NOTE FROM MIKE: As we continue to march towards HAPPO on Feb. 19, I will feature job-hunters on this site.  I am very happy to introduce Emily Heend to you.  Emily was an all-star intern with my company a few years back and, like many others in her position, is working her way into the PR industry.  She’s someone I would want on my team for any project!  Contact her at and read more of her work at www.arlingtonunwired.com.

Guest HAPPO Pitch by Emily Heend

I have drive.  For example, the day I got my driver’s license, I knew I would not be content until I had a car that I could call my own. I also knew that when I arrived home, a silver Audi tied in red ribbon would not be awaiting me, as it always had been in my dreams.  According to my parents, the only way that I would ever get my own car would be if I contributed a sizeable portion of the payment and put in the hours researching and learning the ins and outs of every potential car that might be a reasonable fit for me.  The desire to have my own car took on a life of it’s own, and I spent countless hours on the Internet researching and perusing used car listings. In no time at all, it is safe to say, I knew everything about Toyota and Honda, from model to miles per gallon to standard pricing per year – you name it, I knew it. After what felt like an eternity (approximately 3 months), I was the proud owner of a lightly used, silver Honda Civic LX.  The day I drove my car off the lot was the first night that visions of cars did not consume my dreams. It would only be a matter of time, however, until I found a new goal to chase.

This relentless drive and determination extends beyond my personal life and defines my professional character as well. I had always been a little weary about Twitter (never particularly interested in making my personal life public), but I realized that social media is the wave of the future and so I decided to push my reservations aside and allow myself to catch the Twitter bug. I took it upon myself to immerse myself in social media literature and become an active member of the Web2.0 world.  Between Groundswell, my weekly Dan Zarrella e-mail updates, and Seth Godin’s blog, to name just a few resources, there are simply just not enough hours in the day to get my hands on all of the literature I want to absorb.   In addition, I made a proactive move and took my company’s latent Twitter account for their Arlington events website and created an active twitter presence to benefit the company and improve my own social media prowess.  To date, social media is my Everest, and if the past is any indicator of the present, I will not be content until I am Web2.0 guru.

Some might say that my obsessive drive can sometimes be a curse. For example, I have been known to scour every mall within a 30 mile radius for days looking for the perfect dress, but hey, what girl wouldn’t?!  In a professional environment, however, I believe that unyielding drive can only be a blessing.  Not only do I finish projects, but I also aim to exceed expectations.  I will put in the hours and I will not be content until the finished product measures up to my own high standards. Drive, motivation, perseverance.  Three qualities that only begin to describe the contributions that I would bring to a PR company.

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