I read an article the other day - 5 things students should do now to secure a PR job later - and was really disappointed. I don't know why people write articles giving advice that everyone already knows.
The tips they offered:
1. Improve your communication skills.
2. Start networking now.
3. Focus your efforts.
4. Look at companies you like.
5. Intern, intern, intern.
I don't know, all of these seem pretty self-evident and of little help to a student seeking a job. Every professor will tell you to do all those things. And if they don't, your classmates will tell you to do those things.
I remember when I was in school and you'd see an article stating 'do these things' with a list pretty much identical to that list and you'd think 'Really? This is the best advice you've got?'
So for PR students looking to get a job down the road I thought I'd toss out some ideas that might help you achieve that (many of these tips are things I wish I had done when I was a student, but didn't, mostly because no one, much less some article, ever suggested them)....
1. Learn a second language
Depending on where you live, being bilingual can be a huge asset. Aside from it being a practical skill, it's simply impressive on a resume and sets you apart.
2. Buy a nice suit
As a student money is tight, but if you can find a way to get a nice suit it will go a long way in helping you network with people who are already PR professionals. Not to mention it will help you in your job interview. Even if it hangs in the closet most of the time it will psychologically re-inforce in you the notion that you are on a path to becoming a professional.
3. Get a good headshot for your resume
Don't just submit a regular hum-drum resume. Put a picture of yourself on it and it will stand out from the pack.
4. You don't have to be in business to have a business card
If you are networking get a business card. Put something like "John Doe, Future PR Professional' on it with your email address, linkedin account, twitter link and blog link. Trust me, professionals save business cards and the odds go way up that they will connect with you online if they have something that reminds them how they can do so.
DO NOT assume they will remember your name just because you told them it at the networking event or had a good conversation (most of them won't!). And they definitely won't remember you a month down the road.
5. Get on social media
The most important of all the social media outlets for a student is LinkedIn. Anyone you meet networking you should add as a contact on your LinkedIn. I'm shocked at how few students are on LinkedIn. I assume they think since they aren't working who would want to add them as a contact? But that's ridiculous. If you meet someone in PR odds are they are happy to add you as a contact. Which means when you graduate you can ping them on LinkedIn for help finding a job.
You should also have a Twitter account, blog, and whatever other socmed outlets you like so that people can stay connected with you. They may not read your blog, but they might bookmark it and check in once a month. Either way, it drastically increases the odds of them being able to stay connected to you in some form or another.
6. Build a portfolio
Just because you aren't paid for work doesn't mean it's not relevant. Start an online portfolio and every time you do something related to PR, post it online. This way, when you are seeking employment, employers can see what your skill set is (even if it is only projects you did when in school).
You don't have to make this public, you can password protect it if you want. The point of this is not to enable people to follow your work so much as it is for you to save your work so that you can present it to others at some point down the road.
I've lost a lot of work that I did years ago simply because when I was younger I saved it on a hard drive of some computer that eventually crashed and died. Or it was on some CD which is long since lost.
My suggestion would be to use a free Website service like Weebly. It doesn't have to look amazing, remember, it's simply an online database of your work.
7. Focus on the RIGHT people
This one is a bit tough. I'm going to say something that most students don't want to hear - most people are selfish and self-centered. The truth of the matter is that most people out there don't care whether you get a job and don't care about helping you out. Most people are so busy and focused on their own problems, lives and careers that helping others is simply not on their 'to do' list.
Having said that, not everyone is like this. There are some amazing people out there in the world who are kind and helpful and who will help you out if they can. These are the people you want to get connected to.
So if you get ignored by some folks, don't let that get you down, they are people you don't want to be connected to anyway. Keep meeting new people and eventually you'll stumble on some gems who will be a huge resource for you for years to come.
At the end of this blog entry I'll tell you a quick story related to this point.
8. Be helpful - that IS your job
This doesn't just apply to PR, but to any discpline really. One of the things that annoys me to no end when it comes to new PR folks is how they have a preconceived notion of what their job is. Nothing turns me off more than when I've had a new PR person sulk about having to build a media list or having to do something that's not even PR related.
Here's the thing, if you are working for someone in PR and they assign you a task that you may not think is PR critical, what you have to realize is that if you don't do the task then they have to do it! Which means that it's part of the job!
Whether that be organizing invoices, or pricing out different PR services, or proof reading some publication from a different department as a favor or walking over to staples to get some pens.
Attitude is the most impressive thing in a new PR person. Someone with a 'let me know how I can help, I'm happy to do anything.' attitude is exactly what people are looking for.
Think of it like this... you are in the business of helping organizations build their reputation. In that process you'll ask them to do things they don't think are directly tied to say increased sales. Yet the better their reputation, the better they are able to sell. So they will do these things knowing that it's part of the growth process.
The same goes for you doing things that you don't think are part of your core job. It builds your reputation as a team player and a valuable asset not just to the PR department, but the organization as a whole. Before you know it everyone loves having you around and you're the go-to person.
Meanwhile, the other new PR person who is sulking over having to go get pens at Staples is building a negative reputation as a high-maintenance complainer.
10. Ask for what you want
This is a big one that no one ever told me. When you are young you are so unsure of yourself that you often don't have the first idea of how to approach someone in a position of power. So most students, even when they network, hardly talk or simply kiss-ass and agree with everything being said. They secretly hope that the other person somehow psychically will know what it is they secretly are hoping for.
Wrong thing to do. In life the odds of you getting what you want will go WAY up if you actually ask for it.
Now, you have to be realistic about what you are asking for. Don't walk up to some VP of Corporate Communicaitons and say "I want to make 200k a year, can you help me with that?' (although, even being that blunt will sometimes result in a positive result).
But if what you are looking for is experience, there's nothing wrong with saying "I'm trying to figure out a way to get experience. Any advice you could give?" or "Let me give you my card, if you ever have an opportunity where I could get some practical experience please let me know." or "I'm looking for a mentor to help me figure out how to get my career going, is there any chance you might be interested?"
I know, it can be very unnerving being so blunt, but it pays off. And if it doesn't pay off, you've lost nothing by trying. Some people will awkwardly decline or change the subject - and excuse my French here, but fuck 'em. Seriously, if you exhibit a passionate, ambitious attitude and they don't appreciate that, odds are they probably aren't very good at their job (even if they currently hold a good position).
Every highly competent person that I've met in my career loves it when someone is blunt with them and comes right out with what they are looking for. Once they know what you are seeking then they can help, but if they don't know what you are seeking they aren't going to waste their time playing twenty questions trying to figure out what is going on inside your mind.
Be polite, be courteous, be respectful - but for heaven's sake, ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT!
So there you have it. A few tips that I actually think will help you land and keep a job. The one piece of advice that the article emphasizes appropriately is the internship. Getting experience is key. But all the things I've listed above will all help you open that first door and get your career started.
Now, I'll take a moment to tell you a quick story relating to point #7.
When I graduated I was looking for work. I landed my first job with a local tech company simply by going for an interview and impressing the person doing the hiring with my attitude.
But that's not what I want to talk about. In my job search I reached out to folks that most people would not even bother contacting. One of those people was the Vice President of Corporate Communications for Coca-Cola. He was located in Atlanta, but I figured, what the hell, that's the type of job I wanted to have in the long run, so why not reach out to him.
I didn't get a job with Coca-Cola, but what shocked me was that he corresponded with me for about six-to-seven emails. He gave me advice on how to nurture my career and all kinds of things.
If I had been living in Atlanta I bet he would have brought me on as an intern.
So here was a guy, probably making close to a million bucks as VP of CC for Coca-Cola, who I'm sure had a very busy life and who had absolutely nothing - and I mean zilch, zero, the big donut - to gain by talking to some PR grad out of Ottawa, Canada, who was taking the time to talk with me.
My point is there are some amazing people out there. Folks who help others when they get the chance. Keep searching until you find these people, because they are the ones that will help you get to where you want to be.
Ignore the self-centered ones that ignore you or brush you off, they aren't worth your time in the long run anyway. But reach out to anyone that catches your fancy, because every now and then you'll stumble on someone that is simply a kind, decent human being who will be happy to help (and more often than not, these also tend to be the type of people who have excelled at their profession in a sustainable fashion). There are lots of people who are successful, there are very few who are successful and still happy, healthy, well-rounded people.
So always be in search of those people, they will do more for your career (in ways you can't even imagine) than anything else (well, the only thing more important is your attitude and work ethic, but that's about it).
The tips they offered:
1. Improve your communication skills.
2. Start networking now.
3. Focus your efforts.
4. Look at companies you like.
5. Intern, intern, intern.
I don't know, all of these seem pretty self-evident and of little help to a student seeking a job. Every professor will tell you to do all those things. And if they don't, your classmates will tell you to do those things.
I remember when I was in school and you'd see an article stating 'do these things' with a list pretty much identical to that list and you'd think 'Really? This is the best advice you've got?'
So for PR students looking to get a job down the road I thought I'd toss out some ideas that might help you achieve that (many of these tips are things I wish I had done when I was a student, but didn't, mostly because no one, much less some article, ever suggested them)....
1. Learn a second language
Depending on where you live, being bilingual can be a huge asset. Aside from it being a practical skill, it's simply impressive on a resume and sets you apart.
2. Buy a nice suit
As a student money is tight, but if you can find a way to get a nice suit it will go a long way in helping you network with people who are already PR professionals. Not to mention it will help you in your job interview. Even if it hangs in the closet most of the time it will psychologically re-inforce in you the notion that you are on a path to becoming a professional.
3. Get a good headshot for your resume
Don't just submit a regular hum-drum resume. Put a picture of yourself on it and it will stand out from the pack.
4. You don't have to be in business to have a business card
If you are networking get a business card. Put something like "John Doe, Future PR Professional' on it with your email address, linkedin account, twitter link and blog link. Trust me, professionals save business cards and the odds go way up that they will connect with you online if they have something that reminds them how they can do so.
DO NOT assume they will remember your name just because you told them it at the networking event or had a good conversation (most of them won't!). And they definitely won't remember you a month down the road.
5. Get on social media
The most important of all the social media outlets for a student is LinkedIn. Anyone you meet networking you should add as a contact on your LinkedIn. I'm shocked at how few students are on LinkedIn. I assume they think since they aren't working who would want to add them as a contact? But that's ridiculous. If you meet someone in PR odds are they are happy to add you as a contact. Which means when you graduate you can ping them on LinkedIn for help finding a job.
You should also have a Twitter account, blog, and whatever other socmed outlets you like so that people can stay connected with you. They may not read your blog, but they might bookmark it and check in once a month. Either way, it drastically increases the odds of them being able to stay connected to you in some form or another.
6. Build a portfolio
Just because you aren't paid for work doesn't mean it's not relevant. Start an online portfolio and every time you do something related to PR, post it online. This way, when you are seeking employment, employers can see what your skill set is (even if it is only projects you did when in school).
You don't have to make this public, you can password protect it if you want. The point of this is not to enable people to follow your work so much as it is for you to save your work so that you can present it to others at some point down the road.
I've lost a lot of work that I did years ago simply because when I was younger I saved it on a hard drive of some computer that eventually crashed and died. Or it was on some CD which is long since lost.
My suggestion would be to use a free Website service like Weebly. It doesn't have to look amazing, remember, it's simply an online database of your work.
7. Focus on the RIGHT people
This one is a bit tough. I'm going to say something that most students don't want to hear - most people are selfish and self-centered. The truth of the matter is that most people out there don't care whether you get a job and don't care about helping you out. Most people are so busy and focused on their own problems, lives and careers that helping others is simply not on their 'to do' list.
Having said that, not everyone is like this. There are some amazing people out there in the world who are kind and helpful and who will help you out if they can. These are the people you want to get connected to.
So if you get ignored by some folks, don't let that get you down, they are people you don't want to be connected to anyway. Keep meeting new people and eventually you'll stumble on some gems who will be a huge resource for you for years to come.
At the end of this blog entry I'll tell you a quick story related to this point.
8. Be helpful - that IS your job
This doesn't just apply to PR, but to any discpline really. One of the things that annoys me to no end when it comes to new PR folks is how they have a preconceived notion of what their job is. Nothing turns me off more than when I've had a new PR person sulk about having to build a media list or having to do something that's not even PR related.
Here's the thing, if you are working for someone in PR and they assign you a task that you may not think is PR critical, what you have to realize is that if you don't do the task then they have to do it! Which means that it's part of the job!
Whether that be organizing invoices, or pricing out different PR services, or proof reading some publication from a different department as a favor or walking over to staples to get some pens.
Attitude is the most impressive thing in a new PR person. Someone with a 'let me know how I can help, I'm happy to do anything.' attitude is exactly what people are looking for.
Think of it like this... you are in the business of helping organizations build their reputation. In that process you'll ask them to do things they don't think are directly tied to say increased sales. Yet the better their reputation, the better they are able to sell. So they will do these things knowing that it's part of the growth process.
The same goes for you doing things that you don't think are part of your core job. It builds your reputation as a team player and a valuable asset not just to the PR department, but the organization as a whole. Before you know it everyone loves having you around and you're the go-to person.
Meanwhile, the other new PR person who is sulking over having to go get pens at Staples is building a negative reputation as a high-maintenance complainer.
10. Ask for what you want
This is a big one that no one ever told me. When you are young you are so unsure of yourself that you often don't have the first idea of how to approach someone in a position of power. So most students, even when they network, hardly talk or simply kiss-ass and agree with everything being said. They secretly hope that the other person somehow psychically will know what it is they secretly are hoping for.
Wrong thing to do. In life the odds of you getting what you want will go WAY up if you actually ask for it.
Now, you have to be realistic about what you are asking for. Don't walk up to some VP of Corporate Communicaitons and say "I want to make 200k a year, can you help me with that?' (although, even being that blunt will sometimes result in a positive result).
But if what you are looking for is experience, there's nothing wrong with saying "I'm trying to figure out a way to get experience. Any advice you could give?" or "Let me give you my card, if you ever have an opportunity where I could get some practical experience please let me know." or "I'm looking for a mentor to help me figure out how to get my career going, is there any chance you might be interested?"
I know, it can be very unnerving being so blunt, but it pays off. And if it doesn't pay off, you've lost nothing by trying. Some people will awkwardly decline or change the subject - and excuse my French here, but fuck 'em. Seriously, if you exhibit a passionate, ambitious attitude and they don't appreciate that, odds are they probably aren't very good at their job (even if they currently hold a good position).
Every highly competent person that I've met in my career loves it when someone is blunt with them and comes right out with what they are looking for. Once they know what you are seeking then they can help, but if they don't know what you are seeking they aren't going to waste their time playing twenty questions trying to figure out what is going on inside your mind.
Be polite, be courteous, be respectful - but for heaven's sake, ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT!
So there you have it. A few tips that I actually think will help you land and keep a job. The one piece of advice that the article emphasizes appropriately is the internship. Getting experience is key. But all the things I've listed above will all help you open that first door and get your career started.
Now, I'll take a moment to tell you a quick story relating to point #7.
When I graduated I was looking for work. I landed my first job with a local tech company simply by going for an interview and impressing the person doing the hiring with my attitude.
But that's not what I want to talk about. In my job search I reached out to folks that most people would not even bother contacting. One of those people was the Vice President of Corporate Communications for Coca-Cola. He was located in Atlanta, but I figured, what the hell, that's the type of job I wanted to have in the long run, so why not reach out to him.
I didn't get a job with Coca-Cola, but what shocked me was that he corresponded with me for about six-to-seven emails. He gave me advice on how to nurture my career and all kinds of things.
If I had been living in Atlanta I bet he would have brought me on as an intern.
So here was a guy, probably making close to a million bucks as VP of CC for Coca-Cola, who I'm sure had a very busy life and who had absolutely nothing - and I mean zilch, zero, the big donut - to gain by talking to some PR grad out of Ottawa, Canada, who was taking the time to talk with me.
My point is there are some amazing people out there. Folks who help others when they get the chance. Keep searching until you find these people, because they are the ones that will help you get to where you want to be.
Ignore the self-centered ones that ignore you or brush you off, they aren't worth your time in the long run anyway. But reach out to anyone that catches your fancy, because every now and then you'll stumble on someone that is simply a kind, decent human being who will be happy to help (and more often than not, these also tend to be the type of people who have excelled at their profession in a sustainable fashion). There are lots of people who are successful, there are very few who are successful and still happy, healthy, well-rounded people.
So always be in search of those people, they will do more for your career (in ways you can't even imagine) than anything else (well, the only thing more important is your attitude and work ethic, but that's about it).
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