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professional development…Mentorship: What New Pros Have to Offer by Sommer Caraway

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Throughout my life, I’ve been advised that I should always have a mentor and be a mentor.  When I first joined PRSA, a mentor program is something I searched for but found was nonexistent.  Shortly thereafter, I became a Phoenix PRSA New Pros leader and about a year ago, we divided our responsibilities into two keys areas: events and mentorship.  A passionate advocate of the latter, I was tasked with developing a mentor program, in which we New Pros would mentor others.

We developed the first mentor program between the PRSSA students at Arizona State University with the goal to simply bridge the gap between the academic and professional worlds.

We set small goals, knowing that we could build on them later. The PRSSA liaison (a PRSA member) and I decided to pair up New Pros group leaders with the student leaders.  We would try it for a semester and if it worked, we hoped word-of-mouth would yield greater participation the next semester.

So I sent out mentor and mentee interest forms to the most active New Pros and to the PRSSA president. To our surprise, 14 students signed up to be mentees the first semester!

We designed the mentor program to be informal so that people wouldn’t feel the time commitment was unattainable. For one semester, every other month, pairs were to meet one-on-one; on the off months, all pairs would meet as a group.

Because of the commitment of the PRSSA leaders and the gracious mentors, the program has been a success, and we look forward to implementing it again this year!

Thinking of starting a New Pros/PRSSA Mentor group? Here are five ideas for group meetings to get you started:

  1. Plan a kick-off happy hour (with options for students under 21, of course!) to discuss the importance of mentoring, expectations and topics students care about.
  2. Schedule a volunteer group event in lieu of a happy hour so mentors and mentees get to know one another outside of work.
  3. Pair up with the local Master’s SIG for a “speed mentoring” event that includes students, New Pros and seasoned pros.
  4. Offer a Shadow Day so students can see PR in action at local agencies and corporations. Encourage mentors to schedule a group lunch the same day so mentees can discuss what they learned.
  5. Plan a holiday, spring or graduation party to conclude the semester of mentoring. Host at someone’s house for a casual, fun celebration!

Sommer Caraway is a public relations professional in Arizona and a New Pros Committee Leader in Phoenix PRSA.  She may be reached at sommercaraway@yahoo.com.

your pr career…10 Steps for Successful New PR Professional Networking by Crystal Olig

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As a student studying communications, public relations, marketing or advertising it’s critical that you buckle down not only on your studies – but your networking skills – to get ahead and land your dream job after graduation. If you’ve graduated and landed your first full-time gig, networking is a crucial component for advancing in your career.

Headed to a networking event or not sure how to follow up with pros you’ve met at a PRSA meeting? This guide will give you tips to get and keep pros’ attention, helping you stay top-of-mind for them as you pursue internships and job opportunities with them after graduation.

1. Attend events. Get to as many as you can, as soon as you can. Along with PRSSA or other student clubs, get out to association meetings of the American Marketing Association (AMA), the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Advertising Federation of America (AdFed).

2. Dress smart. Business casual means no jeans or flip flops, and ladies, make sure you’re covered up. It’s a creative industry, so personality is important in how you dress. Be comfortable – it shows if you’re uncomfortable because you can’t breathe in that high-waisted skirt or necktie.

3. Have a wingman – but don’t cling to them. When you’re starting out, it helps to have one other person to work the room with. However, you’re there to meet as many people as you can and have good conversations. You can’t do that if you’re sitting with your best friend from your freshman dorm in the back of the room, discussing the last episode of The Office.

4. Bring business cards. It’s crucial to have a business card, even if you produce them yourself or order cheap ones (VistaPrint.com offers your first 250 cards for free, you just pay for shipping). Make it an expression of your personal brand. Include your name, address, phone number, professional e-mail, Twitter handle, links to social networking profiles like LinkedIn or Brazen Careerist and your portfolio/web site.

5. Do your homework and bring your A-list. Check the event information to see if there are specific “have-to-meet” people coming to the event, make a list and make it your goal to meet all of them. Remember, it’s not all about star power. The CEO of your dream agency or a presenter who flew in from New York may not be able to do as much for you as a middle-level manager at a big local company who can meet you for coffee and discuss available positions.

6. Be on your game and participate in the conversation. Ask a question of the speaker at the end (but make sure it’s a smart one), engage people at your table about the topic of the day and in general be ready to think on your feet.

Be prepared to discuss a few hot topics and current campaigns you’ve read about in top advertising, marketing and PR industry publications/e-mail newsletters* to which you subscribe. If you’re not already reading or receiving industry news (many publications are free or have free RSS feeds on their Web sites), you should be.

Check out the list at the end of this handout for a sample list of publications to start reading now. Reading industry news for just a few minutes a day will make you seem super smart at your next big networking event!

7. Get your questions ready. Create a set of questions you can use as conversation-starters with professionals. It’s your responsibility to get those chats started, not theirs. Especially if you’re the kind of person that gets tongue-tied in stressful situations, do an awesome job of this and you’ll amp up your star qualities and shine in a room of people.

8. Follow up. The most important part of networking at events starts when you leave, with business cards and Twitter handles of more experienced pros. E-mailing is the most professional way to follow up, though if you had a great conversation and feel confident calling or sending a Twitter direct message, pros may admire your proactive approach. You should walk out of every event with at least three people to talk to afterwards.

9. Ask to meet up again. It all depends on what you talked to the person about at the event. It’s always safe to say, “I was so pleased to meet you at X event, and would love to just learn more about what you do at X company. Would you give me a few minutes of your time to meet for coffee or lunch sometime?”

Be interested in pros and they’ll be flattered and willing to give you a little of their precious time. If you’ve had a conversation about you, ask for an informational interview and see if they will review your resume or portfolio in a brief session. That said, don’t pester: if they don’t respond in a week, try again.

10. Be genuinely appreciative. Writing a thank you note within three days of meeting a pro for coffee, lunch or an informational interview is essential. Handwritten and postal mail is a classic, safe way to go. E-mail can be ok if the person is near your age, if your meeting was very casual or you know the person communicates strictly online and never checks their mail at the office.

Thank them for their time, mention something you learned from them and ask for any additional contact or connections. For example, “I hope you’ll think of me if any entry-level positions open up,” or “I’ll watch for you at the next PRSA event, and keep you in the loop about my job search,” or “If you can think of anyone else you think I would benefit from meeting, I’d really appreciate it.”

*PRSA Tactics and The Strategist, Bulldog Reporter, PR Week, Advertising Age, Media Post, Media Bistro, Ragan Communications, Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s WOMMA Word, PR News, all local industry associations like the American Marketing Association(AMA) and International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Columbus Business First, Communication Arts, Creativity Online

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CRYSTAL OLIG is the former Phoenix PRSA New Pros Committee Chair and is a current Central Ohio PRSA University Liaison committee member. She is an account manager with Oxiem Marketing Technology. She can be reached at colig[at]oxiem.com or through @sparklegem on Twitter, linkedin.com/in/crystalaolig, or the whY genY blog.

The Changing of the Guard – New Professionals Section Relaunches Blog…

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We’re Back! It’s that time of year again folks, where the old Board is ushered out and we say hello to the newly appointed 2010 New Professionals Section leadership. But before we introduce ourselves, we would like to thank last year’s Board for their time and hard work in making this blog and the New Pros section such a success!

As your newly appointed Communication Co-Chairs (the people who manage this great blog), we would like to express how excited we are to serve you! The New Pro’s blog was created to be a resource for young professionals and communications-focused students and we can’t wait to bring you posts on the latest industry trends and technologies, PR best practices, and other topics to help jump-start and navigate your New Pro career.

Along with providing the best-in-class reading in which you have become accustomed, we will be launching some great new features this year:

“Intro to…” Series – We have all wondered what it would be like to work in our dream industries (for Andi it was always the fashion industry!), but many of us don’t know the first thing about how to break-in. For the “Intro to…” series, we will profile a new industry each month (i.e. corporate, agency, non-profit, entertainment, travel, fashion and more) and report on industry-specific PR challenges, the glamorous and not so glamorous aspects of the industry, important skills to possess and tips on how new professionals can break-in and find a job.

Summer Book Club – May through August, we will be reading and reviewing the top books every New Pro should crack open. If you’re looking for a great book to read when sunbathing this summer, stop back in for our recommendations!

Now a little about us!

Andi Wilmes directs the PR and marketing activities of Beringea, Michigan’s largest venture capital firm located in Detroit.

Brian Camen is a brand new Illinois resident. He left higher education PR and the sunny skies of Arizona behind to work in digital media at Weber Shandwick in downtown Chicago.

We really hope you get a lot out of this blog. If there is a topic you want us to cover or if you’re interested in writing a guest blog post, don’t hesitate to contact us! We are always looking for new and experienced pros to share their experiences, lessons and expertise.

If reading this blog doesn’t provide you with your fill of New Pro info, feel free to visit the New Professionals on Facebook and LinkedIn.

professional development teleseminar… Developing portfolios for your dream career (Jan. 13, 2010)

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The New Pros of PRSA’s 2010 resolution is to continue delivering professional development opportunities on topics that you’ve asked for. This time, we’ve invited Heather Huhman to lead next week’s teleseminar on portfolio development for your dream career. (Register and get more information for the teleseminar here.)

Heather Huhman, founder and president of Come Recommended, is passionate about helping new professionals and recent college graduates pursue their dream careers. Huhman is currently a daily entry-level careers columnist at Examiner.com, a career expert for the CAREEREALISM Twitter Advice Project, as well as a contributor to other professional development outlets.

We asked Heather to tell us a little about opportunities and challenges she sees for new professionals in 2010.

1. What are some opportunities and challenges that New Pros will face in the 2010 job market?

The job market in 2010 will be competitive. New Professionals will have to stand out over other candidates, and go above and beyond just having a normal resume. They will need to utilize technology to present the best aspects of themselves to potential employers.

2. What is a professional brand and why is it important?

A professional brand is a strategic way to stand out by presenting your work experience to potential employers. Having your own brand is important because in this competitive job market, it will hopefully aid in landing your dream job.

3. Why should a PR professional have a career portfolio?

A career portfolio is an important way to demonstrate your accomplishments and skills. It’s a way to show – rather than tell – potential employers what you have to offer. Through online tools such as VisualCV, you can share your hard work and market yourself before a job even opens up.

Along with a portfolio, connecting and networking with others will be essential. Seek out recruiters on Twitter and follow them. Contribute to their conversation and demonstrate your qualifications, and you may impress them.

4. What drives your passion for helping young professionals pursue their dream careers?

As the oldest child in my family, I did not have anyone to guide me through the trials and tribulations of developing my career. Now, as an experienced hiring manager and someone who has been in nearly every employment-related situation imaginable, I am serving as that much-needed guide for others.

I feel like I know and understand the needs of today’s employers and internship and entry-level job seekers. My expertise in this area led to my position as Examiner.com’s entry-level careers columnist in mid-2008. The daily, national column educates high school students through recent college graduates about how to find, land and succeed at internships and entry-level jobs.

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Heather Huhman will be instructing our New Pros of PRSA teleseminar, How to Position Yourself for your Dream Job on January 13, 2010 at 3pm EST. Get more information or register here.

professional development event… What’s at PRSA International Conference for New Pros?

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PRSA International Conference is in less than one month! The event kicks off Saturday, November 7, and we want you to know that in the midst of advanced sessions there are several programs designed with New Pros in mind!

Ron Culp is Partner and Managing Director at Ketchum, and on Tuesday, November 10,  at Conference he’ll present at the New Pros sponsored session, “View From the Top: How Young Talent Can Stand Out”. Ron’s experience in communications spans journalism, media relations, corporate communications, government affairs, and agency management. His session at Conference will discuss

How do you keep your boss informed of your successes (without being obnoxious)? How do you get help from management in reaching your goals? Learn what senior leaders of the public relations profession recommend in order for young practitioners to succeed. Get recommendations from top agency and corporate leaders, and hear from young professionals who are progressing well in their public relations careers.

We caught up with Mr. Culp for some good ole Q&A, and here it is!  (We’ll post a list with more Conference  events for New Pros on our LinkedIN and Facebook pages too, so check them out.)

1. One idea you’ll address at the session is “How to keep your boss informed of successes without being obnoxious”. How do new and young professionals miss opportunities to gain recognition for their success?

Young professionals, especially at the entry level, walk a fine line between looking too ambitious and not appearing appropriately engaged. The pace of most workplaces doesn’t foster many opportunities for feedback at the moment work is performed. Sometimes a superficial “thank you” is all that anyone receives. After doing what they consider to be a good job on a major project, it is entirely appropriate to ask for feedback. In so doing, point out key findings that surfaced in the assignment and ask for the boss’ point of view. Don’t do all the talking in an effort to impress. We have a saying in the agency:  “When you’re talking, the client is judging; when they are talking, they’re buying.”

2. Another topic of discussion will be How to get help from management to reach goals. Do you think New Pros have a tendency to avoid engaging management to help them achieve their goals more so than do more seasoned pros?

Trust in and from your boss must be established before any attempt to become engaged in career goals discussion. I have found that most bosses that I trust and admired would start the conversation, not the other way around. Premature career goal discussions can send the wrong signals, especially if you haven’t established a track record of successfully completing a number of assignments. I normally recommend waiting for a year before such discussions. By then, you should have received some positive signals that provide signals that your boss is actively interested in your long-term success.

3. What information are you most excited about sharing during the event?

Former PRSSA national chair Kevin Saghy and I have interviewed nearly two dozen individuals to gain their perspectives on how young talent can stand out in corporate and agency PR jobs. I’m eager to share the points of view from 12 seasoned PR executives who run significant PR operations, and Kevin will compare their responses with feedback from a dozen of his Millennial colleagues who are now in the early stages of their careers.

5. How can NPs get the most out of their experience at International Conference?

Network.  Network.  Network.  You’re already ahead of the game of most of your peers by simply attending this conference.  Treat every person you meet with equal enthusiasm and interest.  I promise that someone you met here will emerge later in your professional life as a potential colleague, mentor, reference or boss.