Sure, there are some very common questions that you can generally plan to be asked, such as “tell me about yourself,” and “what is your greatest strength and weakness?”  But these seemingly common questions can serve an arguably greater purpose, which is to get you to think well and quickly in uncomfortable situations.

Since not many people have ample time to take on practice interviews just for the benefit of learning to answer or deflect typical interview questions, we’ve put together a fantastic flashcard deck of 102 Interview Questions you might be asked in an easy-to-use PDF format.

How do you use this flashcard deck successfully?  It’s simple!

1. Download the PDF file here.
2. Open the file.
3. Print the file (thicker paper works better than standard printer paper).
4. Cut the flashcards out by following along the dotted lines (scissors are sharp, so ask a grown-up to help you).
5. Practice with your flash cards.

You might be thinking to yourself, why do flashcards work so well?

Well the trick is something researchers call: spaced repetition, which (information about the phenomenon was first published in 1885 by Hermann Ebbinghaus) exploits a learning characteristic called: the spacing effect (not to be confused with the Spacing Guild).

According to spacing effect theory, humans and animals more easily remember or learn items in a list when they are studied a few times over a long period of time, rather than studied repeatedly in a short period time (cramming).

The recommended method for individuals to become most familiar with these types of questions would be to select ten (10) random flashcards and spend time throughout a single day reading the questions and developing good answers for those questions.

At the end of the day, have a friend or significant other ask you questions from those ten (10) flashcards and have them listen and evaluate your answers to each question.  Try to keep your answers around one-minute (60 seconds) apiece.

On Day 2, pick ten (10) new questions and spend time throughout a single day reading the questions and developing good answers for those questions.

On Day 3, combine the questions from Day 1 and Day 2 and work your way though all twenty (20) of those questions.

On Day 4, rest.  Do not work with your flash cards.

On Day 5, you should rework your first twenty (20) questions.  They should look very familiar to you at this point.

Take days 6 & 7 off.

On Week 2, follow the same schedule as Week 1, but use ten (10) new questions on Day 1 and Day 2.  On Day 5, combine your questions from Weeks 1 & 2 and rework your way through all forty (40) questions.

In five (5) short weeks you will be very familiar and very comfortable with these types of questions and you will certainly see your interview skills improve dramatically.

Remember, the trick to this system is not to just memorize common interview questions, but to think of good, strategic answers that will help you win the opportunity.

Check out this post and this post on strategic interview answers.

Just be sure to never forget, like MacGyver, that with great power comes great responsibility.

They are, perhaps, best known for their weekly email blast, Mac’s List, which provides job seekers and career-changers a long list of high-level opportunities for career advancement or change.

If you are a college student and interested in a real-world internship experience with a well-known agency and a dedicated team of seasoned professionals, look no further than the two opportunities here!

The first opportunity is for marketing and the second is for social media.

If you are interested, don’t spend time wondering if you’d be a good fit, take action today and show them how you can add value, because these opportunities are very competitive and are going to be snapped up by talented young people.

If you are interested in the marketing internship, click here.

If you are interested in the social media internship, click here.

Oh, but before you do anything, you might want to take a moment and review some of our previous posts on developing a good portfolio, good questions to ask and how to break down a real job ad.

Go get ‘em!

Cheers,

PDXSX

Surprisingly, they can be a lot of fun too.

They can also provide a very strategic research opportunity for you, in particular.

Annual holiday parties usually start taking place right around this time of year, starting somewhere mid-month in December and progressing into a few days before that more common Christian holiday…I just can’t remember the name of that holiday right now.

Along the way there may be Secret Santa campaigns (W00t!), White Elephant gift planning (meh), occasionally the distribution of end-of-year bonuses (probably not this year), holiday cheer, some catered finger-food (nosh!) and epic amounts of free hooch.

While all of the events are usually pretty fun and may take place during work hours or an evening, it is this last of the aforementioned items that young professionals should be most careful around.

You understand: The red-eye rotgut.  The triple-tipple-toddy.

Yes, I know you all have had four (4) or more years of practice getting your swerve on with Mr. Hennessey, spent countless hours waxing philosophical with a bottle of Mezcale to consult; laughed like a pirate with a ship full of plunder while quaffing a stiff rum and cola.

We know this because we’ve done it.  We also know how to turn this soiree into a very profitable strategic opportunity.

Without a doubt it’s always the new professionals who take advantage of the free ‘shine, and why not?  You’ve certainly earned it.  Right?  Hells yeah! Now pour us a double!

Yes, it certainly can be a hoot to toss back a couple of stiff drinks with your colleagues from administration or the check-cutters in accounting (who knew that number nerds and comptrollers were that funny after all!?).

You might even get a chance to sidle up to the Executive VP and let him know what you think about that new technology account you helped to pitch and why you need a promotion and a three-person team of your own to hit all of the goals laid out for you.

Wait. Hold it.  This is where the record scratches.  *Scccrraaaaaatch*

If you have been with an organization for less than a couple of years, you really want to play the annual holiday party with a conservative starting wager.  That is to say, do not, under any circumstances, dive into the liquor and start to talk shop with anyone who might be considered a supervisor.  A peer, okay, but honestly you’ll certainly mess this up, sooner than later – hopefully you’ll learn from your transgression; or ye shall be doomed to repeat your mistake.

Here is the reality: You, yes YOU, the one who is reading this blog right now.  You cannot hold your liquor as well as you think you can. Period.  End of story.

As “Ponch” as you think you are under the influence, you are not.

If you are reading this blog you are likely to be under the age of 25.  And not to take anything away from your age, but you are probably working with people right now who have been dipping into the sauce for twice as long as you have been alive.

With all due respect, some of them are probably full-blown alcoholics – high functioning or not. You cannot out-drink any of these people, impress them or maintain your composure.  Sure, you’ll try; probably because I told you that you couldn’t and who am I to tell you anything?

I am, though, telling you this coming from neither a teetotaler nor an anonymous alcoholic.  I’m telling you this from someone who has played on both sides of the office holiday party.

I’ve gone hard.  I’ve tried to put my monthly pre-tax salary away in the form of liquid fire and tapas (Later, at home, I produced an ample amount of A-grade organic fertilizer for my Japanese Maple).

I’ve done shots and cigars with the CEO and imagined myself as his personal office jester. (Didn’t work out).

I’ve tried to go full Centurion with the management consultant. (And won, BTW).

I’ve also tried to talk financial shop with major decision-makers while putting down my ninth (9th) PBR (bad idea).

And after all of my accolades, in no circumstance have I have enjoyed a workplace advancement, promotion or recognition for my holiday imbibing skills.

I have, however, felt like an ass the next day and started my many contrite and penitent emails with a subject line beginning: “First let me apologize for my behavior at our holiday party…”

And what have I learned from all of this besides the obvious cautionary insight of: “Don’t make an ass of yourself?”

Have one (1) drink an hour, and supplement with a soda water and lime in a highball glass, with a straw.

• First, you want to have a good time and enjoy the spread.  Find yourself a nice beer or a favorite drink.  Don’t pound it, enjoy the beverage and make conversation with your peers.  Hit the grub.  Go for the seafood first, save room for the main dish and avoid carbs like Swine Flu.

• Second, go back and order (or pour yourself) a nice soda water in a highball glass with a lime and include a straw.  The highball glass with a lime looks just like a delicious gin and tonic.  Thus increasing the likelihood that you won’t draw attention to yourself or your “information master plan.”  The straw helps by keeping the drink available for your mouth without dumping ice on all over your sober face, all the while cultivating credibility that your beverage is “adult” in orientation and reinforces that you are just a regular person.  If there are paper umbrellas, put one of those in there too.  A dash of grenadine and you are now looking very chic.

Work this drink-for-drink system all night long.  One on, one off.

Now, as the evening wears on, you are likely one of the few people who have strategically remained sober during the whole evening.  Why is this strategic?  Because you have gone from office colleague into hardened NSA-level information-hunter

“Dude!  It’s my first holiday party!  I’m going to get wrecked!” You are saying out loud, at this very moment, to no one in particular within the computer lab.  “Why the hell would I actually try to stay sober at the one free work-party of the year?”

The answer is simple and I’ve been doing it for years now.

Without a doubt, you will hear and learn things that you never thought possible at the workplace.  You will gain insight otherwise unavailable to anyone in your position.  And even better…you’ll remember what was said.  You are no longer the Sham-Wow of Ethanol.  You are now a sponge of inside information.

At the annual holiday parties, while remaining sober, I’ve heard from accountants how much longer the organization will function without a new client on board (not long).

I’ve heard about who is cheating on their spouse with which client (true story, several times over).

I’ve found out that the Executive VP is and has been at odds with the CEO & President and is thinking about leaving and taking the biggest client with them (he did, I got out early and the organization went under).

I’ve learned that I can tell a better joke, have a faster wit and make more people laugh when I’m not trashed (just like my typical day).

I’ve learned that performing karaoke sober, in a room full of people, is more satisfying when I can do it sober (I recommend anything by Neil Diamond).

And I’ve also learned that while free drinks and coworkers can be a lot of fun when tipping back the nog, I have come to realize that I don’t have total control of all of my cognitive faculties when I’ve poured it down (just ask my wife).

Let me I assure you, I am not a square (ask any colleague).  I have a large group of close friends that I can cut loose with and you probably do too.  That is what they are for!

I do know, however, I can get drunk with the best of them anytime I choose.  But a while back I chose to utilize the holiday office party to my own advantage…to listen and learn.

I’m not going to admonish you to be just like me, but I do hope you’ll consider utilizing this holiday opportunity in a strategic format.  Be the person who knows all the secrets that are guaranteed to be spilling out at 10:15P. I absolutely assure you it will happen.

Don’t be the person who can’t remember what they said at 8:04P because you poured yourself four-fingers of 20-year-old Glenmorangie from the boss-man’s personal stash.

And for the love of all those you know; please, please call a cab if you need it.  Here are three Portland companies who can get you home safely (and hit Taco Bell on the way).

• Radio Cab
• Green Cab & Shuttle
• Portland Taxi Cab Company

Have a merry holiday and see what you can learn.

Noel!

Megan is spending her last quarter of college in Portland, participating in the PDXSX program and currently interning at Davis Elen Advertising – the company behind many of the McDonald’s and Toyota campaigns you might already be familiar with.

With a rich history of results, the creative minds at Davis Elen continually bring to the table fresh and innovative ways to dynamically impact their clients’ business.

Today, Davis Elen stands as one of the largest privately-held, independent agencies in the country, with $200 million in annual billings with offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle and Portland.

Professional

Where are you spending your PDXSX internship:

Davis Elen Advertising

What do you like the best about your internship:

The best part of my internship is being able to learn about how an agency works in a fun and welcoming environment. It has opened my eyes to multiple aspects and positions in an advertising agency that I was not aware of before.

What do you find most challenging about your internship:

I would have to stay the most challenging part of my internship has been wanting to be more involved in agency work, but as an intern I have to remind myself that I need to learn, continue with great work ethic and eventually I will be given more responsibilities.

What is one piece of advice you might give someone looking to participate in the PDXSX program:

The best advice I can give to a future PDXSX participant is to not be afraid to ask questions.

Internships are perfect opportunities to learn about your industry and gain skills needed once you go searching for a job, so take advantage of this opportunity. Learn as much as you possibly can, because in doing so, you not only help yourself but you help your employer as well.

What is something new you have learned as a result of your PDXSX internship:

I learned that even though school may be done, there is always much more to learn.

How do you think your internship has better prepared you to enter the professional world:

My internship prepared me to enter the professional world by showing me how an agency works and allowed me to be involved in the process, in order to know how to succeed in a job in the future.

What is one thing you wish you would have known before starting your PDXSX internship:

In college, I focused my advertising courses mainly towards the media side of the agency. I wish I would have taken more creative courses and widened my course focus because my internship has opened my eyes to other positions in the agency other than media buying.

How do you believe social media has or will change your industry:

Social media is constantly changing my industry and understanding consumers reason for using social media is key for client and agency growth.

Social media is a great way for a client to connect on a more personal level to its consumers.

For the rest of Megan’s interview and to view her outstanding resume, please click *here*

You can find all of the previous posts to this series here:

• Part 1 – Understanding the Requirements of Your Organization
• Part 2 – Understanding the Requirements of Your Clients
• Part 3 – Figuring out What Yet Needs to Be Done and Doing It
• Part 4 – Creating Awareness About Your Value

One of the hardest ways for a Star Employee to maintain their value and protect their career is to actually leave (on a positive note) their current employer.  Now, please note we are NOT telling you to jump ship now.  Like an incredible soufflé, you must wait until just the right moment to pull your game from the organizational oven.

Besides if you are a regular reader of this blog, you probably don’t have more than five (5) years of professional experience in total or at your current gig.  It’s fine, that’s why were here.  We’ll tell you how to roll. And then you can implement it in the future.

Forty (40) years ago, it was expected that most “professionals” would graduate from school, find a job with a white-collar employer and proceed to work for them for the rest of their careers.  Slowly climbing that multi-stage ladder into management. Then from management, if you were lucky and well-liked, into the role of an executive …maybe even a vice-president.  You would work hard every day, make good choices and eventually retire with a full pension.  Seemed like a fair shake.  Hopefully you enjoyed what you did for all those decades.

What people rarely did, however, was jump ship to serve their own professional interests.

Fast forward into today.  Corporate pensions are a rarity, if not outright nonexistent.  Companies lay people off all of the time, regardless of your performance or personality.  Decisions are made in Europe which eliminate numerous departments and hundreds of dedicated employees in Wisconsin.  Suddenly corporate loyalty doesn’t have the same rewards as it once did.  Unfortunate, but true.

Nonetheless, sometimes deciding to make a career change is a superb way to take on new challenges, earn a higher salary, enjoy more responsibilities, have a say in an organization’s direction or just try something new.

The key, however, is to make the decision at the right time for yourself and use tact.

If you are seriously considering a career move you should ask yourself a few questions:

1. Are you still enjoying your work?  If not, what kind of work would you enjoy?
2. Is there a critical personal need that is no longer being met by your organization?
3. Is this a management issue?  Do you have a new supervisor who doesn’t see your value?
4. Has the organization’s goals changed which no longer values your contribution?
5. Is your unhappiness due to your current role or a lack of other opportunities?

If some of these questions ring a bell and you are able to make the decision it’s time to look for new opportunities, make sure you continue to maintain a high standard of work.  Continue to do your best (even if you hate it) until you have successfully landed a new opportunity.

Once you have an offer in hand, the most tactful (and tactical) plan is to ask your immediate supervisor for a meeting or coffee.

Honestly explain to them your decision and reasons for the decision.  Allow them to upload the information and respond.  Give them a chance to ask you questions.  Listen for a lucrative counteroffer.  But most of all, if you want to maintain your value and future options; be kind, be honest and be thankful for the opportunities you have had with this organization to learn, grow professionally and gain experience.

It never hurts to actually say, “Thank you for the opportunities here.  I really appreciate the chances I have had to develop and I look forward to working with you again.”

Don’t burn your bridges.  Even if it would feel oh so sweet to do so.  We’ve tried it.  We know.  Bridges are easy to torch.  And like a bag of lime gobstoppers, the sweet reward is fleeting at best.

Cheers,

PDXSX

Annelise is spending her last quarter of college in Portland, participating in the PDXSX program and currently interning at The Scene Marketing Group – one of Portland’s premiere agencies, providing supportive and proactive public relations, marketing, event management and consulting services to private businesses, associations and non-profit organizations across the nation.

SMG also supplies the comprehensive tools and programs clients need to be successful, visible and reputable with a wide range of affordable, personalized services.

Professional

Where are you spending your PDXSX internship?

The Scene Marketing Group.

If applicable: have you had previous internships, if so, where:

B|W|R Public Relations in Los Angeles, Ca.

What do you like the best about your internship?

The environment, absolutely. We work in close proximity in the office, and it has a very open and collaborative feel. It’s encouraging when I have a question or an idea. I’ve felt like part of a team, instead of just the intern, since day one.

What do you find most challenging about your internship?

Probably the most challenging aspect of my internship is working with a variety of clients. While it’s fun to create a persona for developing content, it can also be tough to keep them straight and to make sure I approach each task with the right tone and audience in mind.

What is one piece of advice you might give someone looking to participate in the PDXSX program?

Be ready to dive in. The program and its relationships with employers are serious. These are real-world opportunities in a real-world environment. Chances are you won’t be getting coffee- you’ll be putting to work the tools you spent your life learning.

What is something new you have learned as a result of your PDXSX internship?

You don’t get points just for writing your name and showing up is only half the battle.  Sure, I can just get through my to-do list and go home. But it’s to everyone’s benefit if I am more efficient and make time to help take on larger projects that I can be proud to be a part of.

How do you think your internship has better prepared you to enter the professional world?

It has helped me realize that I’m not going to have my dream job right out of college. Everyone has to put in the footwork to get where they want to be. But that’s okay. Because it helps build strengths, improve weaknesses and reinforce character. And it turns out the footwork can actually be a lot of fun, when you find the right fit.

What is one thing you wish you would have known before starting your PDXSX internship?

Homework isn’t just something that you’re given in classes. Especially in PR, you sometimes take projects home or at least out of the office. You may even have to sacrifice some free time to be able to show your employer what you’re capable of.

How do you believe social media has or will change your industry?

It lends itself to a much more ideal form of two-way communication between organizations and their publics. At its core, PR creates dialogue that was mostly unavailable in traditional media, which could ultimately lead to better relationships between companies and stakeholders. Especially as social media evolves, and its ROI becomes clear, it will continue to enforce transparency and redesign the way we think about campaigns.

For the rest of Annelise’s interview and to view her outstanding resume, please click *here*

If you haven’t already been reading this five-part series, you can catch up with the following links:

Part 1 – Understanding the Requirements of Your Organization
Part 2 – Understanding the Requirements of Your Clients
Part 3 – Figuring out What Yet Needs to Be Done and Doing It

Creating Awareness About Your Value

The key to creating awareness about your value is tact and humility.  Were going to use the following working definition for tact: “Tact implies propriety and the ability to speak or act inoffensively.”  Likewise, for humility we are going to use: “the quality of being humble and modest,” as our definition.

Individuals who have consistently demonstrated these two skills:  Yoda, Gandhi, The Dali Lama

Individuals who have yet to learn these two skills: Darth Vader, Han Solo, Venger, or The Donald.

In most organizations there is an unwritten rule that shameless self-promotion will win you far more enemies than friends.  We’re quite sure that you have run into this sort of rapscallion who will always share with you the intimate details of their self-declared superiority.

For example, when you say, “Hey, I just parachuted for the first time today with my significant other, it was great!” They will instantaneously follow up with, “Oh yeah, well my dad was a Golden Knight for the US Army for 32 years, and I was a certified parachute instructor by the age of 14.”

You know who you are, Brett M. from Winnemucca.  There is one like him in every organization with more than 5 employees.  No one likes this guy.  Don’t be him.

However, there are numerous ways to tactfully and humbly toot your own awareness horn.  Our personal favorite is to have a third-party toot away on your behalf (via public recognition).  But in order to achieve this, you need to really develop your own professional brand.

A few professional brands you should try to cultivate include: “client savvy,” “creative,” and “detail oriented.”

A few professional brands you should steer clear of include: “difficult to work with,” “not a team player,” “conceited,” “Sith Lord” or “works well under constant supervision and when cornered like a rat.”

As with all these posts, we like to include some surefire ways to help you achieve your goal of creating awareness about your brand and value; so here goes:

Develop Internal Relationships:  Although they never teach you this in college, careers are often based on WHO you know rather than WHAT you know.  Are you actively building good relationships with your colleagues, senior leadership, clients and industry leaders?  Remember this axiom: For every client you work with, you might well be interviewing for your very next job.  Countless corporate officers are hired away from their agencies by kicking butt on client accounts.  Also, when great people leave, they often take other great people with them.  Be a great coworker.

Volunteer:  There are plenty of volunteer opportunities in every workplace.  Ask around.  What else could you do that might help someone else?  Could you do a little extra research for another manager who has a huge new account to pitch?  Does the Christmas Party Committee need a few extra hands?  The trick here is to find the team, which already has members who have cultivated their own positive personal brand.  Join a team with people whom you aspire to be like.

Steer clear of any team that includes: Spencer Pratt, Kanye West, Skeletor or Michael Vick.

Contribute to the Industry:  Being published is one of the most important and easiest ways to build a brand as an expert.  Obviously you won’t be able to do this right out of the gate, but if you have a specific trick or technique that you think would be a “value-add” for the industry, ask your supervisor if there are some trade publications or blogs you might be able to contribute to. Take a look at the most recent national PRSA newsletter, it’s full of industry contributions.  Your recognized expertise is only 500-words away.

Join Industry Organizations:  If you are in public relations you absolutely need to be a member of PRSA.  Most companies will pay for your membership if they see it as a good value.  If not, it’s a tax deduction for you.  Marketing folks should be involved with AMA.  Advertising folks should be seeking membership in AAAA or AAF.  If you are in Portland, Ore., consider the PAF.  Graphic designers should consider AIGA.  This will also help you contribute to the industry.

Be Kind:  It costs you nothing to be kind.  Smile at people.  Offer to help.  Ask what is going on in other people’s lives.  Open the door for older adults.  Hold the elevator for people.  Be nice to the administrative staff.  Kindness builds karma.  You might think it’s hokey, but we guarantee good karma will get you better parking spots, superior office cubes, more friends and fewer health problems.  Again, it costs you nothing.

Here’s the final word on this topic.  Only try to take on a couple of these suggestion at one time.  You still need to get your real (read: billable) work done.  You still have clients to satisfy.

You most certainly DO NOT want the brand: “Guy who joins everything, networks too much and never gets his own work done.”

L8r Sk8rs,

PDXSX

Reed is spending his last quarter of college in Portland, participating in the PDXSX program and currently interning at The Portland Tribune – one of Portland’s premiere newspapers and part of the Pamplin Media Group.

The Tribune deals almost exclusively with issues local to Portland and the U.S. state of Oregon.  The paper is known for its extensive coverage of local high school, college and professional sports teams, with concentration on the NBA, Pac-12, Big Sky Conference and West Coast Conference.

Professional

Where are you spending your PDXSX internship:

The Portland Tribune.

If applicable: have you had previous internships, if so, where:

• Oregon Daily Emerald (copy editor / freelance reporter)
• Willamette Week (music & arts reporter)

What do you like the best about your internship:

I enjoy how it’s opening me up to a variety of new things — both in writing and in general. I pretty much write for every section, so I’m learning to write about topics I’ve never written about before, like sustainability and government. In turn, I’ve had a number of great life experiences I would not have had otherwise.

What do you find most challenging about your internship:

The extensive reporting. I have experience conducting investigative journalism before, but my new position requires me to track down people of more significance that are sometimes hard to reach. For example, I’m having a pretty tough time tracking down the organizer of Occupy Portland — I know you’re out there, Adriana!

What is one piece of advice you might give someone looking to participate in the PDXSX program:

My advice would be to do it, because the best place to learn in journalism is in the field.

What is something new you have learned as a result of your PDXSX internship:

I’ve learned a large number of things in terms of writing styles, interviewing techniques, editing tricks and working with coworkers.

The most satisfying thing I’ve learned, however, is that I have the ability to take on any sort of story thrown at me.

How do you think your internship has better prepared you to enter the professional world:

As I stated above, gaining journalism experience in the field is crucial to continuing your growth as a writer. With this internship, I think I’ve done that thus far, better preparing me for the professional world.

What is one thing you wish you would have known before starting your PDXSX internship:

Sometimes I think it would have been easier to have known certain things — writing techniques, editorial format — about the publication before hand, but it’s been a great learning experience, so I guess I don’t really wish for anything.

How do you believe social media has or will change your industry:

Social media has already dramatically changed the journalism industry, and I think it will continue to do so by allowing readers to access news in even quicker and more efficient ways.

For the rest of Reed’s interview and to view his outstanding resume, please click *here*

Why is this step so particularly difficult? Because it requires that you have fully mastered the first two (2) steps we have discussed – that is your organization and client’s requirements/needs. Therefore, it is very unlikely you will be able to succeed and move on until you have fully realized the importance of the first two steps.

Realistically speaking, your supervisor, her supervisor, the vice-president and the CEO of whatever organization you are working for; be it a boutique firm or a large multinational holding company, cannot reasonably be expected to know every unmet need and go about solving them.  There is just too much to know about.  But it is a HUGE opportunity for you to rack up some serious street cred.

It’s like trying to participate in a healthy Twitter debate without utilizing Tweetdeck, HootSuite or some similar sorting software to organize the vast data flow.

The nifty thing about being able to master this step is that it will immediately impart value to your personal reputation and can help ensure job-security.

But there is a warning to boot, just announcing these “needs” without offering a solution to fixing them is akin to being the playground tattle-tale or spotlight hog.

• Don’t point out inequalities at the office and expect them to be solved
• Don’t point out things you believe to be unfair and not take the first step toward making them more fair
• Don’t point out client dissatisfaction without a plan to make them immediately satisfied
• Don’t be Kanye West at a VMA ceremony (forward to the 0:40 mark)

However, actually solving some of these needs will the key to your success.

According to The Journal of Healthcare Management, some of the most common unmet organizational needs are: client dissatisfaction, inefficient processes, lack of innovation or creative thinking, poor communication or a focus on unprofitable actions (2003).

These hold equally true in the many fields of allied communication (PR/ADV/MKT).

Think about it from another perspective, had Grand Moff Tarkin imparted his construction teams with a sense of responsibility and subordinates with enough trust to do the job correctly, the likelihood of a small, individual X-Wing fighter penetrating the Death Star’s defensive lasers would have been strikingly low.

They could have easily closed or defended the small (2 meter) exhaust port from proton torpedoes, encrypted the super weapon’s schematics and used good judgment throughout the construction process, thus ensuring a devastating rebel defeat.  

Figuring out What Yet Needs to Be Done and Doing It

1)  Take an inventory of what is going on around you in the workplace.  Some of the things that need to be done might be right in your area of expertise.

2)  Look at others in other department and other seniority levels.  It will never hurt you to complete your tasks and then ask your supervisor, “Hey is there anything I can do that would make your day easier?”  Even if they say no, your willingness to lend a hand will go a long way.

3) Go back to your client’s needs.  Is there anything that hasn’t been tried which you think might add immediate value?

One of the best examples of this strategy is actually an urban legend.  But it’s an urban legend that this organization has profited from.  Perhaps you are familiar with the story, the one about Nordstrom and the snow tires?  You can read about it here.

What is the point?  Well, if it were a true story (which is isn’t), the clerk had solved a very unmet need and, instead of moving it up the chain-of-command, took care of it.

Why was the clerk able to do this so simply?  Perhaps it’s because of the way this organization trusts it’s staff to discover what needs to be done and then take care of it.  They have carte blanche to meet what yet needs to be done and the trust to take care of it.  Not all organizations impart this much trust in their employees, but in certain industries they probably should.

Now this part IS true.  And it is directly from the Nordstrom Employee Handbook.  A handbook, which at one time, had only 75-words little words in it.

Nordstrom Rules:

Rule #1: Use good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.

The same should apply to you.

TTFN,
PDXSX

Taylor is spending her last semester in college in Portland, participating in the PDXSX program and currently  interning at LaCie.

LaCie is a multinational, global computer hardware company specializing in external hard drives, RAID arrays, optical drives, and computer monitors. The company markets several lines of hard drives with a capacity of up to many terabytes of data, with a choice of interfaces (FireWire 400, FireWire 800, eSATA, USB 2.0, and Ethernet).

Professional

Where are you spending your PDXSX internship:

LaCie

If applicable: have you had previous internships, if so, where:

• Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon
• The Hult Center for the Performing Arts
• Perry Star Media and Refuge PDX
• The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
• Allen Hall Public Relations (SOJC Student-Run Agency)
• Hayes Media Group

What do you like the best about your internship:

I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my coworkers. They have all given me great insight and mentoring plus they’re super fun to work with! I’ve also appreciated learning practical new skills relevant to a career in communication like coverage tracking and using Vocus to build media lists and distribute news releases.

What do you find most challenging about your internship:

All the details involved in coverage tracking with Excel have been hard for me, but I’m learning ways to streamline the process and make the task not so tedious.

What is one piece of advice you might give someone looking to participate in the PDXSX program:

Do it! You’ve got nothing to lose! Plus, living in Portland is awesome.

What is something new you have learned as a result of your PDXSX internship:

This internship is my first experience working in the technology industry and I’ve learned that I’m interested in pursuing a career in tech PR after I graduate. I’ve also learned what it’s like to work full time in a corporate setting and have someone rely on you to get projects done promptly and professionally.

How do you think your internship has better prepared you to enter the professional world:

I have had the opportunity to practice some of the basic skills requirements of anyone in the PR industry including writing concise news releases, building media lists, pitching and communicating with media, tracking and reporting coverage, and using social media in a professional manner.

These skills are expected of any entry level PR professional nowadays and I’m feeling confident in my experience with them.

What is one thing you wish you would have known before starting your PDXSX internship:

Don’t pass up the opportunity to go to lunch or grab a coffee with your boss or coworkers. It’s the perfect time get to know them and expand your professional network!

How do you believe social media has or will change your industry:

I think most people in our industry are still trying to figure out the best way to use social media. I’ve witnessed many people and brands jump on the bandwagon thinking it’ll be easy to gather friends and followers only to discover that they have nothing meaningful to add to the conversations.

So far, the brands and people that have seen the most success with social media have been the ones to engage their audience and create two-way dialogue. In that sense, social media has transformed PR into a more interactive profession in the sense that not only do we send a news release to media outlets hoping to get our story picked up, but we also communicate directly with consumers on a more human level through various social media channels.

For the rest of Taylor’s interview or to view her outstanding resume and website, please click *here*