PR can it be Personal?

My placement at global tolerance is in full swing, I have been given numerous different challenges on many different and exciting projects but this one is by far the most interesting for me to date. Simon Cohen, founder and director of global tolerance has given each of the work placement students a personal paper to work on. It is essentially a research document that will be our own work. I am working with Gosia, another University of Westminster Student on a paper about Personal Relations - PR has over time developed a rather negative image, it is linked to Propoganda, Spin, Lies and Deceit but this does not have to be the case. I want to offer an alternative approach, a more human approach. You can read my thoughts on the subject in a post that I have written for the global tolerance connect website, I would love your feedback - http://www.globaltoleranceconnect.com/profiles/blogs/a-pr-puzzle-personal-relations?xg_source=activity

Bex x

It's been a long time....

Several months have passed and shamefully I have neglected to add any more news to this blog, I am sorry, it has been madness!!! MADNESS I TELL YOU!!!! I started an internship for a company called global tolerance, I have a placement there for three months over the summer so it was straight from Uni to the office.

My advice to anyone wanting to get ahead in the game is to get as much experience as you possibly can. My first week was such a shock to the system though, as much as I hate to admit this I had become a 'Student' and by that I mean.... "9am???? What's 9am???" the early morning commute nearly killed me. Oh and just a heads up, people commuting in London are RUDE!!!! The decent common and courteous stereotype that us English folk are "said" to have goes and is replaced with crazy elbow jabbing, kicking and general raucous debauchery!!! Oh it makes comical entertainment and that's before you make it into your office. Thats scrambling for a tiny spot in the tube carriage!!

So apart from all of that it is all going very well, but I really mean it when I say there is nothing like real hands on experience. Simon Cohen, (my boss) great guy and very trusting, not that that's a bad thing it makes you feel amazing when someone believes in you but part of me is sceptical at my own ability being only a first year BA and its is quite scary when you have to apply what you have learn't in a real working environment. Anyway I hope I have entertained you I will am pledging to keep updating this on a much more regular basis and really delve into the nity grity of what my placement entails so stay tuned folks.... the juicy bit are yet to come..... Bonne Nuite x

We are not the only ones....

As you know me and Becky are not the only ones who study Public Relations at the University of Westminster and so we thought that it would be a great idea to mention our cool fellow students who also have their blogs and websites. They all have different styles and messages and maybe some of you may like what they have to say. We have some really cool and crazy friends so it is definitely worth checking their stuff out.....

here are some of the links to their work:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=356967067893
Facebook group for Italian students planning to study in London

http://cathrinerainbow.wordpress.com/

a Blog from a Russian beauty

http://penguinsperspectivepr.blogspot.com/

very readable blog from my friend who is into politics

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=360464196196&ref=nf

Blog about fashion from a French fashion lover Pauline

Hope you will find them as exciting as us!!!

Hana

xxx

Studential.com

Fellow Students and Students to be check out this website!! It was founded in 2002 and is run by a 2 person team, Tom and Naomi who help people from 16plus with their acedemic journey.

So if you do want to know something about returning to education or furthering your education I bet you will find the answers here and if not then you can always ask myself or Hana and we would be happy to help out.

http://www.studential.com

They have sections on Applying to University, After University, At University and they have student blogs on their website so you can get the latest from those there expiriencing for themselves!

Let me know what you think Bex x

So you wanna be a PR Star??

Term is finished but we are still here beavering away!!! Just sorted out my student loan paperwork for next year and it been approved and then spent all day to day battling with the University Admin office trying to register for my optional modules next year!!!


That is one of the good things about this degree that though the foundation and the core teaching is about Public Relations you also get the choice of free choice modules and you can tailor these to the specific area you would like to progress your career. For instance I am particularly interested in the link between PR and Advertising and have chosen an Advertising module and wait for it a module in strategic financial management!!! But you can do anything some of the guys on the course are studying polylang, one of the girls is doing Chinese which is pretty cool, you can take modules in fashion, music, photography - What eva floats your boat.


Any way wanted to hook you up with another fabulous website - check this out...


http://http://www.behindthespin.com/careers/so-you-wannabe-a-pr-star


If you are looking for more info on possibly studying for a career in PR click on this link and check out the website and also feel free to leave comments and questions here.... or click on my picture and you will be linked into my twitter feed and you can send me a message - don't be shy its such a huge step to take and I wish there had been someone to answer my questions when I applied and then prepared to move to London so if I can be of help........ do not hesitate! xx

This is it!

It is quite unbelievable but it is the truth.... we have successfully finished our first year at the University!!!
...... thank you, thank you... I can hear your congratulations..how nice !!! :))))
I have to say that I am so relieved and also proud ... I can not wait to call my mum and tell her that her daughter did it!!!
She has been so fantastic and supportive all the time and it is very nice to hear some words of praise... especially when you are 27 years old... ;)))

The whole year was a lot of fun sometimes a bit stressful and has definitely fulfilled my expectations. Throughout the year we met some very interesting people, we went to the panel debate with Max Clifford, Trevor Beattie, Mark Borkowski and Julian Linley, we've had a fantastic hosting lecturer Cole Moreton for the whole second semester and we met lots of other important people from different PR agencies like Hill and Knowlton, Don'tPanic and also Peter Bingle from Bell Pottinger who talked to us about their work and how to become successful in what we do.

Our lecturers Trish Evans, Simon Goldsworthy and Trevor Moris - in the first semester

(the authors of the book: PR a persuasive idustry? Spin, Public Relations and the shaping of the modern media) were the best we could have hoped for!!

We have worked on campaigns, wrote press releases and handed in lots of course works, spent lots of hours at the library and now it feels so strange to have a big break for almost 5 months!

I will be still very busy working four days a week plus an internship but will miss the Uni very much! I have enjoyed morning coffees in the class with Trish Evans asking us about what we have read in the newspapers and learning about new things all the time...

Most importantly I have met fantastic young people with whom I had so much fun!!!!! Will miss them very much because most of them are returning to their homes for the holidays.

However Becky is staying so you will hear from us a lot more :)))))

Hana xxx

Oh What a Night....

Just back from the launch of Cole Moreton's book Is God Still an Englishman?? This is going to be a quick post as I have a presentation to do tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep but WOW what a night it was so much fun. Today has been one of those mad non stop days dashing all over uni, to lectures, then a group work meeting and a course committee meeting and then a quick dash home to shower and scrub up before jumping on the tube to meet everyone at the launch. Ended up running late because the wonderful transport in London is so volatile that every 5mins we had to stop and wait due to signalling problems but we made it to Livrpool Street. There were 8 Volunteers including myself and the venue was this beautiful Church that is now an art gallery. Its called Wallspace and its at All Hallows on the Wall.

www.wallspace.org.uk

It was the perfect location!!

My job was to sell the books and yes we sold out!!! Whoop Whoop!!! There were over 100 guests in total and I spoke to some really interesting people (everyone thought I worked for the publisher, hehe) but this did prompt some very interesting conversations. There was live music and dancing and we can't forget the wine!!

The feed back was great and if you are looking for an interesting and stimulating read I would highly recommend this book, available on Amazon and check out the website:

www.isgodstillanenglishman.com

and if you need more persuading then google it and read the comments on the Guardian website!!!

.... need I say more!! Apart from the night was rounded off in style at good old Macedees!!!

Bedtime I think - sweet dreams - B x