Agency Tour Recap - Bellevue Communications

Temple PRSSA members at Bellevue Communications.

On Thursday, November 15th, members of PRSSA toured Bellevue Communications Agency in the Bellevue Hotel. Philadelphia’s Bellevue Communications is a public relations agency specializing in crisis communications, media relations and issue management. Upon arrival, we entered the front lobby which was linked to a huge conference room. Bellevue is very formal and welcoming which allows for many people to input their ideas at meetings.

London Faust is their Account Executive, Digital Media Manager and a Temple PRSSA alumni. She explained Bellevue’s history and informed us it was started in 2000 by Kevin Feeley. The agency started out with two owners who wanted the company to expand more into the public relations world.

London advised us to explore all types of public relations work environments such as corporate, in-home, non-profit and agency. She recalls not experiencing a Corporate environment and said that it would be ideal to explore all aspects that public relations has to offer.

PRSSA Members took an interest in the posters hung up all around Bellevue’s offices. They are said to be old newspaper pictures blown up.

We went on the tour of the agency and visited the conference rooms, back offices and lobbying side. Bellevue Communications also has a focus on lobbying; seeking to influence political decisions on behalf of an individual, organization or group. Their big project right now is the electric scooters that Philadelphia is trying to introduce.

After the tour, we got to sit down with Samantha Byles, their account executive, and JJeff Jubelirer, Bellevue’s Vice President. They informed us how they chose two different career paths before landing at Bellevue. Samantha was a journalist major seeking to work for a newspaper company and Jeffrey was a Political Science major.

Other decorative posters showcased in Bellevue's office.

From this experience, Temple PRSSA has an outlook of how a Public Relations Agency base runs and the skills needed to succeed throughout our careers and life.

This blog post was written by Kali Lauer, General Body Member.

Improving Your LinkedIn Profile

This past Tuesday, November 13th, the Temple PRSSA Chapter hosted a LinkedIn workshop with LuAnn Cahn, the current Director of Career Services at Klein College of Media and Communication. Joining her was Karen Demmler, a career coach from the Temple University Career Center. Together, they went over tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile in order to make the most out of the space. Here is some of the advice they had to give:

What Makes A Good Profile

A Proper Headshot (And Banner) - When someone first views your profile, the first thing they see is your profile photo and banner. Make a great first impression! Throw out that high school yearbook photo or MySpace mirror selfie. If you’re in need of a LinkedIn headshot, the career center offers free photography services for students in Annenberg Hall throughout the week.

Take a look at Christina’s profile header. She has a professional photo and her banner represents a strong interest of hers — politics and social activism. Within the first few seconds of viewing her profile, I know that she is a professional and I even know a little bit about who she is without even reading her summary.

Compelling Headline - This is your tagline - make it compelling but also infuse it with your main keywords so people are able to find you. Think of the industry you plan to work in. Treat yourself like a professional.

Engaging Summary - Talk about you! Truly personalize this section and talk about what you care about and what you want to do in a creative way. You may even think of the summary as your elevator pitch for yourself. Looking back at Christina’s profile, she includes a straight forward but effect summary to properly share with those who visit her profile of who she is and what she’s all about.

Experiences - Always present yourself as a professional, even if you’re just starting out. Show your worth to those that view your profile.

Don’t overlook the descriptions of any experience you list. If your listing past experience, always provide the accomplishments you had there, not what your job description was. That will carry further. Don’t forget to include multimedia! Upload presentations or images and link videos and images. This will provide more than just words and give viewers a more interactive experience.

Good Networkers Only Ask For Information

If you’re looking for a job or an internship, LinkedIn is an incredible tool to do so. If you’re looking to network about an internship or job, it’s not a good idea to send them a message and ask them if they can give you a job/internship. Rather, ask them if they can give you more information on where to apply. You may even ask them if they can look at your resume to see if this is something that they’re company may find appealing in a candidate. Good networkers only ask for information.

Utilize The Alumni Network

Temple University, like many universities, have an alumni network on LinkedIn. Here is your one-stop resource to see if there are any fellow Temple Owls at your dream job or internship. Temple Owls enjoy helping fellow Temple Owls. Just don’t forget, good networkers only ask for information. Asking for a phone call informational interview about how they got to this point, or if they can give you more information about what it’s like to work at that company is the correct way to utilize the alumni network.

All these Owls are at your disposal, take advantage of it!

Always Customize The Invitation

Nothing is more boring and less personal than a blank invitation. If you meet someone at an event or in class, remind them in the invitation. Let them know you would like to connect and build a professional relationship.

Join Groups

Other than the Temple University Alumni Network, there are thousands of groups you can join where you can interact with other professionals in your field.

This blog post was written by William Careri, General Body Member.

Simple Tips for Healthy Eating at College

Trying to eat healthily is always a challenge. It’s especially difficult when you’re a broke college student surrounded by food trucks and fast food restaurants. As hard as it may be to resist eating Chick-Fil-A, Blaze Pizza, or Panda Express every day there are some ways to have a healthier diet without hurting your pockets.

Tip #1: Eat Some Veggies!

No matter what you choose to eat try to incorporate some vegetables into every meal. This can be as small as not removing the lettuce on your Chick-Fil-A sandwich, or as big as eating a fresh salad from Salad Works. Vegetables contain all sorts of vitamins and nutrients which are extremely beneficial to your health! They may not be the most exciting foods to eat but your body will certainly enjoy them.

Tip #2:  Buy Healthy Snacks

It’s easier to eat healthy if you’re surrounded by healthy foods. Try your best to keep healthy snacks with you whenever you’re on the go. If you like nuts and seeds I’d suggest buying Trail Mix. Trail Mix is a healthy, affordable snack to eat that’s loaded with proteins, antioxidants, and vitamins! Fresh fruits are also healthy and delicious snacks to eat. Buy some grapes or cherries or, if you have a meal plan take some apples or oranges from Morgan Hall or J&H to eat for later.  

Tip #3: Drink Water!

I know it’s very tempting to grab some coffee at Starbucks or Saxbys but too much caffeine is not good for you, neither is sodas and other sugary drinks. Instead, challenge yourself, try drinking at least 4 bottles of a water a day. If you accomplish this then reward your yourself with something sweet. Drinking a significant amount of water can provide energy, increase brain power, flushes out toxins, improves your complexion and so much more!  

Remember it’s extremely important to take care of your body inside and out. Eating healthier will improve your mind and body, and help you perform to the best of your ability I know changing your diet is not the easiest thing to do, but hopefully, these tips will make it easier for you have a healthier lifestyle while you’re at college.

This blog post was written by Shania Genwright, Assistant Conference Coordinator.