Although the conventional public relations mantra dictates that, like children, the publicist should neither be seen nor heard, it’s always rewarding when media takes positive note of a special role played by one of us.

For the introduction of Carnival Cruise Line’s Ecstasy the agency proposed the first ever nighttime cruise ship inaugural, a challenge of both timing and lighting.

We quickly learned that much of the southern half of Florida was experiencing a massive blackout, due to a problem at Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point power plant.

Although more than a quarter-century has passed, the mock “secession” — and resulting founding of Key West’s “Conch Republic” — remains a classic example of turning potential disaster into opportunity.

Although I’m not a seasoned player in the field of careers and the “real world,” here are some tips on how to have a successful interview that I’ve taken from my experience.

In the spirit of my last two posts, I thought I’d share some of the things job applicants shouldn’t do (but do with alarming regularity) when seeking a job in my agency.

Yesterday I posted a piece about my recent run-in with a rude, incompetent applicant for an account coordinator position. Little did I know that this is a widespread phenomenon.

I received via e-mail the cover letter and resume of a young woman who had graduated recently from a local university with a degree in mass communications. We were looking to fill a summer part-time internship, so I invited her to interview.

Everyone agrees that social media sites like Facebook and MySpace and twitter have garnered a lot of media attention, but there’s little evidence they have marketing value.

Twitter seemed inscrutable — like calculus — until I had a “twepiphany” the other day (Twitter users like to create neologisms that all start with TW).

Countless man-hours and dollars later, the event turned out to be a huge success, with more than 2,000 Dallas residents and families turning out to hear some live music, sign up for free cruise giveaways and take part in a “Fun Crowd” event featuring giant beach balls.