Finding the perfect job isn’t just about applying for every position that suits your criteria. Often, you’ll find that the job isn’t all it promised to be once you have it. This is where doing your research during the job search process comes in.
There are several ways to use search engines and social networks to help you find the best job for your talents; all you need to do is start searching. Here’s what you should be looking for:
- Search for job listings.
Chances are, you’re already doing this to some extent. If not, you should be. Don’t get stuck looking at just the large job boards. Check out the niche job sites in your industry. Hoojobs, for example, has agency and in-house listings throughout the United States for public relations, communications, and social media professionals (disclosure: I’m a co-founder of the site). Search hashtags in Twitter. Some of the popular ones include #happo (Help a PR Pro Out) or #prjobs. You can also search Google using phrases such as “wanted” and “seeking” along with the position you are interested in. This will turn up help wanted listings that you might not otherwise see because they are on sites you wouldn’t think to check. - Find companies and make cold calls.
We tend to shy away from cold calling because it has a higher chance of rejection, but if you want to uncover the hidden job opportunities, you really have to leave your comfort zone. If you are focusing your search for PR agencies in San Francisco and you’re not sure where to start, use Google Maps to quickly list agencies in your area. A simple search for “public relations” will yield pages of results and points on the map, complete with address, phone number, and website. Once you have your short list, contact them to see if they have any positions open. - Find out who to contact.
Once you know which companies you are interested in, take the time to look for the correct person to contact about a job. Your chances of success will go up considerably if you contact the right person, as opposed to simply sending an application out into the ether. Start with a LinkedIn search for all the people within that company. If you are applying for a PR Manager role, write down all the names of the people who it could report to and contact the person who is most likely to be the hiring manager. You might also find this information in the “About Us” or “Contact Us.” Some companies offer a list of key staff members and may even include contact information such as a phone number and email address for each. - Research the company.
It’s not uncommon to get the job you wanted only to discover that it isn’t as pleasant as you had imagined. The boss may be more difficult than anticipated, or the company may have policies that you can’t stand. The best way to avoid this is through research ahead of time.Before you apply for any job, be sure to look online for any comments about the company. Previous or current employees may have written about their experiences and this can give you a good idea as to whether or not you want to work there. Glassdoor is a site that allows employees to write honest reviews about their company and is a good starting point. Of course, keep in mind that a few negative comments shouldn’t deter you completely from pursuing an opportunity. The information shared could be outdated and the company’s policies have changed. It’s also important to remember what doesn’t work for one person might be perfectly fine by another. - Research the staff.
Some people aren’t shy about sharing their opinion for someone online, and this can work to your advantage. Check out the more important staff members by Googling their names and see what comes up. Use http://blogsearch.google.com/ to check for blog posts, too. You can take it step further and search a site like SocialMention to check other social media sites or Backtype to set up and view alerts in blog comments. A little bit of cyberstalking could quickly uncover information you wished you had known before making a decision to work for the company – and don’t think for a second they aren’t doing the same for your name.
Job hunting is a challenge, but with the power of the Internet, we have more options than our parents did. These tools allow extensive research on a job and the key members of any company long before you submit your application.
A post by PR columnist, Alison Kenney.
If it weren’t for social media would Anthony Weiner still be a congressman?
Indeed, along with the other insights and lessons his fall from office gives us, is the takeaway that social media can be hazardous to your job.
Since the Weiner scandal, social media has featured numerous other workers who have lost their job over social media missteps, including this round-up of 10 people who lost jobs over social media mistakes on Mashable.
Even folks whose job it is to use social media are not immune to the repercussions:
- In March, Scott Bartosiewicz, an employee at New Media Strategies, the social media agency of record for Chrysler, tweeted a derogatory message about Detroit drivers from the official Chrysler Twitter account, costing his agency its relationship with Chrysler
- This month, The Redner Group, a small PR firm led by Jim Redner, was fired by client 2K games after a frustrated Redner tweeted a threat to withhold review copies of the popular game Duke Nukem Forever if reviewers don’t offer more positive reviews.
- Two years ago, while on his way to give a presentation about digital media to FedEx communications employees, Ketchum VP James Andrews tweeted a derogatory comment about travel to Memphis (where FedEx is headquartered). The tweet rankled FedEx employees who called Andrews out and extracted an apology from him. He kept his job.
In all of these cases, employees are exhibiting poor judgment and making poor choices in expressing themselves. Social media is exposing their mistakes to the public and to their employer.
So far the repercussions have been at employers’ discretion and not based on labor law or legal precedent; however, attorneys and civil rights group are sensing opportunity. As Lisa van der Pool reports for the Boston Business Journal, “there’s growing evidence the National Labor Relations Board will step in and protect workers who complain about their working conditions on social media sites.”
In the mean time, if your job is to project and protect a certain brand or company image, please tweet responsibly!
Alison Kenney an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience. She is based on Boston’s North Shore and has worked with organizations in the technology, professional services and consumer industries. She writes a bi-monthly PR column on LindsayOlson.com. You can find her at www.kprcommunications.com. Learn more about Alison Kenney.
A post by PR columnist, Alison Kenney.
Speaking from a PR perspective (not necessarily my political point of view) I’ve found myself struck by Sarah Palin’s media presence this week. In fact, I can’t escape the media attention being paid to Sarah Palin lately. Although she is not officially running for office, does not currently hold public office (or any job) and is not starring in a reality TV show, she is all over the place. She is touring the country by bus, but in actuality I think she is filling a void and the media’s dreaded dead air time before Republican party candidates get serious. As much as they complain about and mock her, the media is following her every move.
Here’s how she gets their attention:
- Relying on the element of surprise – while other attention-seeking candidates share their every move with the media ahead of time, Palin does not. She even goes so far as to trick the media who are following her in order to slip away from them.
- Scorning the media (they’ll cover her anyway) – According to the New York Times, Palin used “her bus as a decoy at the back entrance of a hotel in Pennsylvania so she could slip out a side entrance” and “[used] a Sarah Palin impersonator in Boston and instruct[ed] her to ‘go talk to all these reporters’ on her behalf.” (Take note, Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen.)
- Rather than rely on traditional media, become the media – As Michelle Cottle wrote about Palin in her piece in The New Republic last summer,
“She is a prolific and passionate tweeter. Her Facebook page overflows with thoughts on global events both past (DDay, Reagan’s Brandenburg Gate speech) and present (Israel, border security, the need to drill, baby, drill); Of course, unlike other categories of the rich and famous, political celebs (especially populist firebrands) cannot risk being seen as remote or out of touch. But here’s where Palin’s embrace of new media saves the day. Her perky, quirky tweets and chatty Facebook items make her fans feel as though they have a direct line to her—despite the oft-voiced assumption that Palin (like so many pols) does not write most (if any) of her own Facebook posts. Such is the beauty of social networking: It allows a public figure to avoid direct interaction with the public while promoting the illusion of personal connection and involvement.”
Cottle summarized Palin’s other PR strategies in last year’s article for The New Republic,
“Her byline pops up now and again in the opinion pages (supporting McCain, bashing enviros). She periodically hits the campaign trail with favored candidates. She is a prolific and passionate tweeter. Her Facebook page overflows with … news of upcoming appearances (a rally at the Lincoln Memorial with Glenn Beck, a possible U.K. jaunt to meet Margaret Thatcher); the latest media atrocities committed against her; and her rolling endorsements of “commonsense conservative” candidates who tickle her fancy. And, any day now, filming is scheduled to start on the docu-travelogue series in which Palin will “bring the wonder and majesty of Alaska” to TLC viewers.
- And, of course, avoiding “gotcha” interviews and remainig in control – Palin rarely sits down with non-conservative interviewers. (She seems to have BFF status with Greta Van Susteren of Fox News, with whom she frequently grants interviews.) And, according to Cottle, Palin “eschews mix-’em-up formats pitting her viewpoint against that of a more liberal counterpart.”
I’m not attempting to discount Palin’s own charisma and ambition, and I’m sure there are countless tactics in play that I’m not even aware of, but I find myself wondering if these PR strategies could serve as case studies for the rest of us?
Alison Kenney an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience. She is based on Boston’s North Shore and has worked with organizations in the technology, professional services and consumer industries. She writes a bi-monthly PR column on LindsayOlson.com. You can find her at www.kprcommunications.com. Learn more about Alison Kenney.
This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology.
Alison Kenney is an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience.
