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PRStudChat Sponsored by Spin Sucks

On May 16th, #PRStudChat Discusses Careers in Public Relations

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Join #PRStudChat on May 16th at 12:00 p.m. ET for a Twitter chat session on “Careers in Public Relations.” Leading the discussion will be DePaul University professors and authors Matt Ragas (@mattragas) and Ron Culp (@culpwrit). Matt and Ron will share the knowledge, skills, capabilities and personality traits of successful PR professionals as well as insights on the growing need for greater business acumen in the field.

Several of the topics and questions that will be answered by Matt and Ron and the #PRStudChat community include:

Q1. You’re in Chicago, a major agency, corporate and non-profit center. What’s the job outlook feel like right now for PR and communications graduates and pros?

Q2. As professors at @CMNDePaulU @DePaulU, what are you telling your @DePaulPRAD majors and alums about how to stand out and land the best jobs and opportunities?

Q3. If I have one more elective to take before graduation, what would you recommend I take? #PRStudChat

Q4. PR and comms pros debate whether or not they should go back to grad school and, if so, what degree – comms, MBA, something else? What say you two? #PRStudChat

Q5. Is PRSA’s APR certification important for PR professionals to obtain? #PRStudChat

Q6. Build for us the bionic PR and comms pro of the future! What are the knowledge, skills, capabilities and personal traits you think they should have? #PRStudChat

Q7. You’ve written or edited two books together: Business Essentials for Strat Comm and Mastering Business for Strat Comm. You must think business acumen is important! Why? #PRStudChat

Q8. What are free or low-cost ways a PR student or professional can go about building their business acumen? #PRStudChat

Q9. Do you have any favorite new books for PR and communications professionals? #PRStudChat

Q10. Any closing pieces of professional development advice and tips for PR and comms pros? #PRStudChat

Get ready for a dynamic #PRStudChat discussion on May 16th with actionable tips, tricks and advice for successful PR career growth. #PRStudChat

As always, you can tweet in advance to @PRStudChat, @SpinSucks, @LKPetrolino, @ValerieSimon, or @DBreakenridge with any questions you would like answered.

  • (From Left to Right) Matt Ragas and Ron Culp

About Matt Ragas and Ron Culp

Matt Ragas, Ph.D. (@mattragas) and Ron Culp, Fellow PRSA (@culpwrit) are on the faculty in the College of Communication at DePaul University in Chicago where they help develop the next generation of PR and communications leaders. For six years in a row, the DePaul PR program has been a finalist for the PRWeek Awards’ PR education program of the year. Ragas and Culp are co-editors of Mastering Business for Strategic Communicators (Emerald Publishing, 2018) and co-authors of Business Essentials for Strategic Communicators (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). 

About #PRStudChat

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow-up blog post by Communication Strategist Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals … A community where everyone can learn and grow together.

About Spin Sucks

Spin Sucks was started in September 2006 by Gini Dietrich, the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, an integrated marketing communications firm. Its mission? To change the perception or PR. What started as a simple blog, soon became a movement. Spin Sucks is the number one PR blog in the world, the go-to resource for PR professionals to learn new strategies and tactics, to share and receive expert advice. It’s also the place where people have fun discussions, brainstorm, ask for help, and make new friends.

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Building Your Communications Career from the Ground Up: 5 Ways to Make Any Job Work for You

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A Guest Post By Sarah D. Huckins, Graduate Student, American University, PR Expanded Blog Contest Winner

Patagonia Community Board: Credit Ginny Lefler
Patagonia Community Board: Credit Ginny Lefler

Six months after graduation, the novelty of being in the “real world” may be beginning to wear off. Student loan grace periods are coming to an end, you may be wondering at what point will you be able to finally put your degree into practice. According to a report by Burning Glass and the Strada Institute, 39 percent of Communications and Journalism majors will be underemployed in their first job. While this statistic is an unfortunate reality for many graduates, it doesn’t need to define you. Everyone needs to start somewhere. While you may find yourself in a position that doesn’t explicitly align with your professional goals, there are ways to make the most out of any role.

For many college graduates, it is isn’t economically viable to hold out for the perfect first job. With mounting debt (the average student in the Class of 2016 has $37,172 in student loans) many graduates need to take whatever employment opportunities are immediately available to them. For me, that meant starting off in retail at Patagonia when I first moved to Washington D.C. But what began as a means to pay rent ended up being an invaluable professional experience. Any job can support your professional growth, but first you’ll need to learn what questions to ask of your employer – and more importantly of yourself. The following five strategies helped me to go from seasonal sales associate to Environmental Coordinator at Patagonia and led me from D.C. to Jordan and back again in pursuit of my professional goals.

  1. Be your own advocate.

Understanding your passions and skills and illustrating them to others is the first step is advancing yourself in a role. Some work environments have structured processes for goal setting, but even if yours doesn’t, take initiative. Ask yourself what is important to you and create goals within your role and share them with team leadership. I was interested in Patagonia’s Corporate Social Responsibility, so early on I worked to learn more about the company’s environmental programs. It’s possible that your managers may not be able to provide all the support you’d like, but by communicating where’d you like to go – and showing that you have the determination to get there – managers and leadership may think of you if new opportunities arise.

  1. Take on work that builds marketable skills.

Don’t resign yourself to work that isn’t fulfilling. Even if you perceive your work to be completely unrelated to your undergraduate course of study, there are always ways to make strategic connections, particularly to the field of communications. Does your organization have a social media account? Offer to help create new content. Does your organization have a customer list-serv? Offer to help craft an upcoming newsletter. Does your organization host events? Offer to help with planning and marketing. What about other opportunities for developing in-demand soft skills?

For me, these two strategies involved aligning myself with Patagonia’s environmental mission. Environmental advocacy was much more relevant to my long-term goals than sales, so by expressing that to managers and by working to promote sustainability within the store from an early point, I was well positioned to apply for the role of Environmental Coordinator when it became available.

  1. Learn from your co-workers.

If you find yourself at a job in service, or in a role not in a typical office setting, your co-workers may be your most valuable asset. It is likely that you’ll be working with people who have a wide variety of personal and professional backgrounds and learning from their experiences can only help you. By making connections with your co-workers you might be exposed to something you never thought about before or be able to think about a concept in a new way.

At Patagonia I worked with an undergrad studying food insecurity, a Master of Divinity who studied dual narratives, and two mid-career professionals who had worked at environmental nonprofits, just to name a few. Fostering connections with these individuals, and others, helped me to consider new variables and issues as I pursued my goals.

  1. Take advantage of opportunities for professional development.

Some employers offer professional development opportunities, whether it be workshops and trainings or subsidies for continuing education courses. But even if an employer doesn’t offer an opportunity directly, it’s possible that they would support you if you found one independently. Ask your managers what opportunities are available to you, or if they would allow you to use company time to attend meaningful trainings at other institutions.

Patagonia’s support of employee activism creates an incredible opportunity for professional development. I found out that as a benefitted employee of over a year, I could travel anywhere in the world for up to 10 weeks – and get paid to do it – if selected for the company’s Environmental Internship Program. I was incredibly fortunate to be chosen to participate, and I was able to spend two months in Amman, Jordan interning at a nonprofit dedicated to promoting community-based environmental stewardship.

  1. Know when it’s time to move on.

All beginnings need to come to an end. The final step in understanding how to make a job work for you is knowing when you’ve gotten all you can out of an experience. It is important to recognize when you’ve outgrown an opportunity. Your first job is necessary to begin building your career, but when you sense that your role is no longer serving you, it’s time to leverage the skills and connections you developed into finding the next experience.

If you’ve found yourself in a work environment where you needed to use these strategies, or if you’re looking for more inspiration from others who have worked their way up, continue the conversation in the comments section below.

Sarah Huckins is a Program Associate at the US Water Alliance and a Master’s candidate at American University’s School of Communication. She previously worked as Environmental Coordinator for Patagonia’s Washington D.C. store and interned for EcoPeace Middle East. Follow her on Twitter @SarahDHuckins or on LinkedIn.  

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

PRStudChat Sponsored by Spin Sucks

#PRStudChat Discusses Personal Branding & How to Land A Dream Job

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We’re headed into March and spring is almost here. In a few months, seniors will graduate and look forward to pursuing new opportunities in the workplace. What’s the best way to get noticed between now and then? Using social media to launch your personal brand and help you land your dream job.

On Thursday, March 8th at 12:00 p.m. ET, the #PRStudChat community will gather for a Twitter discussion on how social media elevates your personal brand and jumpstarts your career. Joining us as our special guest and co-host will be Aaron Lee (@askaaronlee), Regional Manager APAC at Agorapulse. Lee will lead a dynamic discussion with PR students, professionals and educators that dives into the importance of having a personal brand and the best ways to expand your digital presence.

Here are several of the topics / questions that Lee and our community will discuss the night of the 8th:

Q1: Why is important to have a presence on social media even in college?

Q2: What social media channels do you suggest for anyone starting out?

Q3: Can being active on social media help you build a personal brand? How?

Q4: Please share a few best practices for building a personal brand through social media.

Q5: What are some don’ts when it comes to behaving on social media?

Q6: Can you land your dream job through social media? Please share some examples.

Q7. What is the best way to expand your personal brand and digital footprint on social media?

Q8. What are some tools and resources that help you to build, maintain and protect your personal brand?

Q9: What advice do you have for anyone starting out on social media?

As always, we welcome your questions before or during the chat. You can tweet @PRStudChat, @CorinaManea, @ValerieSimon or @DBreakenridge with any questions you would like answered.

See you on March 8th at 12:00 p.m. ET!

About #PRStudChat

It began with a simple question asked by Angela Hernandez, then President of PRSSA at Central Michigan University (CMU). “Is PR Right for me?” A follow-up blog post by Communication Strategist Deirdre Breakenridge inspired a series of direct messages on Twitter between Breakenridge and fellow PR industry pro, Valerie Simon. This was an important question and one that should be explored beyond one student or one blog post. Why not build a community to help students across the country, and even the globe, learn from the experience and perspective of industry professionals … A community where everyone can learn and grow together.

About Spin Sucks

Started in September 2006 by Gini Dietrich, the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, an integrated marketing communications firm, Spin Sucks mission is to change the perception people have of the PR industry.

What started as a simple blog, soon became a movement. Spin Sucks is the number one PR blog in the world, the go-to resource for PR professionals to learn new strategies and tactics, to share and receive expert advice. It’s also the place where people have fun discussions, brainstorm, ask for help, and make new friends.

Deirdre Breakenridge IABC NJ Presentation

Obtaining & Enhancing a Career in Communications

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IABC NJ and Rutgers PRSSA EventOn February 24th, IABC NJ, together with Rutgers University and the Rutgers PRSSA chapter, hosted a panel session on “Obtaining & Enhancing a Career in Communications.” Bob Varettoni, Director, Corporate Communications at Verizon, Sandy Charet, CEO of Charet & Associates, and I participated on a panel to offer advice for PR students and professionals. We shared our thoughts on a number of important topics, from preparing for your career and interviewing to working with HR recruiters and making yourself stand out online and through social media (the right way).

Each panelist had about 10 to 15 minutes to discuss the most important career advice based on our own professional experiences. Here are the highlights of our panel session on Obtaining & Enhancing a Career in Communication:

Bob Varettoni, Director, Corporate Communications, Verizon: Tips on Preparing for the Interview

Bob Varettoni, Director of Corporate Communications, Verizon

  • When you are looking for a job, it is important to share what you are doing now and not what you did a few years ago. Your work is “at the moment.”
  • For many organizations, hiring is an online process. At Verizon, everything is on the website. There is an 8-step process on how they review recruits. “If you don’t apply online then, you don’t exist!”
  • For Verizon, it is unlikely that they will hire a candidate right out of college. However, they are looking for professionals with a couple of years of experience. If you are hired as an intern, then there is the opportunity to turn the internship into a full-time position.
  • When interviewing, a Google search uncovers everything on a candidate. At the same time, people applying for jobs have the opportunity to do their homework. As an example, out of 12 candidates interviewed, only one showed up exhibiting information about Verizon. He did his homework and was an easy candidate to hire.
  • With respect to the skills necessary for a career in communications, it is important to have the following:
    • Good writing skills
    • Hands-on social media experience
    • Strong knowledge of research practices and measurement (especially as they relate to social technologies).
  • Networking is important, whether it is in person or on LinkedIn. But it is not a numbers game, you are creating relationships that matter.
  • At the end of the day, we can succeed by helping one another.

Sandy Charet, CEO, Charet & Associates: Tips for Obtaining a Career and Working with Recruiters

Sandy Charet, CEO of Charet & Associaties

  • You have to optimize your online profile to be found. Think about the words a head hunter would use and then include them in your LinkedIn profile, for example.
  • LinkedIn can help you to find out so much about people and their history.
  • Resumes need to be one page. Even the most experienced professionals are able to get their resume down to one page. If you have less experience, then there is no reason yours should be longer.
  • Remember, recruiters look at hundreds of resumes every day, so they want to see perfectly written, short and focused information about you.
  • Never lie or fabricate your work experience … eventually, the truth will come out in the end.
  • You should write a cover letter, but make it short and be sure to include the information that you are not going to find in your resume.
  • Thank you notes say a lot about a person. You should write a note to the interviewer regardless of whether you decide you want the position or not.
  • Always prepare for the interview. There is no excuse for not knowing about the company and the person who is conducting the interview. You can go their website, check the news on the company and be sure to read the job description very carefully.
  • Remember, PR now comes in a lot of different shapes and sizes. You may not know about all of them. Keep an open mind, there is so much out there for you.

Highlights from My Presentation: Building Relationships and Influence, and Expanding your Digital Footprint

Deirdre Breakenridge IABC NJ Presentation

  • Social media has big benefits in three important areas: building relationships, creating your own influence and increasing your digital footprint the right way.
  • The best relationships move from the virtual to the physical. Most of the relationships that start online or through social media always begin with rallying around a common cause and learning together, or helping your peers by sharing important information or answering their questions.
  • Be sure to build your own influence. When you share good information, you become a trusted source. You are branding yourself online as an expert or a person who has subject matter expertise. People will turn to you for advice, share your content, and amplify what you say, helping to build your community.
  • Remember, Influence is not about numbers. The numbers, when they get large, may represent popularity. Real influence means people trust you and you are an important go-to source. They trust you enough to act on what you say are saying. The key word here is “act.”
  • Influence builds over time with your consistent efforts. You must have focused passion. You can’t expect your community to grow if you are not constantly working on connecting and helping your community. Joining a social media community and spending a little time there is hardly enough of an effort to build real relationships.
  • Social media and influence are an investment in your time and your ability to make a great contribution for the long haul. When you have the great content to share, your influence will build. People will look forward to what you share and look to you for advice on certain topics.
  • With every step you take online and through social media, you are creating a path for people to find you. This is your new online resume … it is your portfolio and your Curriculum Vitae.
  • Think of it as breadcrumbs, and people are able to track you down and see what you do. It’s a great opportunity to show who you are, what you value and what is special / unique about you (with every post, comment, photo, and video).
  • But, remember, everyone can see what you do and what other people say or share about you … comments, and photos and videos, as well as your “snaps” that can be shared as a screenshot.
  • When it comes to managing and protecting your professional brand, here are three simple, proactive ways to grow your digital footprint the right way:
    • Think carefully about what you are doing and saying. Ask yourself, would your grandmother be proud of what you are about to share?
    • You should set up alerts (Google Alerts or use a brand search engine like Mention.com) using your name, nickname, Twitter handle, etc. so that you can see what is being shared on your behalf.
    • Lastly, don’t be absent when people are upset with you, or if you have offended someone. You need to apologize quickly. An apology can go a long way. This goes for business and your personal participation.
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Guest Post: 5 Signs You Know You’re Prepared to Work in #PR

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SusanYoung profile Cut-Web_8640

A Guest Post by Susan Young, CEO, Get in Front Communications

Whether you’re gearing up for your coveted “first job in the real world” or you’ve been working in PR for a bit, we know preparation is the key to success. Well, preparation mixed with perseverance, persistence and patience. Caffeine’s good, too.

Adjectives aside, here are five ways to know you’re not only ready to work in public relations, but you’re willing to step up and blow the doors off the hinges.

  1. I will always bring (tons of) value. Adding value to client relationships is obsolete. You must consistently add IMMENSE value to clients. This requires that you study, distill, learn, and have a deep understanding of your client’s niche, industry and team. When you know their business inside and out, you can head off problems in advance of disaster. Anticipate their challenges and offer creative solutions BEFORE problems arise. Don’t have panicky clients coming to you about a problem they heard in a webcast. Today’s business climate demands that you share solid and quantifiable information long before the buzz begins. Hint: This strategy goes well beyond reading trade pubs and dropping in on a LinkedIn group every few weeks. You must commit to lifelong learning, and professional and personal development.
  1. I will show up big. The most successful people in business are those who focus on what they can give to others, and not what they can get, get, get. High achievers are comfortable in deflecting attention away from themselves. They have absolute faith that by helping others, abundance will find its way into their lives. Individuals with this mindset aren’t in a hurry to get the deal. Instead, their priority is to build relationships and trust. People who show up big, regardless of the scope of the task or the stature of the other person, are also flexible. They are agile workers who can course correct in the midst of a project. As a result of these attributes, they are the “go-to person” who is irreplaceable. Marketing pro Seth Godin’s book, Linchpin, talks about how to make yourself indispensable. Hint: Mediocrity is not for you. Become a person of excellence.
  1. I will focus intently. Your ability to pay attention will completely change every all of your professional and personal relationships. You must be willing to fight mental distractions and enter into the deep, “in the moment sphere” of listening. This is a rare attribute in today’s world, but it is so desperately needed. Consider the practice of “silent listening.” It requires us to mentally quiet the unrelenting soundtrack that plays in our heads 24/7. Silent listening demands that we give our undivided attention, free of distractions, judgments and response planning. It calls for us to be fully present. Hint: Be patient as focus requires awareness and discipline. Meditation and yoga can help.
  1. I will have a curious mind. One of my favorite quotes is from TV journalist Diane Sawyer: “Wake up curious.” Get out of bed each morning with a newfound sense of excitement of what the day will bring. This childlike trait will serve you well. People and stories are not what they appear to be. Your willingness to ask good questions and truly listen to uncover what lies beneath will bring fresh perspectives and enthusiasm for your work and life. Hint: Become an emotional archaeologist. Take your shovel to every client meeting and interaction, and dig away.
  1. I will commit to communicating in new ways. These days, PR pros are communicating like project managers. You must be prepared to track the minutiae in assignments. Constant communication with team members has to be tempered with independent thinking skills. Whether you’re a newcomer to public relations or a more experienced PR professional, you must know how to use online spreadsheets, dashboards, graphics and images to track progress, next steps and metrics. Data visualization is essential. Executives don’t have time to distill reams of reports and analytics. That’s what you’re here for. Respect your manager’s time and provide easy-to-view pie charts and graphs that highlight only the most relevant business-related outcomes. They will appreciate your efforts. Hint: Communicators must be adept at this thing called communication.

Susan Young is the award-winning publisher of CareerTapped.com. The site provides free educational business content to help college students develop workplace skills and connect with employers before graduation. The result is quality mentoring, internships and jobs. In addition, Susan has worked as an on-air broadcast news director and reporter and PR director. She’s the CEO of Get in Front Communications. Her latest accomplishment: Being named one of the ‘Top 75 Badass Women on Twitter.’

Public Relations: The Pride of Accomplishment

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A Guest Post By Kirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA

I’ve been feeling a little reflective for all kinds of good…and not-so-good…reasons. Don’t want to dwell on the “not-so’s” today…weather’s too nice and the semester’s winding down…so I’ll get right to the good stuff.

I got the go-ahead from one of my PR superstars at Curry College, where I oversee the undergraduate public relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, to formally announce that, one week after she walks across the stage and gets her diploma from the president, she will start her new full-time position as Special Events Coordinator for the ALS Association/Massachusetts Chapter.

She’s walking out of Curry with three very successful internships under her belt, the distinction of having been the first Curry College Communication student to have received the PRSA Boston Educational Grant, and the confidence that, regardless of the challenges that she might face in the course of her career, she has the willpower and stamina to face and to overcome whatever life throws her way.

Obviously this sequence of events got me thinking about any of us who have “adopted” the public relations profession as our career path and the challenges and opportunities that cross our paths.

Life simply isn’t a neatly-arranged sequence of events that wander our way and patiently wait for us to figure out how to meet them successfully.

Some things we deal with quickly and efficiently. Others, we have to regroup and strategize ways in which to address them.

Edward L. Bernays had this to say about the public relations profession: “…public relations does not mean selling a product, an idea, or a personality. Instead, it depends fundamentally on doing – action and deeds that are geared to public understanding and acceptance. Words are only incidental to the process.”

Our profession is not a clearly and cleanly defined “job.” Ours is a glorious amalgam of positive as well as negative opportunities and challenges that we have to identify, prioritize, and address. And, as many of us have learned (often the hard way), rarely are two situations the same, which means rarely are the solutions the same.

But we do solve or resolve them. And we then are able to reflect on the professionalism with which we achieved that success and find satisfaction in the warm glow that comes with pride of accomplishment.

Hazlett_KirkKirk Hazlett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is Associate Professor of Communication (Undergraduate) at Curry College in Milton, MA. He also is Visiting Lecturer, Organizational and Professional Communication (Graduate), at Regis College in Weston, MA. Prior to his move into academia, Kirk practiced nonprofit and government public relations and marketing for more than 35 years in the US as well as Asia. Accredited by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Kirk is a former member of PRSA’s national Board of Directors and has held leadership positions with PRSA Educators Academy and PRSA Northeast District as well as with the Boston and Hawaii PRSA chapters.