Career Advice

#ThrowbackThursday with Dorie Clark

Stephanie Vermillion Leave a comment

Editor’s note: This is part of our monthly #ThrowbackThursday series, which features a prominent, successful PR pro taking a look back and sharing tips from his/her days as a new pro. 

As the author of Stand Out, Dorie Clark knows a thing or two about – wait for it – standing out on the job.

Today, as part of our #ThrowbackThursday, Dorie shares how young PR pros can break through the clutter and excel in their future careers, with some tips and insights from her past.

Dorie ClarkSo, without further ado, meet Dorie Clark, and soak in her helpful career tips! 

Question 1: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a new professional and how did you overcome them?

Honestly, one of the hardest things for me was getting up in the morning in order to get to work on time! That sounds ridiculous, but adjusting from the free-floating schedule of grad school to the early mornings and “face time” requirements of the work world was rather difficult and dispiriting for me.

Once I became an entrepreneur, I realized it suited my temperament much better, because you can set your own hours, avoid office politics, and you have the interesting and life-affirming challenge of being responsible for surviving through your own wits and mettle (i.e., your business development skills).

I also had a lot of career setbacks early on, including being laid off as a journalist and working as a spokesperson on two prominent political campaigns – only to have them both lose.

I had to keep reinventing and rebranding myself, a process I chronicled in my first book, Reinventing You. Eventually, nine years ago, I started my own marketing strategy consultancy, and have been writing, speaking, consulting, and teaching business school since then.

Question 2: What advice would you give to new college graduates looking for their first jobs?

Start creating content. You may have had some internships, and it’s a great idea to do so, but in general your resume isn’t going to look that much different from other recent grads – and prospective employers won’t necessarily be convinced you know applicable workplace skills, even if you got an A in your marketing or PR class.

Instead, differentiate yourself by sharing your ideas, whether it’s through blogging, creating videos or a podcast, or curating a knowledgeable social media feed.

That signals to employers that you’re truly interested in the profession, are familiar with the issues being talked about, and have something meaningful to say.

Question 3: As a young professional, how did you find ways to stand out in front of prospective employers and bosses?

One of the most important things I did was build my network. I wasn’t terribly strategic at the time; mostly it meant that I periodically invited people for coffee or lunch whom I liked and knew I should be keeping in touch with because I could learn from them and they were plugged into the worlds I wanted to enter (at the time, journalism and politics).

As I describe in my forthcoming e-book Stand Out Networking, after I’d been laid off from my newspaper reporting job, I was able to land a great gig thanks to Michael Goldman, who began as a source I’d call frequently for comment as a reporter, and with whom I developed a warm and friendly relationship. He was a political consultant and went to work for a gubernatorial candidate who needed a spokesperson ASAP, and since he knew I’d been laid off, he called me.

Similarly, I got to know Steve Grossman, at the time a local business owner in the Boston area, when I wrote an article about him. He was very involved in politics and several years later, he helped me secure a job as the spokesperson for a presidential campaign.

Investing in relationships is one of the most important things you can do, especially early on in your career. (Click to Tweet!)

Question 4: How can new college graduates uncover (then market) their unique values?

One of the best ways to discover your unique strengths and the value you bring is to think about how you’re different than most others in the field you’re aspiring to enter.

We tend to emphasize our commonalities – if you’re looking for a marketing job, then you highlight the fact that you were a marketing major.

That’s great, but remember: employers are looking at 100 or 1000 resumes, and they want to see something unique. Don’t be afraid to mention your minor in philosophy, or the fact that you grew up in Russia, or the chess championship you won. Smart employers know they need innovative perspectives and a different way of looking at the world.

I also created a free 42-page workbook that’s adapted from my new book Stand Out. It’s 139 questions that walk you through the process of discovering your unique ideas and then becoming recognized for them. It’s available to download for free on my website.

Question 5: If you could go back in time and give advice to yourself during your first year on the job, what would you say?

When I was working as a presidential campaign spokesperson, I managed a 13-person staff. I had an employee named Kumar who was right out of college, and once he worked for me, I realized what a great employee looked like – so if I had the chance to go back in time, I’d learn from Kumar and ask my boss the incredible question that he did: “What can I do to make your job easier?”

It was so simple, but as a boss, I was inordinately grateful: here was someone wanting to erase problems and stressors for me (of which there were many). And Kumar realized the highest and best use he had was to free up my time to focus on what mattered for the organization.

He earned my undying gratitude, and it made me want to keep giving him more and better responsibilities, because with that question and that attitude, he demonstrated his team spirit and desire to do whatever it took to help the organization. I wish I’d been that savvy early on!

About Dorie Clark

Dorie Clark is an Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the author of Reinventing You (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013) and Stand Out (Portfolio/Penguin, 2015). A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, she is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, TIME, and Entrepreneur. Recognized as a “branding expert” by the Associated Press, Inc., and Fortune, Clark is a marketing strategy consultant and speaker for clients including Google, Microsoft, Yale University, Fidelity, and the World Bank. You can follow her on Twitter @dorieclark and download her free 42-page Stand Out Self-Assessment Workbook.

#ThrowbackThursday with Paula Shugart

Stephanie Vermillion Leave a comment

Editor’s note: This is part of our monthly #ThrowbackThursday series, which features a prominent, successful PR pro taking a look back and sharing tips from his/her days as a new pro.

Miss Universe President Paula Shugart has made her way from San Diego, to Athens, Ohio, to Los Angeles and eventually found her way to New York City. How does one build a successful career and a solid group of connections while hopping coast to coast?Paula Shugart Headshot

We dug into some of the best advice from Paula for new professionals looking to make a splash and build their network:

Question 1: What was the best piece of advice you received from a mentor as a young professional?

The one thing that has always always stuck in my head was from a woman producer that hired me in 1986 for her show. She was great to work with, so I wanted her advice. She told me, “you can’t do anything for me, but always pay it forward. There’s going to be an opportunity in your life when you’re going to be able to help others. When that opportunity comes up, you’ve got to pay it forward.” That piece of advice has really stuck with me and it’s why I started the internship program with Miss Universe.

Question 2: When moving across country or to a new city, how did you build relationships in an unknown environment?

I moved around so much as a kid since my father was in the Navy that I think it was in my DNA of having to get used to a new place and meet new people. When I went back to LA after attending school at Ohio University, I really just had to suck it up and be fearless. I was panicked moving back since I was so focused on getting a job, but I reached out to my few connections I had from Ohio University. When it came down to it though, I was going door-to-door at the studio lots and just trying to get in and meet people – even though I was scared to death!

I made it a point to put myself out there to meet people and that’s how I got my first job. I took a receptionist position working with Kevin Bright just to get my foot in the door – little did I know he would go on to produce “Friends”! This was a starting point, and from there I started making more connections through friends of friends and building my network within the entertainment industry.

Question 3: What are some of the best methods of keeping in touch with connections?

There’s a lot of people I lost contact with over the years, but I’ve tried to keep in touch via social media, especially friends who are my age on Facebook! I can think of one friend who I started out in the industry with 30 years ago and hadn’t seen since then, but we re-connected on Facebook and it was just like the 30 years had never gone by!

Since I work closely with the intern program at Miss Universe, I love hearing from our past interns. It could be as simple as an email saying hello and sharing what’s going on in their life. I can think of one of our first interns who reached out to me about moving to LA and looking for work.  She was about living the same experience I did in the early eighties, and I was able to make some connections for her in the city. It all goes back to the woman 30 years ago telling me to pay it forward.

Question 4: What advice would you give to today’s young professionals?

Really be fearless. Take the risk or take the challenge – what’s the worst that’s going to happen? Step outside your comfort zone and really push yourself; I could not have been more uncomfortable stepping into this position with Miss Universe. You’re never going to regret the things you attempted or the things you did, but you will regret an opportunity you didn’t take.

More about Paula:

With more  than 30 years of experience in the television industry, Paula M. Shugart has been a driving force in entertainment television production for domestic and international audiences. As president of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), and producer of the MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA®, and MISS TEEN USA® pageants, Paula oversees all business transactions and is responsible for the production of the live, worldwide telecasts each year. She is also a mentor and role model to the company’s three title holders as they travel the globe as spokeswomen for several charitable alliances on behalf of MUO.

March 2015 #NPPRSA Twitter Chat Highlights: Preparing for a Crisis

Ashleigh Mavros 1 Comment

Twitter Chat 3-18 SquareWe’d like to thank everyone who participated in the March #NPPRSA Twitter chat as we discussed crisis communications–how to prepare and how to react.  We would especially like to thank Jonathan Bernstein, President of Bernstein Crisis Management.

Join us again on April 15 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 March chat? How can you prepare for your brand’s vulnerabilities before a crisis? What can you do to minimize damage once a crisis hits?

 

You can receive FREE New Professionals Section membership for PRSA throughout March!

Lauren Headshot 1.3MBLauren 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.

#ThrowbackThursday with Heather Whaling

Stephanie Vermillion Leave a comment

Heather w PhoneEditor’s note: This is the second post in our monthly #ThrowbackThursday series, which features a prominent, successful PR pro taking a look back and sharing tips from his/her days as a new pro. 

Are you following Heather Whaling on social media? You should be. Consistently making her way onto “Best PR Pros You Should be Following” lists on PR News , Cision and The Muse – just to name a few – Heather is making her mark on the social media industry.

She’s the president and founder of Geben Communication in Columbus, Ohio, co-moderator of the weekly social media #pr20chat Twitter chat and runs one of the most popular social media blogs in the industry – prTini. 

As an admired professional in the social media industry, we take a look at Heather’s thoughts on her early beginnings (MySpace!) and how she’s not only kept up, but thrived, within the ever-changing industry.

Question 1: What were the first social media platforms you ever used, whether for personal or professional use? How did you predict these channels would develop?

If we’re not counting things like AOL Chatrooms, then my first social platform – in terms of how we think about social now – was MySpace. I hadn’t totally bought into social, so my friends actually created my MySpace profile for me.

Who knew I’d be dragged into MySpace and then go on to make a career out of helping brands excel in a social world!

Question 2: How did you stay knowledgeable and updated on the fast-paced world of social media as a young professional?

When I first started incorporating social media as an extension of PR, I was the director of PR for an agency in Orlando. They gave me a lot of freedom to research and experiment. After we did some internal testing and iterating, we offered our services pro bono to a few nonprofits.

We learned a lot and those nonprofits were seen as early adopters and maximized the benefits of being “first” in their market. Learning by doing is incredibly helpful (Click to Tweet!).

Then and now, I try to read as much as possible. I also carefully curate Twitter lists to help me find really great content that I may otherwise miss.

Question 3: As a young professional, how did you work with clients or brands that were resistant to new social media and digital trends?

When you pitch an amazing idea to a client, it’s tough to stay energized and engaged if the client shoots down the idea.

But, instead of getting frustrated, take a step back and try to understand WHY the client is resistant. Once you understand the apprehension, then you can develop a way to get them on board.

You may need to start small – perhaps a pilot program – before they’re ready to go all-in on a social/digital strategy. Stay focused on the big picture goals. Help them understand how this social thing you’re proposing will help them achieve the goals they’ve already prioritized.

It can also be helpful to present skeptical clients with research or case studies that show how similar companies approach social and the value it provides their organization.

Question 4: What has been your most memorable campaign or program that has embodied effective social media strategy?

At Geben, we’ve had the opportunity to develop and implement a number of social media campaigns. That said, I still think the best efforts integrate traditional and digital PR to maximize the value and outcomes, but I digress …

Here are a few of my favorite campaigns (with case studies if you want to learn more details!)

Question 5: If you could go back five years and tell yourself anything about the way social media would transform the communications industry, what would it be?

I started my company just over five years ago, making a big bet on the fact that social media would radically transform PR and open new doors for a fresh approach to traditional PR best practices. Thankfully, I made the right bet!

Looking back, I’d tell myself to get ready to meet some of the nicest, most helpful people. I’m always amazed at how the people I’ve met through Twitter and other social channels are so willing to make introductions, send you new business leads and generally root for you.

The social community’s generosity is incredible. I’d also tell myself to hang on for a wild ride and to embrace the crazy ( — one of our House Rules!)

More about Heather:

As president of Geben Communication, Heather Whaling (aka @prTini) leads new business development and client strategy. An avid Twitter user, Heather can trace 75% of Geben’s business back to relationships that began online. This ability to turn social networking into business outcomes has helped Geben evolve into a highly respected, sought-after, award-winning PR firm. In addition to helping clients secure coverage in a range of high-profile media outlets – from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal … to Huffington Post and TechCrunch – Heather has been quoted in Inc.com, Entrepreneur  and BusinessWeek about technology’s impact on communication and business.

Heather was selected as one of Columbus Business First’s “Forty Under 40” and named one of Columbus’s top 10 entrepreneurs by The Metropreneur. She also serves on the Board of Directors for The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio.

Heather was one of five women bloggers to join Fairwinds Trading and Macy’s in Haiti in March 2010 to learn about the “Heart of Haiti” economic development initiative. She was also one of three social media correspondents selected by Outback Steakhouse to document the 2012 Outback Bowl via social media.

Why De-Busying Yourself Should Be Your New Years Resolution

Lauren Gray Leave a comment

6780743295_889e07e1a7_bThere are approximately 500,000 words in the English language. How we weave those words together in sentences with one another is what many call “the art of communication.” Or should I say, the lost art of communication?

How many times have you replied, “I’m good” when really, last week a rock shattered your windshield so you’ve been eating pb&j’s to afford rent? And how many times have you gone to dinner with a friend (or worse, a date) only to have their cellphone receive its own placemat; as if silently saying, “I’m here for you. But I’m also here for my 600+ network of friends, should anyone message me.” A phone call or handwritten note is becoming so rare that most people don’t even know what to do when they get one. Sadly, the art of communication is a dying trade, and though we don’t like to admit it, we and our busy schedules are to blame.

You wake up: Emails. Brush teeth: Facebook. Riding around: Snapchat. Drink coffee: Google Alerts. *Cue Beyoncé* Do you wake up like this? Many of us have fallen prey to the idea that always being accessible simplifies our lives in saving us time, and provides us with better access to, and thus improves, our level of communication.

However, in reality, constant connectivity deteriorates and distracts much more than it builds. In a study conducted by University of Utah psychology professor David Strayer, 1,000 individuals were put through a series of cognitive and motor skill tests to determine who could be truly capable of multitasking. In the end, only two people passed. TWO. That means on average, 98% of people cannot devote their care and attention to more than one person or situation at a time without deteriorating their original quality of focus.

Despite this somewhat depressing fact, the average person tends to overrate their ability to multitask and/or believes, from practice makes perfect, a light bulb will suddenly illuminate the way to mastering the Rubik’s cube of multitasking. When in reality, Strayer’s same study showed that those who regularly engaged in multiple activities at once were worse at it than occasional offenders. [If you’d like to take the experiment’s electronic test and shatter your illusion of ever being a said “supertasker,” click here.]

It’s no secret our society is over-stimulated. Between the constant bombardment of pop-up ads, Facebook check-ins and Candy Crush invitations, we rarely leave ourselves idle time. Yet, perhaps even worse lies in how we’ve created a sort of silent competition of who can do the most, see the most, BE the most. It’s as though the longer your laundry list of events and to-do’s, the higher you rank on the social status o-meter. Busy has become synonymous with important, and who doesn’t want that? But, our attention has stretched so thin from always looking forward to what’s next that we forget how to see what’s standing right in front of us.

If we are too busy for something as simple as laundry, how can we expect to make time for friends and fostering relationships? Humor me for a second and think; when was the last time you called (not texted) someone on their birthday? Or took the time to give your best friend a pep talk before their big interview? These meaningful moments and opportunities to build deep connections are what we trade in when we overrun our schedules with busyness for the sake of busyness. As much as our devices and determination might argue otherwise, it’s time to admit that we can’t do everything; and inevitably things (and often people) will fall through the cracks, in both our personal and professional lives.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received was from someone who said plainly, “don’t confuse action with traction.” We pour so much time, energy and emotion into doing a-z, but how many of these things actually propel us in a direction we’d like to be going? Toward reaching a goal, toward happiness, toward connecting with others on a sincere level or simply toward becoming a better person? As the New Year begins, step away from the laptops, the ringtones and the calendar reminders and ask yourself, how do you want to be in this world? Not who do you want to be, or what; just how. And whatever your answer, don’t be afraid to go out and do just that!

rsz_megan_nicole_oneal_headshotMegan O’Neal graduated from UCLA in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, emphasizing in mass communications. She is currently the PR Coordinator at Marketing Design Group and volunteers with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, freelancing for the public relations department. Connect with her on Twitter @megannenicole.