Drive.

It’s something you can do in a car. It’s a quality you can hold, that whole “being driven” thing. It’s a part in a computer, or at least, it used to be.

What is drive to me?

Well this weekend, it was two of the three.

As I was wrapping things up on Friday, I was talking to my mom and decided that I wanted to come home to visit. Like, now. Fortunately, after my last non-business traveling debacle, I was armed with three roundtrip flights on AirTran to use at my discretion, blackout dates permitting.

So I hurried out of the office, hopped in a cab, only to realize I left my keys on my desk. There were two ways this could go. If I went back to my office, back to my apartment, tried to book a flight and then went to the airport – there was no way I was making the last flight out. Or, I could just take a cab back towards the office, call AirTran on the way, and then go to the airport.

I went with option B.

So the plan was, I’d call AirTran, book the flight in the cab, stop by the office and pick up my keys and the miscellaneous t-shirts I have from different events so I’d have clothes for the weekend, and then I’d just hop on the orange line.

Instead, I booked the flight, and as the cab driver was getting ready to drop me off at the office, I had him take me to Midway instead. I’d buy clothes when I got to Florida (hello, no 10% sales tax).

So I am on hold with the AirTran lady and the next flight OUT of Florida that I’m eligible for is on Wednesday – which CLEARLY isn’t an option. I book the one-way down there and I start checking Kayak and Southwest for cheap one ways back to Chicago on Sunday or first thing Monday morning.

Nothing.

Or, $400 worth of something.

I ask my well-traveled friend Peter for any tips or tricks since the guy flies like 350k+ miles a year. He recommends booking a flight as round trip and just not using the second half. Good thoughts for the future, but for this particular incident, that wasn’t an option either.

So I realize that I really didn’t think this through. There was no planning. I didn’t have any clothes (the less important piece of the puzzle, as I went bonkers in Target on Saturday morning), I was in Florida and had two options – spend $400 I don’t  really have room to spend on a ticket, or drive. The drive didn’t sound so bad, but making it alone sucks. So I thought maybe one of my friends would like to take a road trip, stay with me in Chicago, and then fly themselves back the next weekend or something. But then I remembered (with their help) that most people PLAN things like this, they don’t just do it.

So I drove. By myself. Windows down the whole way because it was 75 and sunny from Florida on up. It was the most amazing drive of my life. Great tunes, got my “driving time thinking” session in (all 19 hours of it) and was reminded of how AWESOME my little hybrid is on road trips.

What’s more is, of course, I learned something about myself this weekend.

When I want something to get done. It gets done. When I commit to something, I stop at nothing to see that it happens. And, when I’m in a tight situation, there is ALWAYS a solution. There is always an answer.

This is true, obviously in my personal life as evidenced by this weekend, but in my professional life as well. We can plan and plan and plan and plan, but when it comes right down to it, shit happens that we don’t plan for and we need to think of a solution. Usually quickly. We need to be resourceful.

I’ve committed to my career here. It’s happening. I wanted to go to Florida this weekend, I did it. I want to get certified this summer so I can skydive by myself. And I start my classes and Skydive U (seriously) in late June, weather permitting.

Kids, when your parents say you can do anything you set your mind to, they’re spot-freakin-on. You just have to conciously make that decision, not him-haw around about it and wonder if it’s the right thing. Make the decision. Own it. If you screw up, you screw up. Chances are, nobody’s life in in danger.

Unless we’re talking about skydiving, then, well, if I screw that up, I’ll miss each and every one of you.

What does drive mean to you? Do you have it? How do you tap it?

That’s my new response for nearly anything regarding my personality traits. Starting now. Well, I don’t know that I’ll say it out loud, but I’ll definitely think it.

I very rarely take personality tests, and when I do, I very rarely take them seriously. But the profile for ENTJ is so eerily accurate, I can’t help but prescribe to the Myers-Briggs school of thought. 

For those of you that don’t know, ENTJ is a series of letters that makeup my personality traits. There are a lot of different combinations, for more information on what makes up your “dynamic”, click here.

Some things in the analysis that struck me as true (compliments of this page):

1. ENTJ’s are tireless in their efforts on the job, and driven to visualize where an organization is headed. I’ve always given 110% to anything I care about, be it where I’m working, maintaining relationships with friends and family, or anything else that matters to me. Professionally, I think largely of the big picture, where life is going, etc. 

2. There’s nothing more enjoyable and satisfying to the ENTJ than having a lively, challenging conversation. Not to say I’m always down for a great debate – but having a lively conversation, especially on a topic I am passionate about, is always a good time. I didn’t realize how much I need to be around brilliant individuals until I went to SXSW and spent a good amount of time with people like Elysa, Ryan, Ben and Nisha.

3. A strength of ENTJ: they are able to take constructive criticism well. Something that I’ve learned about ENTJ’s in general and about myself is that there is a strong desire to learn. ENTJ’s have no tolerance for inefficiency, so it comes as no surprise to me that I can take constructive criticism well. If it’s being critiqued, it can be made more efficient, which makes me happy. And life is one big learning opportunity, so if for no other reason, I love constructive criticism because it gives me a chance to learn about myself a little bit more!

For more information on the Myers-Briggs test, check this out.

Have you taken the MBTI? What is your type, according to the test? Do you agree? Disagree?

Am I the only person who has been doing it on their own all the way through college? Seriously? I was browsing posts from my fellow Brazen bloggers and I stumbled upon this gem about what you should hear in a graduation speech (but probably won’t).  This point is the one that got me a little riled up:

3. Rent. Food. Health insurance. Car insurance. Cell phone bills. College loans. Yeah, these are all going to be, wait-they-can’t-be-serious, more expensive than in you’re little dream world where you’re parents picked up the tab on one, two, or all. (Yes rent is every month and yes it’s half your Starbucks check).

I’m not riled up because of Paul’s post. I’m worked up because his post shed light on a subject I think I was a bit naive about. I’ve been paying everything except my health insurance since I graduated high school, and had assumed that most of the collegiate population was the same way. That is the ONLY thing my parents pay, and once I move to Chicago, I’m on my own for that.  I paid my tuition, I paid for books, I paid my rent and my ridiculous car payment, I’ve been supporting myself since I was 19. 

Not like my parents are jerks or anything, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. Because my parents didn’t have the means to pay for my college or hand me the world on a silver spoon, I’m more prepared for the world ahead. I know how to set up a budget and stick to it. I know how to save money (when there is money to save).

I was under the impression that more students were like me, working and going to school full time, paying their way through their undergraduate years. But if the quote above is something that you should hear at a graduation speech, is that suggesting that my college peers are being handed the world on a silver platter?

Even if your parents are paying for everything right now, what are you going to do after graduation when you’re suddenly faced with hundreds of dollars of monthly responsibilities? I have two guesses. You could end up like some of the people I work with at the restaurant, who had everything handed to them while they were in college, and now they’re one, two, three years graduated and yet to leave the restaurant and do something that utilizes their degree. They’re living shift by shift because they don’t know how to set up a budget or save money. Or perhaps you’ll be the 30 year old living with your parents because you don’t know how to support yourself.

Maybe I’m biased because I have been providing for myself since I graduated, but shame on the parents that are giving their kids everything and not teaching them what the real world is like. It’s because of your actions that Gen-Y is accosted with this stereotype of feeling entitled to everything. Of course they do! The generations before us have been feeding the egos of these kids and haven’t attempted to teach them life skills in the process.

I think in all reality, most of us are probably a balance of the two extremes. But for those of you who don’t have a cent of responsibility now, you better get ready for life after graduation, because like Paul said, it’s not like your dream world.

How was your education funded? If your parents have been paying for everything, are you ready for the day they cut you off? If you have paid your own way, what were some of the ways you did?

The coolest thing about being a candidate for a position that you’re relocating for (minus the thrill of a new city, new people, new life) has got to be a phone interview. I have recently gone through a total of six phone interviews for my newest position, and I’m here to tell you, it’s not scary. I used these tips to prepare, and now I have compiled a list of my own. (Thanks, Penelope, for getting me all squared away!)

1. Go somewhere quiet. For me, this was my car, for all six interviews. A lot of important business happens in my car, because it’s a quiet place away from the classroom, work and my apartment. I can’t get a good silent spot on campus unless I’m in my car. If I tried to do an interview at work, I’d have servers yelling about medium-rare steaks, which is not the best background noise.
2. Dress the part, if you want. For me, I’m not comfortable in super-formal business attire. I never have been. So I wore what I am comfortable in, business casual. I wore something that I look great in, I was having a great hair/makeup day, and you could tell. You can hear confidence on the other end.
3. Have water handy. I get wicked dry mouth when I’m talking for a long time, so I had water handy. I also am prone to little cough-attacks, the little tickle in my throat comes up at the most inopportune times, (think finals in a 1200-seat auditorium… are you SERIOUS?) so I was prepared. But not slurping it. Don’t slurp water, or chew gum, or smoke, etc when you’re on a phone interview.
4. Smile. If you’re smiling, your voice sounds upbeat. Really. It’s a huge difference. Think about when you call a friend and you know they’re upset. It’s the same thing. You can hear emotions.
5. Don’t be afraid to think about your answers. Yeah the pause will feel like forever since the person on the other end can’t see you thinking as they would if you were face-to-face, but don’t just jump into an answer because you’re afraid of the pause. Believe me, they’d rather wait for an awesome, well-thought-out answer than to hear you ramble while you try to gather your thoughts.
6. Ask questions. The normal interview rules still apply. Everything you do in an in-person interview needs to be done on the phone, with twice the enthusiasm. Ask questions about the person interviewing you. Make sure your questions are relevant to the conversation. An interview should be about two-way communication, so help facilitate that. Don’t just answer, ask as well.
7. Follow up. Immediately. The best thing about my iPhone is as soon as I got off the phone with my interviewers, I sent them an email thanking them for the opportunity to learn more about the company and for the experience. Be sure to include something that you found particularly interesting. It shows that you were paying attention.

Do you have any other tips for phone interviews? What is your preferred method of interviewing – in person or on the phone? Do you rock interviews or do they scare you?

Okay so this series has now extended into the realm of Twitter’s number one trending topic on Monday nights: #journchat. Founded by @PRSarahEvans, #journchat is a mix of journalists, PR pros, students, bloggers and whoever else wants to participate.

My question was featured in tonight’s session: “Question #6: What is 1 tip for college seniors about to graduate into PR/Journalism?”

Here are some responses:

Here is a few more tips from some people in my network. Do you have a tip? Feel free to share!

Some common themes:

1. Networking is vital. There is no denying this. I think every single person I interviewed for this series, published or not, put networking at the top of the list. So get out there and get started!
2. Be open to learning and new experiences. We don’t know everything. If we did, we woudn’t be in an entry-level position. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a point of view on everything. If there’s one thing I learned from these interviews, “I don’t know” isn’t an answer. You need to have an answer for everything. Whether or not it’s right or wrong doesn’t matter – having a point of view is what is going to help you learn.
3. Ask questions. Lots of them. This entire series was based on a question. Asking questions will get you answers.
4. Find a mentor. I have another mentor thanks to this process. Aaron Strout even wrote about mentoring me. Get a mentor. People who agree to mentor you are obviously where they are because they have or had a mentor that helped them succeed and they are eager to give back. Find someone to take you under their wing. Ask them questions, be open to learning, all of these common themes come full circle with a mentor.

Do you have any tips that you got before graduation? How did you find a mentor? How much value do you place on networking?

To wrap up the individual posts about my new friends and their tips for the Almost-Grad, I present to you, Brian Camen. He works in higher education PR in Arizona. Brian graduated college in May 2007 so he can still relate to those of us about to finish up our education. To find out more about Brian, check out his blog, The PR Practitioner.

What is your one tip for the Almost-Grad?

One main tip for new professionals: Don’t pretend to know everything. Many times students come right out of college into their first position and pretend they know everything about media relations, about writing and even the company they work for. It’s an unwritten rule that when you are in an entry-level position you are there to learn, develop and grow your skillset and knowledge about the PR industry. Mistakes happen, but learn from them and don’t pretend you are an expert when you’re really a newbie.

Are you speaking from experience?

I made that mistake when I first entered the workforce. I had 4 or 5 internships and thought I was king. That was very foolish of me. My attitude quickly changed for the better and I’ve grown so much in my first two years in the PR world.

Anything else you’d like to share with the class?

• Network, Network, Network
• Use social media to your advantage, not disadvantage
• Interviews = practice makes perfect
• Create opportunities by doing pro bono freelance PR
• If you don’t have one already, find a mentor (I’m a big fan on mentors. I am where I am today because of mine)
• Enjoy the time while you’re still in school and looking for a permanent position – your life is about to change!

Thank you Brian!

Are you in your first job and feel like you know it all? Has someone called you out on it? Do you think that people are afraid to seem unexperienced so they pretend they know all of the answers?

After I won a flip camera from Wendy Piersall at SXSW (thanks to an awesome recommendation from Adam Keats of Weber Shandwick Chicago), Adam advised me to get out there and do interviews with people, asking them their one tip for the Almost-Grad.

One place I knew I could get some good feedback was at the Mashable/Blurb party at Six and the Taproom. Not the best environment for image quality, but the feedback itself is amazing. In the next couple of days, I’ll be featuring the people that I interviewed, sharing their videos with you all and some additional feedback as well.

First up in the series, Aaron Strout, VP of marketing at Powered, Inc. Aaron is big on networking, here’s why:

Aaron Strout’s One Tip For Almost Grads from Sydney Owen on Vimeo.

Tell me about Powered, Inc. in a few sentences:

Powered creates social marketing programs that help brands connect and build relationships with their customers through managed online communities. Unlike other marketing programs, online communities allow businesses to engage with customers through a combination of expert content and online community interactions. A good example of a client that embodies this is Sony.

In addition to the importance of networking, is there anything else you’d like to share with the class?

I’m a big believer in “being the media” (vs. pitching them) and that I think authenticity and transparency in business are going to become increasingly important.

And there you have it! Advice from someone established in the industry. Aaron’s segment is the kick-off to the video series, “Tips for Almost-Grads”. Aaron, thank you for taking the time at the Mashable party to meet with me. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Do you agree with Aaron? How important is networking? Should we focus more on contributing than taking away? What are your thoughts?

Are you a professional in PR, Marketing, Social Media or any combination of the three? Would you like to be a part of this series? Check out my contact information at the top of the page, or follow me on Twitter to get involved.

Trace back to the days of old when I was a teen, writing of my journey on every cruise around the Caribbean and you’ll find at the end of each story, a bit about how each vacation changes me. On the first part of this series, I was contemplating whether or not I should include the part about change then, or wait until I got home from SXSW to evaluate it. I am on the plane from Houston heading back to Tampa after having several hours to myself in a non-interactive, non-tech, non-SXSW environment, so here goes nothing.

Lesson #9: I have made the commitment to my career. I came down to Austin on my own dime, and the only thing I wanted out of this was to learn as much as possible, while meeting some great people along the way. Mission accomplished, and then some. The cost of this trip alone will be a wash thanks to the lessons learned and the connections made. I had the privilege of meeting with some amazing people, and I can’t wait to continue those relationships beyond the city limits of Austin.

After I met Bryan, I told myself I could go home the next day and I would have gotten my moneys worth. Then Sunday’s panels were incredible and full of bright minds and intelligent conversation. The parties? Forget about it. All of the sponsored parties I went to had an open bar – so the money I planned to spend on the nightlife stayed in my account. I managed to achieve a great balance between going to panels, hanging out in the blogger’s lounge with some extremely talented writers, and partying my face off.

To be around the innovators and early-adopters for nearly a week was such an amazing environment. Being saturated in conversations with the industry’s most creative and brilliant minds, all in one place, sharing what they know, challenging what I know, and learning from others is going to make it hard to adjust to exist in a world with “normal” people thrown in.

The light came on for me this week. Something triggered that “ah-ha” moment. I kind of fell into my own on Sunday, and just rode it out the rest of the week.

Lesson #10: Surround yourself with brilliance, and you too will shine. If you surround yourself with people who you want to emulate, you will challenge yourself to be better. If you settle for less, if you are okay with “run-of-the-mill” or if you are surrounded by people with no drive – you will lose yours. People with no drive suck the life out of me. I don’t produce as well, I complain a lot, and I’m relatively unhappy (part of the ah-ha moment stemmed from this discovery). People with drive feel my energy, feel my enthusiasm, and encourage me to be better, to keep motivated and positive. I am more fun to be around when I’m surrounded by like-minded individuals. I grew exponentially this week because of the environment I was in.

It’s not all about me. It really isn’t. Well, the choices and sacrifices that I make in regards to my career – yes, that is all about me. And I will be selfish when it comes to those decisions. But I learned this weekend that it’s about what you can contribute. Are you making a difference? Do you matter? Are you helping other people matter?

As SXSW Interactive starts to wind down, I want to leave you with a couple of pointers from one of the big guys in social media, Peter Shankman. This is by no means the end of my posts about my time here at SX, but I felt this was of the utmost importance.

1. Take as many journalism classes as you can. If you understand journalism, deadlines, how to write for a particular beat, what the newsroom is like, AP style, etc, you will succeed at a rapid pace as a PR professional. If you can pitch to the appropriate people, and understand what a journalist considers a good pitch – you are set. For life.

2. Talk to as many people as you can. I know I’ve been harping on this for several months now, but networking is huge. Anyone who follows Peter on Twitter can see that he’s got it down. Anyone that’s ever had the pleasure of meeting him in person can see that he’s as passionate offline as he is online, if not more so. Having the opportunity to interact with Peter at SXSW on multiple occasions was amazing. I was able to see him both as a panelist and as a rocker. “Rocker?” you say? Yes. Which leads me to number three…

3. Learn one song that you can rock at karaoke. Okay so this wasn’t actual advice that he gave me, but damn, this guy can rock the Bon Jovi. Seriously. Don’t believe me? Check it out.

Thank you Peter for your amazing input and fantastic rendition of “You Give Love A Bad Name”. I look forward to working with you in the future.