Several times in the past few months during a recruiting calls I’ve been asked if I would offer a referral fee. By no means is this new. Back in my recruiting hard-to-find semiconductor engineers days, this question came up all the time. And still, every time, without fail, I hang up the phone a bit more annoyed than the last time.
I question the person’s professionalism. I feel bad that the referral might not have the opportunity to hear about a career changing opportunity because his friend wants to make some cash off his name. And then I wonder if the referrer did get a recruiter to pay him for a referral if he would ever tell his friend he only recommended him for the job because he got some cash out of it. It just feels dirty.
I don’t ask the doctor, the design firm, the accountant, the babysitter, or any other professional service provider to slip me a cash bonus when I refer someone to them. I’m not their hired sales agent. I make a referral because the service provider has earned my confidence and my friend trusts that I have his best interest in mind.
I know that plenty of recruiters out there pay referral fees and that the business model works for them. I also know in 13 years of agency recruiting, I have never paid out a referral fee and a majority of our placements are candidates who have been referred to us directly or indirectly.
Maybe I’m missing something completely…
This is a post from PR columnist, Alison Kenney.
As a solo PR pro, I love any technology or technique that makes my work easier or more affordable. Those that make life both easier and affordable really take the prize!
Following are a few examples of services that are free and also leverage social media to help PR pros collaborate to make their work easier and more effective. Each of these examples replaces or competes with a service that either a) previously cost an arm and a leg or b) was something that every PR team did individually and then staunchly guarded.
Help a Reporter Out (HARO) – Founded in 2008 by serial entrepreneur Peter Shankman as a Facebook Groups page, HARO is one of the fastest-growing social media services in North America.
HARO enables journalists to connect with the right source and grants everyone – from home-based entrepreneurs to large businesses – access to reporters who may write about them. It’s comparable to PRNewswire’s Profnet but can be subscribed to for free versus Profnet’s $3,500 price tag.
PitchWithMe: a new concept from PR pro Heather Whaling that helps PR folks collaborate on pitches to discover potential resources and offer journalists more multiple resources. As Heather says on the PitchWithMe site, “within agencies, this kind of packaged pitching is already taking place; however, freelancers, boutique agencies and small businesses don’t always have these kinds of resources available. Until now.” Thanks Heather!
BloggerLinkUp: kind of like a HARO or Profnet for bloggers and those trying to reach bloggers, BloggerLinkUp was formed by Cathy Stucker as a free resource (via email subscription) for bloggers who are looking for expert sources, products to review or guest posts and for PR reps who have products they’d like reviewed or guest blog posts they’d like to see published. In addition to providing tactical solutions, what I think is so great about these services is that they are also shifting the emphasis in our daily PR jobs from process to content. Now that we all have access to reporters’s queries, bloggers requests and other PR reps to collaborate with, we can focus on creative strategies and hopefully improve the PR services we offer.
What do you think? What free collaborative social media tools do you recommend?
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. Learn more about Alison Kenney.
This is a post from PR columnist, Alison Kenney.
Congratulations! You made it and now you’re about to start a brand new job, your first real job in PR.
Here’s what you can expect:
What seems impossible at first becomes the norm: whether it’s learning to differentiate the editors of the Times and the Journal, understand the pet peeves of multiple managers or simply use the phone at your desk, there are a lot of new things to get used to. But I guarantee that you will learn the ropes, it just takes time.
You’ve left your comfort zone behind: good-bye roommates – perhaps you’re saying hello to some new ones? – and adios to campus life where you’re surrounded by hundreds of students whose lives are similar to yours. Now you’re working with people of all levels of experience and backgrounds (who all have something different to offer).
Your dream job may seem like a nightmare at times: that’s why they call it a job, not a hobby. Industry veteran Todd Defren offers this advice on the benefits of sticking with it in his Open Letter to Millennials.
You will meet the people who will influence the rest of your career: in every kind of way the people you meet at your first job – your direct supervisor, the president of the company and everyone else will have an impact on you.
It’s not over now that you’ve got the job; in fact, it’s just begun: you probably don’t need to wear your interview suit to work every day now, but that doesn’t mean no one is watching. Keep cultivating your personal brand and continuing your personal growth.
PR is a service-oriented vocation (yeah, like waitressing): in-house PR departments are often required to serve the needs of the CEO and executive team, the sales force and HR department; PR agency employees serve the needs of their clients. Often that means working with frequent interruptions and changing priorities. Public relations offices are busy places where schedules are continually rearrange to meet deadlines, attend meetings and travel.
School may be over, but you’ll learn a lot in the next year — Although your internship and courses will give you a great start, PR is definitely a learn-on-the-job career that can’t be taught in the classroom, You’re learning not just how to do the best PR you can but also the ins and outs of the industry you serve. Whether you’re learning to write for new medium, messages and levels of urgency or brainstorming new pitch ideas, each day in PR brings new challenges and lessons.
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. Learn more her here.
The economy has forced many people to get more creative to land a new position. Kevin Brown, now an Account Manager at Stage Two Consulting, shared with me a presentation he used that helped him transition from political consulting to technology public relations.
He developed a Prezi presentation to show off his talents. Without an existing relationship with a potential employer, making the switch from political consulting to tech PR is challenging, even in a strong job market. I love how Kevin showed off his sense of humor while relating his experience and even addressing some potential objections in this presentation.
Some good ideas here. And he’s a success story because he actually got the job!
What kind of creative examples have you seen or used to get a new job?
This is a post from guest columnist Alison Kenney.
Writing is an essential skill in a PR career. Writing under pressure is an essential-er skill.
PR people do more writing each day than they may realize — from the expected stuff, like press releases, contributed articles, bios, speaker proposals, award submissions, case studies and pitch letters to other forms of communication like blog responses and emails offering client counsel. Then there′s the way we represent ourselves with social media — the profile updates and community contributions or perhaps the blog posts we write. While it′s important that all of these written communications be sharp, smart and clear, many are done on the fly or with an expected tight turnaround.
From my experience, here are a few tips for writing well under pressure:
- Get rid of distractions — close down a few Windows on your screen, close the door to your office or settle into someone else′s office or a conference room. Tune out the buzz around you so that you can focus on getting the job done.
- Just do it — stuck on finding the perfect opening or headline? Sometimes it′s best to just start writing and get the juices flowing, then go back to edit later. One of my supervisors once told me that the key to writing in PR is to think about the news you are trying to communicate and imagine two old men sitting on a bench communicating it for you; the point was that if you could imagine their conversation you would have your headline, your sub-headline and your supporting arguments.
- Break it down — if the idea of writing an entire piece right now is overwhelming, create smaller, more do-able "homework" assignments. When I′m really stuck and not motivated to write something that really needs to get done, I set a schedule for myself. For instance, I′ll tell my lazy self that I must write for the next 30 minutes and then reward myself with another, more desirable activity.
- Start with the easy stuff —maybe thinking of a fresh way to write the CEO′s quote in a press release eludes you, but you can easily write the fact-filled introductory paragraph and company boilerplate paragraphs. Doing so makes it look like you′ve written more than you have and could be the inspiration you need.
- Imagine what the reader will think — every piece of communication you write has an intended audience. Put yourself in their shoes for a second and think about what they want to know, what their first question will be upon reading your headline or opening line or what their reaction will be to your news.
- Take a break — this kind of flies in the face of my first few tips where I suggest just focusing on the matter at hand, but honestly some of my best ideas come when I switch gears for a short time and get up from my desk to do something different.
- Keep a diary — a lot of writing experts recommend this because it gets you in the habit of writing, gets the ideas to appear on paper and is a fabulous way to get a sense of your writing style.
- Read — I recall a saying that good writers are good readers, probably because reading a variety of materials will expand your vocabulary, open you to new ideas and keep you current.
What are your tips for writing under pressure?
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. Learn more her here.
PRNewser is running an interesting series about how to get a job in social media via interviews with public relations and interactive agencies. The agency answers ten questions aimed at giving readers a sense of what an agency looks for in a social media hire and how social media inititatives are integrated in the agency. Lots of great information here for those of you looking for a social media focus.
Check out the interviews posted so far from R/GA, Ketchum, and Porter Novelli.
Digital and social media is definitely on the rise in 2010. Most of the new positions we've been getting in the past few months at Paradigm Staffing have been exclusively digital focused. Currently, we have three open searches - a VP Digital for a PR agency in New York, a SVP for a PR agency in Washington D.C., and a Social Media Manager for a healthcare company in San Francisco
Giving and receiving can both be pretty good!
Many of us in PR work, or have worked, pro bono, which is an abbreviated form of the Latin term pro bono publico that means "for the public good." (When I looked up that definition, I also learned that the American Bar Association recommends that lawyers in the United States contribute at least fifty hours of pro bono service per year.) While not mandatory in PR, pro bono work presents terrific career opportunities.
There are a lot of reasons to take on a pro bono PR assignment, such as:
- Supporting a pet cause
- Gaining professional experience
- Balancing other work assignments and/or enjoying a change of pace
- Networking and making connections
- Exploring a new field
- Giving back
It sounds pretty rosy and pro bono projects certainly can be. But I′ve also talked to folks on the receiving end and heard about "good intentions gone wrong" or, if not completely wrong, just not ideal. Consider the non-profit whose board member included the head of a national PR firm. His agency provided PR counsel pro bono to the non-profit and its internal team on an ongoing basis. That meant that the pro bono team varied according to agency member availability and the agency applied many of its standard PR campaign practices even when they weren′t the best fit for the non-profit′s target audience. The pro bono recipients are grateful for the PR work they receive but ideally would have liked to have more of a say in the efforts and tactics. At other times, pro bono PR relationships don′t work because the non-profit can′t support the donor — it may not have any internal staff or resources to keep momentum going. And, in a frustrating example for both sides, sometimes the pro bono assignment goes south because of a lack of clear expectations.
I don′t think these examples are the norm, however; I only mention them to illustrate the importance of having a clear understanding of project scope when you take on a pro bono PR project. Spend time understanding what type of PR assignment is needed, what the timeframe will be, who the supporting players are (and whether training them could be the most beneficial contribution you make) and what type of outcome is expected. Careful planning and good communication in the beginning will make your pro bono PR experience a positive one.
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. Learn more her here.
This is a guest post by Nikki Ruth
Did you know?
Audrey Hepburn wanted to become a ballerina. She was considered too tall and was advised not to continue.
Tom Cruise joined a seminary to become a priest. He was also a paperboy for the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Before Cameron Diaz made her acting debut in The Mask she toured the world as a model.Walt
Disney drove an ambulance for the Red Cross during World War I.
Johnny Depp worked as an over-the-phone pen salesman before he became an actor.
Celebrity careers rarely happen overnight and chances are your first job will not be your dream job, but one of many as you work your way to the top. It is possible to get your dream job. Here′s how.
1. Learn about yourself
Take time to do a self-assessment of your values and how you like to work. What′s most important to you? What do you want out of life and how do you want to be remembered? Then get specific. If you say you′re a good communicator, do you like talking informally to small groups of people or do you like making formal presentations? Now brainstorm around these findings and think about the different roles or activities you can use these skills in.
2. Do your research
Once you know the kind of career you′re looking for, start talking to people who have jobs in the industry you′re considering and find out what it′s really like. Ask them what they love and hate about their job. You might find that after these conversations, more careers will be crossed off your list and others might emerge.
3. Find a mentor
Find a mentor who has already succeeded at what you want to do and ask them how they achieved their dream job. A strong relationship with a mentor who is higher up in your company can open a lot of doors for you. You′ll learn a lot about the company and about the jobs you might want to get in the future. You'll also have an ally who will be willing recommend you when you do decide to apply for a new opportunity.
4. Create an action plan
An action plan should contain S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time framed) objectives and actions and resources. Plot a path between your current position and the dream. This might involve some training or you might need to get out of what you′re doing so that you can work in a job that is more connected with your dream? If you keep getting rejected from your dream job, you are not ready yet and might need to take a "˜stepping stone′ job before you can move onto the next level.
5. Speak to a career coach
Seek the sound advice of a career professional to help you get closer to landing the job of your dreams. Career coaches can help you plan a change of direction, get your career off the ground with job hunting tactics, identify your career options, provide recommendations for your career development and might have an "˜in′ that helps you through the door!
I hope you found my tips useful.
Guest post by Nikki Ruth, CV Writer and founder of My CV and Me. Nikki provides cv writing and career skills workshops services. Follow her on Twitter @mycvandme
Here are my five favorite uses for Twitter:
1. Spend too much time browsing the tweets, retweets and links shared by the hundreds of PR pros I follow
2. Get breaking news updates from tweets of news services/media I follow
3. Spend too much time browsing links to blogs on a wide variety of political, cultural and personal interests topics and opinions (this feels something like scanning magazines in the grocery check out line)
4. Spend too much time on a mental break browsing the tweets of celebrities, professional comedians and other off-beat characters whose tweets I follow
5. Participate in chats
These are probably all pretty self-explanatory (and obviously time-consuming) ways to use Twitter, except for possibly the last one: participating in Twitter chats.
Recently a few colleagues have given me "the look" when I mention how great I think Twitter chats are. I think some people have the impression that Twitter chats are an even more intense version of Twitter, with lots of chatter. But participating in an organized Twitter chat is different from regular tweeting that references a specific hashtag. In fact, the chats are usually highly organized. The ones I′ve participated in all have a moderator, and sometimes a special guest (e.g. an expert on the chat′s current topic). Questions or topics are determined ahead of time (you can submit questions via the moderator) and then controlled by the moderator. Shonali Burke explains Twitter chats and what makes one good in her excellent blog.
If you work in PR and are active on Twitter I highly recommend looking into these chats:
#journchat, created by @prsarahevans takes place every Monday at 8 pm ET and explores the impact of online communications and new media with 200+ journalists, bloggers and PR professionals participating each week.
#soloPR, which was created by @kellyecrane as a way for Solo PR pros to share tips, stories and insight on PR and working independently. It′s held Wednesdays at 1 pm ET.
#measurePR, recently started by @shonali and held bi-weekly on Tuesdays from 12-1 pm ET
#PRStudChat, a monthly Twitter chat moderated by @dbreakenridge and host @valeriesimon that is designed to bring together PR students (that′s where the "stud" comes in), professionals, and educators for conversation about PR, as well as learning, networking and developing mentoring relationships.
#pr20chat, a discussion of where PR is heading, led by @bethharte, @jgoldsborough and @prtini, on Wednesdays at 7 pm CT
You can find other chats on TweetChat or through this spreadsheet that Robert Swanwick created.
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. Learn more her here.
I'm attending SXSW Interactive until Wednesday. If you are in Austin, come say hi!
Hope to see you there.
Date: March 12th, 2010 / Author: Lindsay / Comments Off
Posted in Personal / Tags: sxsw
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.
