Tips for Mentoring a PR Newbie on the Art and Science of Media Relations

So you’ve been asked to train, mentor, or manage a PR newbie on all things media relations. Congrats! Now what? Media relations is an art and a science. Mastering the balance takes practice, and can be challenging to new PR pros starting out in the workplace as an intern or account coordinator. While some colleges teach media relations, many do not, and those that do often only skim the surface.

That being said, those starting out in the PR world could use media relations guidance – a task that often falls on more senior account coordinators, or account executives and account supervisors. Often the shift from new pro to “less new” pro, responsible for helping out the greenest team members, can be tricky. Here are some helpful hints that I’ve found to be helpful, both as I’ve been mentored and have mentored others.

1. Remember that patience is a virtue, and encourage questions.

lauren-leger_media-relations-mentoring

Be patient with newbies – while you might be an ace at media relations, this is totally new to your mentee, and they will need some time to become an expert. Being patient with them will both encourage and motivate them, and create a more positive experience for both parties. As a manager or mentor, you are responsible for helping newbies build their skillset and confidence. As The Power Group’s account supervisor shared with me when I asked for her advice for this blog post,

Always have an open door policy for questions. If your new account team member is afraid to ask questions, chances are they’ll come up with their own answers, which can be risky and potentially damage your outreach campaign.”

2. Show and tell – employ a “face-to-face” edits model.

If you receive a less-than-stellar media list from a new pro, don’t be afraid to call him or her over to your desk and go through the list, talking through your thought process. It’s easy to hide not-so-nice feedback behind an email chain, but I’ve found that sharing insight into your own process can be really helpful for new pros. If you’re making a personal connection and talking through your own media relations lessons learned, even better. Don’t hesitate to talk through mistakes made by the intern or account coordinator. It can be tough to deliver that feedback, but it’s crucial for the mentee to hear in order to improve.

3. Give your mentees plenty of opportunities to watch and learn.

I learned so much from my first media relations manager simply by watching how she composed an email to a journalist, coordinated an editorial, or approached booking trade show press appointments. A great (and risk-free) way to learn is simply to soak up everything like a sponge. As a mentor, that means including your mentee in every media relations activity you possibly can. Sitting in on client interviews, tagging along to broadcast segments, and observing media training are all great learning opportunities. Leveraging industry publications and organizations, such as PRSA and Cision, is also a great way for mentees to learn. Mandatory webinars and lunch and learns are a great way for an intern or account coordinator to “familiarize faster,” according to my account supervisor Jordan Liberty.

What are some of the more helpful things your direct supervisors have done to guide you in your media relations learning? What are some tips that you would add to this list?

lauren-leger

As digital account executive at The Power Group, Lauren creates custom digital strategies, crafts tailored social media content, and manages social media accounts on behalf of clients. She also leads Power’s inbound marketing efforts, and is certified by HubSpot Academy in Inbound Methodology. Lauren’s expertise is in B2B and technology. She started at Power in the fall of 2014 as an account executive, and manages select PR accounts. (Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn and Twitter)

A Match Made in Heaven: Finding Your Mentor

how to FindAmentormakesmydaySo, you want a mentor. You realize that at this stage in your career, you can benefit from building a relationship with someone who can guide you in your journey. If you’re really savvy, you already know that a mentor is not something you “get,” but someone who you come to know, trust and confide in.

Here are some ways to find a mentor.

1. Identify your purpose for finding a mentor. It’s important to know what you want in the mentoring relationship. Whether you’re actively job hunting or trying to identify the next step in your career path, knowing what you want to achieve will help you find a great mentor who can help you navigate the terrain.

2. Broaden your definition of a mentor. Mentors come in all shapes and sizes. Some are lifelong coaches, others are confidants for a short period of time. You may find a mentor with wisdom in all things, or someone who is uniquely positioned to help you through a specific challenge. Remember, when looking for a mentor, consider the person, not their position. Your peers and colleagues may have experiences and perspectives that prove useful.

3. Participate in a structured mentoring program. Established mentor match programs are great, because they jumpstart the process of building a meaningful relationship by introducing you to someone who is ready to be a mentor. The good news is that PRSA and the New Professionals section are in the midst of refreshing our mentoring program. Members will be notified by email when updates to the program are made. In the meantime, head over to Mentor Match and introduce yourself to one of the mentors from the College of Fellows. You can also ask your local PRSA chapter or company if they have a program. And if you’re currently job seeking, ask about mentoring programs within the organization. If being mentored is important to you, this is one way to determine if the company culture is going to be a good fit.

4. Make your own match. Look around you. You may not realize it, but you probably have mentors in your life. These people already know you and may have some insight into your situation, work environment, or personal challenges. Look to your colleagues, professors and people in your network to bounce ideas off. If you need someone who is more removed from your circle, leverage existing relationships to find mentors. Explain why you’re looking for a mentor and ask if they know anyone who might be interested in sitting down for a cup of coffee. 

Stay open-minded about the process–you never know where you’ll find a mentor! How did you find your mentor? In the comments, share your own mentor match story so other New Pros can learn from your experience.

Alyssa-StaffordAlyssa Stafford is a member of PRSA Georgia and a communications specialist at Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta.  She serves on the New Professionals executive committee as the mentoring chair. Alyssa is a graduate of Agnes Scott College and the University of Georgia. Find her on LinkedIn orTwitter.

Networking Defined: Three Tips to Stay Connected

Networking is easy to define, but can be difficult to practice on an ongoing basis, especially when starting a new job with new responsibilities and demands on your time. You don’t want to lose the network you’ve worked hard to build, and you also want to create a stronger one. These simple steps will strengthen your connection pull and help to remain in touch with key industry professionals.

Discover connections through professional organizations

Professional organizations have a variety of resources available to help you meet new professionals and keep in touch with those you already know.

PRSA New Professionals Section

Even though PRSA New Pros only hosts in-person events during New Professionals Week in November, there are plenty of ways to get involved and connect with new professionals through:

Social media

  • Comment and post questions on PRSA New Pros’ social media pages: blogFacebookTwitter and LinkedIn
  • Participate in monthly #NPPRSA Twitter chats
  • Attend a webinar

Member directory

  • Reach out to others in your PR industry or location through our Section members-only directory. For example, I met with a PRSA New Pros member in Chicago for lunch, and she’s in government PR. In such a niche industry, she can connect with others across the U.S. with a similar profession or interest by using the directory.

PRSA New Pros Executive Committee

  • PRSA New Pros has 15 Executive Committee members who live and work across the nation, from New York City to San Francisco. We are extremely involved in Section and in PRSA as a whole and are always willing to connect with our members. Reach out to any of us here.

PRSA Professional Interest Sections

  • PRSA New Pros is one of 14 PRSA Interest Sections. Take advantage of other PRSA Sections, especially if one matches the PR industry where your interests lie.

PRSA Local Chapters

There are more than 120 local chapters of PRSA. Find the one closest to you and see how you can get involved in a face-to-face setting. This participation could include :

  • Networking events
  • Breakfasts, luncheons and/or happy hours
  • Workshops and webinars
  • Social media and discussion opportunities

For more on this subject, check out the blog post by Brandi Boatner, “Powering Partnerships through Local Leadership as a New Professional.”

Establish bonds with first, second and third degree connections

Connect with Co-workers

Look for mentorship programs, sports teams, happy hours, volunteering opportunities, young professional groups and planning committees to establish ties with co-workers outside of the usual work setting.

If your company doesn’t offer many ways to get involved, seek out co-workers you admire as mentors. Ask them to grab coffee or lunch outside of work.

Utilize LinkedIn and Twitter

Similar to PRSA New Pros’ directory, you can research and connect with professionals in your field through social media. Find companies and groups to follow, engage in discussions and build networks with professionals all across the world.

Search through companies for professionals with whom you share a connection. Ask for introductions and expand your reach to connections outside of your own circle.

Keep in regular communication for mutual benefit

Take a look back at your network and ask yourself, “From whom can I continue to learn and whom can I help learn and grow professionally?” Make sure to not lose touch with those professionals.

Hold on to their information

Save their business card and add the date you met and a small tidbit about the person or the conversation you had to the back of the card. Once you reconnect, you will have a reference point to continue the conversation.

Keep in Touch

Now that you’ve put the tools in place to know what to say, put them to use.

Virtually

  • If you haven’t already, connect with them on LinkedIn (with a personalized message!) and follow them on Twitter.
  • Every few weeks or months, follow up with them. Email, tweet or send a LinkedIn message with an article you think they might find interesting, with great news to share about a project/client or to congratulate them on a new job or professional success. Also, saving emails is a great way to keep tabs on the last conversations you’ve had with your connections. Tools like Contactually can help you organize the inbox overload with tasks and reminders to follow up with your network.

Face-to-face

  • Once every few months, try to meet up for coffee, lunch or drinks. Ask questions, but also share what you’ve learned so far as a professional.

PR is a small world. Once connected to a few professionals, you’re just a few degrees away to hundreds of other professionals.

Creating connections and keeping your network strong can help you tremendously along your career path. As a bonus, some of those connections can turn into the some of your closest friends and mentors.

How do you define networking? What types of networking techniques have or haven’t worked for you to connect and keep in touch?

 

 

Nicole BersaniNicole Bersani is an assistant account executive at Social@Ogilvy, where she works on social media for six global brands. She graduated from Ohio University in June 2012 with a degree in journalism/public relations. Bersani is the membership co-chair for the PRSA New Professionals Section.

Never Stop Learning: Why Having a Mentor is Crucial as a Young Professional by Brandi Boatner and Kate Enos

Albert Einstein once said, “”Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

Yes, we’ve checked the boxes: graduated from high school, received a diploma in college and got our first, second or third job. But that doesn’t mean learning should ever stop, especially in the workplace.

In public relations, all the classes in the world can’t teach you what you learn while on the job. The art of managing tight deadlines, heavy demands and expecting the unexpected isn’t on any syllabus. But there is one resource that remains untapped and full of knowledge – those who have blazed the trails before us in the world of public relations, otherwise known as mentors.

January marked National Mentoring Month, a celebration of those who choose to dedicate valuable time and energy into the next generation of professionals. No matter your age and title, everyone can use a mentor.

The trick is finding a mentor.

According the New York Times, it won’t happen overnight. Here a few tips and tricks to finding the right match for you:

  • Time: It takes time to cultivate relationships and to see if the chemistry fits to make a match.
  • Industry: Find someone in communications and public relations if that’s the career path you see yourself in.
  • Commitment: Make sure your potential mentor is willing to put time into meeting regularly and making you a priority.
  • Goals: Set goals, and know your strengths and weaknesses before you meet with a mentor.

Mentoring is not only for those who are seasoned practitioners in the field. New professionals in the industry can also be mentors through “reverse mentoring”.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal found “many businesses are pairing upper management with younger employees in a practice known as reverse mentoring. The trend is taking off at a range of companies, from tech to advertising.”   

With the advent of social media, new technologies and innovative marketing techniques, businesses across a variety of industries recognize the skills, knowledge and expertise young professionals bring to an organization, thereby benefiting all employees.

Your mentor is out there – all you have to do is ask. So, what are you waiting for?

 

Brandi Boatner and Kate Enos are the PRSA New Professionals Section mentorship co-chairs.