As an eighteen year veteran of PR and CEO of my own start-up PR agency, I am routinely approached by recent college graduates looking to lay the final groundwork for a career in Public Relations. For most candidates, the last big step towards garnering a full-time paycheck involves an internship with a New York PR agency.
Many candidates, however, fail to realize that the internship — in addition to teaching a recent grad the ins and outs of agency life — is the primary platform upon which to transition from student to professional. I′ve seen scores of interns worsen their chances for full-time work, by "going through the motions" of an internship instead of taking charge. Based on my experience, I′ve provided several key points to consider for recent grads looking to land that all-important first position.
Clean Up Your Social Media No HR person schedules an interview without an initial Google search. Few senior executives say "yes" to a hire until they examine a candidate′s online presence. Those rowdy and risqué photos taken during Spring Break or outrageous insights found in your Twitter Stream aren′t helping your chances with HR directors or recruiters.
I′ve turned down more than a few candidates based on what my team has found online. Take a good, hard look.
Furthermore, take a moment to review your personal information on each site. Does it position you as a young professional or perpetual college student? Cleaning up your social media presence will make you appear more professional, giving you an advantage over competing candidates.
Network Now It′s never a bad idea to begin networking with your college alumni association before you graduate. Send an email requesting a fifteen minute "informational interview," to a few select leaders in your chosen industry. Ask them to critique your resume and your interview style. Then ask where they think you should intern.
Get the Right Internship, and then Work It Every agency has an internship program, not all of them are good. Some agencies send their interns on coffee runs; others take the time to teach their interns the basics of PR. If you′re giving an agency your time for free, it′s OK to ask what you′ll be doing on a day-to-day basis.
Once you land the internship, it′s time to get to work. Only a few interns land a job from their internship; and they′re usually the ones who ask for assignments. Don′t wait around for someone to find you, ask if you can write the first draft of a release or a pitch; ask if you can attend a client meeting; ask if you can pitch low-level reporters under a staffer′s supervision; then ask questions when things quiet down. Don′t wait to get noticed, get yourself noticed.
No Job Offer? No Problem
We all know that an internship isn′t a guaranteed job. When the internship period is nearing an end, this is the time to approach the senior most executive in your work group and ask for advice. Ask them to review your resume and then find out which recruiters he or she admires as well as contacts they may have at other PR agencies.
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize By this time, you should have a running list of people who may help you land that first position and a resume that positions you as an entry-level PR pro. Stay focused; stay in contact with key people who may assist you and don′t give up. In many cases, entry-level positions are the first to be filled at many agencies once the recession passes. When the time comes to hire, you′ll want to be front and center on people′s radar.
Kevin Mercuri is an eighteen year veteran of Public Relations and related disciplines. He is president & founder of Propheta Communications, a New York based PR and social media agency serving corporate, consumer, technology, lifestyle and nonprofit clients. He can be contacted at kevin@ProphetaComm.com.
This past summer I had the opportunity to intern with Fahlgren Mortine, a public relations agency in Columbus, Ohio, rated in the top-100 agencies by PR Week. As their 2009 Founder′s Award winner, I was given a paid internship and a $1,500 scholarship.
How did I get so lucky? Research, hard work and an intensive interview process.
Finding a good internship that pays is tough. But finding one that gives you both experience and a scholarship is even harder. Once you find that internship, you may be competing against hundreds of other applicants. But, it′s well worth it to apply.
Where can you find internships like this? Visit internship fairs, network with peers and search online for opportunities. Below are a few opportunities I have found:
Fahlgren Mortine Apply for their Founder′s Award for the agency experience, paid internship and scholarship.
Deveney Communications Apply for their Summer Scholars Program and receive housing, transportation and compensation.
Edelman Apply for the Daniel J. Edelman/PRSSA Award for the Outstanding Public Relations Student to be a paid intern at one of the most well-known agencies in the US and a $1,500 cash award.
Hill & Knowlton Apply for the PR Week Student of the Year award to win a paid internship and $5,000.
When applying for these internships, pay close attention to detail and have everything proofread several times. Go the extra mile when you have the opportunity. Lastly, take a chance and apply because you can′t win if you don′t play the game.
Rachel M. Esterline is a public relations senior at Central Michigan University. She has held internships at her university, a start-up, a large agency and a small integrated marketing communications firm. She blogs at "The Beacon for Navigating a Career in PR" to share information, ideas and tips with her fellow PR students. You can follow her on Twitter at @RachelEsterline.
I am a college senior, planning to graduate this upcoming May. I am reasonably worried about the current job market and I am eager to get a jump start on my search. I am concerned about how soon is too soon to begin contacting companies before I am able to immediately fill a position.
Is it appropriate to begin contacting companies this early? Would it build positive contacts and possibly lead to job opportunities when I graduate or would it be more likely to annoy them? I do not want to waste any company's time, but many of my friends who graduated last year still do not have jobs in their field and I don't want to share their fate.
What is my best course of action at this point?
A:
Most experts agree beginning a job search four to six months prior to graduation is a good an ideal time frame. It's not too early to annoy hiring managers and it should give you sufficient time to find something. If possible, try to get a part-time internship with an agency (I assume you are planning to go into PR). Many times these internships turn into full-time positions and if not, you have spent several months building a network of PR professionals who have contacts in other agencies and companies who could recommend you for any other entry-level positions.
With five months left until graduation, you should start building those relationships and being proactive. Go to your local networking events, Meetups and Tweetups, and ask for informational interviews with companies you would like to work for. Just because a company isn't posting their open jobs doesn't mean there isn't something available. Work on building your online networks and continue to develop those relationships off-line.
Kynam Doan is looking for a job. Check out his blog, I Need An Interview, and you'll get the idea.
Kynam has a very creative approach to his job search - he has pledged to volunteer six hours of his time for each interview he lands to a non-profit. The companies who interview him nominate a non-profit and then the readers of his blog will be voting for the top two. Additionally, he will volunteer one minute of his time for each unique visitor to his blog.
It is an interesting idea to generate some buzz and give back to the community while honing his marketing skills.
A couple of key points for anyone considering an approach similar to Kynam's in their job search:
1. Make it easy for potential employers to see your qualifications. Kynam opted to not publish his resume. Instead he chose to tie in a link to his LinkedIn profile. I would add extended biography for those lazy clickers who come to the site. I imagine those extra keywords would also help for search results. Consider showcasing some of your work in a digital portfolio.
2. Be specific about what type of position you are seeking. You don't want to be come across as you will consider anything. You must show you have direction and focus. But be careful to not be so specific you rule out potential opportunities.
3. Treat everything in the campaign as a professional representation of you. If it is a blog, a video, or both, remember, it is your extended resume. Make sure everything you post is free of errors and represents you accurately and honestly.
What do you think of Kynam's approach?
Thanks to Matthew Kraft (@mkraft) for pointing me to Kynam's blog.
Kynam, best of luck to you in your job search - I'll be watching the outcome!
This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology. I'm an entrepreneur, business developer and recruiter.
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.
