Her Campus Michigan had an awesome time at HC’s 3rd National Intercollegiette Conference in New York City! Her Conference is an amazing opportunity for Her Campus chapter members and readers from all over the country (and even outside the United States!) to come together for an annual fun-filled weekend event.
The morning began with an inspirational keynote by Carley Roney, Co-founder and Chief Content Officer for XO Group. Although she admitted that she planned her own wedding in only a few weeks, Roney and her husband launched a successful media company that creates content relating to wedding, pregnancy, etc. Roney spoke about not knowing her path from the outset and learning from mistakes, as well as the importance of persisting through difficult times.
Saturday morning was filled with informative panels, including discussions about careers in blogging, journalism, technology, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Each panel hosted hard-working women from companies such as Olgivy PR, BirchBox, VIVE Lifestyle, Lucky Magazine, US Weekly, and The Huffington Post.
Here are some of the top tips from Saturday’s morning panels:
What we learned from the editorial panel:
1. Get started on your writing portfolio, and have something tangible to show future employers.
2. If you want a position with more writing opportunities, it’s important to show how you write and demonstrate your prior writing experiences.
3. Follow media personalities, companies, and people you are interested in on Twitter! It’s a great way to keep up with the media industry and companies you might want to work with in the future.
What we learned from the public relations panel:
1. It’s extremely important to have a plan B (…and C, D, and E in case something doesn’t work out the way you planned!) Always think two steps ahead.
2. Conveying what you need to say concisely is critical.
3. Read articles about current events in the industry and think about how they apply to your internship or your organization. Ask yourself: how is this news relevant to what I am doing today?
Jennifer Levene Bruno, publisher and chief revenue officer of Town and Country, gave an incredible lunchtime keynote. She listed some attributes the most hirable candidates possess: naturally curious about many subjects, solution-focused, and team-oriented. She also emphasized the significance of embracing new experiences to develop leadership skills. Attending events like Her Conference is a great start!
The afternoon featured more educational panels about topics such as event planning and chapter public relations. During a panel about viral content, Her Campus team members brainstormed article ideas that were likely to be the most popular and discussed articles that had been successful in the past. We also learned the importance of article titles – Google searches have lead to more than one million visits to Her Campus!
Saturday ended with amazing cupcakes from Spots NYC and raffle prizes.
Susan Kaufman, Editor in Chief of People Stylewatch, began day two of the conference with another amazing morning keynote. Her most important advice: hard work is the key to success. Her rise to the top was not a cakewalk; her success came from her ability to maintain a positive attitude while completing even the most menial tasks and voluntarily taking on extra responsibilities.
Sunday was jam-packed more with more informational workshops, featuring subjects such as careers in nonprofit organizations, book publishing, entrepreneurship, broadcast journalism, and more.
What we learned from the entrepreneurship panel:
1. Pick your co-founder and/or partners carefully. Your relationship becomes like a legal marriage; make sure it’s someone you trust.
2. Take advantage of the resources you have at your university: faculty advisors, school funding, and your local community.
3. You know you’ve made a good choice if you are still excited after explaining your startup to others countless times.
Sunday’s lunchtime keynote speaker was Inbar Barak, SVP of digital for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She spoke about how she arrived at her current position and gave collegiettes useful tips for beginning a career search. The afternoon ended with a final round of informative panels on staying healthy in college, developing leadership skills, and managing personal finances. Each panelist was incredibly inspiring, and we already are looking forward to next year’s conference!
To top off an amazing weekend, Her Conference gave away a goodie bag stocked with awesome gifts. A coupon for a free Soul Cycle spinning class, Essie nail polish and Chloe + Isabel earrings were some of our favorites.