new professionals

My First Six Months in PR or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Job by Heather Sliwinski

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About one week into my job, I wondered if I oversold myself during my interviews. I’m not saying I lied—no one should ever lie in an interview—but I had to question if I made it clear that I had zero PR experience when I landed my first position at a PR agency in August.

I took the advertising and PR classes in college, toiled at the obligatory unpaid internships in marketing and promotions and gained more than two years of marketing experience after graduation. With that said, I still didn’t know what a media list or subject matter expert was.

I had a lot to learn, not only about our clients’ businesses, but also the business of PR; I was terrified.

I had more than a few sleepless nights in the beginning, worrying about how I was going to tackle my projects. But in the past six months, I’ve embraced agency life and realized that, when it came to my early fears, there was more than met the eye:

Phone pitching is daunting.

I’ve never been a big phone talker. Calling up complete strangers (reporters) and telling them to cover a story idea made me feel like a telemarketer. I couldn’t believe that this was a common practice in PR. Why would a reporter care about me, someone they’ve never met, and my client, a company they’ve never heard of? Little did I know, with a good story idea, a knowledgeable expert and some flexibility, reporters do care.

Phone pitching is part trial and error and part knowing your stuff. I still get intimidated by phone pitching, but when we have a great idea, know our client’s expertise and go into the call with the intent of having a conversation, the results are always positive.

Plus, reporters are just people, too.

Media lists are crucial.

If you start with the wrong reporter, your pitching will get you nowhere. My first media lists were terrible. I relied on Cision to tell me who to pitch, rather than going to the source and figuring out who would want to cover our story. Having reporter history and past articles is great ammo for pitching and makes having an intelligent conversation with a reporter much easier.

My colleagues had me work and rework the early media lists, partly because I didn’t know Cision could be wrong (I would say it’s 50/50 on being right/wrong about a reporter’s beat). I feel that I am getting better at gauging who would cover a story, and I still edit, add and delete as I get on the phone with folks.

Seeing red doesn’t make you a bad writer.

My roots are in journalism: up until sophomore year of college, I thought I was going to be a reporter. I have adequate knowledge of AP style and proper grammar. I’ve been published in a few outlets. I thought I was a decent writer. When I started writing for PR, I lost most of my confidence.

My press releases, emails, media alerts, pitches—anything I wrote, really—came back with red ink all over the page. Seeing all the edits was definitely a blow to my ego. In time, I’ve seen that seeing red actually makes you a better writer. Considering I came from marketing, I wasn’t expected to know how to write a pitch. My writing style was much more focused on sales for marketing purposes, where PR is more about featuring news. My writing evolved. I learned to dig deep into a pitch and figure out where the story is, and I see less and less red as a result.

Social media isn’t the devil.

After coming from a few corporate cultures where using social media at work is frowned upon, I was excited to see that not only was I allowed to use social media at work, it was encouraged! The transition was difficult in the beginning. I felt a little naughty, checking Twitter for updates, retweeting during the workday and actually responding to messages between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Social media is part of my job, and I’m expected to stay on top of the news, retweet important content and interact with journalists during the day. I’ve had a handful of pitches that have sprouted from a breaking news tweet or friendly correspondence with a reporter. You never know what future opportunity can come out of social media.

You always have something to bring to the table.

When I joined my agency, I didn’t know what a ProfNet was. I didn’t know how to use Cision. I didn’t know how to write an expert available pitch. I knew nothing about my clients. Having every task in your job be completely new can weigh heavily on you.

However, not knowing the PR ropes didn’t mean that I didn’t have unique skills to contribute. Being a relative news junkie, I was able to spot breaking news stories and find angles where our clients could comment. My background in marketing has lent to assisting one of our clients with a website revamp. Having knowledge of graphic design programs allows us to offer additional design services to our clients, if needed.

And, we all have ideas. I was reserved in meetings, reluctant to share my thoughts. What do I know? I’m the new kid—my colleagues are the experts. But, we all read different publications and have different skills, experiences and approaches to thinking. I try to share my opinion more now, since there is no ‘wrong’ in brainstorming. No matter your level of PR knowledge, the next big idea could be yours.

My first six months in PR were definitely a roller coaster. I’m still adjusting and always learning, which I don’t think will ever go away. If we’re lucky, we’ll keep adding new clients, changing the game all over again. PR is never dull, and much like snowflakes, no two days in PR are ever the same.

While the unknown of each day used to stress me out, I try not to waste my energy worrying about what I don’t know and instead revel in the small victories that make it all worthwhile: being ahead of breaking news to land our client in the New York Times, securing an interview with a Reuters reporter, watching our client on live TV at 7 in the morning.

Don’t you just love PR?

What were some of your biggest challenges when you started your first PR job? Did you recently transition to PR from another field? Share your experiences below!

Heather SliwinskiHeather Sliwinski is an account executive at KemperLesnik, a Chicago-based public relations agency, providing media relations and social media services to a variety of B2B clients. She has held positions in marketing and event planning for corporations, nonprofits and higher education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications with an emphasis in strategic communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sliwinski is the blog co-chair for the PRSA New Professionals Section. Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Never Stop Learning: Why Having a Mentor is Crucial as a Young Professional by Brandi Boatner and Kate Enos

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Albert Einstein once said, “”Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

Yes, we’ve checked the boxes: graduated from high school, received a diploma in college and got our first, second or third job. But that doesn’t mean learning should ever stop, especially in the workplace.

In public relations, all the classes in the world can’t teach you what you learn while on the job. The art of managing tight deadlines, heavy demands and expecting the unexpected isn’t on any syllabus. But there is one resource that remains untapped and full of knowledge – those who have blazed the trails before us in the world of public relations, otherwise known as mentors.

January marked National Mentoring Month, a celebration of those who choose to dedicate valuable time and energy into the next generation of professionals. No matter your age and title, everyone can use a mentor.

The trick is finding a mentor.

According the New York Times, it won’t happen overnight. Here a few tips and tricks to finding the right match for you:

  • Time: It takes time to cultivate relationships and to see if the chemistry fits to make a match.
  • Industry: Find someone in communications and public relations if that’s the career path you see yourself in.
  • Commitment: Make sure your potential mentor is willing to put time into meeting regularly and making you a priority.
  • Goals: Set goals, and know your strengths and weaknesses before you meet with a mentor.

Mentoring is not only for those who are seasoned practitioners in the field. New professionals in the industry can also be mentors through “reverse mentoring”.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal found “many businesses are pairing upper management with younger employees in a practice known as reverse mentoring. The trend is taking off at a range of companies, from tech to advertising.”   

With the advent of social media, new technologies and innovative marketing techniques, businesses across a variety of industries recognize the skills, knowledge and expertise young professionals bring to an organization, thereby benefiting all employees.

Your mentor is out there – all you have to do is ask. So, what are you waiting for?

 

Brandi Boatner and Kate Enos are the PRSA New Professionals Section mentorship co-chairs.

New Professionals Week: A Hit from Coast to Coast by Elizabeth Rhoads

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Young professionals had the opportunity to do everything from mingling at happy hours to getting professional development advice during our first ever New Professionals Week, November 14 through 18. Our #NPweek hashtag took over Twitter for the week, and everyone enjoyed connecting with other new professionals in their area and online.

We are looking forward to New Professionals Week 2012 and are excited to connect with even more Chapters and see what fun, new events will be held!

Special thanks to each of these individuals and their Chapters for all of their efforts in planning and implementing so many successful events in celebration of New Professionals Week:

Rachel Sprung, Boston (@PRSABostonYPN)

Jeana Harrington & Janelle Huelsman, Central Ohio (@PRSAcentralOhio)

Alison Hamer, Chicago (@YPNChicagoPRSA)

Dan Tipton, Delaware (@PRSADE)

Joshua Preister, Detroit (@PRSADetroit)

Emily Geesaman & Anna Cramer, Philadelphia (@PRSAPhilly)

Angi Ramos & Cameron Bays, Puget Sound (@PRSA_yopro – Check out their success!)

Carolina Madrid & Francie King, San Francisco (@prsasanfran)

For more information on New Professionals Week 2012, please contact Elizabeth Rhoads (elizrhoads@gmail.com, @ElizRhoads), programming co-chair.

Intro to International PR: Why Going Global Can (and Should) Be Your Next Career Move by Stephanie Takach

Heather Sliwinski 3 Comments

For new public relations professionals looking to get ahead and obtain a unique skill set, getting international career experience is more than a viable option—it’s one that’s becoming a necessity—as organizations increasingly expand outside of the United States. To find out more about what it takes for PR professionals to get experience overseas, I sat down and interviewed Stacie Berdan, an international careers consultant and author of the new eBook GO GLOBAL! Launching an International Career Here or Abroad. Stacie has more than a decade of experience at Burson-Marstellar and later joined Unilever before publishing her first book Get Ahead By Going Abroad.

Stephanie Takach: Why do you think it’s important for PR professionals to experience part (or all) of their career abroad?

Stacie Berdan: Globalization is here and its pervasiveness is destined to expand. There has been a shift in many companies as to where their revenue is being generated–for many it’s in the emerging markets and at increasing percentages. As a consultant or a support function in-house, PR professionals who have a combination of industry skills and international experience can better support their client’s or organization’s global growth.

ST: Are there any unique skill sets that PR young professionals need or should pick up before looking to jump-start their international career?

SB: Acquire as much international experience as possible. Before you graduate, study or intern, join international clubs, practice foreign languages, volunteer or work abroad. Once you’re in the workforce, work on global teams or with global clients to demonstrate that you can work cross-culturally and on virtual teams. If you have foreign language skills, practice. If you have knowledge of or experience with another culture or country, try to get involved in a relevant assignment.

It’s important that young PR professionals build up what I like to call their “toolbox of talents”–working with top-notch professionals at the start of their career. This could be anywhere in the world but requires some thought. Once you have three to four years of experience, you can start branching out and looking for opportunities most anywhere because you will then have multiple offerings: solid PR skills, international mobility and the global skills you’ve acquired.

ST: And what about languages? For PR pros who only speak English fluently, how much of a barrier can that be?

SB: Being bilingual or trilingual is a definite benefit to working in the global marketplace, but it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. Consider what other skills you have that an organization would benefit from and market them. Exceptional English language skills can prove beneficial in many markets where English is the second or third language to ensure accuracy, but you’ll want to be careful you don’t simply become the editor as opposed to the strategist behind the PR.

ST: What advantages does international PR bring to the table for young professionals? Are there any disadvantages?

SB: International PR provides the opportunity to work at the forefront of the globalization wave, which shows no sign of slowing down. Most internationalists agree that the personal and professional growth is explosive–working abroad for one year usually feels like the equivalent of three in experience. However, the downsides can be the incredibly challenging circumstances you face every day. It’s difficult to live in another country and work cross-culturally every day, in a second language or through interpreters; learning new ways of doing things as well as new regulations, currencies and politics can be draining.

ST: When is the right time in one’s career to go global?

SB: The right time is when you spot the opportunity because there are benefits to going at any stage in a PR professional’s career. If you go early on, you probably have fewer restrictions, yet the flexibility to go anywhere, which many companies appreciate and want, so the opportunities are probably the broadest. If you go mid-career, you’ll have significant talents in your toolbox and can probably step up your game in a smaller or emerging market that needs your professional expertise. This could then transfer to greater responsibility faster to be leveraged in another market or your home market after a few years. If you go as a senior person, you have a great deal of practical knowledge and experience to offer a new market, yet you’ll still need to learn about your new home. It all depends on what you’re looking for, your expectations and your flexibility, which are key in seeking, landing and thriving in an international role.

Is now the right time in your career for you to go global? What challenges or roadblocks have you encountered on your journey to gain international PR experience?

Stephanie Takach is a senior at Drexel University, majoring in communication with a minor in marketing. Takach is also president of Drexel’s Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter and an aspiring PR and marketing professional. Feel free to contact Stephanie on Twitter.

New Professionals Committee reflects on 2011: Recruiting for 2012

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As the year comes to a close (how is it already November?), it’s time for the New Professionals Section Executive Committee to recruit new members to shape the Section in 2012. Some of us are moving on to other Section or Chapter opportunities, and some of us are taking a victory lap on the Committee. But, we all agree that serving on the Committee has been a valuable experience both personally and professionally. Some Committee members shared their thoughts on the benefits of volunteering with New Professionals:

“The PRSA New Professionals Section served as a bridge from PRSSA to PRSA. In my three years on the committee, I connected with top thought leaders in our industry, gained new perspectives from national peers and further developed my leadership skills. Any new professional who is dedicated to and passionate about our profession should join PRSA and volunteer on the national level.”-Sarah Siewert, Chair

“Being a part of the Executive Committee for New Professionals Section has given me the opportunity to work with other talented new pros in the industry and stay connected to the PR world. We’ve planned events nationwide (New Pros Week) and started new initiatives for the Section (Tweetchats). By taking on a leadership role, I’ve been able to gain valuable experience, which has helped to build my portfolio.”-Leah Moon, Social Media Editor, Chair Elect

“I enjoyed working with the PRSA New Professionals Section this year as a blog co-chair. Helping our Section execute its first Tweetchat was exciting. It was a shining example of public relations at work, and it all started with one blog post about a Summer Book Club selection. The Committee afforded me a great opportunity to meet new people and learn about various aspects of the public relations field from experienced PR pros. I became so hooked on volunteering that I chose to serve another year. It is a great platform to share information with PR professionals who are newbies like me.”-Diahnn Henderson, Blog Chair

“Being on the New Professionals Executive Committee has been a fantastic experience, not only has it helped me strengthen my leadership skills, but I’ve had the opportunity to work and learn from such talented people from across the country.”-Anna Cramer, Programming Chair

“Before I joined the EC, I was worried about the time commitment. It turns out, that’s not an issue at all – if you see a position on the EC that’s open and you’re interested in it – go for it! The extra hours I spend a month programming for the New Professionals give me the event planning experience that I don’t have a lot of in my current position. Not to mention, scheduling the programming gets you in touch with all the speakers, which is great networking! I liked it so much, I’ll be doing programming again in 2012. As much as I loved working with Anna [2011 programming co-chair] this year, I’m excited to welcome a new programming co-chair next year!”-Elizabeth Rhoads, Programming Chair

“Volunteering as a membership co-chair was a great way to meet New Professionals Section members around the country! From the working relationship with my fellow Committee members, to the interactions with members and leadership from local chapters, being a part of the New Professionals Executive Committee helped me network with colleagues from various industries. It was a rewarding experience that will undoubtedly be a significant part of my professional development.” –Joshua Romero, Membership Chair

“Being on the New Professionals Executive Committee as the PRSSA liaison has been a great experience. It’s allowed me to connect with PR students across the nation and start their PRSA foundation after graduation.” – Alyssa Bronikowski, PRSSA Liaison

“Serving as the blog co-chair for the New Professionals Section has been more rewarding than I could have hoped. Not only did it allow me to do what I love (write and edit), but it opened new doors for networking and professional development. As a new professional with a small network of PR pros, I was given the opportunity to meet other new professionals in the Committee and reach out to experienced PR professionals to guest blog for us. I have learned a tremendous amount from these new connections, through their writing, their shared experiences and their drive to make our Section better every year. I’m so happy to be returning as blog co-chair next year, and I can’t wait to see what new ideas the new co-chair will bring to the table!”-Heather Sliwinski, Blog Chair

If you’re interested in becoming part of the 2012 New Professionals Section Executive Committee, please fill out our online volunteer interest form, select New Professionals Section from the drop-down menu and complete by Monday, Nov. 14.

We hope to see you on the Committee in 2012!