"Be Bold, Do You..."

Deanna McKinley carries nothing short of a bold-faced exclamation point at the end of her name. "Be bold, be you," she says to a class full of impressionable, job-seeking, college students. Do your thing and promote yourself, "you are your own branding." According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Los Angeles author, Rob Frankel, describes banding as, "not advertising and it's not marketing or PR. Branding happens before all of those: First you create the brand, then you raise awareness of it." 

As PR professionals, their job is to "raise awarenss" or change public opinion of a certain subject, product, person, etc. At Frito Lay, McKinley deals with the general public's attitudes toward snack foods, yes, but in addition  to that aspect of her job description, she's managed to incorporate a portion of her soul to her career. Not to say she's not passionate about her snack foods, the Georgia girl loves her some salt and vinegar favored chips... but why not mix in some of your own personal branding - that which is woven into the fabric of your personality - into your everyday job?


As college students we've all been guilty of admitting the words, "I don't care what I do, I just want a job." And in some respects, we're being completely honest. In this economy, can we honestly afford to sit back and wait until our dream job shows up at our apartments? Probably, not. But according to McKinley, this perspective doesn't cut it. She says, "Know what you want to do when you graduate. Wanting a job... its too broad, and trust me, you don't want any job." After listening to her story, it may be safe to say that while your "dream job" may not have been working for Frito Lay, who's to say it can't transform into something that serves you more than that Manhattan job across the street from MTV, and can allow you the opportunity to give a new roof to a woman in need?

An anecdote that will stick with me for a very long time is McKinley's theory that, "you're supposed to be tired and broke in college." Well at least I know I'm doing something right. Apparently you're supposed to feel like you have no time because college is the petri dish where all of your potential passions linger. Discovering these passions can lead one to that "dream job," where everyday you are involved with things you love, and are able to put a piece of yourself in everything you do. Applying what I am passionate about to my professional aspirations could possibly be the recipe for life-long, career happiness! 


Coming from a person who regrets next to nothing in her path to her professional career, I can safely assume that Deanna did it right. Explore, grow, be you. Find what excites you and apply it to your "grown up" job. I can't think of a day in my past 21 years where I haven't thought about dance, danced, or shopped (online shopping is my biggest weakness and distraction). Why should I ignore these significant passions just because I have to get paid doing something else? Next step: brainstorm and research PR firms that represent fashion houses or dance companies. Check. 

What I hope to accomplish in the field of communications...

After years of schooling and countless preparation for our futures, resulting in diplomas, degrees and term papers, I'd hope what each university student hopes to do in their respective fields, not just perform said duties skillfully, but make a difference. 

If education allows us to learn from those that have tried before us and comprehend what they've already uncovered, then shouldn't our goals read along the lines of adding to that wealth of knowledge? Building on what has already been uncovered and finding new, efficient ways of accomplishing standard tasks.

Professors, lecturers, and mentors alike seem fixated on "the social media frenzy." What once belongs to our generation as mere social pastime seems to have evolved into an unyielding medium for advertisers, marketers and public relations agents to reach target audiences. 

Personally, I feel as though this constant intervention from product campaigners is leading to its inevitable demise. This presents an interesting dilemma for upcoming PR professionals who must simultaneously hone their social media skills while constantly searching for the "next big thing." 

In an age when information and the ways in which professionals send their messages is changing at viral speed, its only a matter of time before the tactics we use today become obsolete. Not only do I hope to contribute to the discovery and cultivation of this yet-to-be-discovered, I hope to uncover a new process that completely changes the communication process altogether.