My Goals after Graduation

My Goals after graduation is basically in flux right now.  I have treated college as a resume builder I have compiled a serious work resume over the years and a Bachelors Degree would be like the icing on the cake.  I have 5 1/2 years of Military work experience after I received my Honorable Discharge, I then worked 3 years overseas contracting as a Logistics Coordinator and Fuels Accountant.  I have applied and looked at so many jobs in this my old field of Fuels and even with my work experience its really not enough to get a managerial position.  Most Managerial positions in this field and many others require either 15 years of work experience or a Bachelors degree, so decided to get my degree.  With my 8 years of supervising/leadership experience I think that me graduating with my degree would make me even more hire able.

Another thing that Im looking into doing is going back into the military as an officer.  I would like to do this on a reserve basis and still be able to work in the civilian world also.  My father actually does the same thing and even gets paid by the military and through his GS job.  He double dips and makes a good living.  I think that I might go along that route because money and financial stability is the ultimate motive.

I also have a dream of owning my own non-profit organization.  I currently volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club through a company called AmeriCorps.  I have made a lot of connections throughout the years and a couple of people within the B&G Club organization have offered me permanent positions with the company once I graduate.  They even told me that they are opening 2 more Boys and Girls clubs and they need someone to run them I really believe that I am a front runner for one of those positions.

I can go in a multitude of different directions once I graduate, I think that really I'm just going to enroll in school for my MBA and shop my resume around!!!!  All I can say is show me the Money!!!!

PR Writing and Advertising

Throughout this semester I have learned a lot when it comes to Advertising and PR writing.  PR writing is so diverse and can include a multitude of different things, such as PSA's, Press Releases, or even Feature stories.  I would say this class has been difficult for me because my style of writing is extremely conversational.  I tend to write as if I am speaking to my computer, so my sentence structure is not the best.  I am in no way an English major and I believe that if I was to go into PR writing that I would need an editor to look over my work first.  My lack of sentence structure and grammatical errors have cost me alot of points on 1 assignment in particular in this class.  During the semester we had to write a feature story on a made up company called SuperGlobal.  In doing so I made the terrible mistake of writing the company Superglobal instead of capitalizing the G in Global.  This costs me half of the points on my assignments.  Ever since this occurred though I make sure that I proofread and check my paper for uniformity when it comes to company names or names in general.

Another thing that I have learned is that PR writing like feature stories, and press releases are purely factual and not opinionated at all.  This was kind of difficult for me because the part of writing I would like to go in is sports writing.  I want to be the next Skipi Bayless.  I like to give my full and honest opinion but i do understand that its a time and a place for such things.  One of the press releases that I chose to write about over the semester was the death of Joe Paterno and the ceremonies that were being held in State, Penn.  I wanted to speak on the fact that once he was fired by the University his body and heart just shutdown and ultimately he died of a broken heart.  I would have loved to write about that but that was not the assignment.  I have no problem with sticking to the script and I feel as if I am an adaptable type of person but I feel as if expressing my opinion and sports writing is my niche.

All in all I feel that I need to work on a few things as far as sentence structure but that can be solved by me having an extra set of eyes on my work before I send it out.  This class has taught me alot and has kept me cautious about the small things in writing.  This class has taught me formatting and the importance of being more vigilant when I write something.

Writting For Social Media

Over the last few years the vast majority of Americans have willingly turned into followers.  Our lives have been consumed with hashtags, and follow me @ has seemingly become the new goodbye.  Social Media has officially taken over our lives.  I finally gave into to this realization when I was watching a NCAA Men's Basketball game on CBS. Every time they showed a players name or stats, they also showed their twitter name.      Even companies have turned to twitter for marketing purposes.  The need for Social Media writing and image management is at an all-time high.  

Companies can do so much with Social Media. The control or the manipulation of social media can be beneficial to companies in a number of different ways.  Companies are using things Social Media to connect with there consumers in a more direct and personal way.  Instead of searching the Sunday papers for coupons, companies have made it possible for you to receive coupons and sales alerts instantly by liking their page on Facebook or Twitter.  This not only creates more of a personal connection between the company and the consumer, it also makes others want to join so they can receive the special benefits also.  

Companies also use Social Media for advertising purposes also.  Once you like a companies page or follow them on twitter your page becomes flooded with advertising and shameless plugs.  There's a saying in the entertainment business that goes "there's no such thing as bad publicity" and the same thing goes for advertising.  As long as companies can be seen consistently on your news feed they feel like they have won.  If Pepsi keeps you thinking and seeing Pepsi eventually you're going to go out and buy a Pepsi whether it be consciously or subconsciously.  Companies also use advertising through Social Media to build anticipation for new products also.  Apple has been promoting the iPhone 5 for a year now and it still hasn't came out.  Every time a new feature or idea is added Apple puts a video or link as its status.  Companies also get to receive feedback from there consumer's faster than ever.  Since Facebook and Twitter allow you to tag, comment and re-tweet, companies know instantly what their consumers think of them and their products.

Companies also have the enormous task of managing their image on line.  It is important for companies to put out a positive image of their company and be both inviting and inclusive to their consumers.   Companies should post things like donating money and community involvement.  A company is only as good as its brands name.  A company is only as good as its 1st impression when your hear that name.  If a company can affect its public image in any way form or fashion they have to do so, and social Media allows them to do just that.

Where I stand as a sports fan!

As I stated in my Introduction post I am an avid sports fan.  I live, eat, sleep and breathe sports. When I wake up the first thing I do is turn on Sportscenter.  My homepage depending on the season is either nba.com or nfl.com.  All my life all I did was play the 2 sports due to my personal mishaps in high school I had to join the military at 17 but my love for the sport never died.  After work everyday I would go to the gym and play for hours, go to sleep wake up and run 4 miles and do the same thing all over again.  I started and made countless all posts teams, all-star teams and was even invited to tryout for the all army team.  Sadly I wasn't able to attend because I was set to deploy the next month, but you get the point, this is all I do.  Even after I left the Army I still play a few times a week.

I'm such a sports fan that all of my dates consist of sporting events.  If I go out to eat with a woman they have to have a TV, my favorite restaurant to take a woman is to Hooters!  Works every time! Best of both worlds women and sports equals heaven, plus I'm killing 2 birds with one stone.  My next date move is attending sporting events especially since I'm a season ticket holder.  Not much talking but allot of times women have never been to a live game so it gets you even more brownie points!  Once again 2 birds with one stone!

The one thing about me as a sports fan is this, I no longer really have a team.   I am from Louisville Ky, so UofL Cardinal basketball has kind of been instilled in me, so I route for them.  But unlike most UofL fans I don't live and die with UofL basketball or hate the University of Kentucky with a passion as much as I once did.  Now I look at the game for what it is and analyze the game its players and situations for what they are.  I think that its almost impossible to have a team during the time of free agency because the team and team dynamics change from year to year.  If the players change and the team changes How is that still your team?  I rooting for a logo or following a logo I like following the players.  Growing up like almost every other kid my age I was a Chicago Bulls fan.  I loved those "teams" I could name every player that wore a Bulls jersey from '96-98'.  But when Jerry Reinsdorf decided to break up the team  in 98' my love for the Bulls left too.  All of the players and the coach wanted to come back but management wanted to go in a different direction.  (As dumb as it sounds they did) That was the first time that I realized that the Teams aren't even loyal to there own players so why should I be loyal to these teams.  Ever since then my loyalty lies with certain players.  After Michael Jordan retired I followed Scottie Pippen and other player like Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman.

Football wise I was a 49ers fan.  I used to cry every time they lost.  I still know every starter on offense and defense of there last Superbowl team in 94'-95'.  That team had one of my favorite football players of all times Deion Sanders.  Deion had came to the team through Free Agency and took the League by storm and took the 49ers to the next level.  The next year he signed with the Arch rival Dallas Cowboys for a record contract and even though I was a 49er fan I still rooted for Deion.  I continued to watch and root for the 49ers until all those players from 94' where no longer there.  I even followed the rookies that came along the way like Terrel Owens but when all those players where gone traded or forced to retire my loyalties left the 49ers also.  I still have a soft spot for the 49ers though.

Now I  just like certain players fantasy football is one of my favorite hobbies because that's essentially what I do anyway.  I think that Sports aren't just a hobby but a way of life and people shouldn't stop playing them just because there dreams of playing professionally have died.  Playing sports  promotes healthy living not only that but how can you analyze or critique a sports when you can't or don't play it.

Sports PR and Lebron James

  Lebron James is undoubtedly the biggest NBA star of his generation.  According to Forbes he is on track to become the first billionaire athlete .  His endorsements with companies such as Nike and McDonald's and Sprite have all been record setting contracts for any athlete.  Lebron James has made great business decisions for him and his brand.  As far as ethical decisions or good PR decisions not so much. 

LeBron went from being the most loved superstar to the most hated athlete overnight with "the Decision" almost 2 years ago.  Lebron James publicly   announced on national TV through an ESPN special that he would be leaving his former team the Cleavland Cavilers for the Miami Heat.  The move not only disappointed and shocked the fans of Cleavland but disappointed allot of basketball fans that felt the move was a cop out.  Lebron James the self proclaimed "King" and "Chosen One" left Cleavland where he was the man, to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh two Olympic Gold Medalists in South Beach Miami.

Though the decision was poor in taste alot of good came from the media spectacle.  Over 2 million dollars was donated to the Boys and Girls clubs of America.  People rarely even mention this charitable donation because it's over shadowed by the lack of taste and utter shock value.  Forbes documented exactly how charitable 'the decision' was here http://www.forbes.com/sites/sportsmoney/2011/06/16/the-demonization-of-lebron-james/2.    But, just when you think he would have learned form making such controversial PR moves the not so PR savy athlete strikes again.    On Thursday February 9th before a game where he and the Miami Heat where set to play Cleavland, Lebron James said this " I had a lot of fun times [in Cleveland]. ... I'm here as a Miami player and I'm happy where I am now but I don't rule [a return] out in any sense. If I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me."

 Not only was Lebron James throwing salt on an open wounds of Cleavland fans, but the attempt to regain fans in Cleavland may have also caused him to lose the trust of fans in his new city as well.  People already think that he is a selfish athlete that only cares about himself and his brand now he is already telling the Miami Heats that they can get there hearts broken too.  Lebron James should be concentrated on and fully committed to the Miami Heat. Not only that but to he should be committed to winning the championship that has eluded him for 9 years.  If Lebron James was worried more about winning a championship than what people think of him maybe he would have won one already.
Lebron James needs to be more thoughtful in his remarks his attempt to regain old fans could have cost him his current fans.  Time heals all wounds I think that he should have just let it go.  He should have just stopped at "Im here as a Miami heat player I'm happy where I am now."  You can read more about the comments of Lebron James below.


 http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7582491/lebron-james-miami-heat-rule-return-cleveland-cavaliers

Here is a little about me!

Hello world!!!! 

You have now entered the world of Rajan Scott.  I must warn you if your sensitive, and take allot of things way too serious and are faint of heart, this might not be the blog site for you.  I welcome anybody with an open mind, ears, eyes and heart to feel free to express and share there opinions on any given subject.  Now with all of that out the way here is a little about me.

I'm a 27 year old senior at the University of Louisville. I am currently majoring in Communication and Minoring in Business.  I know what your thinking 27 years old, what has he been doing with is life?  Truth is I been helping preserve yours.  At 17 years old I joined the Army.  I spent 5 1/2 years serving my country. I'm also an Iraqi war veteran.  I from the west end of Louisville Ky. or what I like to say West end Louisville USA home of Muhammad Ali the greatest boxer to ever live.  I actually grew up on Muhammad Ali Blvd in the inner city and like most inner city I was surrounded by poverty and violence.  As you can see I emerged from it, not unscathed, but yet good enough.  I have seen allot and been through allot in my 27 years. I've been kicked out of high school, sent to alternative school, joined the army as a child, fought in a war, and lived in 4 countries.  I have done a lot of soul searching while studying life abroad and want to make a change in the lives of the youth at home.

After graduation this fall, I plan on amongst other things, starting my own non-profit organization.  Recently I began volunteering at the Boys and Girls clubs of Kentuckiana through a company called Americorps.  This job really puts things in a new light for me and I'm even seeing things in a whole new way.  This is not only an internship but I stepping stone for me.  Not only that, but also I enjoy doing this as well.  Natuarrly as you would assume Im into Non-Profit PR writting but I'm also an avid sports fan so I wouldnt mind going into that feild as well. 

I 've done and seen allot in these 27 years but I still feel like life is just starting.  I can't wait to share my new life experiences, emotions and opinions with you guys.  Thanks for listening and I hope you guys enjoy!!!!