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Communication department offers new personal promotion seminar series
By Shelly Lutton '05
The communication department is offering new
electives for students who are tired of taking the same classes each
semester: two-day seminars on professional development. A series of
one-credit seminars offered on Friday evenings and Saturdays throughout the
semester, these classes give students expert advice and competitive
advantages in a variety of areas of self-promotion within the communication
field. Friday evenings are spent creating the foundational pieces that are
necessary for the Saturday seminars to run smoothly
 and
effectively. Created and taught by visiting instructor Bill Cowen, these
courses are limited to 20 students and are offered only to communication
majors and minors due to the discipline-specific information provided in the
seminars. “We’re proud to offer these exciting courses to our students in
communication,” said Cowen. “This ‘real world’ application is crucial to
professional success in our industry.”
The first seminar of the series is “Personal
Promotion: Creating Powerhouse Promotional Pieces” and was held in January.
Students were encouraged to bring previous résumés with them, as well as any
other information necessary to update their résumé. Throughout the seminar,
Cowen explained how to create professional résumés and cover letters that
set a candidate apart from the rest of the crowd. The importance of selling
oneself on paper was emphasized, as was the need to be clear and concise.
Students were also asked to bring specific job listings with them, and by
the end of the day were prepared to apply for those jobs, complete with
cover letter and résumé specific to that position. Cowen then met with each
student individually to review their résumé and answer any questions he/she
may have.
The second seminar is “Personal Promotion: Building
the ‘You’ Brand” and was held in February. This seminar focused on the
importance of “branding” oneself and emanating that brand in all aspects of
professional life. The class worked in small groups to create an individual
brand and tagline for each student, which will help that student identify
specifically what skills and talents they can bring to a potential employer.
In addition, guest speaker Marion M. Chamberlain of MMC Lifestyle Coaching,
L.L.C., offered advice on how to set and attain career goals. Chamberlain’s
primary clientele is people who are either looking for a lifestyle change or
have entrepreneurial intentions; she helps clients plan a new career path
and set proper goals in order to achieve the desired results with one year
in the most efficient and effective manner. Using the same methods,
Chamberlain helped students set similar goals for their own future career
path. By the end of the day, each student had a customized program to
achieve their professional goal.
“Personal Promotion: Landing a Job and Launching a
Career” is the
 third
seminar of the series and was held in March. This seminar focused on the
most effective interviewing techniques, as well as building and maintaining
a comprehensive portfolio. Students spent the morning learning about both
verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as other significant factors in
the interview process, and then demonstrated those skills by participating
in mock interviews. The rest of the session was spent practicing networking
skills and compiling portfolios.
All three courses offer important professional
advice and are perfect when preparing for interviews for internships or
professional employment. Students have responded positively to the seminars
thus far; each was filled to capacity, and students eagerly and actively
participated in each seminar. Senior Lauren Feraudo remarked, “The courses
gave me valuable insight into the competitive business world. I feel better
prepared to take on the challenges of finding a job.” The success of the
seminars ensures that the courses will continue being offered in future
semesters. They can be taken individually, for one credit each, or as a
complete set, totaling three credits. For more information, please visit the
communication department home page at www.communication.villanova.edu or
contact Bill Cowen at william.cowen@villanova.edu.
Cowen is a communication faculty member and serves
as director of the public relations certificate program and PRSSA chapter
adviser. He is also founding president of Metrospective Communications, a
center-city based public relations firm and a recent winner of the Public
Relations Society of America’s Fulginiti Award for PR Educator of the Year. |
