Intro to series… Government/Military Public Affairs

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We recently had the opportuntiy to interview Barbara Burfeind, APR, Strategic Communication Director for Defense Visual Information about governemnt/military public affairs. Burfeind has spent 19 years in Public Affairs and is the Immediate Past President of the PRSA National Capital Chapter. Here is our interview:

New Pros: What is the work environment like?
Barbara Burfeind: I work in an office environment with a mix of military, government civilians, and contractors. We all cross paths informally on a daily basis and there are weekly scheduled staff meetings with the deputy directors and/or the directors. Much of the time in the office is spent on the computer working on email, planning, and drafting documents and briefings. My other time is spent attending meetings and traveling to meet with other organizations for briefing and/or training on Visual Information.

Who are your “clients”?
Our key customer (who uses the DoD imagery acquired by military photographers in the field) is the Department of Defense – to include the militaryServices, the Joint Force, and the Combatant Commands. Other users include the interagency, such as the State Department. Our website is also used by the general public.

Are there specific PR activities you do often?
Yes, to include branding of our organization’s imagery capabilities, writing a strategic plan and drafting informational/training briefings on our organization. I also coordinate the presentations and visits with our users to obtain feedback for assessment purposes.

Are there specific PR activities you do not typically do?
I no longer do media relations or press interaction on a regular basis.

What other activities are important in this industry?
Research, analysis, evaluation and assessment are becoming more important than ever to linking activities and programs to strategic goals and objectives. Bottom line, more organizations want to know what PR/PA provides – the return on investment.

What are the industry-specific challenges?
Keeping up with technology and time – there’s so much technology and there’s never enough time. So you have to hone your abilities in prioritization and focusing on both the immediate task and the big picture.

What might be surprising to learn about this industry?
The PR industry can be a very small world. You can be in another country and meet past colleagues there. And no matter what area of PR or Public Affairs one chooses, there is a lot of commonality.  The basics still apply across the board.

What kind of non-PR skills and courses are important/beneficial?
Other languages and international/cultural awareness. Both bring an expanded perspective and also expand where you can work. Other non-PR skills include business and finance skills, especially in planning budgets and justifying costs, as well as human resource management and working with contractors.

What specific tips can you provide to help new pros find a job?
Tailor your cover letter and resume for every job application. Take the initiative and network with people from organizations you would want to work for, researching the organization and asking what it’s like working there, but without expectation of a job. Practice your elevator speech at every opportunity – your oral skills are just as important as your written skills. The key is to ask questions and look for opportunities.

Making networking strides by taking baby steps by Brian Camen

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Times are tough, and unemployment is still high (9.7% in March 2010). Whether it’s entry-level or non entry-level, a lot of public relations pros are looking for a position. In my opinion, real-life networking is still the most beneficial, followed by online networking. Here are a few easy baby steps to help networking jacks hunt for PR jobs.

1)      Get a Book of Top/Best Companies – Networking only works if you have someone with whom to network. A book of top companies could help you create a networking wish list. You can look up the top 25 or so PR agencies in your area, or you can use these resources to look up top companies in a specific industry, such as health/beauty or tourism.

2)      Harness the Power of PR to Make Contact –Starting with your list of 25 to 50 companies, go online and look for open positions. If there are none, contact their PR department directly. How? Every company website lists media relations contacts. (Things looking clearer now?) If there’s not a position open, use this opportunity to set up an informational interview.

3)      Be Yourself – How many times have you seen people act like a king when they try to network? There is no need to try to be someone different. In real-life or online, your networking personality should match who you really are.

When it comes to looking for PR jobs, don’t forget you can tap into a networking strategy, such as this one, without going to a networking event. By combining online and in-person networking, the job seeing jack will have his day.

BRIAN CAMEN is an Account Executive at a public relations agency in Chicago. Read his blog The PR Practitioner (http://www.theprpractitioner.com). He can be reached at brian.camen@gmail.com or @BrianCamen

networking… “What do you do?” and Why Your Answer is Wrong by Janet Krenn

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Networking. It’s how you can get a job. It’s how you can self-promote. It’s important in every profession. For many of us, networking is a mystery. I mean, how do you go from “hello” to getting a job? How do you go from “nice to meet you” to let’s collaborate?

My local PRSA chapter held a speed networking event last month, and it opened my eyes! The speaker presented on “Make Your Contacts Count: Networking know-how for business and career success” by Anne Barber and Lynne Waymon, and I foudn that I have been giving the wrong answer to the very first question asked in any networking conversation–“What do you do?”

By giving one of the two popular incorrect answers, I’ve been missing opportunities to describe my value, achievements, and goals. Instead, I provided meaningless, but easy, responses. In short, I’ve been failing at personal branding.

Wrong Answer #1: I work for a company.

I used to say, “I work for McDougal Littell” and those in the textbook publishing industry were usually impressed. Maybe you work for GE, and you know that dropping the company name will sound impressive. But the company name doesn’t promote you and your strengths. In the first minutes of conversation, I neglected to give my conversation partner any interesting information. What if they’ve never heard of your company before? Will you have to spend valuable networking time explaining the company rather than your own value?

Wrong Answer #2: I am a job title.

No matter how much you like your job, you are not your job title. How many other people are in PR? Thousands! By saying you are a job title, all of your achievements and goals, the reasons why someone should want to work with you, are hidden. Will an answer like, “I’m an account manager” get you recommended for job openings? Probably not.

Right Answers are Descriptive

I can much more easily point out the wrong answers than to give you a blanket “right” one. Basically, you want to give a quick, descriptive answer that is achievement driven (what have you accomplished? how have you accomplished it?), goal oriented (what are your goals when you enter the office? what are your long term goals?), value-added (what value do you have as an employee? what are your strengths?), and inspire questions (will your descriptive answer lead the conversation to those probing questions that will help you reveal your value, achievements, and goals?).

Myself as an Example

As I said, I used to answer “What do you do?” with lack-luster answers, such as, “I work for Virginia Sea Grant” or “I am a communicator.”

After more thought, I’ve started to elaborate to say, “I translate science to non-scientists.” But even this slightly more descriptive answer doesn’t explain the value of my skills well. So I kept adding, pruning, and rethinking my answer to the “What do you do” question, until I got to the answer at the end of this post.

What do you do?

Well, how might you answer this networking question to best show off your achievements, goals, and value? To celebrate our newly unlocked comments section of this blog (no log-in necessary to participate), write your own new-and-improved response to the What do you do? question.

—
JANET KRENN helps coastal industry, and communities make ecologically and economically sound decisions by translating science to non-scientists. (She is also your 2010 New Pros of PRSA Chair, and the past, 2009, Communication Chair. Follow her on Twitter @JanetKrenn or contact her janetqs(a)gmail.com)

professional development teleconference…Master’s Degree vs. APR (April 30, 2010)

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As PR professionals find it harder and harder to gain employment in these tough times, many are asking themselves if going back to school for a master’s degree will make them more competitive or would APR accreditation be the better option. To help us answer this question, we’ve invited Laura Reilly, APR, to talk about her passion for learning during this month’s Brown Bag teleconference on April 30.

Laura is currently the director of communications for the Georgia School Boards Association.  Laura is active with the Public Relations Society of America and is involved in the accreditation process with PRSA. In addition, Laura has earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in advertising and a Master of Journalism degree.

We spoke with Laura about some of her education decisions and asked her to share the experiences she’s gained from them.

1. How has obtaining a master’s degree benefited your career?

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising/Design and a Master of Journalism. The two disciplines have merged nicely during my career and assist greatly in all marketing and communications efforts.

2. How has obtaining APR accreditation benefited your career?

The song, “The Climb,” describes it nicely: It’s not about what’s on the other side, it’s about the climb. Earning and maintaining an APR can be a career-long experience. I learned a tremendous amount about public relations through the process and I continue to benefit greatly through my involvement as an APR panelist and the maintenance process.

3. What lessons have you learned during your career and how did you gain this knowledge?

I’ve learned many, but one that resonates continually is that we have to listen first in order to be heard. That applies to the practice of public relations in that we must do research first before committing to a plan of action. I used to be much more subtle in suggesting this to my bosses, etc., but today I’m very assertive about this belief. Engaging stakeholders in the process can be scary, but it is always worthwhile. I learned this first through graduate school and the APR process, and then by watching the negative consequences when this is not done.

4. Why did you decide to further your education?

As an advertising design specialist, I watched others in the agency business formulate entire communications and marketing strategies. I wanted to be at that level of the decision making process.

5. Why did you decided to get accredited in PR?

It is always important to continue learning. I engaged in the APR process after I had five years experience and it was perfect timing. Going through the process helped me recognize that we’re never through learning from others. I don’t care who you are and how long you’ve been doing this work, if you open yourself up to it you can continually experience new aspects of our profession.

Laura Reilly, APR will be instructing our New Pros of PRSA Brown Bag teleconference, “Master’s Degree vs. APR” on April 30, 2010 at 2pm EST. To register, click here.

Intro to series…Small Business PR by Janet Krenn

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Odds are, as a new PR professional you may find yourself working for a small business. What makes me say so? For starters, half of all private sector employees work for small businesses and small businesses generated 60 to 80 percent of new jobs, so says the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Many of these businesses need PR help. A small business might higher young talent to keep expenses down, and you, as the young talent, might be interested in the additional responsibility that comes with working for a small business.

When working for a small business, your employer is your client. Small businesses offer a lot of opportunity for new PR pros like you, who might gain access to projects and responsibilities you might not get at larger companies. On the other hand, the smaller the business, the more non-PR work you might be expected to do, anywhere from admin to marketing to taking out the trash.

The term “small business” is allusive. The U.S. SBA tailors its definition of “small business” based on industry, but typically small businesses have fewer than 500 employees and make fewer than $14 million. This covers a huge spectrum, and it has a bearing on what you can expect from working in at a particular small business.

For an idea of what it will be like to work for a small business, pay attention to the number of employees a company has.

What PR activities could you expect to do?

The smaller the company, the more likely that you’ll be asked to take on multiple PR tasks. For example, if you’re the only PR professional at a small business, you may be required to write press releases, conduct media relations, and work on internal communications. On the other hand, the larger the company, the more likely that you will have a well-defined role and might have specialized work.

What are industry-specific challenges?

The major challenge to small businesses is limited resources. This might mean you have to get creative with your project budget. It also means you may have to learn to go without something that you previously thought was non-negotiable.

Working for a small business can also pose a professional challenge. You will probably be challenged to develop a skill set that you lacked. You will probably be challenged to multitask several various projects and tasks on a regular basis.

What kind of non-PR coursework/skills/interests could be helpful?

Not only should be well-trained in writing and PR, it would be helpful for you to have some coursework in
(1) the specific industry in which the small business belongs. You may not know exactly what you want to do; you probably couldn’t predict exactly where you will end up working; so dabble in anything that seems interesting to you. If you’re still in school, don’t be afraid to use those elective credits to explore the world beyond PR.
(2) marketing and business. Working for a small business may mean that you will have to take on business and marketing functions as well as PR ones.
(3) design. Again, the smaller the business, the more odds and ends you’ll have to take on. Having an understanding of web and print design could go a long way in a company with no designer or one who is out sick in the middle of a pressing deadline.

How can I find a PR job in a small business?

In one word: Networking. The smaller the business the less likely they will (1) know how or where to advertise a position or (2) be willing to pay fees to advertise a position only to receive a grab bag of candidates. Aside from networking, check publications and websites that offer localized listings, as small businesses might be unable to pay relocation fees and instead hope to draw a pool of candidates that are already living in their area. Local small business associations and bureaus might be another good place to start.

Janet Krenn is a Sea Grant Communicator at Virginia Sea Grant.