HAPPO hash tag conversation: March 8
As promised in last Friday’s announcement this week we’re starting the first in a series of ongoing weekly hash tag conversations around topics relevant to today’s PR job seeker.
We’d like to start by throwing out the following question: What was the best career advice you were ever given?
Weigh with your thoughts throughout the week and track the conversation using the hash tag (easiest way is to set up a column in Tweetdeck or similar approach with other Twitter desktop apps).
We’re planning to summarize the conversation at the end of the week on the HAPPO blog, so if you miss it, you can always check there for the highlights.
Side note: HAPPO champion and supporter Deirdre Breakenridge also took time to create a social media release for HAPPO. A great tool for champions and other HAPPO supporters to use in promoting the next HAPPO event on April 30, 2010.
Any questions, just ask Valerie or I or one of the local champions.
@arikhanson
HAPPO: What’s next?
It’s been 14 days since the HAPPO event on Feb. 19. In that time, we’ve heard great stories. A number of job seekers shared with us how HAPPO made a difference, including:
Jackie Lloyd: Today’s HAPPO was fantastic! As a job seeker, it let me connect with so many professionals I would have never had the opportunity to communicate with or follow on Twitter.
Sarah Haas: My most helpful contact was Mary Barber who not only posted my HAPPO blurb on her blog but also connected me with experienced senior level public relations professionals in my area. I am very excited to connect with these individuals and it would not have happened without HAPPO.
And, read Aubrey Mondi’s comment if you want to see the full effect HAPPO had for one job seeker last month.
We’ve also seen continued momentum after the Feb. 19 event. Between 150-200 tweets each day using the #happo hash tag. People still want to help–and clearly, people are still looking for work.
But what’s next? That’s the question we continue to hear.
On April 30, we will hold our next HAPPO event. And, with this event, we’d like to focus on student job seekers since graduation will be just weeks away. After brainstorming and discussing with many of the HAPPO champions, we felt a quarterly HAPPO event made sense–at least for the foreseeable future. Look for more specific details about this event later this month.
We also wanted to find a way to keep the conversation going between events. A way to connect job seekers with PR practitioners between those quarterly HAPPO dates. So, starting Monday, March 8, we’ll start a weekly hash tag-based conversation around a number of topics relevant to today’s PR job seeker. You’ll be able to chat with pros and fellow job seekers about topics ranging from the best resume format to interview tips to networking best practices. It’s designed to be a weekly event, so if you can’t hop on Twitter to chat Monday, just check back later in the week. The topic will also change each week, so while one topic may not interest you this week, next week the discussion may pique your curiousity. Check back with the HAPPO blog Monday for more information, including next week’s topic.
We have a number of other great ideas on the table, too. Including Justin Goldborough’s notion of asking current pros to review resumes of those looking for work and offering advice. We’re definitely going to find a way to keep that going. But, we’re also considering a number of other ideas. We just have to figure out what’s feasible given people’s time and interest. Stay tuned for more.
In the meantime, if you’re a job seeker, look for the hash tag conversation next week and start preparing now for the April 30 event. Dust off your resume and update your LinkedIn profile. Start connecting with colleagues and new people–on and off Twitter. And, think about different ways to approach your job search. Those are the foundational elements of HAPPO. And, we hope we can continue to make a difference for you in your hunt.
5 creative approaches to the question: Why should I hire you?
On Feb. 19, we asked job seekers to develop a creative approach that answered one simple question: Why should I hire you?
The following were a few of the more creative submissions we saw on HAPPO Day and beyond. We hope these submissions can spark ideas for job seekers as they start to think differently about the job search and creative tactics to help differentiate themselves.
Also, note, we’ll have more information to share later this week regarding the future plans for HAPPO.
KT Wall’s #HAPPO Video from Katie Wall on Vimeo.
A #HAPPO Haiku for you: PR rainmaker * 20 years experience * LinkedIn says it best* Profile: http://bit.ly/8XYEiP #HAPPO #HAPPOPHL
Nate Knox (resume in word search format)
Bonus: Not a HAPPO submission, but a brilliant execution of a musical resume/cover letter (see above)
What submissions did you see on Feb. 19 that left an impression?
A big, giant HAPPO thank you
HAPPO Community,
What a day!
Thank you to our incredible champions–all veritable PR rock stars, whose time, commitment, creativity and efforts, made today such a special day. And thank you to the more than 1,000 fans and followers, along with everyone who demonstrated their commitment to Help a PR Pro Out on Twitter, both publicly and through private DMs.
We hope that today provided you with an opportunity to begin building new relationships. While we all know that relationships require a serious investment of time and energy, it seems that some of the new connections are already giving way to opportunity. A big congratulations to Christian Betancourt who tweeted “I just set up an interview w an agency I’ve had my eye on for a while b/c of #Happo today.” We look forward to the many stories that we believe will emerge from today’s event and ask that you share them with us here.
On that note, if you have time today or over the next few days, please take a moment to leave a comment below. Let us know about your #HAPPO experience and whether you made some new connections or found a “HAPPO Hero.” As we review the tweets and posts from today, we’d also like your input on what HAPPO looks and feels like going forward. After all, HAPPO Is really all about YOU!
Thank you again for taking the time to help a PR pro out.
Sincerely,
Arik and Valerie
Happy #HAPPO Day!
“Help a PR Pro Out” (HAPPO) Day is officially here and from 11am-3pm ET/10am-2pm CT/ 9am-1pm PA) the PR industry will be uniting on Twitter to use our collective resources to help connect those seeking jobs in the PR industry with opportunities. We hope that you have set up a Hootsuite, Tweetdeck or Tweetgrid column for #HAPPO to easily follow the event. Here’s how to participate:
Job seekers
It’s time to share that creative blog post for prospective employers. Tweet the champions in the market and reach out to others using your regional hashtag (see below). And remember, just because you are looking, doesn’t mean you can’t help too! See a job that’s not right for you? Consider who might be a good fit! Finally, be on the lookout for some giveaways! Both national and local industry organizations have teamed up with us to support you. This is YOUR day.
Employers
Tweet your job openings using the hashtag #HAPPO and a regional hashtag below. We’ll spread the word throughout the HAPPO community and use our network to try and find the perfect match for your opening! If you prefer to be more discrete, contact one of the regional champions and ask them to lookout for you. We hope to help make your search for a new PR star a bit easier!
All those in the PR industry
Whether you have the job of your dreams or are searching for a new role, we ask that everyone makes an effort to put the “Help” in HAPPO. Look at job openings with a critical eye. Who do you know that is perfect for the role? Take a moment to share the blog posts of job seekers with your network. Do you know an outstanding free agent? Help spread the word! Let’s use or collective relationships/networks to make a difference and help speed up the job search for our fellow PR colleagues.
Below is a list of the regional champions that will be online today and local hashtags to help make connections (Please use local hashtags in addition to the regular #HAPPO hashtag to assure the entire community can hear you!). A tremendous “thank you” to these champions (who are all juggling multiple responsibilities) who have been instrumental in making #HAPPO happen today as well as all of the individuals and organizations across the PR industry who responded to our call to action just two weeks ago. We are excited to create some “HAPPO Endings” to this story and proud to be part of this generous community.
Arik & Valerie
- Jeremy Porter (Atlanta – #HAPPOATL)
- Kellye Crane (Atlanta- #HAPPOATL)
- Doug Haslam (Boston- #HAPPOBO)
- Jennifer Wilbur (Southern CA #HAPPOCA)
- Gini Dietrich (Chicago- #HAPPOCHI)
- Lauren Fernandez (Dallas/Fort Worth #HAPPODFW)
- Richie Escovedo (Dallas/Fort Worth #HAPPODFW)
- Jamie Floer (Florida #HAPPOFL)
- John Sternal (Florida #HAPPOFL)
- Bonnie Upright / @prville (Florida (North) #HAPPOFL)
- Adrienne Bailey (Indianapolis #HAPPOINDY
- Justin Goldsborough (Kansas City #HAPPOKC)
- Arik Hanson (Minneapolis/ St. Paul #HAPPOMN)
- PR Cog (New York Metro #HAPPONY)
- Valerie Simon (New York Metro #HAPPONY)
- Heather Whaling (Ohio #HAPPOOH)
- Anne Buchanan (Philadelphia #HAPPOPHI)
- Abbie Fink (Phoenix #HAPPOPHO)
- Deanna Ferrari (Pittsburgh #HAPPOPGH)
- Adrienne Biggs (San Francisco #HAPPOSF)
- Rene Siegel (Silicon Valley #HAPPOSV)
- Michelle Stewart (Silicon Valley #HAPPOSV)
- Danny Brown (Toronto #HAPPOTO)
- Dave Fleet (Toronto #HAPPOTO)
- Shonali Burke (Washington, DC #HAPPODC)
- Mike Shaffer (Washington, DC #HAPPODC)
- Heather Huhman (Washington, DC #HAPPODC)
Help a PR Pro Out design contest winner
I’m happy to announce we have a winner of the Help a PR Pro out design contest. In total 26 submissions were made by 14 different designers across the U.S. 391 votes later and we have a winner:
Amy Taylor and Kevin DeSoto were second and third respectively. A huge thanks to ALL the designers for submitting their concepts. And again, a public apology to Janelle Thomas, Rex Reipe and Scott Hale for either failing to initially post their ideas or completely botching the upload of their logos. Completely my fault (Arik, here) and I have no excuses. I’m truly sorry, but please know that we sincerely appreciate your effort.
Congratulations to John. As promised, we’ll be sending him copies of Deidre Breakenridge’s books, PR 2.0 and Putting the Public Back in Public Relations as well as a showcase piece in the Examiner. We’ll obviously also be using the logo on all HAPPO materials and sites going forward. Thanks again, John. Great work!
Help a PR Pro Out: Persistence is Key in the Job Hunt
Cross post from Arik Hanson’s Communications Conversations
Today’s guest post is courtesy of Tim Otis, supervisor-social media & PR at local integrated advertising agency, Gabriel deGrood Bendt (GdB). Tim’s post highlights one of the many reasons I’ve enjoyed the HAPPO movement over the last week–the personal stories that have emerged. Enjoy.
When I was 7 years old, I ventured off in my house to find the game Pictionary so my family and I could play it. They told me it was somewhere. I searched and searched for what seemed like a lifetime (especially when you’re that young). After about 2 hours of no returned result, my family told me to stop, but I kept going. Read the rest of this entry »
