Tag Archives: Public Relations

My Last Semester:

Where do I even begin…

As my last semester , I look back on my time here, and from where it really all began. A boy, lost in his fashion dreams, taking a risk to move across the country to pursue his dreams. Here’s some excerpts of my application essay to FIT. Reading it again fuels a flame that sometimes gets dull throughout hectic school year, but that is always burning…

The notable fashion photographer and journalist Bill Cunningham once said, “Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.” Coming from a family that struggles to meet every day needs, I live through a reality that is tougher than the average American teenager. My mom is a single mother of two who makes ends meet without a college education. Even though our financial difficulties are a burden, my mother sacrifices everything she earns in order for me to do the activities I love. She continuously encourages me to do my best, and motivates me to be successful in life. Amongst the harsh realities I face, fashion allows me to escape to a world where I have no worries and can exercise my creative talents. At a young age, I knew that whatever I pursued, I would give the utmost dedication in order to be successful and make my ultimate fantasies a reality.

From my earliest memories, I dreamt of living the life of a male equivalent of Carrie Bradshaw, the forever-young and outgoing “fashionista” from the award-winning book and television series “Sex and the City” by Candace Bushnell. Living in New York City, writing for a fashion magazine, and going to fashion shows seemed like an exhilarating life, but I knew it was going to take hard work and experience to get the career I dreamt of. Becoming a fashion journalist would cultivate my passion for fashion…

…The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City is my ultimate fantasy that can become a reality. Since I am a driven, creative, and enthusiastic young adult ready to take on the demand of the fashion world, my fervor and knowledge of fashion will only develop as an FIT student. FIT’s unique Advertising and Marketing Communications program will truly engage and challenge myself to grow infinitely. As I progress in my educational journey once again, I look forward to calling myself a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I am a perfect fit for FIT because I will get down to business in a creative way.

As fashion journalist turned into fashion publicist, I look back in awe. Your dreams may mold into something else, but they will never fade away. Here’s to a great Spring 2018, wishing you all the best!

Mariano

Establishing Your LinkedIn Profile:

Whether you are or are not aware of the importance of building a strong LinkedIn professional network, with busy schedules and stressing about the future, sometimes we dismiss our social media. LinkedIn, however, is one type of social media network that should never be dismissed!

Establishing a strong LinkedIn profile and network will propel your chances of finding more opportunities by making YOU stand out of your sea of competitors and makes it easier for your prospective employees to review your knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality traits. Here are a few tips that really helped me build my profile:

1. Have a professional photo

LinkedIn isn’t Tumblr, there is no excuse for not having a professional head shot. Look clean, friendly, and approachable! Remember, first impressions count…even virtually!

2. Have a strong headline and summary

LinkedIn creates your headline with your job title and current company…but you can create your own! Consider making it your specialty and speaking to your audience directly. For example, mine is “Public Relations Student at FIT”, even though I currently have other positions.

Use bullets for your actual summary or make it a power sentence. LinkedIn also allows you to add media, so if you’re creative, even make an introduction video!

3. Fill out everything

Skills, abilities, volunteer work and associations, education, previous positions, etc. This is all the important stuff that prospective employers are looking forward to seeing, make sure it’s concise and displays YOU.

4. Keep your profile up-to-date

You don’t need to list every. single. thing. you’ve done. But consider maintaining your profile with current career goals and positions that are relevant and timely to your position seeking and network building opportunities.

Go on and make your LinkedIn profiles great!

Mariano

Interning in NYC: Michele Marie PR

Connections are truly what everyone says they are… the best thing to have! Building a strong network of people in your community, class, major, etc. can lead you to opened doors you would have never thought of having. As a Baker Scholar, I received the greatest opportunity at a time I was in need… an internship!

Michele Marie PR is a full-service public relations agency specializing in editorial, celebrity and event driven press in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries. The agency focuses on developing and executing strategically targeted press campaigns to brand clients as leaders in their own particular sect. The founders are energetic, fresh, and accessible with bi-coastal experience in a wide array of product lines. The clients include young design talent, established premium designers, and innovators in the world of fashion, beauty, and accessories. They have a proven track record of combining editorial press, celebrity dressing, promotions, and events to assist in developing successful household-name brands. The team collaborates with each client to pitch concepts and materials to maximize on potential brand awareness and excitement. Commitment to the highest quality shines through in all services. Michele Marie PR has two offices located in west Los Angeles and New York City. Situated in a spacious, wood-floored, loft-style spaces, the offices are prime showroom locations where stylists, editors and celebrities experience the clients’ products on a daily basis.

How do you get credit for an internship? Where can I get an internship? DO I NEED AN INTERNSHIP? – all of the questions you may have can be answered by the Career and Internship Center. I am currently doing this internship credited and they experience is worth the internship class you have to take!

Never close opened doors, being at Michele Marie PR and speaking with the co-founders of the agency themselves has landed me a summer internship at the LA office!

Getting to Know Your Professor

Hi Readers! Its so important to get to know your teachers here at FIT. As I’ve said in past blogs, they are a wealth of experience, knowledge and information and many times can help you land internships or future jobs! Introducing yourself at the beginning of the semester is a must, and if you take a liking to him or her, maintain the friendly relationship. Once you leave FIT, it will be great to have a connection remaining at the school.

Today I wanted to shine the spotlight on one of my favorite professors, Linda Finnerty! Professor Finnerty is a highly regarded professor in the Advertising and Marketing Communications department here at FIT. Last semester, she made my Tuesday mornings exciting with Principles of PR and this semester, she’s teaching me “real world stuff” in Corporate Communications.

I can’t begin to tell you the number of valuable industry and life lessons I’ve learned from her. Her lectures (which are always filled with interesting stories from her days on the job) have given me a realistic look into the world of PR. I must say she is one of the best professors I’ve had while at FIT. Her courses are highly sought out by students. You’d be lucky to learn from her! Impressive career + amazing stories + likeable personality = wonderful professor.

Here are some questions I asked Linda Finnerty highlighting her career and place at FIT!

Which classes do you teach at FIT?

Advertising & Promotion, Marketing for Integrated Marketing Communications, Workshop in Business Communications, Publicity Workshop, Integrated Marketing Communications Management, Principles of Public Relations, Public Relations for Museums and Arts Organizations, Corporate Communications and Special Events Marketing Public Relations.

Before you began teaching at FIT, what was your career?

Prior to teaching at FIT, I was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for a major Wall Street firm. I was responsible for advertising, marketing, public relations, investor relations, special events marketing, sponsorships, corporate culture and corporate social responsibility. It was a high stress job, required lots of creativity, the ability to multitask and manage a large staff of people, crisis communications skills, relationship building – all while maintaining a sense of humor and the ability to keep things in perspective.

What was your proudest career moment?

My proudest career moment was receiving the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2009. To qualify for the award, you have to be nominated by your peers and submit recommendation letters from a number of students and faculty members.

What do you enjoy most about teaching at FIT?

The thing I like best about teaching at FIT is the focus, dedication and creativity of our students. Class discussions are always lively and the quality of the work presented at the end of each semester is amazing!

What advice can you give to students looking to attend FIT?

My advice to students hoping to attend FIT would be to focus on improving their writing skills, because writing is a critical skill for success in the business world; to read a newspaper daily to keep in touch with what’s going on in the world; and be curious and receptive to new ideas and all the opportunities that come your way. And, above all, don’t take yourself too seriously.

If that’s not good advice, I don’t know what is 🙂

xx, Brendan

Notes From the 6 Train: Applying Your Apps!

Last week I went to a networking event held by BRAG at LIM’s campus. Genevieve Ascencio, the head account manager at Factory PR. Factory PR is one of the premiere Public Relations in the fashion industry. A few of their clients are Marie Claire, Betsey Johnson, Diesel, Puma, Levi’s as well as a slew of other well known companies.

Genevieve told us her story about she stumbled into PR. She actually began studying economics at NYU and after graduating realized that she was no longer passionate about economics. Instead, she began working at her mother’s hair salon. While there, she digitized all of her mother’s files and started sending newsletter to all of their clients. Realizing she had a knack for soliciting more business through her newsletter she started interning at a PR firm and the rest is history. I like this story because it’s a reminder that you don’t have to spend your entire life ruled by your college degree. If you prepare enough, or have the skills, the world is yours.

Genevieve also made a list of the important apps for those interested in pursing a career in PR. (These can also be applied to other jobs in the fashion industry.)

Cision: Cision is primarily used organize PR related information in an orderly manner. It has the ability to distribute press releases, manage PR campaigns, monitor news coverage and analyze results.

FashionGPS: FashionGPS boasts about their ability to provides solutions for the global fashion industry. It hosts suite of products to assist fashion brands and PR agencies in tracking and managing samples, planing and executing events, hosting and managing media, and enabling communication with key contacts. Here’s a list of the various services they offer:

• GPS Samples (Internal and external sample inventory tracking and management)
• GPS Contacts (CRM tool)
• GPS Styles (Media hosting and distribution channel)
• Events GPS (Event management, RSVPs, check-in, interactive seating charts, RFID security)

DropBox: This is a familiar app that many of you may use already. DropBox is used to store information. It is also an easy to share information with others. The best part is once saved to your particular DropBox account your infroamtion can be lost. DropBox for business has all of these functions plus admin controls, dedicated support, and all the space your company needs.

HootSuite: is a social media management system for brand management. It enables the user to create one general post and send it out to all social media networks at the same time. The interface takes the form of a dashboard, and supports social network integration for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Foursquare,MySpace, WordPress, TrendSpottr and Mixi.

Zkipster: Zkipster is a guest list app for non-ticketed event check-in at premieres, parties and galas, promotional events and conferences. It’s the first check-in app compatible on iOS, Android and Windows 8 platforms – offering secure real-time guest list management for public relations, event and meeting professionals.

It’s always nice to know what to expect/ what’s needed from an expert in the field. Going to learning events, such as this one, keeps you abreast of what’s going on in the industry before even officially entering it. Imagine how impressed a potential employer might be when you subtly drop hints about these apps when you’re at your next interview. Keep striving.

All things Color, Love, & Fashion,
Ayanna L.