10 Reasons to Submit Work for Superior Awards
If you’re a part of the Advertising and Public Relations program at Grand Valley, then you may have heard about the upcoming Superior Awards. Each year students are recognized for their Superior work while getting the opportunity to network with professionals in the greater Grand Rapids area. Submitting a public relations campaign book or advertising case study may seem overwhelming or unnecessary but here are 10 reasons why you should submit your work to the 2015 Superior Awards:
1. Superior Awards is not a competition.
Generally an award show or event focuses on the competition aspect and not the effort it takes to achieve whatever is being honored. Instead of emphasizing on who is the best contender out of a group, the Superior Awards want students to learn from their past work and feel proud of what they accomplished. No one becomes amazing in their field overnight so taking opportunities like this to learn about how you can improve your work will lead you to being a better candidate in the professional world.
2. Receiving criticism beyond letter grades on tests.
When you’re in college there is a lot of pressure to have a high GPA and good grades. But what are you taking away from that B+ on a midterm? Memorizing and reciting information may get you a good grade but chances are you’re not learning anything that can be applied to your future. It can be tough to receive criticism on your hard work but you’ll never progress in life without it. The Superior Awards will offer constructive feedback on your submitted work, which will help with sharpening your skills and will hopefully help you become self-aware on your need to be the best you can be.
3. Networking opportunity.
Even if you decide not to submit work, you can still attend the 2015 Superior Awards on April 14 from 6-7:30 in Laker Superior Hall room 290, and get a chance to network with professionals in the field you plan to have a career in. Being able to communicate well and build relationships is important in advertising and public relations so take advantage of the chance you have to start building those connections now. The Superior Awards is also a great place to meet potential mentors and gain closer relationships with professors outside of the classroom.
4. Start building a portfolio.
Having a collection of your past work is a great way to showcase your talents and the skills you’ve gained during your time at GVSU. You can submit any eligible work from the past school year (Spring/Summer/Fall 2014, Winter 2015) that fits into one of the nine categories. The portfolio you start in college will show employers a concrete example of what you have to offer. Don’t let a resume full of buzzwords be the only way you represent yourself.
5. Reflect on past work.
When you’re taking 15+ credits each semester on top of staying involved with campus organizations, completing an internship, and working a part-time job, it can be difficult to sit down and process the work you’ve done in a course. While looking through past work and picking an entry that best represents your superior work, it provides you an opportunity to reflect on what you’ve learned so far and what you want to learn in the future.
6. Possible job opportunities.
Having time to network is an essential part of Superior Awards. You’ll be in a room full professors and local professionals that want to inspire and mold the future of the Advertising/ Public Relations field. Conversing with a public relations manager from a local agency and showing them the work you submitted to the Superior Awards could lead to an internship or even a job. Like anything else in life, you get what you put into it.
7. Simple submission.
The process of submitting an entry for the Superior Awards is very easy. After finding the categories that best fits your work, you just need to submit a summary and entry form together in a zipped (.zip) folder. Make sure the folder is titled with your last name and category number, submit it to Dropbox and you’re good to go!
8. Recognition for hard work.
I don’t know about you but after I spend weeks compiling research, writing proposals, creating surveys, and pulling all-nighters, I love getting recognition for my hard work. Sometimes receiving high praise or just hearing a “good job” is the motivation needed to keep going and feel confident knowing that those thousands of dollars in tuition and textbooks are being put to good use.
9. Group work can be submitted.
You might not feel confident in work you’ve done alone but group work can also be submitted to Superior Awards. As long as credit is given to the other people who worked on the project then that work can also be submitted. What better way to show off your ability to be a team player!
10. There is nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
If my last nine steps haven’t convinced you why you should submit work to this year’s Superior Awards, just remember you have absolutely nothing to lose. All superior work can be recognized! The point of this award isn’t to acknowledge winners and losers, but to highlight the students who are working hard and want to grow to become better practitioners in advertising and public relations. Plus, the event is free and there will be free food and beverages, and who doesn’t like free stuff?
Mark your calendars for the Superior Awards on April 14, 2015. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m. Dress in your business casual attire and enjoy a night of celebrating Superior work. Remember the deadline to submit work is 12:00 noon on Sunday, March 29, 2015. No late submissions will be granted. For more information about the Superior Awards and registration can be found here: http://www.gvsu.edu/soc/superior-awards-143.htm.
Marcel Jeremiah is a junior majoring in Broadcasting and minoring in Public Relations. He is involved in a few student organizations and co-hosts a weekly radio show on GVSU's radio station "The Whale". Marcel has plans to pursue a career in radio and entertainment PR, and he is currently interning for GR's 105.3 Hot FM. In his spare time, Marcel enjoys writing about music on his personal blog (itsmarcelj.com) and music site FDRMX.