This new project, spearheaded by Arik Hanson and the amazing Valerie Simon, this amazing project looks to put together job seekers with those with job openings.  For the full background and inspiration, including inspiration from Dave Mullen, be sure to check out Arik’s post, linked in the first sentence.  For those of you looking for the short version, and what you can do to participate in HAPPO day, take a look below:

• On Friday 2/19, between 11a to 3p (Eastern), PR Pros (and those in the affiliated career industries (e.g. headhunters)) will put their mad skillz and network to align seekers and hire-ers (yeah, I know).
• Job Seekers: Do what it is that is the foundation of our profession — write it down.  Write a blog post (vlog, podcast, PPT, Flash preso – get creative!!), telling prospective employers why they should hire you.  During the event share it on Twitter with the #HAPPO hashtag.  “Market champions” (below) will help by retweeting and connecting you with potential employers in your specific market.  If you don’t have your own blog, we’ll work with you.  We’ll also be linking to postings on the main HelpAPRProOut.com site.
• Employers (Agency C-Suite, Execs, high-ups, headhunters executive recruiters): Have some extra coffee the morning of the 19th, call in your top talent and keep your eyes peeled on the #Happo Hash.  Let the “Market Champions” (again, see below) know what openings you’re looking to fill.  Hopefully we’ll find someone in the inventory of uber-talent that we know is out there and put y’all together.  And, of course, “Look Ma, No Commission” (for us).
• Social Media Addicts: You know what to do — Tell your friends, blog about it, tweet about it, let the job hunters you know know about this.  Day of – keep your eyes open, if you see a good connection, mention it to the appropriate “Market Champion.”  Start the good karma ball rolling, never know when it’ll be you looking for your next gig.

The Market Champions – Below is the list of HAPPO Market  Champions. For the next two weeks these fantastic people will be promoting HAPPO.  If you’re a looker (not like that) or have an opening be sure to connect with them in advance of the 19th so we can all connect on the day of the event.

• Jeremy Porter (Atlanta)
• Kellye Crane (Atlanta)
• Doug Haslam (Boston)
• Jennifer Wilbur (Southern CA)
• Gini Dietrich (Chicago)
• Lauren Fernandez (Dallas/Fort Worth)
• Richie Escovedo (Dallas/Fort Worth)
• Justin Goldsborough (Kansas City)
• Arik Hanson (Minneapolis/ St. Paul)
• PR Cog (New York Metro)
• Deidre Breakenridge (New York Metro)
• Valerie Simon (New York Metro)
• Heather Whaling (Ohio)
• Danny Brown (Toronto)
• Mike Shaffer (Washington, DC)

A number of other super generous folks in the Twitterverse who will be supporting HAPPO in various ways, including Sarah Evans, Dave Fleet, Allan Schoenberg, David Mullen, Shonali Burke, Rachel Kay and a few others.

That’s pretty much it for now.  If you’ve got a question please don’t hesitate to ask.

• 10 February 2012 : Doing It Right & Doing It Wrong
• 9 February 2012 : 5 Ways that Bloggers Are Like the Cool Kids in High School
• 8 February 2012 : Drop the Salesman Mentality
• 7 February 2012 : Giant PR Lessons from the Super Bowl Champions
• 6 February 2012 : Video: Job Interview Conversations That Should Be Had

One random day, when I was overhauling my resume and sending it to multiple PRBC members for editing and criticism, I realized that my best tools for setting myself apart were right in front of my face. Maybe I could take the hours I’d been spending sitting in front of my dirty MacBook (another word of advice: if you’re a somewhat messy person like me, don’t even think about buying a white laptop) and make them more constructive. I decided to take one of my passions, social media, and leverage it to further (and hopefully enhance) my job search. I’m not about to make the claim that social media is what helped me land my current position, but I definitely think there are some things that EVERY person looking to work in the PR world should do. After all, isn’t that the direction that our business is heading in (if it isn’t already fully there)? We’ve gotta master our craft.

Here are a few important (but not comprehensive) tips:

1) Don’t underestimate the power of a fully developed and well thought out LinkedIn profile. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I think you might be surprised by how many people I’ve met who cannot comprehend the power of this website. I’ve actually heard “why would anyone care about a LinkedIn recommendation?” Hmm, I don’t know, maybe because it’s a direct validation of your value that potential employers can see before they even go through the process of interviewing you? The point is, make sure your LinkedIn profile IS your resume—and more. I had an informational interview this summer, and the HR manager I spoke with told me that many people she knows are strictly finding job candidates through the site. Do you really want to miss out on that? (Tip: @heatherhuhman‘s group

#PRIntern/#EntryPR is not to be missed)

2) Make sure you are consistent. If you know anything about PR and communications then this one should make sense. You yourself are a brand, and this needs to be conveyed to any company who might be searching for you online. They might stumble upon (haha) any one of your social media profiles first, and that could be the only thing they remember. What is it that you want to show about yourself? Are you a foodie who would love to work in food and beverage PR? Show it! Plus, nothing good can come from being ambiguous. The last thing you should do is confuse anyone. Create your brand and stick to it.

3) Don’t be afraid to show personality. I’m channeling my close friend @CTMichaels on this one. Personality is essential because it makes you well-rounded. Retweets on Twitter that show your interest in social media are important but they can’t be all that defines you. To be honest, everyone in PR is a social media enthusiast right now. I decided to show a little bit of myself by registering a domain in my name and turning it into a Tumblr page. It’s relatively simple, but I think it succeeds in showing who I am (I’m passionate about music and nothing makes me happier than cooking!). No employer wants a machine—it might seem like they do, but where would public relations be without creativity?

4) Join every group you can and participate on a daily basis. Maybe I’m biased on this one (love you, PRBC!), but I don’t think I’m wrong. There are so many great opportunities for networking out there right now thanks to communities on Twitter, groups on LinkedIn and Facebook, etc., that it would be silly not to take advantage of them. It can never hurt your job search to get to know a couple more people in the industry, and you might even make some really great friends in the process. Plus, by taking part in a group, you’ll get to share your opinion and prove your expertise. People will remember the intelligent things you say. As for participating daily, you’re unemployed, which means you have nothing else to do, which means you might as well! (Joking, people, joking.)

And lastly . . . .

5) Use social media responsibly. This isn’t really a tip on how to leverage it, but it’s something that I always feel the need to stress. Just be smart. Don’t be the future subject of a blog post on social media disasters and embarrassments.

Anyone else have any smart tips on how to leverage social media in your job search?