Career Development

PRSA’s Proposed 2012 Dues Increase By Sarah Siewert

Diahnn Henderson 4 Comments

By now you may have heard the news that, after 10 years without a dues increase, PRSA’s Board of Directors will be introducing a motion at this year’s Leadership Assembly at International Conference in Oct. to raise the cost of PRSA membership. As your chair, I would like to get your feedback so I can best represent our Section when voting on this important matter –please read the rationale and what this means for us below. I look forward to your feedback.

The rationale

This blog post, written by PRSA Treasurer Philip Tate, APR, announces the proposed increase and presents the rationale behind it. In his post, Philip explains why the increase is necessary; details the cost-control and revenue generation steps that were taken in an attempt to avoid an increase; and previews the type of Member benefits that the dues increase is intended to provide for you and for all PRSA members.

What this means for New Pros

First, it’s important to note that associate memberships will NOT be impacted by the dues increase motion. Associate memberships will remain in the same price structure:

    • PRSSA member who graduated within the past two years or a graduate student: $60
    • Graduate students: $60
    • Less than one year of experience in public relations (NOT a former PRSSA member): $115
    • With one to two years of experience in public relations (NOT a former PRSSA member): $155

If you are a Section member with two or more years of experience, you WILL be impacted by the dues increase. If the motion is passed, general memberships will change by $30 annually:

    • Current annual membership fee for general members: $225
    • Proposed annual membership fee for general members: $255

If APPROVED, PRSA National is considering offering all Webinars for FREE to PRSA member. This represents nearly $2,000 in annual savings for members who participate in one PRSA webinar per month. In addition, passage of the dues increase will allow PRSA to implement loyalty marketing programs based on member involvement. This means you will receive even more value for your PRSA membership, just by being an active member.

Input needed

Please take a moment to read the post and give us your feedback. I look forward to engaging with you through the comment section below, or through our Twitter ( @PRSANewPros) and Facebook (/PRSANewPros) accounts. You also may feel free to contact me directly at sarah.siewert@kemperlesnik.com.

Intro to Consumer PR by Mark McClennan, APR

Diahnn Henderson 1 Comment

Almost 20 years ago, Oscar Mayer crushed my dreams when it told me I didn’t quite cut the mustard to drive the 27-foot long Weinermobile. I was one of 36 finalists, but they chose only 12 to go hot-dogging around the country for a year.

I quickly recovered, joined a public relations agency and haven’t looked back since. For most of that time, I have been doing PR for consumer technology – everything from 3D game controllers and the first professional cyber-athletes, to online shopping, a free online dating service (you shouldn’t have to pay for love) and new forms of cash.

The realm of consumer PR is broad, and there are dozens of subspecialties within it. From beverage and restaurant PR, to music, technology, travel and consumer services, more than 70 percent of the U.S. economy deals with consumers. 

Consumer PR is a crowded field, and even with the social media explosion, you are fighting thousands of others for the same slice of attention. That, to me, is one thing that makes consumer PR so exciting. My day is one of non-stop motion. 

Every day is different, but it usually begins by checking my iPhone before I get out of bed to see the latest news and developments – spending time on Facebook, Radian6, Google+ and Twitter to see what I need to know. When I get into the office, I start juggling the demands of a number of clients and come up with creative ideas ranging from surveys and videos to analyzing Google Analytics and HootSuite metrics to see what is driving traffic to my clients’ websites.

The best part of my day is brainstorming with all the creative professionals at our agency. Just last week we came up with a city-by-city heatmap highlighting the worst cases of identity manipulation and a creative campaign for Comic-Con. What happens on a daily basis changes quite a bit. However, there are a few pieces of advice that I have found useful over the years. The following are four tips for new professionals looking to break into and develop their careers in consumer:

  • If you don’t love what you are doing, don’t do it: Find something else, both for your own personal satisfaction and because people that have a passion for their job will lap you and leave you in the dust. Every single day I am excited to wake up, see what has happened with my clients and their competitors and go to work with a great group of people.

  • Every opportunity is a networking opportunity – and I mean every place: Work, dinner, church, sitting in the airport or playing sports. Keep in mind, networking does not mean “What can you do for me?” Good networking involves helping others and making connections, just like investing in your 401k. At first, your network seems small, but if you keep it up, the beauty of compound interest gives even someone who is an average networker an amazing web of contacts and influencers in just five to 10 years. Don’t be intimidated just because someone has been doing consumer PR longer than you have been alive. You have a valuable point of view and experiences they do not have. Share it.Networking is also the best way to break through the HR roadblock and get an interview and possibly your dream job. Having a news snippet to share at the interview to show you have done your research is also strongly suggested.

  • Change is constant: With consumer PR, change is constant. You need to keep up on the latest trends. Ten million people joined Google+ in the first three weeks–is that something your company or clients should leverage? The only way to know is to try it yourself. This often means putting the time in after work. Just keep in mind, you need to look at things through your clients’ and your company’s eyes, not your own. This also means you shouldn’t be wedded to any one thing. Discussing a Facebook strategy is the wrong question. You should be looking at the social networking strategy. Facebook may not even be here in five years. 

  • Everything matters: As a consumer PR pro, you need to be a subject matter expert, but your subjects can be featured in everything from “Sex in the City” to USA Today; TechCrunch to “Captain America.” This means you need to keep up with quite a bit. Read constantly. You will be amazed when an obscure piece of knowledge helps you connect with a reporter or a client.

Consumer PR is a thriving, dynamic market with an opportunity for you to do whatever you want. If you have a goal – go for it. However, keep yourself open to new experiences. In consumer PR, you can be sure you will have a new challenge every day.

Mark W. McClennan, APR, is a senior vice president at Schwartz Communications, where he heads the research group and co-leads the consumer technology practice. In his spare time, he writes blog posts on how Dora the Explorer teaches you all you need to know about PR and does stand-up comedy.

Follow Mark on Twitter          Follow Mark LinkedIn

Summer Book Club-July: Be Your Own Best Publicist Discussion

Diahnn Henderson 5 Comments

From the moment I read the title of the latest book club selection, “Be Your Own Best Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Hired, and Rewarded at Work”, the human resources side of me was intrigued. Authors Jessica Kleiman and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper, offer a fresh perspective on marketing yourself by using basic PR skills to create and manage your professional reputation as you climb the corporate ladder.

Managing reputations of organizations is no different than managing our own reputation. You are representing yourself when you go into a job interview or pitch an idea, so why not put your PR experience and skills to work for you? Readjust your thinking, and view yourself as your client. How would you sell…you? The thought is a little scary, but Kleiman and Weinsaft share their tips and techniques to help you through the process. Below, I outline four of my personal takeaways from this book club selection:

Prepare Your Pitch

Spend some time thinking about your elevator pitch and perfect it. “Knowing how to communicate concisely and clearly will help you hook the interest of whomever you are pitching,” say Kleiman and Weinsaft. Concise is the key word—you want to be mindful of everyone’s time, especially someone who may hold the key to you future.

Craft Your Message

You’ve got their attention, now what? You landed an interview or that important meeting from your great pitch, so now it’s times to expand your message. Kleiman and Weinsaft say you should build out your pitch to a speech focusing on three key attributes or goals. As you create your message, keep in mind your target audience. Practice makes perfect–once you have finished creating your message, practice, practice, practice.

Build Your Network

With competition for job opportunities becoming tighter and tighter, sometimes knowing someone on the inside can help you get your foot in the door. As PR pros, we know the value of relationship building. Kleiman and Weinsaft stress, “the most important thing you can do is to build a rapport between yourself and those with whom you are looking to do business.” The title of Chapter Four says it all – It’s All About Who You Know (and Who Knows You). Build a network of trust by following-up periodically just to say hello. Avoid reaching out only when you need something.

Protect Your Personal Brand

Always put your best foot forward because you never know who is watching. You’ve worked hard to build your reputation so protect it. Kleiman and Weinsaft remind us that how we dress, how we speak and the people we choose to surround ourselves with can influence other’s perceptions of us. Social media makes it easy for us to share our personal thoughts online. Protect your online reputations by managing what you say and share online. “Before posting a comment, images or video, think like a publicist would about a client,” say Kleiman and Weinsaft. You should not only be monitoring what you say, you should also monitor what others are sharing about you as well. Again, think like a publicist, always be prepared for what could go wrong and have plan to correct what has gone wrong. 

I enjoyed reading this book, it satisfied my both the HR and PR side of me. There are many more PR tips and techniques Kleiman and Weinsaft share on self-promotion, including sections to create your own “Personal PR Action Plan”.

Let’s talk about the book…

  1. What will you do differently because of reading this book?
  2. Tell us some of your own personal tips on creating your personal brand.
  3. What are some of your favorite tips and techniques the author shared?
  4. Do you believe it’s important to integrate social media into your life? Why or Why not?
  5. What tools do you use to manage your online reputation?
  6. We all make mistakes—to err is to be human. Where have you tackled a crisis concerning your personal brand, and what did you learn from the experience?

Summer Book Club–July:Be Your Own Best Publicist

Heather Sliwinski 2 Comments

The PRSA New Pros Blog Summer Book Club continues with its selection for July—“Be Your Own Best Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Hired, and Rewarded at Work” by Jessica Kleiman and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper.

As PR professionals (or PR hopefuls), we are used to promoting our companies or clients.  However, it is just as important to leverage our PR skills to cultivate our careers as well.  By creating a brand for ourselves, Kleiman and Cooper say we can develop our careers and create a professional image for successful advancement.  Their website summarizes topics covered in their book:

In one of the toughest job markets in more than 20 years, with the unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, as well as dwindling job openings and promotion opportunities, standing out and making a good impression is more vital than ever.  This helpful, easy-to-follow guide shows anyone looking to land a new job, attract freelance assignments, stay essential in a current position or get that coveted promotion how they can use PR skills to achieve their goals.

Written by two seasoned public relations professionals, Jessica Kleiman and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper, Be Your Own Best Publicist: How To Use PR Techniques To Get Noticed, Get Hired & Get Rewarded At Work breaks down the fundamentals of PR and how they can be implemented to promote oneself.  Through humorous but informative anecdotes, tips and exercises, this book will arm people with the confidence, knowledge and tactics to help them market themselves in the workplace.

Grab your copy today!  Discussion for “Be Your Own Best Publicist” starts the first week of August.  Check with PRSA New Pros blog, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to join in the conversation.

If you missed the June discussion, it is not too late to join in!  Share your thoughts on “UnMarketing” here.

New Pros: What topics are you hoping Kleiman and Cooper cover?  Are there specific questions you hope are answered?

Professional Development Webinar: “Managing Up: Positioning Yourself for Success with Your Supervisor” with Ken Jacobs

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

As a young professional, “managing up” is probably something we have all encountered in the workplace, either from our own experiences or from those around us. Working with your boss to ensure you meet, even exceed, his/her needs so that you can ultimately work your way up in the company is smart. However, where is the line between going above expectations and “brown-nosing?” While you may be familiar with both, this topic is not one on which you took a college class. In “Managing Up: Positioning Yourself for Success with Your Supervisor,” trainer and consultant Ken Jacobs will help us all get a better grip on:

·    What “managing up” is and isn’t

·    Nine tips on how to manage up more effectively

·    How managing up benefits you

·    How to make your boss the best boss for you

The webinar starts at 2 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, July 7. Interested in learning a little more about Ken Jacobs? Check out his website.

Are you on the fence about spending the money to join us? We have a solution! Chances are you have a few other young professionals in your workplace. This particular topic is something all fields of work can benefit from, so consider collaborating with them and splitting the $35 fee. It gives you a nice, educational break from the daily grind and a chance to spend some more time with the other young professionals in your office!

So, what are you waiting for? Register here!

Ken Jacobs is the principal of Jacobs Communications Consulting, which helps public relations firms grow and manage business; improve client service and enhance client relationships; as well as increase staff performance, motivation, loyalty and retention. Jacobs Communications Consulting does so via training, consulting and coaching. Prior to launching his firm, Jacobs held leadership positions at Lippe Taylor, Maloney & Fox, Marina Maher Communications, Ogilvy Adams & Rinehart and Ogilvy & Mather PR. He blogs at http://kensviews.com