The Real World!!!

If you feel like you are ready to graduate and get a job in the real world, this article might change your mind. After reading the article titled, "Job Market Turns Much Worse" I am getting a little apprehensive as graduation approaches. The title of the article pretty much gives away the ending, things out their just aren't good right now. A staggering statistic gives the article a depressing tone right from the beginning,

"Only six in 10 of the graduates had full-time employment six to eight months after graduation. That is the lowest level of full-time employment reported by graduates of the nation’s journalism and mass communication programs in the 23-year modern history of the Annual Survey of Journalism & Mass Communication Graduates."

That's a little scary..60% had jobs? That seems crazy!!!

So what am I going to do about this crashing job market is the big question?

I have been considering this for a while now, especially after doing my summer internship. I have come to the realization that if I am going to find a job in this economy it isn't going to be by filling out an online application. Jobs in today's faltering economy are found by networking. I need to talk to people in the Public Relations world. Let them know that I am qualified and intelligent and ready to take on the world. Random job searching and resume sending is really not going to do much to stimulate my job search.

The job seeking isn't going to be for the weak. I learned that through my internship search. It was hard enough to find an unpaid internship, I can only imagine the possibilities of finding an actual job. I am not someone who gives up easily, and I will not settle for a job bagging groceries or bussing tables. I will network, network, network and search until I find a job in this economy.

I have also been contemplating the idea of grad school. Although this obviously requires a little more school I think it might be the most practical choice at this point in my life. I definitely do not want to end up unemployed in the next few months, and going to more school is not an idea I am totally against. I kinda like college :)

but what can I do?

Today while I was picking up some things in Wal-mart today some of the lights suddenly tuned out. I might not have even noticed until one of the associates mentioned something about energy conservation. At first I was a little surprised that a huge store like Wal-mart would turn off its lights in the middle of the day, but then I thought about what a good idea it was. It was extremely sunny outside, and turning off the lights really didn't make much of a difference at all of the lighting of the store. Wal-mart is really doing their part in not only saving themselves money, but in helping the planet too.

Sometimes the climate crisis our country is in can seem a bit overwhelming. It may seem like there just isn't much we can do as individuals, but I think there are a few small steps we can each take to help out.

1. My dad replaced all our regular light bulbs with CFLs, also known as compact florescent light bulbs. These light bulbs last to much longer, which is extremely convenient in areas like our laundry room and garage. Not only do CFLs last longer, but they use about 75 percent less energy than standard light bulbs.

2. Turn off your computer and night and/or use a laptop. Just turning off your computer can save you about $90 of energy a year. That's a lot of power! Laptops use about a tenth of the wattage it takes an average desktop to function.

3. My new personal favorite is cloth grocery bags. Not only does it help the planet, but you can fit so many more groceries in each bag. No more ripped grocery bags from that heavy milk!

4. Walk or Bike..if you can! Sometimes it's just not possible, but sometimes it is. I bike to practice every morning (at West Campus) , and I have grown to love it. It's so much more freeing than riding in car. Biking is a really great thing to get involved with. Try it out!

(If you don't have a bike check out Craig's List, for some sweet deals on used bikes)

5. Write on the back of paper, and use recycled paper! We all know that PR majors are ALWAYS making flyers. There are recycled paper trash cans in both Lanier and Terrell hall. It's a great place to go to find some nice clean paper to make your copies on. No one is going to see the back of those flyers anyway. Save a tree!

I know I can not end this crisis on my own, but I will do my best to conserve and save the planet in my own way. This years Blog Action Day topic really brought this to my attention. I hope to become more aware, and do the small stuff to help our country!

Ladies Lawn Night is a Success!

Ladies Lawn Night has been a huge learning experience. When i heard that the campaign was planning an entire campaign for the CW's two newest shows I will admit I felt a little overwhelmed. I remember picking my group, and knowing we had to get started planning immediately.

After doing research we formulated the plan for our big event "Ladies Lawn Night." The madness of event planning began quickly, and I pleased to say that the event went extremely well.

We directed our event directly at girls, specifically younger girls living in the dorm. We had a fashion show, a jazz band, lots of local boutiques, the school radio station and of course a big screen to show Melrose and 90210. While planning we still had to do some MAJOR publicity to get word out about this big event that we had been working so hard on. We used every possible medium to reach girls on the campus of GCSU. My group was so amazing working on this project. We had no problems with anyone not doing what was asked. I think we all equally wanted this event to be a success!

Now that the actual event is over there are a few BIG things I want to take away.

1. Details, details, details - You can never be over-organized or over-prepared

2. Never trust anyone, and ALWAYS double check EVERYTHING - This makes me sad, but I definitely learned my lesson

3. Sometimes simple is good - enough said.

4. Ask - I feel like so many sponsors helped us out with this event and all we had to do was ask. I was really surprised.

5. Be flexible - Sometimes things don't go exactly how you have it planned, but it's ok to just roll with it.

I could really go on and on, but that is just a short list for now. Doing a campaign from A to Z is definitely not for the weak! Now that the event is over it is time for the infamous CAMPAIGN BOOK! I better fasten my seatbelt... here we go!