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Talking to Cal Poly

Chuck Zimmerman

Cal Poly ClassToday I had the honor to speak to Dr. J. Scott Vernon’s class at Cal Poly. We Skyped. So much easier than flying!

I got to talk about the transition from traditional to new media and social media. Questions included what kinds of skills and/or programs a student needs today to successfully enter an agricultural communications career. My answer included having an active social media presence with a Facebook account, Twitter profile and even a blog. But not just to have them, have active ones so I can see how you engage and show your understanding of these tools. I think good writing skills is a must. As many know, I’m not fanatical on stylebooks but good grammar and clear messaging is critical.

I also think that anyone looking for that career job needs to be an expert on their smart phone. This includes taking good photos, using productive apps for social media and even shooting and editing video clips. From an equipment standpoint if you can afford it I would own a notebook computer (not just an iPad), camera and smart phone. With those tools you can do just about everything you’ll need to do.

I look forward to seeing Dr. Vernon at the Ag Media Summit. I’ll probably have a written critique coming from him. We’ll have to review it over a beer!

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