WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Boatner Champions Diversity at IBM
BY KRISTA WATSON LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, CHICAGO
Betsy Plank’s Legacy Lives
Through #BetsyDay and
#30DaysofBetsy
Q: What was most memorable
about your experience on the
PRSSA National Committee?
A: I had so many memorable experiences given my three
years on National Committee,
but my most memorable has
to be as National President at
the National Conference in
Detroit. The vibe, the energy,
the professionals, the students
and the Conference itself was
such an amazing time. Detroit
in 2008 was a terrific host city.
The speakers were some of the
best I’d ever seen both for PRSA
and PRSSA. Overall, it was a
National and International Conference to remember.
was directly influenced by my
involvement, activities and the
experience I acquired while in
PRSSA. I knew I wanted to be
in the public relations field, I just
didn’t know to what extent or
what exactly I would be doing.
Through PRSSA, I was exposed to so many aspects of public relations and so many people
in public relations. It definitely
shaped who I am and what I do
today.
Q: What do your responsibilities include as the digital experience manager for IBM’s Global
Technology Services?
A: As digital experience
manager, I am responsible for
driving and executing a consistent “always on” experience
across social media venues for
enterprise information technology.
By leveraging social media
channels, I am providing IT professionals and influencers with
relevant content, and driving
awareness and visibility for our
infrastructure business, specifically enterprise mobility and
business continuity.
Global
Technology
Services are the men and women who design, run and build
all the infrastructure for
Q: Before your term as
National President, you served as
vice president of advocacy. As a
founding member of IBM’s Marketing and Communications Diversity Council, what advice can
you offer young professionals to
incorporate more diversity in the
workplace?
A: My definition of diversity
simply means [being] different,
so however you are different is
what you, as a young professional, bring to work every day. The
key is [knowing] how to make
your differences work for you
and aid you in your career.
Q: How did becoming a
member of PRSSA influence your
career?
A: My current career, not job, Photo courtesy of Brandi Boatner.
12 WWW.PRSSA.PRSA.ORG/FORUM
Q: In 140 characters or less,
what advice can you offer aspiring public relations professionals?
A: Be yourself. Know yourself.
Establish a brand. Be curious. Be
different.
Your samples should include
work that showcases your skills,
pieces that tell a story. When
thinking about what you should
put in your portfolio, think outside the box. “It doesn’t matter if
it’s not in public relations. History and English papers can be included as long as it’s well-written,”
Kacskos says.
POINT PARK UNIVERSITY
4. The Interview
Where Can I Find
Internships?
1. Within Your University
The career center at your
school is there to help you secure
jobs and/or internships. Janet
Kacskos, director of communications for Millersville University,
hires four or five interns in her
university office. “You sometimes
have your best resources on campus. Agencies are limited in hiring
interns; many are needed on campus and we provide a lot of handson experience.”
the world’s economy.
Q: What are some challenges
you’ve faced working with technology on a global scale?
A: Everyone uses technology
on a global scale, so I would say
there are some challenges in being a digital communicator for a
services business without having
a tangible product we promote
or sell. My team at worldwide
oversees 70 countries. IBM
Global Technology Services sells
services that are delivered by
some of the brightest minds and
people in the world.
The challenges we face sometimes are that social media works
differently in different countries,
and not all countries have the
same set of services we provide.
We get creative, but I stay consistent with the message to ensure
my target audience understands
how Global Technology Services
can help solve their infrastructure needs in information technology.
BY KARIANN MANO
Let’s face it: Internships are essential for students in the public