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Jihae Lim
6840 N Olin Ave.Portland, OR 97203
(971) 645-2760
jihae.lim1@gmail.com
E-Portfolio: http://jihaelim.blogspot.com/
OBJECTIVE:
To obtain a challenging position in a results-oriented company where my creativity, communication, and organizational skills may be applied.
EDUCATION:
Portland State University Spring 2004- Graduated Spring 2008 Business Advertising and Marketing Double Major
Cumulative GPA: 3.34
Western Baptist College Fall 2000- Spring 2001 Psychology/Music Major
EXPERIENCE:
Administrative Assistant
Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc October 2006- February 2009
Oversaw all departmental administrative and marketing duties.
- Managed all department invoicing including coding and for AP in Oracle.
- Developed Meeting arrangements; scheduling, agenda, coordination.
- Concepted, Created, and published Marketing Newsletter for department.
- Successfully created and implemented Employee Recognition Program for department.
- Developed promotional materials for department from initial design through final product.
- Event/Party planning for department including vendor negotiation and coordination.
- Maintained employee records, Org. Charts, phone lists, and DL for department.
- Created presentations and documentation on a per project basis.
- Travel arrangements for senior staff as well as entire department.
- Front desk management – receiving/screening incoming phone calls and visitors.
- Ad Hoc Project administration
Administrative Assistant/ Front Desk
Spherion (Agency) for: UPS Supply Chain Solutions July 2006- October 2006
Oversaw all front office duties, reporting to Office Manager and HR Supervisor.
- Maintained employee records, Org. Charts, phone lists, and DL for department.
- Managed Meeting schedules and kept minutes.
- Created presentations on a per project basis.
- Assistant to Office Manager and HR Supervisor.
Customer Service/ Administrative Support
Image First Specialties, LLC. July 2004-May 2006
Assisted clients in purchase of promotional products, assisted CEO and Department Manager.
- Took inbound calls and assisted clients with promotional products development.
- Created appropriate purchase order and quote documentation.
- Worked with manufacturers for product development from purchase to delivery.
- Researched new product and new manufacturers, developing new vendor relations.
- Assisted CEO and Sales Manager in documentation and file upkeep.
Office Manager/ Air Import Operations
Rapid Cargo & Logistics, Inc. April 2003-September 2003
Maintained overall company operations, responsible for all accounting and Air Freight documentation.
- Handled heavy international client contact. (English and Korean)
- Managed all accounting for company in both A/P and A/R functions.
- Created and disbursed documentation for air inbound/outbound shipments.
- Liaison to Customs, Warehouse, and Airlines – handled all communications.
- Assistant to CEO and Operations Manager, managing schedule and travel arrangements.
Claims Analyst I
Poorman-Douglas Corporation June 2001- December 2002
Oversaw analysis and claimant contact of class action/ bankruptcy cases, responsible for department billing.
- Drafted scripting and training documentation according to executive directives.
- Supervised software and case development training for entry to mid-level employees.
- Maintained and ran ETC timekeeping system for entire company.
- Worked closely with attorneys and executives, assisting in case research and development.
- Managed HR relations and payroll information for temporary employees.
- Supervised claimant services department consisting of 30-40 employees during case duration.
- Analyzed claims/ contacted claimants, determining status and acceptance into class action/bankruptcy.
COMPUTER SKILLS:
Proficient in PC, and Mac systems, Windows, Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Publisher, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Photoshop, WordPerfect, FrontPage, Visio, Outlook Express, Internet, E-mail, Navision Financials, ETC timekeeping systems, Mainframe databases, YOM, Speedpay, Peachtree Accounting, Freightstream, Oracle, Social networking, 10-key by touch, typing 86 wpm.
Languages: Fluent in Korean.
*This was a hypothetical strategy essay done for a Public Relations course at Portland State University.Presidential candidate, Barack Obama has hired me to consult on public relations issues during the elections process. My objective is to see Sen. Obama take the Presidency in 2009. U.S. Voters, the audience we are targeting is broad in demographic range. To build an effective strategy, public relations messages should be in line with the perspective of the audience that would be most likely to vote for him. To discover this, we look at the population of voters that would relate to him personally. Sen. Obama’s qualifications include being a Harvard Law Graduate, Attorney, State Senator turned U.S. Senator. His demographics cover a wide range of the voting public including: Male, African-American, College+ Educated, Mixed Race, and Child of a Single-Mother. He appeals to the public in a more personal manner because his life experiences are real to them. He is looked at as being open about his history and his work as an advocate for underprivileged communities is an indication that he is down to earth, and understands his publics.We have modeled the segmentation of our publics on the “people” section represented on the Barack Obama ’08 official website. People for Obama were:~ Minorities: Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, African-Americans, First Americans (American Indians), Latinos, LGBT, Americans with disabilities, and Women.~ Grassroots Groups: Generation Obama, People of Faith, Students for Obama, and Environmentalists for Obama.Labor (Unions)~ Americans Abroad, and~ Veterans.Mr. Obama’s strengths are based on the broad appeal he holds for a majority of the voting public. (Shown in the segmentation of publics, above.) This large scale appeal is tempered by the fact that he appeals to such a wide range of those that not many candidates in the past have been able to capture. Thus, the grassroots support for Sen. Obama is large and diverse in scale, and able to reach a larger population of voters. This just illustrates the idea that he so successfully conveys to his publics; that every voice matters, and that everyone should be involved in choosing who leads their country to become what they want it to be. His use of the internet and web technology is relevant to many of his younger supporters in mediums such as: Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.To Sen. Obama’s opponents, his relative inexperience and young age are viewed as a weakness. He is in fact, 47 years old, and has served 8 years in the Illinois State Senate, and 2 years in the U.S. Senate, he certainly is not the most senior among the candidates in either count. In the last year, negative connotation to his religious beliefs was brought to light by the outrageous statements made by his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. His name has also caused some controversy, being associated with him being Muslim. This he asserts is not true, and is openly a member of the United Church of Christ. There is also the belief that he is too liberal and his calls for rapid and drastic change can easily be attributed to this view. These are factors that are not what we want the public to see when Sen. Obama speaks to the public, and we want to focus on a positive message.Our strategy is to accentuate the strengths of Sen. Obama’s campaign, and carefully pick away at the weaknesses perceived by proving that they are not weaknesses after all. His youth and relative inexperience can be thought of positively, as the public’s cynicism grows in its poor view of politicians in general. He has a level of real and personal interaction with the public that many can relate to. It is important that Sen. Obama retains his everyman appeal, and remains accessible to his public. We will do this by extending his grassroots reach, using the web and community organized events. He has lived in many places, some abroad, and his messages have always centered on his world-view of American life, and the perspective he has to offer to Americans is important in his message during this election.The issue of his trustworthiness should be addressed fully, as a weakness that is perceived that we can directly target to eliminate. The text states that “ethics in government will become an even more important issue as voters insist on representatives who are honest, trustworthy, and ethical.” (p. 117) It seems that ethics are directly tied to the public’s opinion and ultimately, their vote for a particular candidate. I believe that Sen. Obama is doing a good job in his communications with the public, and would like to establish an ethical theory that is presented in the text as a model for the campaign going forward. Jim Grunig’s “two-way communication model” is in line with Sen. Obama’s primary message to the public, which is best said in a quote of his that is most prominent on his official campaign website; “I’m asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington…I’m asking you to believe in yours.” Grunig “suggests that the practitioner balance his/her role as a client advocate with one as social conscience for the larger public.” (p. 121) This is a stance that Sen. Obama can easily integrate into his existing grassroots campaigns. There is already an exchange of information between the publics that support Obama, with a two- way communication forum for suggestions established on his website and blog. This can further be developed in the issues section of his website, where he addresses the issues that interest his publics.His relative inexperience should be communicated to the public as strength, rather than a weakness. As a younger candidate with less experience in politics, he is more in tune with what Americans truly want. He has seen the problems Americans face every day in his advocacy work, and is able to view the issues from the standpoint of the regular citizen, rather than a politicized view with lobbyists and career aspirations guiding his actions. Our plan going forward would be to address each issue he sees as being in need of drastic change, and further define his stance on his website through the issues section.The negative view on his religious beliefs should be answered by further communicating his positive and well documented idea that all religions should translate their beliefs into a universal set of values that work to better life on a global scale. His speech in June of 2006 is seen as his pronouncement of faith, where he discussed openly about his conversion to faith, beliefs, doubts, and his ideas about incorporating faith back into American life. This is a stance that can be criticized if it is not communicated properly, but I think it has been handled well, and should continue the way it has progressed.Overall, our plan is simple. To maintain the down-to-earth, personal rapport that Sen. Obama has already established with the public. His value as an advocate for change will be emphasized in his communications, as well as his assertion that Americans will be heard, and can make changes happen, should he become President. We want to establish a strategy that honors his true self, an open and honest agent of change to return the control of American life back to those whom it affects daily. We want to create a campaign that is free of political jargon and really, politics in general. Our focus will be on the people of America, their needs, and we will present Senator Obama as the person who can help get their voices heard in the government for changes that will make a real, quantifiable difference in their lives.
Campaigns Aim for You Tube Fame
The Oregonian, 2/4/08
This article deals with the role of the internet and viral advertising in political campaign strategy. Two candidates for the U.S. Senate race; Steve Novick, and Jeff Merkley have both posted quirky ads on YouTube, a popular video sharing site. These ads were completely outside of what is traditionally produced for political campaigns, which is the main rationale behind the article.
Steve Novick was the first to post an ad on YouTube, featuring him opening a beer bottle with the metal hook he has for a left hand for a supporter. According to the article, tens of thousands of YouTube viewers clicked on the ad, which initiated a viral campaign. Novick was even given time on a Fox News national show to speak regarding his ad.
The popularity of his opponents’ decision drew candidate Jeff Merkley out into posting an ad centered on his recent rollover crash. It featured a car rolling over, and the tag line “We just flipped the car…It’s just like the Bush economy. It’s gone belly up.”
The main points relative to creating ads are the idea that viral advertising and internet campaigns are definitely going to be seen in the future of advertising. You Tube is just an example of how the internet is becoming a major (if not main) source for information and media sharing. According to Adam Klugman, the creative director of a local political advertising agency; “If you have a creative idea, you can drive eyeballs to your site…We’ve been making the same horrible ads since the advent of TV. What YouTube allows you to do is reinvent the political ad.” This is an extremely important statement to understand when creating ads, in that with the new forms of media on the internet, the bounds of traditional advertising are loosening.
YouTube accounts for 60% of all videos watched online, with 100 million views per day. According to Nielsen/Net ratings, YouTube sees about 20 million unique users a month. (http://usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-07-16-youtube-views_x.htm) These numbers are astronomical, and are more than just empty figures. YouTube is said to be responsible for launching the careers of bands, actors/actresses, TV personalities, the list goes on. The viewers of these videos are not only seeing them, they are remembering them, and forming opinions about them and sharing them with their network of friends. In the online community, a network of friends can be anywhere from 1 friend to 2 million friends, so the scope of influence of one person can reach many.
The significance of these key points to advertisers or their agencies are that the internet is the next frontier for advertising. Though there has been some advertising online, there has not been as much widespread use of free sharing websites such as YouTube, or MySpace, whose viewers are influencers of trends, and whose likes and dislikes will prove the test for any product/service advertised online. To reiterate what Adam Klugman said, “If you have a creative idea, you can drive eyeballs to your site.” This, coupled with the staggering numbers of people who can be influenced by these new mediums, is a clear indication of where advertising is going to go in the future. TV is full of time restrictions, content restrictions, its expensive, and often times ineffective. The internet offers a freedom from these restrictions, and a new outlet for advertisers to explore and develop new creative strategies for.
This article was enlightening and informative because it was a current view of the evolution of advertising online. To me, it seemed like putting ads on sites like YouTube would be a given, with politicians today trying so hard to get the younger generation of voters involved. It really illustrated to me how much understanding your target audience is important when formulating your advertising strategies. I always knew that YouTube was an influential medium for people my age and younger, and this just confirmed my belief. The test here will be when polls come out for these two candidates. This will be very interesting to see if the number of clicks on an ad on YouTube directly correlates with votes come ballot time. It also really opened my eyes to see that there are going to always be new forms of media that advertisers can use, and the key to being successful is keeping up with these trends, even attempting to predict where these trends will go. By staying ahead of the pack here, an advertiser can really differentiate themselves or their product by being the innovator of using a particular medium, standing out from the other ads, just like Novick and Merkley have done.
[NOTE: This case analysis focused on an ad published by Wal-mart in response to the strong criticisms of the company regarding the treatment of their employees. Analysis is written in question and answer format.]1) What do you think of Wal-Mart’s original standoffish public relations policy? (no public response to criticisms)
Wal-Mart’s original public relations policy was largely ineffective for the size and scope of their public. Their silence allowed critics to publicly malign the company without any sort of defense from the company itself. To the public, the lack of response against these criticisms was as good as an admission of guilt, and the company allowed itself to become further vilified in the press. Public relations is meant to establish a company’s image in the minds of the public, and without any word from the company itself, the public had only a one-sided view that was presented by those who were against the company. This created a very bad public image, and caused a scramble to re-establish the company as a community store. Should Wal-Mart have done more offensive work in rebutting the statements made by its critics sooner, I believe that their image would not have suffered as much as it did.
2) Did it make sense to base a new public relations initiative on a management company audit and recommendations?
I believe that this was a good move on the part of Wal-Mart executives to outsource the audit. The company was already viewed in a bad light by the public, whose minds had been filled with the criticisms of those opposed to Wal-Mart. Many of the accusations made centered on unethical policy-making and there was already an overall mistrust of Wal-Mart executives. Any type of audit of a company should be done so as to confirm the good policies and practices of a company that is not biased, and should be done by a third-party who does not stand to profit in any way (other than payment for its services) by a favorable outcome. This was a move to show the public that the company was not afraid to “open its books” and make its practices open to review by impartial outsiders. This move not only made sense, it was imperative for the company to recover its tarnished image.
3) What is your view on beginning the public relations initiative with an advertisement?
I believe that this was not necessarily the best move for the company. Wal-Mart is already viewed as a conglomerate with no heart, and advertisements can often seem impersonal and motivated by profit. Rather than beginning with newspaper advertisements addressed to the public by the company’s President and CEO, an executive who was seen as the figurehead of a corrupt organization; there should have been communications from the employees, or “associates” themselves. Many of the issues surrounding the scandals generated about the company focused on its treatment of its employees. The best way to defend themselves here would have been to create a more human image in the eyes of the public by representing themselves through the very people who were supposed to have been so poorly treated. Instead, the advertisement attacked its critics through its CEO and President, and I believe it did very little to improve the image of the company overall. The advertisement seemed more like a defense against the critics rather than an effort by the company to restore its community-friendly, family image.
4) Does it make sense to invite reporters to meet management at headquarters?
I did think it was a good idea for the company to open its doors to the press, however, it seemed a bit contrived. The access to the company only seemed open to the public from its corporate face, rather than at its individual locations, where employees could be interviewed candidly, and where many of the alleged offenses made by the company could be sought out and reviewed by the press. However, it was a step in the right direction for Wal-Mart, and the press was able to have their questions answered directly by the company, rather than basing their opinions on speculation and outside entities.
5) What public relations options did Wal-Mart have in responding to the negative documentary?
I believe that their strategy of setting up a news conference in the vicinity of the documentary’s premier was a good move by the company. Not only did it distract from the premier, it made the company’s defense direct, and immediate, which I believe was a necessary response. However, I do not believe that their stonewalling of the documentary was a good move for the company. Whenever documentaries such as this are created, I believe the best policy is to make the company’s voice heard in at least part of the film. Although comments made by company executives may have been taken out of context, at least there would have been a point of view represented that is not solely against the company. The idea to produce a film to respond to the documentary’s claims was good in theory; however, it was produced by the company itself. As with audits, I believe that a presentation of facts that are defending false claims should be presented by a third party. What should have been done was to have a producer of similar caliber and in the same genre as Greenwood should have been asked to produce a film that showed the errors, and could even accentuate the positives about the company. Not only should the errors have been addressed, I believe that if the faults that were found to be factual, this should also have been alluded to in the film, and evidence that changes were being made, and an admittance of wrongdoing should have been given. There are always two sides to a story, and this is what they should have presented in full in their film.
6) What were the pros and cons of hiring high-profile political consultants to organize a “war room”?
There were definitely pros to establishing the “war room.” The first would be the experience of these consultants in handling public relations crisis, and their ability to strategize the best solutions possible. However, because Wal-Mart is viewed so negatively as a corporate giant, the hiring of such high profile consultants was a con. Rather than creating a “war room” and taking a very military/governmental approach, I believe that humanizing the company should have been foremost in their strategy. My recommendation would have been to hire consultants who were low profile, but who were still well qualified to represent the company, and to develop a “Community Relations Center” which has a friendlier feel, and puts the idea of community back into the Wal-Mart public image. Rather than simply defending against accusations, this Community Relations Center could also focus on preventative measures to public relations crisis, such as helping the communities they do business in, thus developing goodwill as well as retaliating to accusations made by their critics.
7) If you were Wal-Mart’s public relations director, what would be your overall communications philosophy for the rest of the decade?
Wal-Mart is a large company that now spans the globe. Its reach extends outside of the average company, and its policies should reflect the scope of its operations. Because this company is so much in the public eye, its public relations strategies should focus on open and honest communication with the press, and its surrounding communities. The goal should be to turn Wal-Mart back into the family-friendly, community-friendly store it once was. When people think of Wal-Mart, they should not think of it as just another cold, profit-hungry conglomerate, they should be able to think of Wal-Mart, and visualize their local store, and associate the good prices, and good service that Wal-Mart prides itself on. Too much focus has been on the corporation, and the executives of the company. I believe that future public relations should be figureheaded by some of the 1.2 million Americans employed by the company. This will distract from the corporate image of the company, which has become a negative in recent history, and focus on the working person, which is relatable to all Americans, and much more positive in its message.
8) How do you think companies are dealing with the issues of corporate social responsibility in the wake of numerous corporate scandals in recent years?
I believe that many of the recent corporate scandals were handled poorly. There was a lot of cover-up, and hiding of facts that just ended up surfacing later, and creating a bigger crisis for the company. Rather than trying to cover up corporate scandal, the culprits of these scandals should have been denounced by their companies, and facts should have been presented clearly. By doing this, the companies could have separated themselves from a few bad employees, and some could have been saved. Rather than doing this, facts were concealed, and executives were protected, thus creating further mistrust of the company ending in their downfall.
9) How do you believe Wal-Mart officials handled the issues from a public relations standpoint?
I believe that Wal-Mart officials handled the issues poorly at first, and were so busy playing catch-up that they just weren’t able to handle the issues as they should have. Because the original PR strategy was purely non-communication, the goodwill that should have been there in support from the community was not there, so they had no foothold to get out of the crisis they were constantly presented with. If they had just begun with an open and honest communications strategy, I believe that there would have been more support from the community, which is paramount to restoring a company’s image once it has been attacked.
10) When visiting the site www.wal-mart.com be sure to review current news releases. What is the overall tone and direction of the recent releases listed?
Wal-Mart has really increased their involvement in the communities they are in, and have also worked on emphasizing their corporate social responsibility. One effort in particular is a great PR strategy in establishing funding for advertising campaigns for greener lifestyles. Although the push seems that they are just jumping on the “green” bandwagon, at least they are acknowledging that they need to keep up with their social responsibilities and involve themselves in activities that benefit more than just their bottom line. They have become more community oriented, and are doing a lot more in the way of sponsorships and funding for community projects. This is a good direction for the company to go in, and aligns with what my recommendations have been thus far, creating a more human side to such a large corporation.
11) If Wal-Mart had a similar crisis now, how do you think they would weather the storm? Why?
I believe that Wal-Mart has learned from its PR mistakes of the past. Their efforts to establish a Community-based face and generate goodwill to their public directly is a clear indication that they are a more open and relatable company. I believe that if they were faced with a similar crisis today, it would be addressed directly, and in a way that does more than try to pacify a situation. They have proved that once criticisms are found to be true, they accept the facts, and attempt to rectify the situation, and I believe this is what they would do in the future. As long as they continue to be open with the public, and continue in their development of corporate social responsibility that is in line with the progress of those in their industry (or better) I believe that Wal-Mart will begin to regain the goodwill it once had in the eyes of the public.
