Bon Voyage, Ohio

Since I launched this blog in the Fall of 2007, I have never written post about my personal life or plans. After graduating in June of this year, my family, friends and old co-workers have begun to scatter across America. That being said, this is the best way to give you all an update on the next steps in my life and career!

After graduation, I moved to Columbus and began at Northlich less than 48 hours after my commencement ceremony. I originally planned to stay in Columbus, as it is close to my immediate family and network of friends and professionals.

Now that September is upon us, I have chosen to take the next step in my career by moving to Chicago. I recently accepted a post-graduate internship position with Weber Shandwick and am set to begin October 5th of this year. For those of you unfamiliar with Weber, it is one of the world's largest PR firms and was recently in the news after MySpace selected it it's AOR. I will make the move October 1 into an apartment in the north side of the city.

Needless to say, I am more than thrilled with the opportunity. I have loved my experience at Northlich and am extremely grateful for the mentorship, exposure to new projects, and wonderful friendships I have gained during my time there. I will miss Ohio and many close friends, but am very happy to offer a pull-out couch for visitors in the Windy City!

Of course, I fully intend to work my rear-end off to turn my internship position into a long-term job within a couple months. Regardless, I will stay in Chicago for at least 1-2 years and take that time to learn everything I can while being surrounded by some of the best in my industry. Thank you to everyone who has always shown support and make a continued effort to stay connected, no matter how many miles are between us.

As I prepare to move, I am nostalgic about the networking trip I planned for Ohio University's chapter of PRSSA to Chicago earlier this Spring. Thank you to Aaron Baer for the video below!



A convenient side effect of my transition is a three week "summer vacation" during the month of September. During that time, I will be attending both my cousin's and best friend's weddings, along with a few adventures in between. I would love to share all of my plans with you, but I prefer to keep at least some information private amongst family and friends. Feel free to e-mail me or follow me on Twitter!

pauljmatson (at) gmail (dot) com

Who will hire me? GPA vs. Experience

In the field of communications and PR, the value of GPA vs. professional experience has been a hotly contested question for new grads and employers.

To undertake this dubious topic and shed some light on the issue, Waggener Edstrom recruiter Amybeth Hale and I recently administered a short survey to gather the opinions of practitioners and students alike.

From a working professional’s viewpoint, and especially one who works in the field of recruiting, I can tell you that through the years I’ve learned that no one really cares about your GPA, unless you’re studying law or medicine (and I’d agree that good grades are important for success in both those fields!) This is not to say, of course, that you should neglect your studies, but what it means is that employers are more interested in your activities and any experience within your field that you have gained while in school. Balancing experience with a decent GPA shows that you are well rounded and are able to handle multiple things at the same time. Even college professors agree with this; one professor said, “No one cares about GPA & no one asks. What people care about is what will translate directly into the job you'll do.”

Gaining experience, once you’ve graduated, is a bit of a Catch-22 – employers want you to have it before they offer you a job….but how are you supposed to gain it if you’re not offered an opportunity (a job) in which to gain it? As a working professional, I highly recommend pursuing internships and work experience while you’re still in college and these opportunities are relatively easy to come by. Burying yourself in books, cramming to get a perfect GPA, and devoting every waking moment to maintaining a 4.0 unfortunately doesn’t translate well in most employment situations. DO your best to maintain a well-rounded slate of activities. - Amybeth Hale, Waggener Edstrom

In favor of experience, a common argument is that PR and communications, unlike engineering and math or medical-based fields, is much more subjective in nature. Therefore, a strong GPA in these fields is inherently more valuable (if you solve an engineering problem incorrectly, the bridge falls down.)

"It shifts over time, but recent grads need a good GPA. Further into your career, experience matters more. I prefer bridge engineers, architects, and my doctor to have both."
- Jon, a working professional

In PR, innovation, originality and accuracy are king to being successful - there is no substitute for real-world experience. Conversely, a sturdy GPA (for the sake of argument, around a 3.0 and above) reflects strongly on commitment and time management throughout college.

"I could easily have a 4.0 GPA, if I spent all of my time focusing solely on my classes. Instead, I have a 3.5 GPA and a lot of relevant experience. I am active in PRSSA, PR Central (a student-run PR firm), the student government, and work for the university's public relation department 15 hours a week. There is a quote in the student organization center on campus: 'You can go to college and get a degree, or you can get involved and get an education'"
- Rachel, a student at Central Michigan University

Ideally, having both would be ideal. But what about the thousands of students with brilliant minds, plenty of professional experience but a 3.0 or 2.9 GPA? Is the person with one internship and a 3.8 GPA more deserving of that entry-level position?

"Experience has proven to be more valuable to me. GPA is a reflection of the classroom and oftentimes, class work is more of a means to an end. Not to say that I haven't had some great classroom experiences, but at best they acted as complements to what I've learned through my internships."
- Aaron, student at Ohio University

Based on the responses we received, I was very surprised to find that most practitioners value experience far more than an outstanding GPA. From my own perspective, this indicates that employers are able to holistically analyze a new grad's potential within their company. At the end of the day, an A+ in microeconomics and psychology is not the selling point to getting that coveted new job.

"Good grades are not as much an indication of ability in the student's chosen career area as they are of the student's ability to figure out what a teacher wants."
- Nan, a working professional

As more responses were gathered, it became increasingly clear that many employers agree a strong GPA is good, but will not be the sole factor in earning you a first job. Many students, however, often become worried that their GPA may be the first concerning factor in being considered for a position.

"In my opinion, a good GPA and professional experience should go hand-in-hand. Obviously, if you are a good student who works and studies hard, you are more likely to be prepared to take on the challenges of the professional world. A great deal of professional experience can be an asset to your knowledge and understanding of concepts learned in the classroom."
- April, a student at Ohio University

On the other hand...

"Relevant work experience... I believe is the best. You could be the worst student in the world, and yet be the most accurate candidate for a position. It's up to what you can do."
- Guido, a working professional

Students have long struggled over being required to take "irrelevant" classes. I argue in favor of an employer looking at a student's transcript, but paying close attention only to their core coursework and applicable courses. Work samples could also be provided that a student may have completed taking a particular class which could count as a subtle form of experience (especially for younger students looking for internships with little experience).

"Experience. The 'real world' experience from internships and organizations helps in molding a good overall professional."- Chelsea, a working professional

After reviewing this wide variety of opinions, I personally conclude that a strong GPA is valuable, but relevant experience and knowledge in a particular field will always take the cake.

Thank you for subscribing. If you have some insights you would like to add, please comment or send an email to pauljmatson@gmail.com.

Widgets take the spotlight

Adding to the American love affair with gadgets are web based widgets. Most people have used them, but have no inclination of what a widget actually is.

For those few, a widget is anything that can be embedded within a page of HTML (ie, a web page). A widget adds some content to that page that is not static. Generally widgets are third party originated, though they can be home made. Widgets are also known as modules, snippets, and plug-ins.

Think you got it? See the little counter in the right-hand column of this page - it's a widget. Double click any word in this blog. The bubble that pops up is the result of widget programming. Pretty cool, eh? Many new online companies have begun to offer widget-creation services for other businesses.

According to media week, companies are just beginning to see the mass potential for profitability from these nifty little creations. What a surprise! Now that we've finally figured out a way to block all those annoying pop-ups of the past, widgets are the answer to personalizing consumer outreach.

So here's the big idea: by creating personalized widgets through host servers, consumers are basically creating free advertising for companies through blogs (like this one) and online businesses. Say hello to the newest form of invasive advertising, only this time, everyone wins with a cool gadget and free publicity.

No Starbucks - the world goes to bed early and gets up late

Sometimes you just need to stop and smell the coffee - especially if the coffee is starting to taste a little off - especially if your the king of coffee conglomerates - and ESPECIALLY if your name is Starbucks.

As a matter of fact, Starbucks listens well, deciding to close 7,100 of its stores for three hours on Tuesday night. But why? One can only imagine the cries of terror from millions of caffeine addicts trolling Wall Street. The answer comes in the form the corporate version of coffee re-education camp for Starbucks employees everywhere the nation.

The brief store closings is a response to Starbucks' declining sales and slower rate of expansion. As the Times delicately proclaims, "it (Starbucks) is increasingly seen as just another big food chain." Sounds like a little bit of espresso nostalgia. I seem to remember hearing that all coffee served to Americans is stale. Yup. High quantities of coffee beans imported from foreign farms... far, far, away. Take that, coffee snobs. Don't believe me?

So here's the bottom line: After months of a sharp decline in investor confidence and closing more than 100 of its stores, the approved Starbucks solution is to close for three hours, re-train, re-open and.. VOILA ... the PR manager at headquarters should be patting himself on the back!

Not so fast.

Coffee miracles don't happen overnight, especially when it comes to revamping a company's image on the national level. This is a clever move that will dupe most American coffee loyalists into thinking that it will back to the good 'ol days from now on. Just to prove they're serious about going back to the basics of being the coffee empire, however, Starbucks plans to remove all sandwiches and snacks that omit any lingering smell (GASP!). They just want customers to smell the coffee.
I can already see the first few customers coming back in and swearing that the coffee is "soooooooo much better now." You've fooled us all, oh majesty of the latte.

Almost.