It's all over now, baby blue..

Over the last few posts I have strayed a little from my musings on manners, but that's because this blog was also meant to have a PR component as well. And now that is coming to an end.

We are in our last week of school, most of us have solidified internships for August or September (I just accepted mine this morning, yay me!) Now comes the part where we reflect over the last eight months and the people we have met, and more importantly, what we have learned and what it means for our future. It's time to go apply what we have done in class and enter the workplace, starry eyed and eager, hoping to make a place for ourselves in the world of PR.

But what has been the most important thing that I've learned, specifically about this medium - online public relations?

It's hard to say. I think the main thing is that I've realized it's a lot more useful than I first thought. I only used Facebook and constantly made fun of Twitter. But I have to admit - I've been converted (insert cheer from Schweitzer.) With so many agencies and communications teams on Twitter, it's essential for a budding PR practitioner to be involved and follow them. And keeping up with news headlines? SO much easier with Twitter. And faster!

Regardless of what field I end up getting my first communications job in I know that social media will play a part in it, be it Facebook, Twitter, blogs or otherwise and I'm happy to be enlightened about it.

And while I will miss seeing my classmates’ lovely, shiny, happy faces everyday, I know that all I have to do is pull out my laptop or Blackberry and do a quick scan of Facebook or Twitter to get an update. I hope - and I truly do hope - that our knowledge of the importance of social media will mean that we will keep in contact, not just socially, but so that we can all make the most out of having each other in different places in PR. So CCPR, I challenge you to keep in touch. I challenge us to help each other out and encourage each other. Let’s use what we’ve learned about networking and social media to its full advantage. Let’s make Barry proud!

Hi Mom?

It's the last two weeks of school and as I've mentioned before, there is a mountain of school work to do. Most of us can't wait until the 23rd when we can breathe a sigh of relief, let off some steam and for the most part, enjoy a few days off before starting our internships. Me, on the other hand, am dreading the 23rd like there's no tomorrow. And no, it has nothing to do with school. The 23rd is when my in-laws arrive from Sweden.

You're probably thinking, "What's the big deal?" In-laws visit all the time - they are a fact of life. Well, they haven't been for me until now.

You see, I've never met my in-laws before. My boyfriend moved to Canada from Sweden to live with me two years ago and this is the first time they've come to visit. And I'm simply terrified. The thought of meeting his mother actually makes me nauseous.


But why should I be so nervous? As a student of communications I should know how to present myself, shouldn't I? I should know how to make a good impression, right? True. But putting that into practice with someone who I imagine to be the scariest women on Earth is a whole new story. There is so much pressure on me to impress. My boyfriend and I will eventually get married, so I'm not going away anytime soon and I've stolen her only son away from Sweden. There's a lot against me. The only thing I have is my blonde hair and my good manners!


Why is meeting the in-laws is so scary? Stay posted to find out how it goes!

Fake It Till You Make It..

I am getting prepared for my interview at Sick Kid's tomorrow for their Internal Communications Intern position. I'm trying to put together a portfolio that will effectively show my talents and impress them while thinking about what I can say that will make me seem like the perfect choice for the position. I'm pretty nervous, actually.

My mind keeps going off on a tangent, however, since I can't ignore that piles of school work that awaits me these last two weeks of classes (this blog being one component!) So I can't help but think of how putting together a professional profile and image has encroached on students just being students on social media. It's funny, but in a way, social media forces the graduating student to take that step back and adjust how the public sees them - because as we have all learned in the CC&PR program, those professionals will be looking. We are forced to grow up (at least in the public eye.)

No longer can we ignore Facebook's privacy settings or tweet whatever we want without it being protected. Any potential employer can look you up Facebook and Twitter and get an impression of you. And God help you if somebody has posted something awful of yours or about you on the Internet. In that case, Google is definitely not your friend.

So how do we separate being professional and being ourselves? Clearly, we still want to post pictures of nights out with friends and send ridiculous messages to each other. We want to update our status to what we really feel, not just what a future boss might want to see. We don't want to worry about being a perfect role model, citizen or employee. Social media is a way to let it all hang loose with your pals (not to mention lurk - but that is for another post!)

The simple solution is to be as private as possible with those who you aren't already connected with. Let only your name be searchable and make sure that if your friends are posting incriminating photos of you that their privacy settings are tight. If you are on Twitter, watch your tweets or protect them. You don't want your interviewer to learn about you through Facebook... really. Set up a profile on LinkIn; this lets you put only the good and relevant information about you as a professional out there.

Truly, the social media that professionals see is linked to good etiquette. There is no need to air your dirty laundry in public or make a spectacle of yourself (unless you are in show biz... then flaunt yourself all you want!) Let's face it, none of us are angels on Facebook. Most of us set it up while in university... and back then, we just didn't care!

My only advice about social media and being professional is to present yourself as well as possible. It's basically a digital interview. So, all that is left to do is put your name out there and only tell them what you want them to know. In essence, fake it till you make it.

A lose-lose situation for the Tdot..

Jumping on the bandwagon of putting in my two cents about the G20, I thought I would look at it from a manners point of view. As everyone who hadn't been living in complete isolation that fateful weekend (although, there was that one Irish tourist who feigned ignorance about the entire situation downtown and was arrested just "wandering by", not gawking), there was a plethora of bad behaviour present in the heart of Toronto. While the majority of protests were peaceful, there were obviously some bad eggs that ruined it for everyone. *Cough cough* Black Block *cough cough* Idiots just wanting to break stuff *cough cough*.

I just don't understand how people can trash a city, claiming it is in the name of politics, without actually having a cause. Unfortunately, that minority casts a huge social disgrace cloud over everyone exercising their right to protest. Is it fair? No. But that's what happens.

Looking at this from a PR point of view, I feel like the government and police were stuck between a rock and a hard place from the moment they decided to host the G20 in Toronto. Let's face it. It's not a popular event and was destined to be chaotic. There were bound to be people acting like barbarians (they even told the public ahead of time it would happen). Now, with all of this hype and criticism prominent over Facebook, Twitter and blogs, how could the police not treat the downtown core like a war zone? If they hadn't spent millions of dollars on security, people would have criticized them for doing nothing while vandals destroyed downtown. Since they did spend millions of dollars and were an obvious and intimidating presence, but violence and vandalism still occurred and there is a question of police brutality, they face criticism and inquiries over that weekend. And it is largely due to news spread through social media.

Given the nature of the event, the number of people protesting and the fact that tweets spread like wildfire, the police and the G20 were always going to lose. They knew that people were going to misbehave and in my opinion, did everything they could do to try and stop it while protecting the city and the security zone. Did they step over a few boundaries? I'm sure they did. Is it possible a few officers acted in a way they shouldn't have? I'm almost positive it is. But to say that the entire police force mistreated the situation is ridiculous. I believe in people's right to protest, don't get me wrong. But you can't let barbarians take over the city. You can't let social disgraces win.

To those who disagree, let me ask you then, what should the police have done differently to make sure another violent protest did not occur? Could they have handled their PR better?

On a more light-hearted note, here is a YouTube video of a man who clearly forgot his social graces at home. In a ridiculously funny way.

And let there be light..

My first post may have given the impression that I have no faith in humanity and think that manners have died off completely. But that's really not the case. I KNOW there are lots of polite people out there. Deep down I know this. And I do meet them all the time. I try to surround myself with them. But it's just so easy to notice all of the barbarous creatures in day-to-day life. In fact, today on the train home my classmates and I viewed some golden examples of social disgraces (and we sure did make some angry faces), but that's for another post. Today, I'm going to give a nod to the positives I've seen.. and thank jebus!

This weekend at work I saw something while eating lunch that truly warmed my heart. A father sat down with his two small children and was teaching them to always say "please" and "thank you" and to make sure to always speak politely to people. I overheard him telling his son, "Don't yell, 'NO BUTTER!' Say, 'May I have no butter, please?'" And he couldn't stress enough how important this was. I thought it was so cute and uplifting. And refreshing!

Isn't it sad that I think it's refreshing? I think manners are one of the most important things that parents and family should teach their children. And I just don't think that it's done nearly enough these days. But if a family doesn't take on the responsibility is social experience enough? Are friends and school enough of a positive influence? The bitter side of me would say no. But I know that not all children grow up to be like their parents, so there's something to it.

To those of you who have shiny, good manners, where did you learn them? Parent? Family? School? Friends? Television?

All I know is that I was so happy to have witnessed the fatherly wisdom that man passed on to his children. Now, let's just hope they grow up to give up their seats on the bus to the elderly. I choose to believe they will.

Musings on Manners..

I don't claim to be perfect. Truly, I don't. I know I am far from it. I also don't claim to be any sort of expert on formal manners, nor a historian on the matter.What I do know, however, is that it thoroughly pisses me off when people show a blatant disregard for etiquette and social graces. And honestly, it vexes me even more when people are clueless about what they are doing. At least you can call someone who is aware of their bad behaviour an asshole. What do you call people who do rude things without knowing that it's rude? Can there be such an instance? I think so. And it's baffling! All you want to do is call them stupid, but is that a fair judgment?

Just last night going home a couple were sitting right at the back of the bus. It was a fairly full bus - there were no empty rows left (you had to sit next to someone), except for one two-seater row right in front of the couple. As I moved to the back of the bus, heading towards the empty row, I realized there was a reason nobody had sat there. The couple had placed their two shopping bags on the seats. SHOPPING BAGS. They made no signs of moving the bags as people approached and I was forced to squish beside them while their bags got a roomy and comfortable trip home.

Now, these people were clearly a clueless example. They did not seem to notice that they were doing anything wrong.

This brings me to my question of the day. The couple were some kind of Eastern European (Polish, I think.) Now, I'm Eastern European myself, and though not Polish, I've been to Poland.. and bus etiquette did not exist when I was there! Could it be minor culture clash? But, is this an excuse? Just because your action may be acceptable somewhere else, does that make it acceptable here when many would consider it rude? Or am I forced to adjust what I consider bad etiquette? Am I too sensitive? Get pissed off too easily? Probably. But are the manners that I learned growing up not relevant or viable anymore?

Are social graces and good manners an archaic thought these days? Something to think about.


DISCLAIMER:
Of course I do rude things! I break the rules of good manners more than I should.. and I am definitely one of those assholes who know that they are doing it!

Here are some of my most frequent etiquette sins:
1. I ALWAYS listen to my iPod too loud on the subway. EVERY time (I do, however, turn it down if asked.)
2. I gossip more than I should.
3. I am a very loud drunk. Especially on my way home.
4. I check my Blackberry in places I shouldn't.
5. I flip people off and swear at stupid people while in the car. And I don't even drive. (No doubt I will share some instances with you later on.)

Obviously I could go on, but I won't. I have to keep some face, don't I?