Scared "Ship-less"

The end is near. Or is it the beginning?

My fellow Shippensburg Class of '11 peers can understand and relate to this "pun" of a title as graduation quickly (and I mean quickly) approaches. For many of us, this is the last week of college classes that we will ever have in our lives. One thing holds true for everyone--rather your heading to grad school, the work force or back to Mom and Dad's for awhile--thing's are really going to change.

I can personally say that currently my plan is to wrap up schooling for now and get some (hopefully good) experience in the public relations field. I'm moving out of my parents house (but staying close by for moral support), taking on a whole new set of financial responsibilities and adjusting to a new life where I won't constantly be surrounded by college friends and unlimited resources. I'll be the first to say it...I am scared to death.

I think this transition is probably one of the most difficult times in life. For the past 17 years (some more), we've been in school. Now, there's still so much to learn but we may not be as compelled to seek out knowledge without the incentives of grades or a degree. I personally spent every extra minute of my college years involved in extracurriculars, social events,etc. Now that all of that is coming to an end--I find myself asking, "What the heck am I going to do with all of that extra time?"

The answer, that I am slowly beginning to see is to join extracurriculars in the area. I can take on the same extra challenges that I have been the past four years, by volunteering in my community, becoming a member of a professional organization, serving on a board or committee and networking, networking, networking.

On a less horrifying note, it's definitely a relief to know that the job market is starting to expand again and new opportunities are available to entry-level professionals. In my job search, I have found many opportunities that I feel I am qualified for. Not all of them are in public relations, but I am starting to relax when it comes to job hunting and the possibility that a job may not present itself right away...but will eventually.

So all in all, I can say that in the next couple of months, I will probably be a temporary emotional or financial "Ship-wreck" but I do see this time as a beginning and not an end and I look forward to the experiences-whether they be good or bad--in my future as a professional.

I wish all of the Shippensburg University Class of 2011 good luck in their future endeavors and hope that you all conquer your fears and find yourselves on the path to success and doing what you love!

Online Portfolio Creation

I have successfully completed an online version of my portfolio (in addition to the print version). Weebly is a great, free site to use for this sort of thing. It makes things easier for a potential employer to view after you have left the interview or before you arrive.

Here's the link, check it out and please give me feedback!

Abbey Fosnot: PR Portfolio

C/J Awards Banquet

After being involved in the planning process for the Networking Panel & Awards Banquet, I was beyond anxious to see how everything panned out and how well the event was attended.
I was pleasantly surprised that all three events went flawlessly.

I had the opportunity to attend the Student Media Leaders Luncheon with several members of the Alumni Advisory Council including Evan Forrester, Jason Kirsch, and Denise Calabrese. The lunch was a great opportunity for student media leaders to get feedback from professionals in the field and what feedback we got! I was very surprised and humbled by all the positive feedback I personally received for my work with Shippensburg University Public Relations (SUPR). It felt good to hear that feedback from people other than our professors here. I also enjoyed the opportunity to network with these individuals on a one-on-one basis.

Although I wasn't able to sit through the Networking Panel (last minute set-up and preparations for the award banquet!) I heard great feedback from all who attended. The room was packed full of students who told me that they valued the questions and answers they got from the alumni council. I feel its important to have these opportunities for students because many of these questions are not answered in a classroom setting.

And then the awards banquet! The keynote speaker, Deborah Saline, from PR Works was great! Very entertaining, interactive and full of valuable advice for students about networking. I plan to attend my first PPRS meeting next week and was very nervous about how to approach and network with professionals who I do not know. I feel much more confident now knowing some methods to meet and greet at a business function. Even the most outgoing people need some help in this area. I think the rest of the students enjoyed the speaker as well because we got great feedback on post-event evaluations. Dinner was basic but well done by Reisner Dining Hall staff. Everything went smoothly and the buffet lines moved quickly along.

I was also humbled to receive an award for being one of the top 25 seniors in my major. It's great to know all this hard work pays off. I hope to receive a copy of the award to include in my professional portfolio next week.


Overall the whole day seemed to be a great success. PRSSA got wonderful feedback from guests, students and faculty.

Experiment with Adobe Flash

Dee and I experimented with Adobe Flash Professional and came up with this little skit that will hopefully brighten your day.

We found the program and the process of making this to be very tedious and time consuming. We felt that more instruction on the program may have eluded to more shortcuts that we might not have otherwise figured out but overall, I personally don't feel I would use the program very often if ever in my professional work.

It was fun to create this show because we weren't concerned with it looking professional and being about a relevant topic. I think the final outcome is cute and light hearted. However,you probably need to have the flash program installed on your computer to watch the clip.

http://students.ship.edu/af5464/cloudfight.fla

Drew Michael Taylor Foundation-Soundslides

 Click the link to view: Drew Michael Taylor Foundation Video by Dee & Abbey

Podcast Review: The Skeptics Guide to the Universe #289

The podcast that I reviewed was called The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, Episode #289. I found it on podcast.com in the entertainment section. I wasn't quite sure what to expect as far as the topics discussed in this podcast, however, after listening I wouldn't have exactly labeled it as "entertainment." The podcast discussed very random, irrelevant topics that I believe very few people would find interesting enough to listen to in-depth. I guess the overall idea behind the podcast is to criticize and question official scientists, doctors, and professionals regarding topics of science.

In particular, the podcast discusses the death of Jack Lalanne, a fitness/nutrition guru for about 7 minutes. Followed by another 10 minutes of very technical jargon regarding chemical elements and cold fusion????  Too long to hold my interest....

I do have to say that I appreciated the addition of witty, sarcastic, and funny comments made by the hosts. They made the topics a little more interesting by doing so.

As far as technical quality of the podcast, the voices were all the same volume, there was little to no background noises and the conversational tone and quality of the dialogue was close to perfect. I think they could have included more background sound bytes or clips to supplement the cast.

I had no idea what I was getting into by choosing this particular podcast. I would say that for a certain, very specific audience(maybe a more "scientifically-minded" audience) --these topics would have been a bit more exciting than they were for me.

The Weakest "Ink"

Tattoos are nothing new. For thousands of years, different societies and cultures have used permanent ink on their skin for multiple purposes. Whether it be a sign of status, a rite of passage, an artistic expression, or cultural trend--tattoos have been seen throughout history and across cultures, dating back to the Ice Age.

For cultures such as the Japanese and Polynesian islanders, tattoos have been seen as a symbol of high status or a commemorative marking of an act of bravery. Few members of ancient cultures would bare these symbols unless respected or honored by other members of the society.

Our society generally has had an opposite opinion. While most tattooed people see tattoos as a positive expression of personality, fine art, and creativity, much of our culture still associates tattoos with negative qualities such as trashiness, low-class, and rebelliousness. Visible tattoos are a sure fire way to get eliminated in the interview process for a job opportunities.

My personal experience with people's opinions of tattoos in the professional world has come from many different sources who generally have had the same opinion: if you want to be a successful professional these days, you can't be covered in ink. I think that this is an unfair assumption considering many professionals have tattoos as well almost every public celebrity figure today.

There is no denying that tattoos are everywhere these days. According to a report by Pew Research Center, about half of people ages 18-25 have at least one tattoo. Tattoos are definitely becoming more and more popular among young people but are still being seen as inappropriate and "trashy" by older generations.  Another recent report by the Pew Research Center on current decade changes cites that 40% of those surveyed view people getting more tattoos as "for the worse," while only 7% view them as for the better and 45% say it makes no difference. 

If tattoos are becoming more popular and have been a symbol of high status in the past, then why is it so difficult for society to accept the 'inked' individual in a professional setting. Sure--a tattoo of a skull and crossbones on your neck is probably not a great image to put forth if you are performing open heart surgeries everyday. But what about the majority of tattooed people--who have one or two images in a full to partially concealed location on their bodies. How does the decision to enter a tattoo parlor and commemorate the death of beloved family member on your upper arm mean that you are not qualified to run a company?

CNN's news report, "Tattoo's Taboo in the Workplace?" describes the mixed reactions of today's employers. (Unfortunately, YouTube will not allow me to access the embed code for this video)

The idea of a more accepting society, when it comes to tattoos, is starting to catch on in a few places. Although the vast majority of corporations still probably feel the same about a tattooed candidate. An enlightening article from CBS News called "Tattoos Becoming More Accepted at Work," states that a Philadelphia boss hired a woman as vice president of his company despite her decision to get 'inked' across her chest and on her wrist. His response, when asked about his decision, mirrors the view that more employers should take into consideration when judging a tattooed job candidate. 

Jim Hoisington, the young woman's boss, said "Courtney is one of the brightest women I've ever met. She's fast, she's smart, if I passed on her because of her tattoos, I'd be out one phenomenal employee."

Source: CBS News/The Early Show

While many employers may associate teenage rebellion and poor morals with body art images, it may be in their best interest to consider a moderately tattooed person who meets all their qualifications, a possible candidate for the job who is open-minded and a creative thinker.