For me there is only two more days left of my last winter term in college, and I couldn't be happier! I've spent the last few weeks bragging that my only finals are a project and two presentations. Relatively easy, or so I thought. After spending the last 9 hours straight trying to upload and collaborate my first presentation, I retract my statement. Technology and I are not friends today, so with that being said, I am taking a hiatus from my blog for the next little bit.

We will see if I continue to keep it up, as more events change in the coming term, but no promises. I wanted to thank you all for sticking with me for the term. I wish you the best of luck in all your upcoming adventures and I look forward to reading your blogs and seeing what you are up too!

For those of you still with finals, Good Luck! As for me, I'm out!

Ciao!

Have you twittered lately? No, not twitter as in uttering small noises like a bird, I mean Twitter as in the newest social networking forum that allows individual to update their status in 140 characters or less.

My PR teacher brought it up at the beginning of the term, and was shocked when the majority of my PR class didn't know what it was, myself included. For you regular Facebook stalkers, Twitter is the equivalent to updating your status. The difference between Twitter and the status bar on Facebook is that Twitter's sole purpose is what people are doing.

I found myself skeptical of the site initially when my teacher told me about it, even though I am an avid updater of my status on Facebook, I didn't understand why I would want to join a network full of people I don't know and read their minute-by-minute updates of their lives.

But as I sat in class today and my fellow peers excitedly talked about their new Twitter friends and how the social networking site had connected them with other fellow PR professionals and they had learned of job opportunities I was intrigued. Logging onto Staci's blog I got an update and the 411 on all that Twitter can offer and how this one sentence phenomenon was getting her ahead in life.

Needless to say as soon as I came home I made myself a Twitter account! I'm eager to see who is out there that I can make connections with, and what everyone is up too. Who knows maybe a new opportunity lies within 140 characters...are you willing to pass up an opportunity like that?

You know me, I'm always on the look-out for new ways to find an edge in the door at a company I might want to work for. Maybe I can make friends through Twitter!? Let me know what your experiences are and if you have found it as rewarding as my classmates?

I know that I am only 22, and the audience that this website is directed towards is not me; but the concept of this website and the five founding woman that are brave enough to step out of their comfort zone's and continue to engage in new media and push past that glass ceiling are individuals I eventually hope and aspire to be.

An article in the NY Times called Boldface in the Cyberspace: A Woman's Domain is about five woman who have set out to develop a website directed toward woman that engage in deeper and more intimate versions of the “hot topics” segment of the television gabfest “The View." wowowow.com, which was scheduled to launch yesterday. Is a website directed to woman "that weren't born yesterday, who are in their prime, who are involved in the world and have a bent for changing it as much as living in it. Women who want a place to look at issues in a new way, or gossip a little, or learn more about each other, or ponder how to make the world better. Women who live varied lives, as we do."

The five founders, Lesley Stahl, Joni Evans, Liz Smith, Mary Wells and Peggy Noonan have spent years gabbing about their lives and are now directing the conversation to the public. With the help with a few other well-known friends, they hope to generate conversation and interact with the woman online.

The article in the NY times was inspiring and I look forward to seeing what their years of knowledge and experience can add to my life. I saw a glimpse into my future with this article and I hope someday I can be in their shoes, giving back to those around me.

*Picture by Joe Fornabaio for The New York Times

The 20-somethings life! Right now as I edge closer to college, you all have heard me express my concerns, excitements, and worries, but every time I open my mouth to inform my peers or older colleges about my future I speak with an optimistic, decisive tone, that makes me and the individuals I'm talking to feel excited and hopeful for my future. Now if only I really felt that way.

Don't get me wrong, I am extremely excited about graduation and I thoroughly look forward to what the next stage of my life has to bring! But the thought of it all is overwhelming. I mean I’ve spent the last 22 years of my life going to school, finishing a year moving up a grade and repeating the whole process. My grades have been the deciding factor of my success and my after school activities have shaped me into the person I am now. How is it that now after 22 years of a routine I’m expected to trade all that in and start a whole new chapter. I guess through my various jobs and internships I’ve had some training as to how this whole working world thing works, but still. I feel like there is so much more that I need to be learning.

That’s how half of me feels, freaked out and scared. The other half of me is calm and confident knowing I’ve never not gotten a job that I’ve wanted, and that I’m a fully capable, respectable hard-working adult that loves a challenge and interacting with individuals. That side of me is excited and ready for this next stage.

Through all these emotions Christine Hassler’s 20 Something Manifesto has finally recognized that us 20 something’s have a tough life. Yes, I know we don’t have the world experiences and the tribulations older adults have had, but the expectations on us now and the goals we have set for ourselves have stressed us out. The book covers things like “expectation hangovers” when something we’ve set out to succeed at fails, and how to cope with that. As well as, various personal stories for other 20 something contributors.

I’m looking forward to see if this book provides any additional feedback or advice that might be beneficial to me as I navigate through these next few months. Let me know if you have any feedback or opinions on the subject. Also you can check out the Facebook site, for more information.

Grad school or work experience, that is the question? As school comes to a close most students are debating whether continuing on to grad school or joining the real world job market is going to be most beneficial to them.

I've spent my moments juggling the question, but ultimately decided that with what I want to do (event coordinating) the sooner I join the event production business the more useful the knowledge will be. But for others the higher education can set them apart from other job candidates.

So how do you decide which decision will benefit you more? Les Potter blogged about the Grad School decision and had many useful tips I thought were worth sharing with everyone else.

He first started with the general question: "Ask yourself why you want to go to grad school?" It might seem like a basic question, but the sooner you can identify what your long-term goals are and what you want to get out of grad school the sooner or more likely you are to make an educated decision.

Secondly, after you decide to surge forward and make the commitment to grad school, you are going to want to figure out what kind of degree you want to seek. A MBA for a more business minded and organized leader role in life or an IMC if you want to enhance your knowledge about mass communication and PR. Either way he suggests you do research and really find out what you are wanting to gain out of this experience.

Finally, he ultimately suggested that if grad school is something you are interested in, wait 3 to 5 years before attending. This way your corporation might pay for your tuition and you go into grad school with a valued experience and networks under your belt, which might help you find a more direct path at what will best suit your life.

His info I thought was very informative, and I thought might answer some fellow student’s questions about whether the working world or grad school is best for them. Hope it helps!

As the term continues to speed by, my future looms closer; and with this inevitable fate one question seems to be on the tips of everyone's tongues "So have you started to apply for jobs?"

I've spent the last few months researching, joining networks and reviewing event coordinating firms Web sites. But through these months of research I haven't applied for a single job. I still have over 100 days left until I graduate, and to apply for jobs right now seems like a waste. I am of no use to a company for at least another four months because I'm still consumed in my college courses. The question for me is when is the right time to actively start applying for jobs Post College.

I am thinking that come April/May I need to start actively searching, but is this too late? Too early? That time frame I feel allows me time to interview with multiple companies and depending on those encounters (and hopefully offers) it will give me time to continue my search.

What are other individual’s thoughts? Have you already started applying for jobs? And if you are a company, when you are looking for an individual to fill a position how long are you willing to wait for that individual to get started?

Here's a link to one Web site that gives their incite...it has some great ideas to go and talk with your career center, and general tips, but no definite yes or no answer. Hmm guess will just have to see if my plan works! :)

Podcasting what exactly is it? How can it be used? These were all questions that this past week my class and I have been learning about. And what better way to learn about a new social media forum then to actually create one. So guess what I did!

Now a little bit of a for warning, I am not claiming to be some expert, nor do I think this is a great production, but for my first time playing with the technology or coming up with my own script, I must say I'm a little bit proud of it!

So now that I have gotten the disclaimer out of the way I will inform you of what it's actually about. Our podcast had to be PR related, so I decided to generate a podcast about tips on how to nail an interview and make/leave a lasting impression on the individual interviewing you. I pulled my advice from a variety of sources, and informed my listeners (haha, which I believe is my teacher and my mom) of the interview tips that I thought were most beneficial. So here it is my podcast. Check it out, you might learn something or it could be used for a good laugh! Hope either way it helps!

Hope you had a fabulous weekend!