Back in February, I joined the Help a PR Pro Out national initiative to help connect Michigan PR job seekers with companies that are hiring. I featured Angela Minicuci, a metro Detroit recent grad who was seeking a full time PR position, as well as my now current employer, Identity Marketing & Public Relations, in a blog post. I’m happy to say that Angela has since found a full time PR position, and she wrote this fabulous testimonial post, Getting the HAPPO Ball Rolling, about what she gained from participating in the last HAPPO event.
It’s time for HAPPO round two! The second event will take place this Friday, April 30 from noon to 2 p.m. ET on Twitter using the #happo hashtag. This time we’ll focus on helping the class of 2010 and very recent grads. Just as we did with the first event, we’re encouraging college seniors and recent grads to develop a creative blog post or video that answers one simple question: Why should I hire you? Local champions and other PR professionals will then share your posts and attempt to connect you with others who can help.
REMEMBER: The job search takes time. Participating in HAPPO does not guarantee you will find a job overnight, so please don’t jump on board with that as your sole expectation for HAPPO. Our goal is to connect job seekers/employers and encourage job seekers to get themselves out in front of people by creatively expressing why a company should hire them.
Here’s how you can help:
EMPLOYERS: Got a job for an entry-level pro? Please post the job in our jobs section here on LinkedIn. We want to make the most of this platform and the easy opportunities it offers to network and identify connections. Please also tweet the opportunity using the #happo hashtag.
JOB SEEKERS: Develop a post that answers the “Why would I hire you?” question. Please tweet it to your local champion (send to me if it’s in Michigan) and @helpaprproout using the #happo hashtag on April 30. Feel free to post your questions and ask advice here on our LinkedIn group as well. There are many PR professionals (and recruiters) who want to help! If you’d like to be featured on the helpaprproout.com blog next week, be sure to check out the contest on our Facebook page.
PR PROFESSIONALS/BLOGGERS: Write a post this week sharing news of this event. Help us spread the word so we can help as many college seniors and recent grads as possible. Refer great jobs you know of or students who you know. And, help promote students and recent grads on HAPPO Day this Friday. As Arik Hanson said in his post, this is your chance to make a difference. Pay it forward!
As part of my contribution to HAPPO this week, I’ll feature two recent grads on my blog from southeastern Michigan who are seeking full time PR positions. So be sure to check back this week for their posts!
Photo credit: HAPPO