HAPPO: Why Ida Lupino Inspires a PR Student

For today’s HAPPO initiative, I asked Lindsay Worek, a student at Towson University whom I was very impressed by, to guest post on what inspires her and her career choice. She decided to write about film pioneer Ida Lupino. Read on to see why.

A pioneer is “someone who ventures into the unknown or unclaimed territory to settle” or “someone who opens up new areas of thought, research or development.” Ida Lupino (image: dovima_is_devine‘s Flickrstream, Creative Commons) is my inspirational pioneer figure.

Lupino was one of the first American female film directors. Not only was she unique in the industry because she was a female, but because her films were extremely controversial for the time period (1940s-1950s). Her films addressed issues such as rape, marital infidelity, pregnancy before marriage, murder, disability and maternal pressure on a daughter to succeed.

Lupino is a role model for professionals: she took risks, she took initiative and she wasn’t afraid to be controversial.

Ida Lupino was a risk taker. After she debuted in London as an actress at the age of 13, she moved to the United States to pursue an acting career. Lupino was often type-cast as a prostitute, criminal and/or generally bad girl.  Her most notorious role was of a murderess in They Drive by Night starring Humphrey Bogart. Her scene is absolutely chilling to watch. Her ability to capture evil in this character is horrifying.

After years of being called “a poor man’s Bette Davis” and receiving less-than-worthy roles, Lupino took the initiative. She decided to start her own production company called The Filmmakers with her then-husband Collier Young.  Instead of waiting for the perfect role, she took matters into her own hands. It was through this company that she produced, wrote and directed low-budget, issue-oriented films.

It is vital to take risks and take the initiative to survive in the professional world.

Lupino was not afraid to be the first. In this case, I am referring to the fact that she was the first female film director at the time. She didn’t make ordinary films, either. She was controversial and stood behind her creativity and her ideas.

Was Lupino a feminist? Her films blatantly portray controversial issues about women, yet she claimed that she didn’t want to be “too messagey” or “too preachy.” Lupino would even avoid the idea that her films were feminist. They often portrayed the mainstream patriarchal ideology. Quart* says that Lupino “visually portrayed defiance disguised as compliance.” It is a bipolar situation. There were gaps in what she said and what she did. She clearly was a brilliant woman but she would use self-depreciating language when she was asked about her work. I think Lupino knew that the only way to get what she wanted was to recognize and adhere to her place as a woman in 1950s society (whether she really agreed with it or not).

Ida Lupino was a woman who knew what she wanted her whole life. She was a fighter who never ever gave up or gave in. She called herself, “A terror- slaving long and hard to make things happen.”

This woman is an inspiration to me because I thrive to take risks and take initiative. I try to be the first and I am not afraid to be controversial and stir a great conversation. Lupino is the kind of pioneer that I hope to be as a professional. For more information, please follow @IdaLupinoFan or check out the official website: www.idalupino.com.

So, has Lindsay been bitten by the acting bug? This is what she said:

“I don’t necessarily want to be an actress. Lupino started her own company, which impresses me. I don’t necessarily want to start my own company but I would like to try my best and work my way up the professional ladder to eventually get to a high position that is well-respected.

I do absolutely love film and film production, especially writing. She wrote, acted in, produced and directed films so the fact that she accomplished all of those things is extremely inspiring (especially because she did it during a time where women didn’t do those things, except act, of course).

Throughout my career, I want to be able to express myself creatively. I would like to take risks and express my ideas. I want to venture into the unknown as she did and be unafraid. I want to stay determined, persevere and stay driven as she did, too.

Can you help this emerging PR professional find the right job? One in which her passion, drive and commitment are rewarded? And she’s a great writer, as you can see from her post. If so, please do contact her, either by leaving a comment below, connecting with her on LinkedIn, or sending her a tweet. Thank you!

*Reference used: Quart, Barbara Koenig. (1988). Women’s Directors: The Emergence of a New Cinema. New York: Praeger Publishers.

Filed under Career, Guest Posts | Tags: #HAPPO, ida lupino, job hunting, lindsay worek | Comment (1)

HAPPO: The Freshman Edition

A couple of months ago, I was part of the HAPPO kickoff team. If you’re new to the concept, HAPPO (Help A PR Pro Out) is “designed to help connect PR job seekers with employers looking for top talent.”

It started as a day, but now it’s much more than that; a hashtag, blog, chat… in short, it aims to be your one-stop shop if you’re a PR pro looking for a job, and an ever-growing community that tries to help you do that.

Image: Marco Vossen, Creative Commons

The second HAPPO day (and yes, you can pun away to your heart’s content, we’ve heard it all) is coming up on April 30, focusing on new and recent graduates. So watch this space on Friday for a guest post from a young lady I met recently at a Towson University career fair – she’s quite terrific.

Coincidentally, I came across Gawker’s post on the (potential) intern from Hell today. After I got up from ROFLMAO’ing, I couldn’t help but recall Bill Sledzik’s excellent post on millennials (and the comments are mind-blowing), as well as Todd Defren’s follow-up riff in his “open letter to millenials” (and there’s a follow-up to that as well here).

Millenials, I’m not here to beat up on you.

I know a ton of you and you are, by and large, absolutely terrific people. However, being at a disadvantage when it comes to the years you’ve spent job-hunting, I think it’s important to reinforce that there’s a lot more to the process than you might think. My friend Mary Barber, also a HAPPO “champion,” wrote a terrific post on this. In particular, she said:

“It is a little concerning to see comments from those wondering why this was just a one- day event, bothered that they didn’t get a job and especially that the champion in their area didn’t find them a job.”

Here’s a news flash: when someone’s taking time out of their day (read: paid work) to help you find a job, it is your responsibility to help them do you a favor. Which means you should be polite, make sure they have all the resources they need, and not expect anything in return.

This “not expecting thing” is particularly important, because it will influence how you interact with them (and possibly other people), which will in turn influence how they respond to you.

It will also save you huge disappointment down the road when things don’t turn out the way you’d like. If you start with no expectations, you have nowhere to go but up. That’s not to say you shouldn’t have hope; but “hope” and “expectations” are two different things.

The thing is, those of us who try to help out – and I don’t mean just the folks involved with HAPPO, but anyone, anywhere who’s offered to help you out at anytime with anything – really do try. But you’ve got to give us the tools to work with. And the right attitude is part and parcel of that.

Get HAPPO-ready

As you gear up for HAPPO Day on Friday, why not go through this checklist of dos and don’ts to make sure you’re positioning yourself as well as you can to get that great PR job?

1. Typo-proof your resumé. You’d be amazed at how many folks don’t do this… or, at least, do it well enough. And if you’re looking for a job in “public relations,” make sure you spell “public” with the “l.” That’s something Spell Check won’t fix for you.

2. Don’t attach your resumé to an introductory email. If someone’s nice enough to make an introduction for you, follow up politely with that new contact and ask them if they’d mind you sending them your resumé. Don’t assume they’ll want it right off the bat. You know what “assume” breaks down to, right? Right.

3. Manage yourself online. If you have online profiles, make sure they’re updated and contain a nice, professional-looking photograph. Clean up your Facebook profile and go through your privacy settings with a fine-tooth comb. And if you’re on Twitter, make sure your profile is unprotected, so that people can see your Twitterstream.

4. Use language, symbols and punctuation wisely. Yes, we use smiley faces (Image: Matthew Juzenas, Creative Commons), acronyms and exclamation points far more liberally than we have before; I do it all the time on Twitter, Facebook, etc. But I don’t use them half as liberally in professional communications; at least not until I’ve established a relationship with someone. When someone’s just getting to know you, a professional demeanor is the best one to project.

5. Don’t ask someone to “feel free” to… pass along your resumé, share jobs with you, or generally promote you until they’ve gotten to know you first. In fact, I’d suggest you drop “feel free” from your vocabulary altogether. It’s superfluous. If someone’s impressed by you, they won’t need the invitation. If they’re not, you’ll probably just irritate them.

6. Follow up, follow up, follow up. You can follow up on leads without being a pest. As Mary says in her post, it takes more than four hours to build a network and find a job (there’s that expectation thing again). But if you’re politely persistent, you’ll have a much better chance of securing informational interviews and, hopefully, a job you’ll look forward to waking up to every day.

Now let’s get ready for HAPPO, or, as Whoopi Goldberg might put it, O HAPPO Day.

What would you add to the checklist? How else can we help younger pros prepare for the workforce? I’m sure there are many more tips we can offer new entrants to our field, so please do share your knowledge.

Filed under Career, Networking | Tags: #HAPPO, bill sledzik, getting a job, job hunting, mary barber, pr, todd defren | Comments (7)

Help These PR Pros Find A Job

Update: please scroll down to see several more HAPPOers – the afternoon edition of this post. Again – these are all wonderful people who have unique skills and personalities – so if, while you’re reading their bios and posts, you can think of a connection that will help them – do make it. It’s social karma. Thank you!

I wrote earlier about why I’m participating in #HAPPO, so I won’t bore you with those details again (but if you need a refresher, the post is here).

Since today’s the actual HAPPO “event,” I thought I’d aggregate any DC-area HAPPO pitches I could here, to make it convenient for recruiters and folks with job openings to connect with them.

So if you do find someone below you’d be interested in talking to, or think one of the folks featured here could fit a bill you know about, please leave a comment or contact them directly, not me (but why not leave a comment anyway?).

Good luck, HAPPODC-ers!

Heather Mahoney

Heather (@Heather_Mahoney) attended the University of Maryland, College Park, graduating with honors in Communication (PR specifically). She’s involved with UCA, NCA, and PRSSA/PRSA. Published writer/editor for two publications; interned for Brotman Winter Fried and CBS Radio. A current reporter for The Scene Bisnow. Now, she’s looking for a full-time entry-level position in PR, specifically for a large publicity firm. She’s a fresh young professional simply looking for a place to allow her talents to shine.

Emilie O’Toole

Emilie’s a senior public relations major and business administration minor at Boston University, searching at the intersection of government, public affairs and communications for her first job. She’s a highly motivated and creative communicator looking to sink her teeth into a career in public relations. She’s an idealist, looking for an opportunity to make the world around her a better place through creative thinking, strategic planning and most importantly, action. Check out her full HAPPO pitch here or her resume.

Ashley Marshall

Ashley Marshall is a highly energized, self motivated, communications professional with experience in various avenues of public affairs, public relations, and television production. A recent graduate of Georgetown University with a Masters degree in corporate communications and public relations, Ashley completed a public affairs apprenticeship at one of Washington DC’s K street public affairs firms, Adfero Group. She had the opportunity to work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Microsoft, The American Institute of Architects, and many congressional offices on Capitol Hill. This experience provided her with many transferable skills such as written communications, new media, web-based research, website development, developing communications strategies, advocacy campaigns, and Internet advertising analysis. Reach her at http://www.untaintedpr.wordpress.com.

Eli Baratz

Eli is interested in entry-level and intern positions with a PR firm in public affairs. He’s a 2007 graduate of Indiana University, BA in Telecommunications, BA in International Relations. Read his #HAPPO pitch here, and contact him at 317-626-7674 or elibaratz (dot) eli (at) gmail (dot) com.

Kim Allen

Kim is a recent PR professional, and loves the PR game. She’s looking for an entry-level position and to build a stronger networking base. And more then anything, she would love to relocate from Indiana, in fact she would consider that a requirement. Here’s more on Kim.

Andrew Elwell

Andrew is a senior at The George Washington University majoring in political communication and graduating in May.  He has experience working in communications with nonprofits and in an agency setting, as well as journalism experience.  He enjoys running, listening to bad pop music and constantly checking his twitterstream. Read his #HAPPO pitch here.

Laura Peck

Laura (@peccolina) is an organized, fast learner with great people skills, who loves to creative brainstorm. She’s graduating with a degree in public relations with minors in english, sociology and international studies from Penn State. She took the initiative to help co-found Penn State’s first student-run PR firm, Happy Valley Communications. Her extracurricular experience along with my education & internship experience make me a great addition to any team. For more, check out her blog.

The Afternoon Edition

Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR

I am an award-winning Accredited Public Relations (APR) professional with more than a decade experience leading all areas of integrated public relations planning and implementation including: digital media, issues/crisis management, media relations, organizational change, advocacy, events, and publication design. I am knowledgeable, skilled, realistic, and principled. I have a strong foundation in all areas of integrated public relations planning and implementation. I can design a plan through research then make it happen while doing it on time and within budget. My passions lie in doing good and have spent my career in nonprofits doing just that. Learn more about me that a resume can’t say: http://bit.ly/9CwaIL

Therese Pompa

Therese Pompa has five years of Marketing and PR experience.  Therese is diverse in her skill set and has an understanding of the connection between PR, Social Media, and Marketing; thereby allowing her to see the big picture when implementing a strategic plan. She has a strong attention to detail, is a creative thinker, a keen observer, sees the big picture and will go above and beyond until success is achieved. Learn more about her #HAPPO journey here.

Paula Newbaker

HAPPO-potomuses crash Internet!!!  To avoid such PR pitfalls in the future, view www.paulanewbaker.com. I’ve been doing this a few years, so you can check out my case studies and other samples for ways in which I can help you.  Strategic communications, PR, media relations, content-providing and writing, broadcast producing … I’ll even do your voice over work. Says Maury Tobin of Tobin Communications, “There are strategic thinkers and there are creative thinkers, but what makes Paula atypical is that she is smart when it comes to both approaches.”

Erica Lawton

Erica Lawton is an up-and-coming professional in the communication industry who is looking for opportunities in the DC area.  She graduated from Bryant University in May 2009 with an Honors BA in communication and minors in business administration and political science.  She is currently a master’s candidate at American University and will graduate with an MA in Public Communication in August 2010.  Her academic background and internship experience makes her an excellent candidate! Read more about Erica and #HAPPO here.

Faith Dow

I’m an Online Content Editor and Community Manager seeking to combine social media with marketing. I’m greatly interested in advocacy work surrounding access to technology and broadband internet. My writeup on #HAPPO is here.

Image (right at the very top): Blake Patterson, Creative Commons

Filed under Career, Networking | Tags: #HAPPO, getting a job, job hunting | Comments (2)

Help A PR Pro Out: The Michael Clendenin Edition

I know I’ve been talking (or having other folks talk) about job hunting, do’s and don’ts, etc., quite a bit lately. Honestly, I can’t help it; given this blog is all about “personal” musings on our business and our lives, it really is a reflection of what’s going on with, in, and around me.

Even though I’m not looking for a job myself, I’ve been helped countless times by both friends and strangers (who then become friends… what a wonderful world!) when I have been in the market – and the least I can do is pay it forward.

So when Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon asked me to be a part of a wonderful initiative: “Help a PR Pro Out” or #HAPPO for short, where several of us PR pros are going to do our bit to help our colleagues in the job market make excellent connections – and hopefully, find a great job – on February 19 – of course I said “yes.”

You’ve probably already heard the buzz online, but if you’re still getting up to speed, here’s the 4-1-1 on the HAPPO website itself.

Today’s #HAPPO Focus: Michael Clendenin

Specifically today, I want to tell you about a good friend and an excellent communicator, Michael Clendenin. Mike was most recently with Freddie Mac (yup) and is now in the job market. Having known and worked with him in a volunteer capacity at IABC/Washington (he’s on my current board of directors too) I can tell you that not only is he one of the most patient people around, he’s a really smart guy too; and whether it’s through sheer persistence or the luck of the Irish, invariably manages to pull the proverbial rabbit out of a hat when most needed.

Please – if you have, or know of, a senior-level communication position in the DC market, will you contact Michael? Or leave a comment below so that he can get in touch with you. And thank you in advance for your time and thoughts!

And now I’ll let Mike speak for himself. Please help this PR pro out!

Filed under Career, Public Relations, Social Media | Tags: #HAPPO, getting a job, help a pr pro out, job hunting, michael clendenin | Comments (6)