PR-Bridge

The New Year is nearly here, which gets me thinking about what tips, tricks, networks, and newsletters students (and professionals) should be utilizing. This list is by no means exhaustive, rather a couple places I feel students may benefit from accessing.

Networks:

Linkedin – Linkedin is the hot social network for business professionals right now. Rumors also have it as a key acquisition of several larger social networks, including Rupert Murdoch’s MySpace. According to the site, Linkedin membership tops 16 million and represents 150 industries. Simply a must in today’s environment, particularly for job seekers.

MyRagan (www.myragan.com) is a newish social networking site dedicated to communications professionals. I have been a member for awhile and love the vast amounts of information available on the site. However, its actual social networking aspects is not as robust as you will find on the larger sites. As the site continues to grow, though, this may increase. And, as always, what you get out of these sites is about equal to what you put in. I have not been an overtly active member.

Newsletters:

MediaPost Publications offers a wealth of informative newsletters, delivered daily to your inbox. The selection covers everything from metrics to gaming and a variety of marketing topics. My personal favs are Marketing Daily, MediaDailyNews, and Around the Net.

Bulldog Reporter/Daily Dog is the one-stop for all things public relations. It is a key resource for anyone who wants to keep up with the current state of the field. From case studies to op-eds, the Daily Dog provides thought-provoking information from working professionals.

Ragan’s Daily Headlines is another great source of information from the Ragan Communications group. I am a huge fan of Ragan, which provides communicators with a ton of useful, insightful information.

Tips:

Ned’s Job of the Week – Searching for a job or just trying to stay updated on the state of hiring in the industry, then Ned Lundquist’s site and weekly e-mail newsletter of new positions is for you. Ned is a phenomenal guy who provides an invaluable resource to the countless numbers of professionals employed due to his willingness to help. Join his community and you will have a network of nearly 10,000 communicators at your door.

Here are the simple directions: To subscribe for free, send a blank e-mail to JOTW-subscribe@topica.com.

Tricks:

PRSA provides a wealth of information for free, including articles from its award-winning publications at Tactics and Strategist Online. Searching its archives and Silver Anvil winners database costs non-members money, but for those of you who are members, these are priceless resources.

Craigslist – If you are interested in working in a large city, then use Craigslist in your job search and hunt for a place to live. One of my students recently decided to move to Washington DC. She has a job lined up, but nowhere to live. We looked under shared housing on Craigslist and found about 300 in one day’s worth of listings.