It might sound glamorous to move to the big city lights, or conversely romantic to exit urban trials for a small-town life, but there are challenges for PR pros whose networks are lifeblood. Moving means your local personal bucket of journalists, sponsors, donors, and colleagues once again must be filled. But sometimes, life in a new city comes after you – a new opportunity, spouse’s transfer, family responsibilities or a need for a fresh start – and you wind up in a new place, looking for a new job in PR.

For me, my husband’s promotion meant leaving sunny Phoenix for the upbeat Midwestern city of Columbus, Ohio (Following college in Nebraska, moving to Denver, then to Phoenix – all in the first five years of my career). After some months of serious searching, I happily settled into a new job and iteration of my PR career, translating my media skills into the digital world at Oxiem.

Here’s how I did it, and how you can, too.

1. Get the lay of the land – Chamber packages, local Convention and Visitor’s Bureaus and American Business Journal newspapers’ Books of Lists can be fantastic resources to help you understand the local ecosystem. Who are the biggest employers? What are the leading industries? Finding out will help you ground yourself in the landscape and understand where you might fit.
2. Lurk online first – One of the best parts about social networking is that you don’t have to be in the same physical location to interact with people. Lurking around the Twitterverse, scouring LinkedIn and friending forgotten college friends on Facebook can help you start virtually growing your networks. The first people I asked to meet up face to face when I moved were people I knew through Twitter.
3. Start networking early, even before the move – Find out as much as you can as soon as you can, so that when you land in your new spot you can hit the ground running. This could be as early as an exploratory weekend trip or home-finding expedition. Squeeze in a few coffees and lunches with people you’ve interacted with online. They’ll be impressed at your early proactivity.
4. Join groups and participate in associations and seminars – While most of us attend industry events as our work schedules allow, when you’re new, try to hit as many as humanly possible. Sitting at a table with a stranger automatically connects you, and eliminates the need to reach out online or through a contact. Costs can be prohibitive if you’re not currently working, but don’t be afraid to ask if there is a discounted rate for unemployed pros or if you can pay the student price. Today, it’s not uncommon.
5. Be the most outgoing version of yourself – For a few months at least, be the most gregarious you possibly can be. You don’t have to be the life of the party, but you do have to be memorable. Play up whatever makes you most interesting – research background, foreign travel, hobbies or talents. People will be interested in you if you demonstrate passion and ability to connect with others.

   My rule is that I can’t say no to any invitation, be it professional or social, for the first year in a new city. Even if you don’t connect personally with the person who invited you, they might have awesome friends or coworkers.

6. Give back even before you have been given anything – When you’re new, you have to earn people’s trust and time drop by drop. They’ll be more interested in you if you can show you’ve already gotten involved in your new city and are trying to use your skills for the greater good. Volunteering, planning charity events, doing pro bono PR work, or joining a committee can help.
7. Play the newbie card liberally – The great thing about being new is it’s a free pass to reach out to connections. You don’t need a reason other than trying to learn about local media, agencies or companies. I can’t tell you how many times I discussed what suburbs were best, local Columbus attractions, and the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. my alma mater’s team, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Your fresh eyes and new perspective are always of interest to locals, so they’ll want to hear about your take on their town as well.

New professionals have an advantage in today’s economy because of our mobility. We can pick up and move for a job when others can’t, and most of us are excited to gain life and career experiences in a new place. All it takes is to make that first big, scary step off the ledge. When you land, follow this guide and you might find the fall wasn’t so far after all.

CRYSTAL OLIG is National PRSA New Pros Chair for Chapter Development, Sponsorship & Mentorship, a current Central Ohio PRSA University Liaison committee member, and the former Phoenix PRSA New Pros Committee Chai. 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 through her whY genY blog.

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.