Mass Communication Week 2010

Ever since my first Mass Communication Week at Texas State, I look forward to it every year. The panel discussion that I enjoyed most was “Some Assembly Required.” Thom Singer is a very inspirational speaker and I enjoyed his discussion a lot. "Position yourself as the Grande non-fat vanilla latte in your job," Singer says. Companies receive so many resumes at one time and it is essential that you find a way to separate yourself and stand out. One quote I thought was very true and thought provoking was, “all opportunities in life, come from people.” He explained why networking is important and how to create a personal brand. You need to “buy a little piece of real estate on people’s brains.” This means you need to make an impression on people and stand out from the masses. He explains that it is also important to make a difference and do something for a higher purpose other than money.

Singer discussed how the definition of “knowing” someone has changed with the emergence of social media. In the past, knowing someone meant you had a personal relationship with that person in real life. Today, people “know” other people by just following them on Twitter or Facebook. It is important that people see that you are an expert at what you do. If they notice what you do, you remain fresh on their mind and become the person they depend on for whatever it may be.

I found this panel relevant to my life in many ways but ultimately I was able to relate to the idea the social media changing the way we “know people” and how important it is to stand out amongst the crowd. There are so many people applying for all kinds of jobs right now and because I am a graduate student, I feel as though I have a leg up on competitors. This can be a tricky assumption though because I need to remember that just because I’m in graduate school, does not mean I am any more qualified for any particular job. I need to show my potential in all forms of social media.

Thom Singer did a great job in really keeping the attention of the audience. This was a very relevant panel, which was enjoyed by many. He had a lot of great insights.

Some Assembly Required is his book series and I am going to buy his real estate book as soon as possible. I could go on forever about this panel discussion by Thom Singer, but I am trying to make this short and sweet since it is a blog. I strongly recommend taking a look at the book series Some Assembly Required.

Trends in Location-Based Social Networking was another panel discussion that I watched online because I was not able to attend it live. These guys did a great job of really explaining the ins and outs of location-based applications. It gave me a deeper insight into how they work and what the purpose is. I enjoyed this panel a lot because it was neat to hear, in detail, the inner workings and opinions on this media outlet.

Mass Communication Week at Texas State is unlike any other and I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to learn from the many experts in the area. I will continue to attend Mass Communication Week at Texas State for as long as I can. What a great week!