I’m feeling more confident about finding my first job after this experience. There’s so much I can talk about in an interview! I can now use HootSuite and SproutSocial. I love writing and Becki gave me ample opportunities to capitalize on this. My portfolio has doubled in size within these three months! It’s now full of press releases, social media plans, and blogs. Witnessing Becki work with clients was very enlightening, too. I learned little tips that I wouldn’t have picked up in a classroom.  And hey, playing with Google, Ollie, Jack, and Geraci was a pretty great perk!

As I reflect on my summer, I’ve realized that I’ve learned more in these past few months than I have in my past three years of school. You just can’t beat experience at a real company. I couldn’t be more grateful for this experience or to have Becki as a mentor. I look forward to picking her brain in the months and years to come. :)

Written By Maura Stewart from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

The great debate: Education vs. Experience

The end of summer is approaching and the most recent 2013 grads have found a job and have settled into their new lives. While others have taken the summer off and will begin the job hunt now. Like most graduates, reflecting on the last four years is a popular thing to do and coming to the realization that time goes by way too fast. With those thoughts also comes the anxious idea of starting a new journey and leaving behind the best four years of your life. A popular conversation amongst my friends has been our education the past four years versus work experience. My eclectic group of friends ranges from straight “A” students, to the internship queen, to others who have put school on hold for a few years. So when this topic is brought up, we all have a lot to say but a whole lot of nothing to say at the same time.

So the question remains... What is more important, education or work experience? We think about all the young entrepreneurs that dropped out of school to follow their dreams; Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg to name a few. Did these people have the niche? Were they in the right place at the right time? Who is to pass judgment...they are the billionaires right?

There is no doubt in my mind that a college degree is the new high school diploma, but at the same time are we wasting money on classes I will never use again toward my future career? I have always been a career oriented person and always prided myself on my past internships and travel experience. The question is, do I do this to excuse my not so scholarly grades, or the fact that my university didn't make Forbes list for top 100 colleges of 2013?

So what is the answer? Entrepreneurs, business professionals and students will continue to have their own opinion. Let’s face it, competition is tough out there! There might always be someone that is more qualified for the job, but gaining the most education and the most experience always puts you one step closer. The variables to landing “that dream job” are endless, because at the end of the day, everything seems to play a factor in the real world. The unsettling question on my mind is did I do enough these past four years?

You can never stop learning, and in the perfect world gaining that “A” grade would amount to retaining most of the information a teacher presents and then being able to recite that information in a practical way. The problem with the classroom setting is that students spend one night cramming copious amounts of information for an exam, retain little amounts of information, and then pass the test with a satisfactory grade. At a college level, that shouldn’t be the standard of learning. Receiving an education means something, and leaving college, students should have a wealth of knowledge in many different fields, but this isn’t always the case. The reason that so many students and employers focus more on real world experience versus college education is because students aren’t learning, and what they do retain they don’t use in a practical manner.

I am a believer that school and experience play an equal role and one can only help the other. Getting the experience of college helps you grow and adapt to different work environments. Everyone is going to have strengths and weaknesses. The biggest thing is what they can offer at the end of the day. It's my opinion, I truly think that all just depends on the type of person you are. What's your take on the issue?

Written by Katie Woods from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Order Up! How Working in a Restaurant is Like Working at an Agency

Most people think that working in a restaurant is awful. There are rude customers, long hours on your feet, and of course, you have to deal with food. Although there are plenty of reasons why people hate working in a restaurant, being a server is very similar to working at an agency.

First, taking an order for a customer is a lot like taking on a work order. The customer will tell you exactly what they want, and it is your job as the server to make sure that they get what they ordered. At an agency, a client will tell whoever is in charge what they are looking for, and it is their job to make sure they are getting what they asked for.

The creative team is like the team of cooks in the restaurant. The server will give you a food order, and it is your job to prepare it that way. Working at agency is comparable because your boss will give you the work order, and it is your duty to give them what they asked for under budget constraints.

Teamwork experience is valuable in both the restaurant and agency settings. You need to know how to work together with your co-workers to get the best results. If you need help, just ask! It is not always best to do everything yourself.

Working at a restaurant gives you time-management skills because you are usually doing a million things at once. Likewise, in any agency job, it is likely that you will have to manage more than one project at a time. To be a successful in both a restaurant and at agency, you have got to be able to multitask and think on your feet.

Another part of being able to multitask is the ability to stay calm under pressure. Whether you are busy with multiple tables at once at a restaurant or swamped with several projects at an agency, take a minute to relax. Make a list of everything that needs to be done so you don’t forget anything, and take things one step at a time.

Finally, maintaining customer loyalty is the same in a restaurant as it is at an agency. If you give the customer or client exactly what they are looking for, then they are likely to keep coming back. As a server, giving a customer a great experience will result in better tips and the possibility that they will come back and request you again next time. If you give your client their money’s worth, it will provide your agency with credibility, positive word-of-mouth, and the possibility that the client will choose your agency again for its next project.

Written By: Rachel Ausperk from Rebecca Adele PR & Events