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RPTA JOBS BLOG PROVIDES A FRESH LOOK FOR DEPARTMENT

By Hannah Baker (RPTA '13), Staff Writer

A new and exciting addition to the department is the implementation of the RPTA Jobs Blog. At the beginning of Fall Quarter 2012, Camille Balasek (RPTA '13) collaborated with Dr. Hendricks to form the blog, which now has over 10,000 views...and counting!

As of now, Balasek is in charge of all RPTA social media, which includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and the Jobs Blog. The goal is to use RPTA social media to engage all students in every avenue possible, allowing them to use it as a convenient resource to gain exposure to all aspects of RPTA.  The idea for the Jobs Blog was being kicked around at first as an alternative to the faculty sending out daily emails announcing potential job opportunities.  Prior to the blog, the emails sent to RPTA students were getting excessive, and faculty feared that it was creating a situation where students ignored all of their emails. The Jobs Blog provided an effective solution to that problem. Balasek now sends out one weekly digest to the RPTA student email list. This digest lists all of the opportunities posted to the blog within the prior week. This strategy ensures that students do not forget about the blog.

Balasek comments, “The overarching goal of the blog is to have students use it as a resource to stay more connected to the major.  We hope and aim to continue to share content that is meaningful for faculty, students, and alumni.  It’s a vision of mine that the blog will continue to improve and progress positively in years to come.” Now that the blog has been determined to be an effective solution, plans are underway to improve the aesthetic of the blog by adding an RPTA-themed banner.

The purpose of social media is to produce and share important content.  One way to do this and to attract returning viewers is by creating consistency in posts.  For example, the RPTA Facebook page now has a theme for each day of the week.  One of the more popular themes is on Fridays, or better known as "Blast From the Past" Fridays.  Every Friday, a picture and quick blurb highlighting RPTA alumni is posted to the page.  These Friday posts have helped gain more ‘Likes’ for the page because they reach out to alumni.

As RPTA’s social media continues to grow in popularity, so does the Jobs Blog. Each week, there is communication between potential employers and the RPTA faculty. Faculty forward these job opportunties to Balasek for posting to the blog. Balasek is able to add greater details that provide a more in depth description of each job opportunity.  The goal is to have students viewing the blog receive as much information as possible, along with who to contact in order to apply for a particular position.  

With all of the exciting ventures happening in the RPTA Department on a weekly basis, RPTA's various social media sites are helping to keep students involved and aware. Updates for each site occur almost daily, so take the time to check them out...you will be glad you did!

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