By Paula Ann Solis
Contributor
Baylor students will have the opportunity Friday to meet and speak with eBay’s vice president of corporate communications, John Pluhowski.
EBay advertises as the world’s largest online marketplace.
Pluhowski, who has been with eBay for three years, will speak at 12:05 p.m. in 254 Castellaw Communications Center.
The event will be a casual brown bag luncheon.
Dr. Marlene Neill, lecturer in the journalism, public relations and new media department, said Pluhowski’s background with eBay will prove useful for students from a broad array of majors, though marketing and public relations majors will find this lecture especially useful.
“He will cover what skills are required and how to distinguish yourself from competition, and he will also give information on changes in the industry and what business leaders expect from a PR strategist,” Neill said.
Neill also said Pluhowski will discuss successful communication campaigns he has used in the past at eBay.
Neill also mentioned an interesting fact about Pluhowski – he is a Baylor parent.
Kingwood sophomore Emily Pluhowski is a Baylor journalism student and the daughter of John Pluhowski.
Emily acted as the ambassador between Pluhowski and the department to arrange for her father to speak at Baylor.
Journalism lecturer Kevin Tankersley wrote in an email to the Lariat that Emily Pluhowski took his class in a previous semester.
“Just through conversation, she told me about his job at eBay. Then I told her he had an open invitation to come anytime and speak, and it worked out that he could be here on Friday,” Tankersley said.
Tankersley said Pluhowski will take questions from the students and the luncheon is expected to last at least an hour.
Tankersley said this event is not solely for journalism and public relation majors.
“This is just a great opportunity for Baylor students to hear what it’s like out in the real world from someone who handles communications with eBay, a very, very large company that happens to run one of my very favorite websites,” Tankersley said.
Pluhowski, who is an alumnus of the University of Maryland and Ithaca College, planned to visit this month to see Emily perform in All-University Sing in Sing Alliance.
Pluhowski will be coming in from Silicon Valley, specifically San Jose, Calif., where eBay headquarters are.
Emily said her father is in charge of much of the hiring in his division and she often goes to him for advice on how to seem more appealing for the future job market.
Baylor students also will have that same opportunity at Friday’s luncheon.
