Today I write

I started following a lady on Twitter who always says, “if you want to write, write”. So today I mustered up the courage to do just that. I don’t know if it makes sense or if I can or will develop this into something more meaningful, but this is what I have today.

Fear would be the death of them. A slow motion premeditated death. Murder they wrote. With every beat and every lie they became murders. They danced a tango that would end in a bloody Russian roulette. A death that would trickle down to their core, and would hurt most when they realized who they really were and that they were still alive meant to face the consequences of their irrational, irreversible actions.

Sideline Love

My love was not enough

Last girls didn’t last, but I thought I was different

I called my friends and said this is unbelievable , the love I’ve found is a miracle
I discovered soon I was jus his mistress

He couldn’t give me the love that I had for him and I know who’s to blame
The sweetness in the air when he said her name should’ve exposed his games

The nights spent hoping he’d call were all in vain
How could he envision my pain with her on the brain

The trips back home and chilling with his boys
It wasn’t just business after all

I had no idea that while he told me he was working
He was up writing poems of love all about her

I was the chick on the side
I shouldn’t be surprised

I’d call him mad evil even without an Evo
He played me for a fool – this time I lost the game

He knew the buttons to push to make me insane
He knew what he was doing, but still he’s not to blame

I guess he only knew love when it came to her
I guess we’re both to blame

He played the game
Knowing he didn’t want me and I needed him

She was his first love
I couldn’t keep up with her turning tables

She was his only love
She was music

Is the Government trying to Increase HIV/AIDS Infections

As of August 1, 2012 all private insurance plans will be required to cover women’s preventative care. This will allow women to get birth control pills, including the morning after pill at no cost. When I first heard about the “Affordable Care Act” via Twitter I was appalled. I could not believe that MY president, Barack Obama, would promote and encourage people to have unprotected sex outside of marriage. I did not want to use my tax dollars to enable hussies with no self control to have unrestrained sexual relations. I did not want the government reaching more into my purse! “How could he,” I thought.

My immediate thought about the ACA was that it would increase the number of people being infected by a sexually transmitted infection. More couples will be likely to have sex without the use of a condom, which if you are sexual active is the most effective way to prevent STIs. According to USAID, there were 33.3 million people around the world living with HIV/AIDS in 20009. AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death globally and almost 7,200 people are infected by HIV daily. The Polulation Research Institute conducted research in 2010 that showed a positive correlation between women using oral contraceptives and HIV/AIDS infections. However, after watching several stories about the ACA and reading some other opinions about this act my opinion has shifted in favor of this act. I am now able to clearly see that the ACA will prove to be beneficial to American’s across the board.

Upon the recommendation from independent Institute of Medicine, a nonprofit organization that had instructions to find the best solution to healthcare problems women face, insurers will have to drop deductibles and co-pays for FDA-approved contraception drugs and devices. This will drastically decrease the number of unplanned pregnancies in the United States, which is currently sitting at 49 percent. As a result the number of abortions would also decrease.

It’s time we realize everyone who uses contraceptives is an unmarried, promiscuous, teenager. There are married couples who are not ready financially to start a family. There are newlyweds who want time to grown and learn each other before they bring a baby into the world. There are people who are working on obtaining a higher degree that do not want to have the burden of taking care of a child and studying for finals simultaneously There are various reasons why people choose to get on contraceptives and under the Affordable Care Act, all generic contraceptives will be free. Contraception which can sometimes be as high as $70 a month will cost women with private insurance nothing.

After analyzing the full ramifications of this Act I am forced to admit that my initial reaction was flawed. This Act will not necessarily increase the number of people infected with HIV/AIDS. However with this change in healthcare there needs to be an increase in safe sex education to ensure that the plan is effective across the board. Overall the Affordable Care Act will do a lot of good for women in the United States. The preventative care that it will provide to women is phenomenal and can potentially save many lives.

With that said, Brittney was right and I was kind of wrong.

Make Everything Worthwhile

Life tends to throw curve balls at us. There is nothing we can do to prevent this from happening, but we can choose how these bumps in the road affect us. Since graduating in May, I have not been able to find a full time position related to public relations. However, it is evident that the health industry in a growing field that will never cease to exist. To stay relevant I have found a job in the health industry that will increase my value as a public relations professional.

The class of 2010 graduated during economic turmoil. We are competing with people who have 10 years plus of experience for entry level positions. We are attempting to get jobs in industries that people are afraid to invest in. Some of us have given up hope. Now is the time to turn a negative into a positive. While our dream job might not be available, we at least have time to become the dream candidate for the person who will one day interview us for that dream job.

I currently work for Humana, a health insurance provider, providing guidance for Medicare recipients. I give customer service to people for their health care related questions. Now, in addition to all the skills my internships I am now trained in Medicare and Pharmacy. I understand aspects about the health care industry that I wasn’t exposed to in college. I have learned health care jargon that will be beneficial when I am working for a firm that has clients who provide health insurance. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I am taking steps that are bringing me closer to my goals.

I hear many people who have graduated complain about the lack of jobs in their “industry”. Instead of complaining I am looking at this time to get training in areas that will increase my knowledge and my value. Through my current job I will be able to explain why an organization should invest in me. I have found a way to stand out and that is what we all should be doing. Having a degree is not an uncommon thing in 2010, what else do you provide?

BE POSITIVE, KEEP HOPE ALIVE

Achieving Dreams

I have always wanted to be on TV and throughout my life I accomplished that at very stages. In elementary school I was an anchor for for the school’s television station W-WOW at Washington Elementary. In high school, I had the privilege of being in one of the best high-stepping marching bands in North Carolina; I could occasionally spot myself on Friday Night Football amongst the crowd in the bleachers. In college I was interviewed by WRAL’s news anchor, Heather Moore, after a series of racial based vandalizing occurred on the campus of NCSU. However, the moment that meant the most to me is when I appeared on a WRAL segment that was centered around my past internship with the North Carolina Strawberry Association. I was hired in February 2010, by the NC Strawberry Association to be a Social Media Intern for them. Through that position, I managed their Twitter Page and Facebook Fan Page.

It wasn’t long before, news anchor, Michael Charbonneau, noticed the twitter activity of the NC Strawberry Association and decided to air a story about it on WRAL. The show aired early in early April and before the week was over relatives as far north as New York had seen me on television. Unlike my other television appearances I did not physically appear in this story. This story was all about the social media websites that I had been maintaining and using to build relationships with people who loved strawberries.

So far this is still my biggest success story in PR. I accomplished what many professionals attempt to do everyday. I achieved media coverage for a client without spending a dime. I reached a potential audience of over three million online viewers, for the number one, local website in the Raleigh-Durham, market, and that is something I am truly proud of!

Check Out My Story:

http://wwwcache.wral.com/presentation/v2/flash/video/vp-wral.swf?v=20100913a

 

Photo by ME

I Don’t Want That Job, and You Probably Don’t Either

They say beggars can’t be choosy, and with the current state of the economy, those of us who have jobs are amongst the fortunate ones. However, during my job search I have discovered that no matter how desperate I am to land my first job, there are some jobs that I just have to pass on. Check out my top 10-an idea that I stole from Laurie who can also be followed on Twitter

1. There’s a possibility that you will be working for FREE…FREE…FREE!!! Your pay is based solely on commission and you have bills to pay. If you have no savings to support you during a bad week, then you need to look at salary or hourly based jobs ONLY.

2. If you don’t want to live there The location is horrible and the pay doesn’t make it any better. If I have to relocate to a place that doesn’t have a mall,  university or anything exciting for me to do after work, the pay better be enough to allow me to go out of town every weekend if I choose to, because I probably will want to.

3. If they don’t know how to conduct an interview If I ask more questions during the interview than the interviewer thats a warning sign that this is not a job I want to waste any further time on.

4. The website is horrible There are grammatical errors, pages with dummy text on it and its something I could recreate in less than an hour. I want a professional job thats doing professional things.

5. If they don’t know what with the public relations is During the interview they say something, such as, “you’ll be talking to and dealing with the public, so this is pretty much a public relations position!” WRONG WRONG WRONG! There is so much more to public relations, and that statement lets me know they don’t know the first thing about PR.

6. If they confuse marketing with being a door to door saleswoman If the job requires me to go door to door begging people to sign up for a service or policy then I know its not for me. I was never the type to go door to door and thats probably why I was never a Girl Scout. If a job labels themselves as a marketing job, and tells you this is what you’ll be doing…you’re probably not going to be interested.

7. If they have poor spending habits They would rather invest in the “toys” over their employers. If the pay sucks, but they’re rolling in new fancy machines, don’t expect to be getting a raise….ever.

8. No one, Nobody likes working there If everyone that works there tells you they hate it, odds are you will hate it too. RUN…far, far, away.

9. You already know you don’t want to work there during the interview If you’ll be looking for a new job after your first day of work, you might want to to save yourself time and just pass on the offer. Then you will have more time to devote to the job search.

10. Anybody could do the job If you don’t a degree or experience for the job, you probably don’t want to work there if you have internships, and a degree. #Basic jobs were for high school. Now its time to look for a career.

You’ve seen my list, but maybe yours is different. What kind of job will you walk away from? Comment Below:

If You Can’t Decide What to Get Me for Graduation…

May 15, 2010

A lot of people have been asking me what I would like for graduation. I took the time to create this list so that I could answer everyones question at once. I have worked hard these past four years, and these are some of the items that will help me in my efforts to landing the job of my dreams, and help me survive while my search continues. This list is a work in progress and explanations and links will soon follow.

Graduation Gift Wish List
14K Gold Charm Bracelet (engraved with my name)- I have decided that gold will be the official color of my jewelry during interviews. I currently have a silver charm bracelet that I have fallen in love with, but I am sure that I will love the gold one you purchase me just as much.

Engraved Compact Mirror: This engraved compact mirror will carry me far throughout my career. Before interviews I will check my make up and appearance to ensure that I am ready to make my best impression and the message that you put on the mirror will encourage me throughout my career.

A Black Manhattan Tote will be useful as I use this cute, large bag to neatly and stylishly carry my portfolio and padfolio into interviews. I will be able to show my creativity and organization all in once.

Zoom Lens for Canon Rebel XTI (The Most Important One in comparison to the Macro lens) and a Macro Lens for Canon Rebel XTI. Everyone know that it is not the camera that makes the picture, but the person behind the picture, however, There a lot of images I would like to capture that currently I am unable to, simply because my camera cannot reach that far. There are many public relations jobs that are available that view photography as an important resource to have. Having the equipment that will help me perfect my art, will make more desirable among potential employers.

Gift Card to New York & Company, Belks, Dillards, Coach etc. (Time to get clothes for interviews)

Lately, I have been meeting with a lot of people in the public relations industry. Our choice of place to meet:Starbucks. For that reason a Gift Card to Starbucks will be a great way for me to enjoy these meeting without worrying about the financial impact on my mind.

The DVD “Thank You for Smoking”, is a movie I saw while in a Communication Persuasion class at NC State. It shows some of the good and bad practices associated with Spin Doctoring and is just an interesting good movie to own.

These past four years, have taken me on a difficult path to reach the goals I have set for myself. These include many sleepless nights, cram sessions, and my daily red bull to keep me afloat. A Gift Card to a Spa in Greensboro or Raleigh is the perfect tool to get me.

Books about the Public Relations, SocialMedia (Twitter, Facebook) and Marketing industry will be useful to keep me updated on the trends evolving around my field. Although I am no longer in school it is important that I continue to grow and learn about the field I am in. (I have to keep my knowledge up even after graduation)

A 2010 AP Stylebook, also known as the journalist’s Bible. There have been many changes in how journalist write and communicate because of social media and other factors and I want to continue to communicate effectively with all of my audiences.

A cute business car holder case will be a stylishly ME way to present my cards to people at business events. You never know who you may run into, and I want to seize every opportunity to make a lasting, good impression.

When I finally get my desk in a office I will need a Handbag Hanger, to keep my purse off the purse and looking neat.

A Sony Touch Ebook Reader

Ipod Touch

Ipad (I know it’s a stretch, but I figured it was worth a try)

Golf clubs, balls and a how to golf book will help be at the right place at the right time. We all know that the major business transactions happen on the golf course, so that’s where I want to be!

Wireless mouse (for presentations)

A small, portable projector

A new Flat Iron, to keep my hair looking suave and professional all the time.

An external hard drive will be useful to help me store the photos and video that I create for various clients.