Career Development

PRSA New Pros Teleseminar on May 22 on Integrated Marketing

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

From Whiteboard to Customer: A Journey Through Integrated Marketing

Thursday, May 22, 12-1 p.m. EDT

Lately, the conversation seems to be predominately held around real time marketing. It’s time to change the conversation and get into logistics. Megan Severs, Associate Vice President at Fahlgren Mortine will host our second PRSA New Professionals Section Brown Bag Discussion of the year on the hidden topic of integrated marketing. Megan hopes to address the following points in her teleseminar:

  • The importance of integrated marketing and what it means to consumers
  • The anatomy of an integrated team – who comes to the table, and the blurring of the traditional PR roles
  • The important role of research to guide an integrated strategy
  • Step by Step Case Study: McDonald’s Nocturnivore

Register today for the May 22nd teleseminar!

Treating Your Boss Like Your Client

Jess Noonan Leave a comment

You know something that’s strange? Oh, come on—take a guess.  Here are a few clues…

I’m not talking about any world records, pickles accompanied by mustard (yuck) or the way Shakira’s hips don’t lie (anyone else addicted to the Voice this season?).

Pat Blog

Source: www.notwillsmith.com

All out of guesses?  I’ll tell you.  It’s strange how closely the relationships we have with our clients and our supervisors mimic each other.  Shocker when you actually think about it, right? If your relationship with your boss is not like the one you have with your client, start making steps to morph it.

Your boss is your client.  She/he holds a certain power over your career, much like a client has a certain power in your agency’s ability to sign your paychecks. If you’re performing at the highest level, always achieving your professional goals and you communicate it to your boss, she/he will advocate for you.  In the same fashion as your boss, if you’re surpassing the goals you set with your client, you’ll continue to see positive results such as business growth and new business referrals.

Treating your boss (and colleagues) like a client shows that you respect them— if you show the same level of detail and care towards your boss as your client, she/he is bound to have a strengthened level of trust and respect for you as well. From my first internship to my current career, I follow a few simple rules when working with teams and/or clients: ask smart questions, always know your key messages before you begin presenting an analysis, and have back up ammunition such as supporting details, resources or next steps for those who questions.  Not only will the above rules show your boss you mean business, it will make you look ready for the next step in your career.

As young professionals, we have to embrace treating our teams like clients.  The continuous effort to treat your teams like clients will force you to perform at the highest level at all times (you won’t even need a Starbucks run).  Over time, you’ll begin to realize that your “default” internal mode will turn into your “client” external mode, and you’ll begin to see a natural upwards progression in your performance.

Source: Monster.com

Source: Monster.com

As I’m been jabbering away about treating your boss and teams like your client, I bet you’re wondering, ‘how am I supposed to act when your boss acts like the client from you-know-where?’ Simple. Treat them like a client.

Every moment is a learning moment.  If you have an extremely difficult manager—embrace it and still treat her/him like the client! You’ll be more prepared in the future to deal with harsh criticisms and the infamous indirect feedback. Practice makes perfect, start by having an open conversation with your boss by stating your expectations and goals you want to meet, and more importantly, learn how you can make their lives easier. Is she/he difficult because they’re terrible at responding to emails?  Try giving your boss a call. Is it because she/he will tell you everything she/he doesn’t want, but not what they actually want? Think two steps ahead.  Always be cognizant of what she/he already provided feedback on, and anticipate the next piece of feedback.  Go ahead and make the adjustments and provide reasoning to why you made the adjustments.

Now tell me about your experiences! Have you ever considered your boss as a client? How do you handle a difficult boss vs. a difficult client?

Pat MessengerPat Messenger is a Client Staff Assistant at Burson-Marsteller in Chicago. Pat is a member of PRSA Chicago and the Young Professional Network. Tweet at him @PatMessenger, or email him Patrick.Messenger@BM.com.

 

 

Keeping Your Bank Account Afloat While Job Searching

Jess Noonan 1 Comment

3354726208_0cce729fc8_zAs a new PR professional, the job search can be tough. You have your degree and a few internships under your belt, finding a job should be a breeze, right? Sometimes that isn’t the case. After a little while of looking for a job you’ll notice that entry-level positions are hard to come by and most full-time positions are looking for more experience then you have.

Paid Internships

Some internship programs extend to college graduates up to 1 year after graduation. Look for a full-time internship that pays. This is a great way to gain experience, network with professionals, find a mentor, hone your skills and earn some cash while your waiting to kick-start your career. The experiences you can learn at this level will benefit you in the long run and help you expand your skills. There also is a chance that the company could hire you after your internship is complete.

Worst case scenario, you’ve added additional experience to your resume and no one is going to tell you that you did too many internships at your next interview.

Part-Time Positions

It can be frustrating to see that a company is only hiring part-time or internship positions when you are looking over their careers page. This should not be discouraging. Instead think of it as a great opportunity to get your foot in the door. Chances are that if you come in part-time and do a good job, when the HR manager starts looking to hire for a full-time position candidates within the company are the first choice. Already working at an organization makes you a great hire because you understand the company, the culture and the work, which can save time when it comes to training.

In the case that your part-time position does not lead to full-time, it’s still something to build up your resume. Plus you can look for and interview for a full-time job during the hours you are not at work.

Freelance Work

One of the best ways to bring in some extra money, gain experience and add some references to your resume is freelancing. If you know a small business or a non-profit near you that want to be active on social media but can’t do it because of time or inexperience, you can capitalize on that opportunity by freelancing. Many small companies out don’t have the time or resources to hire full-time employees. However, these companies might be willing to hire a contract employee or freelancer for a set amount of time. This is the work that helps you build up your professional portfolio and will give you with a taste of what it’s like to be your own boss.

You don’t have to sit around with your fingers crossed waiting for a company to hire you. There are many opportunities out there that as a young professional you can – and should – take advantage of. Take some time to gain experience, network within your industry and save some cash. The rest will fall into place soon enough. Happy job searching!

daynaDayna Lucio is a Digital Specialist at Alchemy Group in Michigan. Her experience lies with social media, content creation, blogging and media relations. You can connect with Dayna on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Top 10 Comms Conferences to Attend in 2014

Jess Noonan Leave a comment

With nine months left in 2014, what great conferences and networking opportunities can you attend?

membership_feb2014_245x245In the communications industry, events are happening all the time. So how do you know which one is best for you? Whether your job is in social media, public relations, marketing or a combination of the fields, these 10 events can add value to your current strategies.

Bonus: If you can’t attend a conference, follow along with the included hashtags!

  • MozCon
    Focus: The digital landscape– SEO, social media, community building, content marketing, brand development, analytics, etc.
    Location: Seattle, WA
    Date: July 14-16
    Hashtag to watch: #MozCon 

  • Content Marketing World
    Focus: Social strategists who focus on content marketing and execution.
    Location: Cleveland, OH
    Date: Sept. 8-11
    Hashtag to watch: #CMWorld 

  • Inbound
    Focus: Connecting customer buying behavior to your business in an evolving digital world.
    Location: Boston, MA
    Date: Sept. 15-18
    Hashtag to watch: #Inbound14 

  • PRSA International Conference
    Focus: Addressing trends, new technologies and strategies for public relations practitioners of all sectors.
    Location: Washington D.C.
    Date: Oct. 12-14
    Hashtag to watch: #PRSAICon 

  • Social Brand Forum
    Focus: “Designed to help marketers at organizations small and large build better brands online through social media content, conversations, and community.”
    Location: Coralville, Iowa
    Date: Sept. 25-26
    Hashtag to watch: #SocialBrand14 

  • Social Shakeup
    Focus: Experienced social media marketers who are ready to ‘shake up traditional organizations and communication channels to create a brand new form of business: the Social Enterprise’.
    Location: Atlanta, GA
    Date: Sept. 16-17
    Hashtag to watch: #SocialShakeup 

  • SMX Social Media Marketing
    Focus: Making the most of social marketing strategies– going beyond implementation to proving results.
    Location: Las Vegas, NV
    Date: Nov. 19-20
    Hashtag to watch: #SMXsocial 

  • Social Media Strategies Summit
    *There are six Social Media Strategies Summits in different locations throughout the rest of 2014. Check the website for a location closer to you.
    Focus: “Building, managing, and analyzing successful social media strategies and campaigns.”
    Location: New York
    Date: June 12-13
    Hashtag to watch: #SMSsummit 

  • B2B Marketing Forum
    Focus: B2B marketing strategies to optimize your business– “inspiring, relevant and new content” every year.
    Location: Boston, MA
    Date: Oct. 8-10
    Hashtag to watch: #mpb2b
  • Social Fresh Conference
    Focus: One-track social media conference discussing success stories and useful tactics.
    Location: Orlando, FL
    Date: July 17-18
    Hashtag to watch: #socialfresh

headshot2Lauren Rosenbaum is the PRSA New Professionals Social Media Co-Chair and Co-Founder of Soversity, a public relations and digital marketing company. You can connect with her on Google+, LinkedIn or Twitter.

The Future of Public Relations Depends On You: Calling All Teachers!

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

173312870Those of you who are just starting out in your careers can probably remember the college professors who, not very long ago, did the best job motivating you, captivating you and exposing you to the possibilities in the world.  We need more teachers like that in the public relations profession.   We’re talking about teachers who can bring a combination of real-world experience and in-depth knowledge of the profession to the classroom.

The “Learning to Teach” program is a collaborative effort led by PRSA’s College of Fellows Educational Initiatives committee, PRSA’s Educational Affairs committee and PRSA’s Educators Academy.  It is designed to give those PR professionals who want to teach – as either an adjunct or full-time professor – an introduction to academia and a foundation for success in the classroom.

Last year, we began with some research of our PRSA members and discovered that only 1% of respondents had taken the “Learning to Teach” course, though 60% said they were very likely to consider an adjunct position in the future and 26% said they were very likely to consider a full-time teaching position.  63% said they would take the “Learning to Teach” course if it were offered remotely.

About Learning To Teach

Anyone can take the “Learning to Teach” course…whether they are interested in  teaching now or in the future.  The course covers:

  • Guidelines on looking for a teaching position
  • The application process
  • The “honeymoon vs. reality” behind teaching – duties and expectations
  • Basic tools & resources for developing materials
  • Tips for effective course planning & researching the history of your course
  • Measuring learning

This year, several PRSA Sections, Chapters and Districts are sponsoring programs on Learning to Teach – via teleconferences or via programs piggybacked on their conferences.  If enough people register, the course might also be offered at the PRSA International Conference in October 2014 in Washington, DC.

Screen Shot 2014-03-31 at 9.44.03 AM

If you have any questions about this course want to learn more, contact Robin Schell at rschell@jjwpr.com or 603-770-3607.

 

This post was written by Judy VanSlyke Turk, APR, Fellow PRSA and Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA, co-chairs of the Educational Initiatives Committee of the PRSA College of Fellows.