Public relations professionals evaluated the entries based on the following criteria: quality of research, creativity and accuracy in strategic planning, effective execution, evaluation efforts, and appropriateness for desired audience.

Imagewest, the student-run advertising and public relations agency housed in WKU’s School of Journalism & Broadcasting, continued their successful run with a Parthenon Award for WKU’s Human Resources Benefits Booklet. The agency also received Awards of Merit for the Harlaxton College brochure, Imagewest’s new website, and in the Potpourri category for various promotional items.

Two academic teams in the public relations major in WKU’s School of Journalism & Broadcasting won a Parthenon award and a Certificate of Merit, respectively, on healthy eating campaigns completed for their 2012 public relations senior capstone.

 » Read more about this story on the WKU News blog.

This semester has turned out to be the busiest period in my life.

Busy doing what?

Learning

I have had the opportunity to grow as a designer, artist and as a peer. I have learned an incredible amount in regards to logo and print design as well as video production, something I have come to enjoy. Despite all of this, it has been much more rewarding to see my friends grow as professionals in the same environment.

Connecting

I assumed I would be making friends as an intern but my peers have blown away all expectations. Everyone has been so unique and gifted. It has also been great to meet professionals willing to advise and help us along in the job search and professional environment. The ad/design world can actually be pretty friendly, even generous.

Searching

My experience at Imagewest has been transformative. Much of my anxiety towards the job search has dissolved thanks to the training I received. It will be really fun to hear about all the cool places our ninjas will start their professional careers. I feel that the whole group has grown and proven themselves as excellent candidates for that really sweet gig.

I guess this is it for the semester.

It has been a joy.

My first job wasn’t at Hinda Incentives in Chicago. Sure, it was my first “salary + benefits” job but I wouldn’t say it’s where I really got my start. It was at Imagewest, the full-service agency on the campus of Western Kentucky University, my wife and I’s alma mater.

It’s hard to get into an internship where you have hands-on work where you can lay claim on any portfolio-worthy work to show off to a potential employer. WKU worked around that debacle when they opened up Imagewest in the Ad+PR department. It’s literally an ad agency. We made money for the company, called clients for new business opportunities, pitched ideas and created work from the ground up. We weren’t fetching coffee or doing busy work – we were adding value to a real company. Though we worked for free, the experience was extremely valuable. So valuable that when I graduated in 2009 in a bottomed-out job economy, all of my coworkers that graduated with me that year all landed jobs before the year was out.

Was Cool…Now Wall Street Journal Cool
When I was working at Imagewest, they had just recently launched a summer program where a group of students would travel abroad and work on a campaign for a client overseas. That’s cool in itself. Then I saw that their efforts got a nod in the Wall Street Journal this week.

Amazing.

I don’t know the students involved in the story. However, I’m proud of the group I worked with at Imagewest and proud of how far that organization has come in garnering great media attention. In addition, Imagewest alum are working for some of the biggest and/or coolest ad shops across the country. Not bad for a student-run shop!

Also, in case you were curious on “building a portfolio” as a student, you can check out one project I helped with here on Behance (keep in mind this was made 5 years ago). My original background was in broadcast advertising and online video so I was tasked with making this video below to help promote our agency. Fun times, though I don’t miss the long hours spent in the video editing lab. Don’t make fun of me too much.

Imagewest was a crash course into the all aspects of the advertising world. As a trained journalist, I had no idea what to do as a PR coordinator. Then I was asked to write a press release. Terrifying. I did a little research on writing them, but knew I needed help. Heather described it as writing a feature story, and something in my mind instantly clicked. I could write a feature story, no problem! With some help from industry contacts and follow-up work to media outlets, the press release has been published nationally. I feel more a part of the industry than I ever thought I would.

The end of the semester brings these scary, intimidating things— finals, graduation, the ‘real world’—but it also reveals the product of all the things I have worked on. All that I’ve accomplished. The real world doesn’t seem so intimidating anymore.

I think when you were younger and were asked that question you felt like you could say anything, because growing up seemed so far away. But in just 24 short days I will be a grown up. Yes, I was 18 when I came into college and technically I was an adult, but at that point I was still very much “growing up.” I still had the option to change my entire life goal, I could still change my major 100 times, and I could still survive off of 14 meal plans per week.

It’s hard to believe that it’s finally time to go out into the real world and get my first big girl job. This entire semester I have been on the job-hunt and, in a sense, trying to figure out my life post-graduation. Here are a few things I have learned along the way:

You have to get your foot in the door: It may not be your dream job, but you’re 22 and you have the rest of your life to get there. You have to start somewhere and getting your name out in the industry is always helpful. Who knows what a little job you take now will lead to!

You aren’t too old for an internship: I know that when most people think internship they think it is a position (usually unpaid) that you take in college to gain experience and have something to put on your resume. However, an internship is another great way to get your name out there. See if the agency you are really interested in offers summer internships, and if they do, apply! That way when you apply there later on they will have already heard your name and seen your face.

RELAX!: The best thing you can do when you walk into an interview is to chill out! It’s ok to be nervous but be confident in your abilities (especially if you interned at Imagewest) and show them what you can offer to their company. Talk with them, ask questions and tell them about projects and campaigns that you have worked on. They will be impressed with you for being confident and conversational instead of uptight and awkward.

The first five minutes into the job shadow were unforgettable. The agency life was extremely elegant and full of energy. I first met with Lesly Pyle who introduced me to the whole design staff. Surprisingly, GSP has a very small group of visual designers. Since I am currently a graphic design student, I first met with the designers for about thirty minutes each to get a greater recollection of their everyday life in the agency and what steps they took to get there.

After getting to known everyone, we went out to lunch where we enjoyed a nice walk around the city. Not only was GSP located right across the street from China Town, which is one of San Francisco’s finest tourist attractions, but the employees at GSP are also allowed to bring their dogs to work. After lunch, I had the unique opportunity of getting a tour around the whole agency. It was really interesting to see how every department worked together to make sure that they all met their deadlines.

After getting a tour of the building, I helped out around the office throughout the day, which then led the art director, Juan Saucedo, to ask me to come back for another day.  I was really excited to have another chance to learn more about GSP, so I decided to come back. I ended up being asked to come back every day, for the rest of the week. In total, I spent four days at an amazing agency, with even more amazing people. Aside from the many valuable lessons that I learned while I was there, one of the ones that I visit most is how vital it is to have a healthy working environment.

The people at GSP were really youthful and full of charisma, which is something that I really admired. Overall, This experience has allowed me to broaden my understanding of what it takes to be a graphic designer at an advertising agency.

Calendars & To-Do Lists
I keep a two-month spread on a dry-erase board in my room to keep a more realistic time frame of all the events and due dates that I have coming up. Even though a deadline may be a month away, it can sneak up on you rather quickly. Having a visual of a planned out calendar is a constant reminder. Make a to-do list at the beginning of each week and actually stick to it and check of tasks as you get them done. Physically checking things off when I finish them always makes me feel more productive!

“Keep your face in the sun and you will never see the shadows” –Helen Keller
Having a positive attitude is one of the number one tools to be productive and focused. Keep a running list of the goals and post them in your room so that you can always remember why you are working so hard.

Stay Social
Just because you are busy with all of the work you have to get done, does not mean you have to give up your social life. Taking breaks and letting loose with your friends is a great way to relieve stress. Taking a break gives you time to refocus and come back to your work with a refreshed mind. Also, your friends and family can be very supportive of the work that you are doing, so it is important to keep them involved to keep you motivated.

They asked me: “How can you cut through the clutter of social media so that our company stands out among the noise?” Immediately, I had an answer ready. Through my time here at Imagewest being a social media project leader, I’ve learned that an organization needs to produce content that will be of interest to its target audience. For example, on our LinkedIn page, we routinely post stories about what’s happening in the world of advertising and public relations. We also create polls and ask questions to engage our audience. I was able to take these skills I‘ve learned and answer my interviewers’ questions thoroughly.

Imagewest has also allowed me to expand my portfolio in ways I could only have imagined. What once was filled with a few in-class press releases is now filled with real work for real clients. I was able to go into my interview, open my portfolio and have work that rivals that of industry professionals. Imagewest has certainly put me a step above my fellow peers.

I may not get this job, but I will keep plugging away until I’m able to find a place that is in need of my skills. Until then, I’ll always be able to go into interviews feeling confident and prepared thanks to my time here.

Surprisingly, I’ve also learned some key points on how to successfully use PR.

During our trip to Nashville, we listened to Chris Parker give a talk about how he kept the Nashville Predators  relevant during their lockout, as he is the Executive Vice President/Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of the team. The arena had contests and free coupons, all with the intention of letting the fans know that they still exist.

Being a graphic designer, PR is an entire new world to me. I’ve been excited to learn more about it since it’s a vital part of the business.

Going to this event taught me a few ways to do successful PR. One way is interacting with your clients by holding contests. Getting the clients involved with you, your work, and connecting them with each other gives them a feeling of community. This is a strong bond to have with your clients.

Something else I learned is to reward your fans for, well, being fans! Give them freebies for coming to your events or purchasing your products. Let them know that you appreciate them in supporting your business.

The final and main thing that I learned from Chris Parker is to stay relevant. If you allow fans the chance to forget you, then they will definitely do so. You have to be exciting and leave your clients with a good feeling. It’s a lot of work and some may feel that they do a good job just by being a good business, but if you put in the effort to be relevant, the rewards will be tremendous.