By Kirstin Heinle
Student Writer

Public Relations professor Jennifer Floto (pictured) has been a vital contributor for nearly two decades to the Public Relations program at USC Annenberg. Appointed by former dean Geoffrey Cowan in the 1990s to help revamp the program, Floto has since returned to her role as full-time professor and mentor, teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses and serving as faculty adviser to Annenberg's student-run PR firm, TriSight Communications. An easily accessible professor, Floto shared advice to students entering the job market, described her latest book-reading challenge and discussed the trials and tribulations of joining Facebook. This interview is part of a series of Q-and-A's with Annenberg faculty.

You've been working with Annenberg for 19 years. How did you get started here?
JF: I worked in corporate PR and then agency PR. While I was working in the second agency, I got a call at the last minute because someone had dropped out of teaching this undergrad writing course. I fell in love with it. For seven years I taught one class as an adjunct. Cowan asked me if I could help come and build up the PR program. I was a single mom. It seemed like a really good time for me to jump into academia.

How has Annenberg's Public Relations program evolved?
JF: We've had a PR program for 35 years. In the mid-90s we nixed the graduate program. We started re-offering a grad program in 1998. We started with five students and today we have more than 80. It's been a wonderful ride to watch how we're competing with Syracuse and Northwestern when in 1998 we were just grasping for five people. The students just keep getting better and better.

In today's ever-changing market, what is being done to keep the program up to date?
JF: We're right in the middle of a changing the undergrad curriculum. Our goal is to re-craft it. Even though the job market's not that great, we feel strongly that we're arming students with the tools they need to get a job. We want to stay current and fresh. We're taking a much more global perspective.

What is your advice for students about to enter the job market?
JF: Start your research early. Generally we say March/April time frame if you're graduating in May. I think people are going to have to start being more creative in what they search for ... not just communication, public relations and marketing, but other titles like social media. Be creative in the job titles you look for. You may in fact right out school have to settle. You may have to take a job that's a little less challenging but get that experience under your belt.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
JF: From the time I was a little kid, I wanted to be a teacher. We have photos with me standing in front of a pretend class with a ruler! I had a hankering to do it. This just turned out perfectly.

What keeps you busy in the little spare time you have from Annenberg?
JF: I'm very active in Rotary. I just finished a stint as president. Of course I'm very involved with my daughter's life. I also volunteer with the Beach Cities Symphony. I'm an avid reader, mostly novels and non-fiction.

What is your favorite novel?
JF: The Great Gatsby. Also, I just finished a medieval historical fiction novel called The Pillars of the Earth, which I really enjoyed.  This summer, I set myself a goal and finished 20 novels. For me, that's like having chocolate dessert. I also like to do quilting and knitting and that kind of stuff.

I see you are an avid Facebooker as well.
JF: I opened a Facebook account on July 20 so I'm really not Ms. Facebook. I needed my daughter to show me how to do it. She kept resisting until I finally showed her some statistics about my generation joining and convinced her. Her only stipulation was that she would set it up but wouldn't be friends with me.

So you're friends with your students on Facebook but not with your daughter?
JF: [Laughs] Yes.

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More about Floto
TriSight Communications