There’s something indelibly beautiful to me about the relationship-building nature of people in the communications industry. Rarely have I encountered a passionate member of our community that hasn’t been willing to lend a hand and help a colleague out. And while our industry itself is based on a foundation of fostering mutually beneficial relationships, there are few places other than Twitter where you can witness this interaction firsthand.
A self-proclaimed Twitter addict, I use this medium daily to feed my insatiable appetite for industry news, trends, and current events. I’m even proud to say that I owe much of my career development in DC to Twitter, a site that has always allowed me to follow, engage with, and research companies like my new home here at NMS.
So in early February when I was asked to help out with a developing a Twitter program aimed at connecting job seekers to employers, I gladly jumped at the opportunity. This program, HAPPO, or Help a PR Pro Out, was loosely inspired by, but not connected to, Peter Shankman’s wildly popular HARO – Help a Reporter Out, which connects PR professionals to journalists seeking expert sources for developing articles.
The brainchild of Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon, the first Twitter HAPPO event was scheduled on Friday, February 19, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During this time, HAPPO champions from across the country donated their time and expertise to connect job seekers to employers, using the Twitter hashtag #HAPPO as well as localized hashtags like #HAPPODC. On their established Twitter handle @Helpaprprooout Arik and Valerie worked overtime, pushing out industry jobs across the country in order to develop and prepare for this event.
Witnessing monumental success, the Twitter event in February helped to connect countless job seekers to employers. With the HAPPO hashtag continuing to receive frequent usage, Arik and Valerie have decided to make HAPPO a quarterly event with the next Twitter discussion catered toward entry-level job seekers and scheduled for April 30.
As a part of the publicity team for HAPPO, I couldn’t be happier to “pay it forward” and help support the development of our industry. And while I’m honored to be a part of the HAPPO team, I’m also extremely grateful to be a part of an amazing team here at NMS, where my colleagues not only encourage individual participation, but are also involved and passionate about this event as well.
Two fellow NMSers, Meghan Sager and Patrick Wixted, were both tapped by our DC champion, Mike Shaffer, as local HAPPO resources. So on behalf of the DC HAPPO team and all of us at here NMS, we wish job seekers the best of luck and encourage professionals to help pay it forward again in April. We’ll see you in the Twitterverse.
To stay connected with HAPPO, be sure to check out the Facebook Fan Page and Twitter account for additional information.