I’ve been out of college for a couple of years now. But, my thirst for knowledge has not been quenched. I’m always on the lookout for the opportunity to learn more. After all, being a member of the Emerging Media team means that I will always be challenged with changes in technology and the way we communicate with others. So lately I’ve made it a mission to set aside personal time to devote to learning more about the public relations industry. Here are a few resources that I have tapped in to lately:

Media Bistro – This site offers great courses taught by media professionals. If you sign up for the Avant Guild program, you will receive discounts on all of your classes. Programs range from PR to social media to copywriting to magazine writing. The content taught by the professionals is very informative. And there are weekly chat sessions scheduled with the instructor so you can ask any questions you may have about the topic. In addition to online classes, there are workshops held in a variety of cities including Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago. It’s also a fun way to network with other professionals in your field of interest.

Boulder Digital Arts – I am fortunate enough to live in a city that offers a program that teaches digital workshops in the evening. A major requirement of the industry is to have digital media skills. Many journalism schools are just now realizing that they need to add digital media to their curriculum.  The workshops at Boulder Digital Arts have made impossible software programs like InDesign, Dreamweaver and Final Cut Pro seem like a breeze. After spending endless hours trying to figure out these programs on my own, I discovered BDA and took a chance by attending a class. Within three hours, I had a comprehensive overview of how to use the program to suit my professional needs. Workshops like this are a huge time saver.

Books – While I haven’t upgraded to a Kindle yet, I do have a growing collection of PR books to inspire me. I frequent Amazon on a regular basis to see their inventory of PR, social media and marketing books and textbooks. Even if the book was published in 1992, I find some lessons in the books are timeless for our industry.  Plus, it also gives me hope that some day I can find time to actually write a book while keeping up with a busy public relations career.

Web Tutorials – Never underestimate the power of the Internet. With sites like eHow and YouTube, you can watch a video on how to do just about anything. Need to learn how to get over the fear of public speaking? No problem. There’s a tutorial for that. And I have been able to find a ton of digital tricks through watching videos that walk me step by step in to completing a task. The Do-It-Yourself movement has really taken off online thanks to these tutorials. And, the best part is that these videos are submitted each day so there’s always something new to learn.

Get out there and learn something new. Then come back and tell us about it!

Hardhats never looked cooler than when Team Turner helped the Four Seasons Private Residences Denver top off its new 45-story building yesterday morning.

Denver city officials, local media, the building’s developers and a healthy dose of Turner were present at the topping ceremony that saw the Four Seasons’ 75-foot “mast” get lifted slowly from the ground to the top of the building.

The sight itself would have been enough for most people, but the Four Seasons took it a step further by inviting all attendees to sign the mast itself. Permanent markers were passed around and after a few minutes of giddy scrawling, the freshly autographed mast was ready to be borne away.

We retreated across the street for a better look while others sought a view from a higher perch. Passersby saw the assembly of people and watched as well. I’d like to think that everyone in Denver stopped typing/eating/jaywalking to watch the mast get lifted in the air – but I’m a silly romantic.

Check it out:

Big thanks to Turnerite Kristin Rust for the pics above. And thanks to everyone who took time out of your busy mornings to contribute your name to a piece of history that will forever change the Denver skyline! Tell your grandchildren!

(For the record, I included my Twitter username beneath my name. Yes, I was the only one. Yes, I’m a nerd.)