5 Tips for Applying to Out-of-State Jobs

Lauren Gray 3 Comments

Many new grads are holding off on making a big move for a job – so much, in fact, that mobility is at the lowest level for young adults in more than 50 years.

This isn’t terribly surprising, as student loan obligations are soaring and job prospects and wages are stagnant at best. Many of us don’t feel that there are jobs worth moving 2,000 miles away from family and friends.

After sending resumes across the country and engaging in interviews with about six newsrooms outside of my home state of Virginia, I gathered a few tips for successfully applying out-of-state:

1. Do more research on the out-of-state jobs

The fact is, when you apply out-of-state you are unfamiliar with the job as well as the area. As such, you’ll need to double up on your research, particularly if you are looking for a communications or PR job where you would be interacting with local media and clients.

With your cover letter, show you’re not just applying to every single “media planner” job that comes your way by describing what it is about the area, its demographics, its market, etc., that stands out as a place for you to work. I pointed out unique aspects of the area’s business community or governmental structure.

2. Be upfront about your disadvantage  

Unfortunately your distance could be a disadvantage for many companies who have limited resources for training new hires. I was not afraid to directly acknowledge this in my cover letters. I always wrote, “As a Virginia native, I would be brand-new to X Town and Y state. But I would come to the job fully prepared to hit the ground running as a business and government reporter.” I also researched the heck out of the little desert town, to the point where I already had a list of sources in government and business to call on my first day.

3. Know why you want to move – beyond the job

Early on in the application process I received a phone call from a weekly newspaper in Oregon. The editor’s first words were, “So why the heck do you want to come to Oregon from Virginia? How do I know you won’t regret this and quit in a week?”

Have an answer to that question prepared for every application you fill out. I am a very independent person who felt very ready to leave the only state I had lived in or that particular Oregon town had a similar feel to my college town, but next to the ocean, which I love, for example. Employers are worried about investing in training you, but they also want you to be happy. Be confident in your decision to apply out-of-state and they’ll be more confident in you.

4. NETWORK!

I’ve seen people crowdsource Facebook, asking if anyone had a connection for them in a certain city because they were looking for work there. Any connection you can make helps. In fact, some companies only hire in-state, but your resume may still make the pile if it is handed in by a connection you have.

Don’t be afraid to cold-contact a relevant connection. Start thinking of every trip as a networking opportunity. Visiting your aunt for Easter and you wouldn’t mind working where she is? Find a few people via PRSA or LinkedIn who are in similar fields in that city. See if any of them can squeeze in a coffee meeting with you that weekend to give you an idea of the business climate and market there.

5. Start saving money NOW

Moving is expensive and fewer companies are offering moving reimbursement. Even before you get hired, you might have to fly yourself out for interviews. If you’re a college student or a post-grad waiting tables while living at home, save your money! You don’t want to receive a job offer from an amazing company only to have no idea how you’ll get from Point A to Point B. What’s better – that new smartphone right this second or being able to pay for electricity for the first few months in your new apartment in a new city?

 

Sara Mitchell is the communications manager for the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA). A Virginia native, she graduated from Virginia Tech in 2011 with a Political Science degree and Legal Studies concentration. Feel free to reach out through LinkedIn or at saraemitchell@gmail.com – especially if you want connections for a career in Los Angeles!

How To Keep Learning, Post SATs, GREs and GPAs:

Lauren Gray 3 Comments

When you were still in school, people spoke to you about every aspect of getting your degree. We received advice from guidance counselors, cousins, siblings and the too-involved next-door neighbors on exactly what to do to be a successful undergraduate.

In contrast, no one really talks about post-grad life. Suddenly you are handed free nights and weekends that were previously occupied with highlighters and quality time with Aristotle and Pavlov’s dogs, which is great. Yet people rarely vocalize that, after 8+ hours of work, along comes a tempting desire to fill that newfound time with Hell’s Kitchen and Netflix.  It’s arguably even more imperative, however, to continue learning and improving after college because this is real life. That said, here are three avenues that can help you fight off intellectual laziness and keep learning in these critical early career years:

1)   Read (a book) daily.

Always being “connected” works wonders on productivity. However, 24/7 connectivity can stifle your creative voice; when you have 25 tabs open at once, there aren’t many gigs left to run Photoshop. Reading a book before bed is how I mentally recharge my i-person. It doesn’t matter the genre (although I’d recommend reading all of those “classics” we never appreciated in high school); just take some time to wind down and end your day reading a story. A novel will engage your mind through plot twists and proper sentence structures and improve your writing through simple exposure. I think you’ll be surprised to see how impactful 30+ minutes of ringtone-free time will be on your creative thinking and brainstorming sessions the next day.

2)   Participate in webinars and LinkedIn groups.

Webinars are often a free resource that organizations produce for the public, created by highly respected individuals in the field. It is not often in life that people hand you something free that is also useful (flashback to mail-in shampoo and conditioner packets large enough to wash an eyebrow); take advantage of this gift!

Join LinkedIn groups on subjects you’d like to learn more about, such as PRSA New Professionals Section, PR Daily and Social Media Today. They send emails with helpful articles related to their field, as well as information on upcoming webinars. Most employers, when asked, encourage tuning in to webinars during your workday because it increases your knowledge and shows initiative and forward thinking. To those who work full-time and are unable to listen in while the webinar is live, still sign up for the webinar; the organizations will send out a recorded session (along with the presentation slides) after the webinar aired so that you can watch it from home. Don’t forget to take notes throughout the lesson so you can refer back to them later!

3)   Travel, and meet people along the way.

This may sound a little out of place, but let me explain. I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Granada, Spain and it was the most incredible learning experience of my life. The world is much larger than the local bubble we get accustomed to, and it’s all too easy to get bogged down in a work-gym-sleep routine and forget what else is out there. So set aside some time (and money) to travel and experience the world firsthand. Try new foods, visit that Hindu temple and meet people along the way. I guarantee that their life stories will offer you perspective that you never would have contemplated, and your world and understanding will be broadened because of it.

4)   Stay intellectually curious.

In our generation of tweeters, instagrammers and status updaters, we have plenty of opinionated speakers but a scarcity of unguarded listeners. Above all, to learn in life after college, I challenge you to be open-minded. Take the time to hear new ideas or constructive criticism. Don’t be afraid of change, and take chances!

Post-grad life gives us the luxury of no longer being “graded” on our every move. We should use this for all it’s worth, because in reality, the best way to learn how to do something right, is to fail at it first.  So do the homework (webinars) and the reading, and take every opportunity that presents itself, especially those outside of your comfort zone. Whether it’s visiting your friend who moved out to the boonies known as Arizona, taking on a new project at work that you’ve never tried before, or even as small as volunteering at a local charity/non-profit organization, it is worth the experience. You will be expanding your repertoire of various skillsets and growing as a person, which ultimately is the end goal. Because learning is really just another word for growing.

Stay curious, my friends.

How do you keep learning post graduation?

 

Megan O’Neal graduated from UCLA in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, emphasizing in mass communications. A self-proclaimed coffee addict and professional multi-tasker, she currently works as marketing and communications coordinator for SDA Security and volunteers with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, freelancing for the public relations department. Connect with her on Twitter @megannenicole.  

January Twitter Chat Highlights: Taking Your Career to the Next Level

Lauren Gray 2 Comments

Twitter Chat HighlightsWe’d like to thank everyone who participated in the January #NPPRSA Twitter chat to start off 2014 by discussing ways to step up your game in the workplace. We discussed some helpful topics this month including evaluating a company’s culture, how to prove the value of professional memberships to an employer and how to get up to speed quickly when assigned a new client.

Join us again on February 6 for our next #NPPRSA chat and stay up-to-date with PRSA New Professionals on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

Review highlights of the chat below. What did you learn from the January chat? How can you gain employer support of your professional development opportunities? In what ways can you increase collaboration with co-workers and other departments?

Lauren Rosenbaum

Lauren 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.

 

 

 

Adjusting to Office Life: “The Hunger Games” Edition

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

As young professionals we are awed by the strength and sharpness we see in Katniss Everdeen. Although the office may not exactly be a “kill or be killed” environment, there are plenty of lessons we can learn from our favorite heroine.

  1. Build Strong Alliances: Friendships at work can make the difference between happiness and burnout.  Social connections at work also boost productivity and passion in the workplace. It is important to build relationships with bosses and colleagues that will help you grow professionally. Build relationships with other departments and get to know as many people as possible. Much of Katniss’s success is due to the strong alliances she creates throughout the series.
  2. Always Be Prepared: Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone helps you to grow personally and professionally.  It is important to first gain credibility as a team player. Remember to keep yourself abreast of industry trends, continuously acquire new knowledge and accumulate evidence of all your hard work. Katniss was always prepared for what was ahead by remaining strategic and resourceful.
  3. Don’t Be Afraid to Make Sacrifices: Katniss volunteers to take the place of her younger sister and fearfully participates in the Hunger Games. Always remain as enthusiastic as possible, even when taking on many tasks or working with clients you may not yet understand. Taking on both small and large tasks with enthusiasm, staying at the office late when necessary and being mindful of deadlines are all important factors in establishing a stellar reputation with you supervisors and co-workers.
  4. Get Inspired From Your Desk: Staying motivated at work can be tough. Customizing your desk space can make a huge difference in keeping your energy and creativity up.  In the series, Katniss wears a  mockingjay pin to remind her of her friends and family at home. Display your own “mockingjay pin” in the form of a desk accessory. This can be a framed picture, inspirational or humorous desk calendar!
  5. Don’t Jump to Conclusions: It is important to gain the skills to lead, coordinate, and collaborate with others on work activities by always facilitating good communication. Don’t spend too much time analyzing the tone of an email or thinking about a coworker who seems unfriendly. In the workplace you will come across a lot of different management styles and personalities. Remember that some may find it difficult to express themselves and emails can be deceiving. Never be afraid to pick up the phone for better communication.

What are some of your tried and true tips for adjusting to office life as a new professional? “May the odds ever be in your favor!”

 

Magan Felitto is currently a freelance public relations professional, working with a major entertainment company in New York City. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology’s, Advertising & Marketing Communications program in Summer 2013 with four years of experience as Vice President of Chapter Development of her former PRSSA chapter and a plethora of internships under her belt. She is also a proud member of PRSA National, PRSA-New York, and PRSA New Professionals Section.  Ms. Felitto can be reached at MaganFelitto@gmail.com.

December Twitter Chat Highlights: Taming the Hype of 2014 Marketing Trends

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

Marketing Trends of 2014: Taming the HypeWe’d like to thank everyone who participated in the December #NPPRSA Twitter chat to close out 2013 by discussing what trends will be most important in 2014 and how we can leverage these in the public relations industry. We would also like to thank special guest Jay Baer, founder of Convince and Convert and author of The New York Times bestseller “Youtility,” for joining in and providing excellent insights.

Join us again for monthly #NPPRSA chats in the new year. Stay tuned for date and time announcements.

Review highlights of the chat below. What did you learn from the December chat? What trends will be significant for public relations in 2014? How can we best utilize these for strategic content marketing? Will PR need to incorporate sponsored or targeted messaging?

 


Lauren RosenbaumLauren Rosenbaum is the co-founder of Soversity, a public relations and digital marketing company. You can connect with her on Google+, LinkedIn or Twitter.