Archivo October de 2011
So you’ve graduated with a PR or Communications degree. Now what? With the job market being what it is, you need a plan of action that will help you land your first job in PR.
You’ve learned how to handle a PR crisis. Write a press release. Connect with the media. Maybe you even held an internship that will give you more hands-on experience. You’re eager to put your skills to good use.
Many graduates assume the primary job a person with a PR or Communications degree gets is a job at a PR firm. Not so. There are actually many roles and many different types of companies you can work for and still use your communications skills. Don’t be narrow-minded in your search!
1. Work for an Agency
For many college students, getting hired at a PR agency is their golden ticket. For others, they quickly find out they over-glamorized what is often a grueling and stressful job. Working at an agency, you will be thrown into the fast-paced world of making clients look good. These clients might be in entertainment, politics, consumer and business products and services, or finance.
You’ll likely be writing press releases and doing lots of administrative support to start, and perhaps helping with events. As your experience grows, you may handle media relations for clients or manage accounts.
The catch 22 about working for an agency is that agencies want you to have prior experience…working for one. If you intern at a firm, this can get your foot in the door. Otherwise, getting hired as a Junior Publicist or Account Coordinator would be a great start.
Are there drawbacks in working for an agency? It depends on your personality and what you’re looking for. If you want a range of experience in multiple industries, you won’t get that working for many agencies, as they tend to focus on a single vertical or specialize their staff in practice groups. Some agencies, however, will let you move around to different practice groups, so it is important to understand how it works with each agency. If you want a 9 to 5 job that never requires extra work of you, a PR firm isn’t that.
Still, working at an agency, even for a few years, can give you the experience you need to do just about anything else you could do with a PR or Communication degree. If you make a point to connect to people, you’ll have the contacts to see you to your next role, even if it’s not at another agency.
2. Work for a Private Company
If you’ve glamorized working for an agency, consider the public relations staff of a private company the unsung heroes. In fact, many companies don’t hire external PR firms, and instead house them internal to the company. Some larger companies have a small internal PR team and also hire an agency. Either way, there are plenty of jobs working in communications directly for a company.
These PR folks work for companies in every industry: manufacturing, consumer products, technology, semiconductors, finance, healthcare, etc. If you’re interested in really delving into a specific industry, working for a private company, for example, a company like Fisher Investments, is a great way to do so.
Depending on the size of the firm, you may work with a very small team, which you will come to rely on in your work. You’ll get to know the company’s products or services well, as they’re the stars of your PR pitches and the center of all your communications.
You’ll do the same work you’d do at a firm: write and distribute press releases, work with the media, manage crises. If your team is small you may have additional responsibilities such as creating email newsletters and managing the company’s social media strategy. In smaller companies, marketing and PR often overlap.
What companies look for will vary, based on the business and role, but usually they don’t expect as much prior experience as a firm for entry-level positions. Your degree, general skills, and writing ability are the typical areas of focus. Some companies may want you to have experience with content management systems, Photoshop or presentation software.
Drawbacks here: focusing on the same products day in and day out can get boring if you need constant stimulation. Some industries are less exciting than others, so if the idea of pitching laser marking devices doesn’t appeal to you, focus on industries that you enjoy more.
3. Start Your Own Firm or Freelance
While it’s not always easy to do right out of college, some PR professionals end up forming their own companies or freelancing. This can give you the freedom to focus on the type of clients you want and you are able to pick and choose your projects.
Naturally being your own boss sounds great, but it’s not for everyone. You truly need experience, either with an agency or internally, to understand client relationships. As the owner or freelancer, you are responsible for constantly finding new clients; you won’t get a paycheck unless you get paid! Running your own business requires a strong stomach to take some risks, and constant dedication to improving your craft – on your own.
If you stick with it, your business might thrive so much you can afford to hire support staff and a team of account executives, writers, and managers. Keep in mind doing so sometimes takes you away from what you love doing the most: the actual PR and communications. Many entrepreneurs don’t realize they’ll be doing more admin work than hands-on in their businesses.
Where to Find Your First PR Job
For your first job in PR or Communications, start by searching for titles like PR Specialist, PR Coordinator, Junior Publicist, Account Coordinator, Assistant Account Executive, or Account Executive. Look for jobs that don’t require much more than a degree and interest, if that’s all you have.
In terms of where to look, there are websites that focus on jobs in public relations and communications specifically, like Hoojobs (disclosure: I’m an owner of the site). You should be able to find both agency and in-house jobs here. And don’t overlook investor relations jobs at publicly-traded companies, especially if you have a knack for understanding stocks and financial information.
Use social media to find your first job. Twitter has plenty of accounts and hashtags you can follow that will give you a stream of new openings, including #PRJobs, @EntryPRJobs, @HlthcarePRjobs and, of course, @PRjobs. Here are more tips for finding a job on Twitter.
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated, and join groups with PR professionals and job hunters to network.
If you want to start freelancing, Guru and Elance are great places to find part time work or single projects you can build experience around.
You can join professional organizations like PRSA, which not only gives you access to its job boards, but also gives you the chance to network with PR professionals in your area.
Finding a job fresh out of college can be a challenge, and a PR or Communications job is no different. But once you land that job, put in some good, hard work, and build your resume and experience!
If you are looking online for your next job, I posted some tips on how to evaluate online job ads to make applying easier and help you provide the right information to the employers. See it here: How to Decipher Job Ads
When you go to school and earn a degree in public relations, communications, or English, landing a job can prove to be a bit more difficult than in a more specific field like pharmacy technician schools. You can improve your changes by focusing on some of your extra-curricular work, volunteer opportunities, and internships.
Four years of hard work and the investment in a college education makes many students feel entitled to immediate job offers right out of school. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and it’s even harder these days. With senior level employees losing their positions and taking lower paid jobs just to stay in the industry, there is more competition than ever for work.
Work Samples
When you are attending classes at a university, you’ll have to do a certain amount of practical work – activities you’ll do daily in a full-time job like writing press releases, creating marketing collateral, and shooting video news releases, etc. Make sure to save all of these clips to build out your portfolio. Better yet, make sure you have them digitally to post to your own blog/website/online portfolio. Go the extra mile and reserve your own domain name with your work samples which you can add to your resume when applying for jobs.
If you major in a non-specific area such as communications or English, you are going to have to get crafty when applying for jobs. Taking a minor in something more specific could give you the extra edge you need. After finishing your school assignments, start learning how to write proper press releases, how to design promotional materials, and follow how companies are communicating online through social media. Employers are looking for candidates who take initiative and learn skills that might be outside their curriculum.
Internships
When you look at job descriptions for entry-level jobs at companies, it usually says that they are looking for people with 1-2 years worth of experience. It obviously a catch-22 because you can’t get a job without experience and you can’t get experience without a job. Many PR and advertising agencies offer unpaid internships for students for college credit. If you’re lucky, you might even find a paid internship. You are going to have to take a couple of internships in order to build up your experience level.
Growing Industries
While it may be your dream to work at a cutting edge PR firm or ad agency, there is very little chance of landing a position with little experience. In order to break into an entry-level field, it is important to perform research on the companies who are looking for fresh talent.
A Huffington Post article demonstrates the highest growing fields: gamification and social gaming are generating major marketing dollars, online publishing and e-commerce will continue to grow, and biotechnology and environmental services are gaining more government grants. Applying to these organizations or agencies who have clients like this on their roster can be an excellent way to launch your career.
Major Corporations
Landing a job at a major corporation or Fortune 500 company looks good on any resume. Whether you find an entry-level role in the marketing department or work as an administrative assistant, these positions can enhance your business knowledge and give your a great network of colleagues and references. It could be a great place to start and move into the PR department as your next step.
Possible Scams for Entry-Level Workers
When searching for jobs online, be aware of possible scam artists and sales cults. If you see a job posting that wants you to create elaborate sample work or write relevant press releases, be very skeptical because they may just be looking for free work. If a job posting promises entry-level management opportunities, or the job description sounds vague, you might be headed into a sales cult. Horror stories of these organizations can be found on The Consumerist website.
Starting your journey into the the PR field may seem overwhelming at first. Look daily as entry-level positions get filled as quickly as they come. Make sure you communicate and network with as many people as possible – you want to stay top of mind – and potentially be contacted before the company posts the position. If you find yourself in a rut or dead end job to make ends meet before you land the perfect entry-level PR opportunity, make sure to keep educating yourself in order to remain a relevant job candidate.
When it comes to resume writing, the content is the most important piece. Formatting plays an important piece in how you present yourself as well. Depending on the job and your personal circumstances, you may be able to increase your chances of being asked in for an interview if you choose the correct format for the situation.
Types of Resumes to Consider
We’re going to look at three types of resumes. While there are variations of these, the three listed here are the ones most commonly used in the job market, and each has its own pros and cons. Consider which is most useful to you for each job application.
Chronological
The chronological resume is probably the one you learned to write in high school and the most widely used and accepted. It’s a simple reverse order list of your work experiences, with the most recent positions listed first.
This type of resume is best used if you have consistent experience in your field, where you can demonstrate upward mobility and new skills acquired in each of your positions. It’s a great choice to showcase your range of experience in the industry and demonstrate your loyalty to the companies you have worked for.
Functional
Of all the resume types, the functional resume is probably the least appreciated. It highlights your skills and education rather than the positions you have held. People use functional resume to focus on the skills a job description requires.
When you haven’t yet worked in the field you are applying for a position in or if you have a gap in your work experience due to extended leave, illness or another reason, you may prefer to point out your skills rather than the fact that you haven’t worked recently. This is also true for those new to the workforce and for anyone who is in the process of switching careers. Keep in mind that this may be a hard sell and it can be more difficult to land an interview with a functional resume.
Targeted
A targeted resume is similar to a chronological resume, but it is specifically tailored to the position being applied for. In most cases, this means eliminating any experience not related to the position you are interested in, instead focusing on the jobs you have had that relate to this one. The one downside is that it will need to be tailored to each job you apply for, which may be more time consuming.
Writing a Better Resume
Without a well-written resume, your chances of landing the job you want are much lower. Unless you’ve been recommended for the job, this is the hiring manager’s first impression of you. Check, check, and check again the document. Have a friend or two look it over and make sure it is error-free.
You could try combining two types of resumes for a more unique result. For example, you might mix the functional with the chronological format to ensure that the employer has what he is looking for in terms of work history, but rather than lead with your work history, you focus the beginning on the skills you possess that make you a good match for the position.
Don’t be afraid to inject your own personality into the resume, rather than writing it in a mechanical tone. Let the hiring manager know a bit about you through your style of writing before he meets you.
Finally, take a minute to check out some sample resumes to get ideas and to be sure you are on the right path. You’ll find plenty of samples available online (Indeed.com’s resume search and Docstoc.com).
Are you wondering how to ask for your employer for a salary increase? Over on US News & World Report, I have a few tips and factors for you to consider: How to Ask for a Raise
It can be daunting to apply for public relations jobs that want more experience than you’ve got. If you are just entering the workforce, it seems like every company wants you to have experience. But just because you’re new to the PR world doesn’t mean you can’t be a qualified candidate. Take the initiative to learn the skills you’ll need at your next job, and beef up your resume…even if it’s on your own dime.
1. PRWeb
Sure, you know PRWeb as a resource for publishing press releases, but did you know it’s also got a great resource center? There you can find great articles and white papers on writing press releases, using social media and SEO for PR. You can watch videos and attend webinars led by industry experts like John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing. They even offer free e-classes on all topics relating to PR.
2. Publicity Hound
Led by publicity expert Joan Stewart, Publicity Hound has some amazing resources. While some of her webinars, ebooks, reports and whitepapers have a fee, there’s still a slew of freebies on her site. Check out Joan’s blog to stay on top of industry news. If you want a PR mentor, Joan also offers mentoring services.
3. Press Releases
If you don’t have a ton of press releases under your belt, it can help you to read them online. Just check Google’s News feed or sites like PRWeb to get a sense for formatting, as well as headlines and content that appeal to readers.
4. Volunteer
Maybe you haven’t broken into the PR field just yet, but are ready to go. Consider volunteering for a charity or nonprofit to provide public relations services pro bono. It’s a great resume booster, and will give you a chance to get some real practice, get to know media contacts and try on the nonprofit industry for size. It might just lead to your first PR job!
5. Intern
We all start at the bottom and work our way up. Taking an internship, either through your college or on your own, gives you the chance to learn the ropes and build your portfolio. Let your employer know the skills you are interested in building, like writing or media relations. He’ll more than likely be willing to let you tag along while he works so you can learn from him if you have a clear focus to what you want to learn.
6. Hang with PR Pros on Twitter
On Twitter, there’s a ton of groups for public relations enthusiasts, like:
Participating in these scheduled group chats can give you valuable advice and provide you the chance to ask questions.
7. Network on LinkedIn Groups
There are many groups on LinkedIn catering to public relations experts, such as Public Relations and Communications Job Community (created by my search firm, Paradigm Staffing). Here, you’ll find links to quality PR content as well as discussions among people working in PR. It’s a great place to learn and network.
There’s so many ways you can teach yourself more about public relations and gear up for that next job interview!
We know the unemployment rate has been in turmoil for a while, and numbers from Bullhorn prove it so. Recently, the staffing and recruiting software company studied 16 million candidate profiles and more than 5 million job orders from 45,000 recruiters nationwide. Their findings? While things aren’t looking good overall, the decline in new jobs is worse for certain industries.
The industries biggest hit are:
- Wholesale (down 40%)
- IT (down 31%)
- Entertainment (down 28%)
Art Papas, the CEO of Bullhorn, thinks this slowdown stems from a drop in business confidence caused by three things:
- European Crisis
- S & P downgrade shocking the nation’s confidence
- Gridlock in Washington
Industries like Education, Health Care and Construction have seen little to no drop in openings, probably because they’re more stable (and necessary) fields. And for us in the PR industry, it seems like every agency is hiring these days and business is on the rise.
What This Means for Job Seekers
The slowing of job openings affects everyone, on every level, looking for a job. Even PhD educators and those who’ve earned master’s degrees are finding the job market cutthroat these days. Fewer job openings means it’s harder for the 9.1% of the population that’s unemployed to find work. Job hunts are taking longer, and people on unemployment benefits are clinging to the pittance they receive while desperately seeking a job.
The major issue in unemployment is the long-term unemployment which accounts for 43 percent of the unemployed. These are people who have been out of work for at least six months and are still job seeking. Long-term unemployment means they are losing skills to keep them current with the market demands – creating a gap between the candidates qualifications and those the employer seeks.
Employers are seeing a flood of resumes for any given posting, many of whom are not qualified for the job they’re applying for. This is taking more time and energy than hiring has in the past.
It’s a lose/lose situation for both job hunters and employers, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better any time soon.
Looking for the Lining
While there’s not much we can do about any of these contributors to job order slowdown, you can do your best under the circumstances to increase your chances of finding a job and staying positive about the whole process.
Look beyond the industry you’ve worked in for your next employment. You may find the type of role you’re looking for in other industries that aren’t suffering as badly as, say, entertainment. Or you might find something else you’re qualified to do in other fields. In this economy, job seekers can’t afford to be too picky. While you might be hired for a job that’s far from your ideal, you can work with it for now and make your move later if you’re unhappy.
Consider other types of employment, like contracting, freelancing or part time work. Employers are looking for less commitment when it comes to hiring, so if you’re willing to forgo the health benefits or 40-hour workweeks, you might open up new job possibilities.
Don’t give up! While it’s frustrating to constantly skim job ads, all it takes is one job to end your frustrations. Take a break when at the computer for long periods, sending off cover letters and resumes. Take a walk and a deep breath, and come back to tackle the job with renewed energy.
You’ve been interviewing with another company and just got an offer. Now it’s time to resign and your employer blindsides you with a counter offer. Promises for more money, a better title, new projects can be tempting, but may have unexpected consequences. On US News & World Report, I talk about what you should consider when you’re presented with a counter offer. Read it here: Think Carefully Before Accepting a Counter Offer
A post by PR Columnist, Alison Kenney.
So you’ve been asked to ghostwrite a blog (or other social media status updates)…
PR pros have always served as ghostwriters in some capacity – speech writing, drafting executive quotes for press releases, developing ‘talking points’ for interviews… With the explosion in content marketing and more and more opportunities for self-publishing via social media, the role of ghostwriter has become even more common. I won’t get into the ethics of ghostwriting here. A fine and thorough discussion on that topic has already been held at the Marketing Profs blog when Beth Harte wrote Ghost Writing, Social Media and Ethics.
If you find yourself in the position of ghostwriting a blog, or tweets, or Facebook status updates, here are 7 tips for doing it well:
- Get in character – This is an obvious tip, but one that can be easily overlooked. If you’re writing a blog post on behalf of an executive, you should think about examples and references that person would use. Which media would they cite or retweet? How would they address industry leaders or bloggers (whom they may have a personal relationship with)? An easy way to remember these character references is to create a style sheet – a trick that those in the publishing world are familiar with. Copy editors use style sheets to refer to spellings of common words in the text (for consistency). Authors and “real” ghostwriters use it to keep track of their character(s)’ preferences.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate – Remember that old saying, “a stitch in time saves nine”? Up-front planning is essential and so is an agreement with your boss that covers the rules of engagement, the editing and approval process for posts and an understanding of how responses and comments are handled. And timeframes! Don’t forget to talk about timeliness.
- Play it straight – There are many different shades of ghostwriting. Are you writing copy based on the perspective of one person? Or writing in the voice of a company or brand that needs to stick to core marketing messages? Whatever role and voice you are tasked with, stick to it.
- Be a professional at all times – social media is certainly a pulpit, but should never be used by a professional as a bully pulpit. And for pete’s sake, consider the bridges that don’t need to be burned and don’t do this.
- Know when to call in your boss – This is sort of an extension of Tip #2. It goes beyond notifying your boss when someone comments on the post or providing status reports on the SEO results. The purpose of social media is to engage with one another online – part of a PR professional’s role is to identify opportunities for their boss or client to make those connections and as a ghostwriter you are in a unique position to initiate and identify opportunities.
- Don’t misrepresent your identity and/or motives online — I can’t really think of any time when it makes sense to fool a reader. Most audiences know that the busy CEO who is communicating with them didn’t draft, edit and post their own lines. Unless it’s obvious that the CEO does do that (in which case a ghostwriter is not in the picture). Audiences accept that – to an extent – and they also assume that the ghostwritten words they’re reading reflect the true intent of the CEO.
- Be trustworthy – Trust is essential in all client relationships so earn that trust in your role as a ghostwriter. Start by building in extra review time and making time to discuss topic ideas and run concepts by your boss. Demonstrate that you are on top of things by having the right tracking mechanisms in place. These practices will seem more and more natural as time goes by.
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.
Times are still tough, but the good news is hiring has picked up tremendously in the PR field in the past year. More employers are finding it difficult to source the right candidates for the job and are turning to recruiters to support their open positions. And as probably many agency PR professionals could attest, recruiter inquiries about making a job change are increasing at an alarming rate – especially for Sr. Account Executives, Account Supervisors, and Account Director levels.
If you are thinking about making a change, any edge you can use to get ahead in the job hunt is one well worth taking. And sometimes, even though hiring activity is increasing in the PR field, finding the perfect job isn’t so easy on your own. More job hunters are turning to recruiters now, because they have their finger on the pulse of the industry, and they often know about jobs you won’t find anywhere else.
Why do employers give recruiters secret access to jobs? Usually they want to fill a position quickly and keep the flood of applications from hitting the desk of the hiring manager who just doesn’t have the time to review every application. It could also be a case of a confidential replacement. The employer wants to be presented with the top few candidates who can fill the need, preselected and interested. This is a benefit to the candidate because you know the candidate pool is smaller and you are one of a few candidates being presented.
How to Find a Recruiter
Finding the right recruiter for your job hunt may take a little time up front, but it will be well worth it. Recruiters are either generalists or specialists, and they may focus on different geographical regions, so take that into consideration when searching.
Ask others in your industry (discreetly, if you’re not making it public that you’re looking to change jobs), and check Twitter to see other PR professionals’ recommendations or which agencies are posting interesting opportunities. LinkedIn is a good place to look up potential resources, too. Look for other people who have worked with a particular recruiter, and always ask their opinion. It’s a good idea to develop a relationship in advance – before you start looking for a job.
Building a Relationship
Consider the relationship with a recruiter part of your networking circle. Even if you’re not currently looking for a job, stay in touch, and make sure to update your information (contact info, job skills, etc) so that you stay on her radar when you’re ready to change jobs.
The key to getting help from recruiters is to be a good job candidate. Treat them the way you would a potential employer, and be open, up-front, responsive, and stick to your word. If your recruiter gives you advice, such as tweaking your resume or advice before an interview, listen. She knows what her client is looking for better than you do – it’s invaluable insight into the process.
Recruiters can give you a leg up during your job search, but they can’t help you if you’re not qualified for the position or cooperate during the process. Accept the responsibility of making sure you are an attractive job candidate, and the rest will be a breeze.
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.
