I love the fact that the next “Help A PR Pro Out” (HAPPO) online event comes during the holiday season.  (Save the Date: Wednesday, December 8 – stay tuned for more info!)

No matter what holiday or holidays you celebrate this season, whether it’s 12 days, 8 crazy nights or something else entirely, there is a common thread of light and hope.

Call me cheesy and sappy, but to me, HAPPO is all about hope.

As a champion for the past year, I’ve seen a lot of people struggling to find a job.  But what I’ve also seen is the best of people.  Job-seekers putting their best foot/feet forward.  Volunteers looking to help people make connections – not for personal gain, but because it’s the right thing to do.

We’ve seen people go from nervous college student to living the dream; and people who had been sitting on the sidelines are now back in the game.

HAPPO didn’t make all of this happen by ourselves.  We did not (and will never) get someone a job.  They do that all by themselves.

However, if we can help energize the job-seekers and put them in front of those who are hiring, then we have done our job.

And the next jolt of energy comes this Wednesday.

I implore anyone who has knowledge of job openings or is looking for a job or has been through the process and has advice to give both sides, PLEASE participate in Wednesday’s chat!

Follow the #HAPPO hashtag (and, local plug: #HAPPODC), and join this community of people trying to grow our PR/marketing/social media industry.  You will never regret it.

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Here’s a fantastic opportunity to work in the fashion PR world for a top-notch agency! Great internship opportunity for a fashion forward individual looking to gain experience in working in fashion, brand development and PR

Job Description	Forty Weeks (www.fortyweeks.com), the leading strategy firm in the expectant and new parent space is looking for a fashion forward intern who has a firm grasp on the retail/wholesale market place to work on a launch of an international line here in the States. The selected candidate will undertake market research on brands, trends and trade shows as they relate to the client. Key projects will include involvement in market place and brand research, trend analysis, PR traffic and metrics, assisting with celebrity outreach via our LA office, influencer outreach via our New York team and overall brand development in close proximity to Forty Weeks founder, Julia Beck. We handle a carefully currated list of top-tier clients including foundations, media and manufacturers within our highly vertical space. This internship is through April 2011  – and will fill fast  as this type of project is not common to Washington, DC area agencies. Metro-accessible office in downtown Bethesda!
Qualifications	Fashion forward Knowledge and understanding of retail market place, brands Uber computer savvy Aware of Trends – interested in being part of the “next hot thing” Outstanding written and verbal communication skills Highly organized, creative and energetic Self-starter Great attitude Excellent problem solver Reliable LOVES getting involved with cool projects For more information e-mail Jules Galpin Jules@fortyweeks.com

Good News: iostudio is looking to hire three key staff members in the DC office!

GREAT News: They get to work with me every single day!!!

Take a look at the following job descriptions, and if you are interested, we’d love to talk to you!  Directions below!

1 – Advertising Account Executive

Company: From interactive Web sites to targeted, contemporary print publications, iostudio is a nationally recognized marketing company providing innovative advertising, Web, email, print and video solutions for local, regional and national clients. Over the last 10 years, we have grown into an award-winning, multi-million dollar company built on the passion and ingenuity of a remarkable team of professionals who want more from a job than just bringing home a paycheck.

Our Washington, D.C. office seeks an experienced account executive to join our fast-growing team who will work with national and regional clients and assist with new business development efforts.

Position responsibilities

• Guide the day-to-day coordination, development and execution of all client projects.
• Keep agency staff informed of client requests and changes.
• Write creative briefs, develop project estimates and work closely with production staff keeping projects on time and on budget.
• Be responsible for research, competitive analysis and reporting of findings.
• Review creative work prior to submitting to the client for approval.
• Prepare collateral materials, presentations and logistics for client meetings.
• Review and approve project billing prior to mailing.
• Learn the business of the client account, i.e., products, research, markets, competitive advertising
• Build and strengthen client relationships, proactively responding to their needs and following up on all requests.  Provide superior customer service on all levels.
• Participate in New Business activities as assigned.
• Travel up to 25%.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of personnel so classified.

Minimum Requirements:

• 2-4 years account management experience, preferably in an advertising or marketing agency.
• Prior experience managing client accounts.
• Knowledge of website development, online advertising, email marketing and social media.
• Effective and professional verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong proficiency with Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with graphic design, video or reporting software a plus.

Candidates can email resumes for consideration to careers@iostudio.com.

Only emailed submissions will be considered.

iostudio is an equal opportunity employer (EOE).  Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.

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2 – Social Media Account Executive

Job Location: Washington, D.C.

Company: From interactive Web sites to targeted, contemporary print publications, iostudio is a nationally recognized marketing company providing innovative advertising, Web, email, print and video solutions for local, regional and national clients. Over the last 10 years, we have grown into an award-winning, multi-million dollar company built on the passion and ingenuity of a remarkable team of professionals who want more from a job than just bringing home a paycheck.

Our Washington, D.C. office seeks a social marketing professional to join our fast-growing online team who will work with a large government client and its regional level marketing staff to develop effective social media programs.

Position responsibilities

• Provide outstanding client service and support.
• Develop social media marketing strategies for current and future clients in accordance with the client’s objectives and budgets.
• Write information papers and white papers monthly.
• Provide formal training on the use of social media products to clients.
• Generate social media reports to demonstrate ROI and identify insights that can guide content programming, media or creative work.
• Coordinate content sharing among distributed client network of regional social media sites.
• Train and educate clients on new trends, innovations and practices in social media and online marketing.
• Contribute to the agency’s professional blog on social media and digital innovations.
• Work in the Washington, DC office while working closely with the agency team in Nashville, Tennessee.
• Travel as needed, up to 30%.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work to be performed. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities required of personnel so classified.

Minimum Requirements:

• B.S. or B.A in Advertising, Journalism, Marketing or related field required.

• 2-4 years experience in marketing and advertising, acting within an agency or internal corporation department.
• Demonstrated professional success in the social media space.  Active professional engagement with social media.
• Familiarity with analytics tools preferred (Omniture, Radian 6, Raven Tools, Google Analytics).
• Familiarity with Social Network Engagement analytic tools (i.e. Facebook Insights).
  • Strong project management skills; excellent communication skills; ability to work with multiple partner-agencies at various levels.
  • Effective and professional verbal and written communication skills.  Ability to communicate ideas to clients, vendors, team members and others in a clear and concise manner.
  • Strong proficiency with MS Office.

Candidates can email resumes for consideration to careers@iostudio.com.

Only emailed submissions will be considered.

iostudio is an equal opportunity employer (EOE).  Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.

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3 – Interactive Designer

Company: From interactive Web sites to targeted, contemporary print publications, iostudio is a nationally recognized marketing company providing innovative advertising, Web, email, print and video solutions for local, regional and national clients. Over the last 10 years, we have grown into an award-winning, multi-million dollar company built on the passion and ingenuity of a remarkable team of professionals who want more from a job than just bringing home a paycheck.

Our Washington, D.C. office seeks a creative professional to lead the office’s interactive campaigns for our clients.  You will concept, design and integrate new interface designs and applications.

Position responsibilities

• Developing the “big idea” from creative briefs and market research.
• Designing contemporary, intuitive and engaging user interfaces.
• Developing and designing concepts for popular social media sites.
• Translating creative direction into media-appropriate design meeting business objectives.
• Collaborating with remote creative and account teams.
• Understand technical web design and social and mobile marketing requirements .
• Ability to work with site architecture and wireframes.
• Integrate with third party API’s like Facebook, Google and JS-Kit.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work to be performed. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities required of personnel so classified.

Technical Skills

• 3+ years of web development experience
• Proficient with the following front end technologies
• HTML 5, CSS, D/X/HTML
• Experience addressing cross browser issues and scripting vulnerabilities
• Familiarity developing in a web CMS like (Drupal, Interwoven, Day, Joomla)
• Familiarity with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques
• Familiarity with API based platforms
• Experience with iPhone, iPad, Flash, FLEX and related technologies is a plus

Minimum Requirements:

• B.S., B.A. or B.F.A. in Web Design or equivalent agency interactive design experience.
• 4+ years of Web design experience REQUIRED, preferably in an agency environment.
• Strong sense of typography, color, and layout.
• Highly proficient with the latest Adobe Creative Suite and other applicable software.
• Experience with or knowledge of CSS, HTML and jQuery (WordPress and PHP a plus).
• Up-to-date with the latest in social media and API’s.

Email a resume and a work sample to careers@iostudio.com.   Only emailed submissions will be considered.

iostudio is an equal opportunity employer (EOE).  Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.

It’s been a dark few weeks.  A volcanic eruption halted global commerce.  LOST showed a repeat this week.  Crazy Siobhan was sent packing on American Idol.  Kate Gosselin somehow was on “Dancing With The Stars.”

Dark times, indeed.

Out of the darkness shines a beacon of hope.  No, it’s not the new Iron Man movie – it’s the return of Help A PR Pro Out on Friday, April 30!

Yes, PR pros are back again to play “point guard,” exposing rising industry talents and highlighting job opportunities.  The main event is on Friday, but here’s a sample of things to come.

Let’s start with some fantastic job-seekers:

1) Elissa Davis
Elissa Davis – @elissadavis, www.linkedin/in/elissadavis, elissadavis.com

I am Elissa Davis, a Senior Journalism and Mass Communication student at George Washington University who is currently desiring full-time employment opportunities beginning in mid-May.

I’m an innovator, who understands this converging world and the need to balance the traditional and the new to achieve success. My medium to do this is public relations and communications. I’m passionate about bringing information to people, businesses and communities in imaginative and expressive ways. I possess the experience, knowledge and work ethic to implement strategic and effective campaigns. Plain and simple, PR is where I thrive.

I’ve been fortunate to have a diverse set of internships and professional opportunities that have permitted me to practice and utilize communication techniques from numerous diverse perspectives. I’ve developed a comprehensive knowledge base of government, corporate, non-profit, social media and entertainment communications. Through my experiences I’ve learned to persevere through trying situations, never take no for an answer, work under extreme conditions, apply crisis communications, work within a large corporation, effectively utilize new media, and much more.

I flourish in a fast moving, high profile environment, where possibilities are unlimited. I’m very passionate about the world of public relations and I have the drive to work in this industries multi-faceted environment and achieve heretofore unbelievable results.

2) Lisa Atufunwa

I graduated in May 2009 from Michigan State University. I gained
experience in non-profit public relations and the human resources and
lifestyle industry. I am able to grasp information and tasks quickly.
I am able to adapt to any environment. Passionate, hard worker and
driven to help your organization achieve daily goals. I am motivated
to grow as a PR professional and continue building relationships
between clients, their target audience, journalists, and other PR
professionals.

I am a tech savvy and have a lot of experience with computers and
social media. I have a knack for finding information and resources,
whether if it is through the Internet or from my mental library. I
will go the extra mile in accomplishing tasks, even if it is working
at 11 p.m. I am eager to begin working in the public relations
industry and having the opportunity to showcase my talents.

For a detail listing of my background, please e-mail me at
lisa.atufunwa@gmail.com for a copy of my resume and connect with me on
Twitter (@lisaatufunwa) and/or LinkedIn
(www.linkedin.com/in/lisaatu09).

3) Jamie Favreau

Since Help a PR Pro Out day is today I thought I would write a brief description of what makes me a great hire.

I graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2008 in Communications Technology and have been working hard learning the field of Public Relations and communications since then.

My desire has always been to work in the communications industry. I have found social media to be my niche. I have worked for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society where I managed to form a partnership with Yelp. The time I spent there was constructive and I also had photos donated by General Motors and Wayne State University for invitations to the Leukemia Ball.

Since then I have built a community for FWIX, wrote proposals for projects which I bid on in my freelance work. I have been an avid participant and volunteer in Detroit. I have worked Module 09, Brand Camp U 09, invited to Ted x Detroit and am going to be working Ignite Detroit and Future Midwest 10. I was also the Champion for Detroit in the live event for #journchat this past August.

Why should you hire me?

1. Relationships are key and I have excellent interpersonal skills.

2. Able to cultivate new ideas and fresh outlook on life.

3. I am social media savvy and realize an integrated communications strategy will help solve some of the current problems.

4. Loves hockey, Detroit Red Wings, Team USA and everything involved with it.

5. Believes in Detroit but am willing to relocate to New York, Chicago, D.C. or San Fransisco.

6. Loves research and bookmarking so I could save you money by having some research done already!

7. I am looking for more of an entry level marketing position but I believe PR and marketing go hand in hand.

8. Have worked with a start up and a non profit organization. So I am capable of working in any kind of environment.

9. Freelancing has taught me about deadlines, creating good content, selling your ideas and various other things which can transfer to a great public relations job.

10. Sports and Entertainment have been in my blood for the past years but technology is my passion. I am driven to work for a growing company which is technology or hockey based and can feed my passion for growth.

Thank you.

@jfavreau :Twitter ID
Jamie_Favreau@yahoo.com