new professionals

From Superleader to Fly-on-the-Wall: Finding Time for Post-Grad ‘Extracurriculars’

Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

Many ambitious new professionals graduate from college holding past leadership positions through on- and off-campus organizations. They’ve strived to be involved for personal and professional development. Gaining that experience is what sets them apart when finding a job.

But once you’re hired, how and what you stay involved with is a problem many new professionals struggle with. Staying involved and joining professional organizations doesn’t need to be difficult though, and can enhance your career for years to come.

Time is a huge issue holding people back from getting involved with the equivalent of “extracurriculars” after college.

Networking for New ProsNew pros regularly face long hours while trying to balance a social and healthy lifestyle (even more difficult if moving to a new city was involved). The truth is that membership will be what you make of it. Check out the organization you want to join – does it meet bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly — and in person or virtually?

In addition, evaluate how often you’ll want to volunteer: small commitments from a one-time blog post or working check-in at an event are a great way to ease your way into joining a new organization, without the potential stress of undertaking a large event.

Money is another issue that holds people back from staying involved. Many organizations require dues to cover the cost of membership and events, but there are ways to make it affordable. Depending on the organization, there are likely discounts offered for new professionals. In addition, many companies will pay for a portion of professional organization dues, knowing that it will contribute to shaping better employees.

Either way, if organization membership is important to excelling in your career (I’m looking at you, PR pros), it’s worth thinking about setting aside some money for dues as you save for other expenses.

The simple trait of timidness is also enough to slow new professionals from getting involved in groups out of school. From once knowing everyone through four-year involvement in organizations such as PRSSA, it can be daunting to even outgoing individuals to attend a new meeting or networking event.

A text from your roommate to meet for drinks or having just landed a new gig may seem like easy excuses to blow off a first meeting at the organization you looked into, but after going once you could meet a mentor, future colleague or new friend. Getting involved in a professional organization is also a great way to meet industry peers that you can bounce ideas off of and hangout with at conferences. Join a new organization with the goal of listening, before jumping to be the leader.

Wondering what organizations are best to join early in your career? I’d be amiss to not mention joining the New Professionals Section of PRSA. Staying connected to your alma mater by leading an alumni club is also a great way to network and joining a casual-level social sports league can combat work burnout. What do you do to grow your career, develop leadership skills and meet new professionals? I’d love to hear from you.

Hanna-PorterfieldHanna Porterfield is the Newsletter Co-Chair of PRSA’s New Professionals section and an Assistant Account Executive at Development Counsellors International. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2014 and is actively involved in the alumni club’s New York chapter. Connect with Hanna on LinkedIn and Twitter (@citygirlhanna).

How to Manage Your Next Job Interview Process

Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

Untitled design (3)Many people assume that job interviews would be “no big deal” to a PR professional. After all, don’t we get paid to interview and be interviewed for stories? Here’s the catch–most interviews aren’t job interviews. Job interviews are intimidating. They are a necessary evil that many people fear, yet we all encounter.

If you’re getting nervous just thinking about job interviews, don’t worry. There’s several tips that can help you manage the interview process and put some that PR training to work!

Before the Interview

The interview process begins long before you put on your best outfit. It begins with the job application. How you present yourself in your resume and cover letter impacts whether or not you’re even offered an interview.

To be successful you must customize your cover letter and resume for every job application.  Job coaches suggest creating a “master” resume that includes everything in your repertoire so when you apply for a job you can select only the information that best reflects your qualifications. From this list you can also choose a few examples to highlight in your cover letter.  

This is where your PR training comes into play. You have spent several years learning how to write persuasively. Take that training and infuse it into your cover letter. Target your writing and convince them that you are the right person for the job.

During the Interview

Believe it or not job interviews aren’t about you, your abilities, or your education. They are about how you can fill a need in their company. More importantly, job interviews are about connecting with people. Hiring is expensive.  That’s why companies are concerned with hiring the right person and not just anyone that can do the job.

Yes, you need to be prepared with your resume, portfolio, and lots of great questions that show your interest, but none of that matters if you can’t connect with the people who are interviewing you. Be genuine and leave a lasting impression with everyone you meet—from the secretary to the CEO. You never know who may influence the hiring decision.

Don’t be surprised if companies have researched you on the internet. They recognize that cover letters and resumes are “sterile” representations of your personality. They want to know what you be like on Monday morning after your car broke down and you walked to work in the rain. No, seriously, they want to know who you really are and if you are a good fit for their culture and their current team.

After the Interview

After your interview follow up with a thank you note and include any additional information from your interview. While emails are appropriate, you may find that a handwritten note will leave more of an impression. Electronic communication is easier, but don’t let that stop you from picking up the phone or writing a note.

Be mindful and patient as you wait for their decision. Remember, it’s all about people, so use any follow up conversation to build on the relationships that you began in your interview. At the end of the day, whether you get the job or not, it all comes down to people. They are life’s common denominator no matter what situation you are in or profession you may pursue

As PR professionals we are trained to relate with people. Take that training into your next job interview. You may be surprised to see what happens!

RuthannCampbell (1)Ruthann Campbell graduated from Pensacola Christian College with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations. She is currently the Communications Specialist for a non-profit organization located in Rochester, NY. You can connect with her directly to network or share ideas on LinkedIn or Twitter.

How to Get Your First Promotion

Stephanie Vermillion Leave a comment

You’ve made it through your first full-time position, congratulations! Getting the first position is the hardest part, but you’ve managed to break into the industry. You’ve got the experience and some new skills, but how do you take it to the next level?

Getting a promotionBelow are five ways to get to the next level in your career.

Act like you are already in the next position.

Once you’ve mastered the requirements of your current position, start learning about what’s required at the next level.

Let’s say you are the assistant account executive for your team. You are charged with maintaining media lists, keeping the department clip report updated and assisting the team as needed. What does an account executive do? They might take your efforts further and build relationships with contacts on the media lists, they might create custom media lists, they use the clips in the report to share results with clients, etc. Start emulating those actions.

Take inventory of your job responsibilities and see how you can take them a step further.

Become a resource for your department

Is your boss having trouble getting a client invoice approved through accounting? Having trouble getting timely numbers and results from your research department?

It pays to network, even inside of your organization. Get to know the different parts of your organization and make yourself a resource for getting important but tedious tasks done quickly.

Continue your education

Become involved in your local PRSA chapter. Attend monthly luncheon or happy hours. Join a committee or participate in a Twitter chat or webinar. There are so many ways to get involved with PRSA and it shows that you are invested in becoming a better PR professional.

A positive attitude goes a long way

We’ve all had days when you are just not feeling up to it, whatever it maybe. Or things may be stressful in your personal life. But remember, work is not the place to take out your frustrations.

Maintaining a positive attitude may seem insignificant, but your coworkers and most importantly your boss will notice if you have a negative attitude. Shooting down others’ ideas, not participating in team activities, showing disgust for tasks that you believe are beneath you will not get you promoted, but they can get you fired.

Learn to take constructive criticism

No one likes to be criticized. However, constructive criticism is crucial to advancing your career. Learn how to effectively take criticism and apply it to future situations and assignments. Incorporating feedback shows that you are a good listener and are mature enough to learn for criticism.

Most importantly, advancing and excelling in your career is a process. Learn from mistakes, apply criticism and feedback accordingly and cultivate your skills. You never know when the next opportunity will appear.

Victoria Lightfoot (1)Victoria Lightfoot graduated from Georgia State University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, concentrating in public relations. She is currently the PR coordinator at the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau and volunteers on PRSA Georgia’s College Relations Committee and co-chairs the Travel & Tourism Special Interest Group. Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn and Twitter (@Victoria_Lenese)

Three Easy Ways to Leverage Your Leadership Positions

Ashleigh Mavros Leave a comment

Three Easy Ways to LEverage your leadership positionsYou’ve probably heard or experienced firsthand how hard it is to get a job (let alone a career relevant one) in today’s economy. Whether you are newly applying or just want to spruce up your resume, college leadership positions are an excellent way besides internships to showcase experience. However, it is not the title of the position that matters, but its how you emphasize those responsibilities to employers that can either make you stand out or go unnoticed.

Use the positions relative to the field.

While this might be obvious to some, having relevant positions can only be positive since it’s more in-line with the responsibilities of today’s PR practitioners. It is also a great moment to highlight the strengthening of your weaker skills, development of new ones or even the defining moment of identifying the sector that you enjoy working in. While the title can range from Publicity Chairman to Communications Delegate, make sure the duties they entail are relative to the field. Using these leadership roles can show your early dedication to advancing your career by showing interest in your professional development.  

Highlight transferable skills.

While a PR-centered position is great and easier to describe, showcasing other experiences through transferable skills is an excellent option as well.  Start by creating a list of all of your responsibilities and tailor your description of duties to emphasize relevant aspects before the non-relevant ones.  For example, as captain of the soccer team, training and assisting others, delegating responsibilities and managing conflicts are great management skills that employers are seeking. Ultimately, if transferable skills are presented in a manner that can be applicable to your next role, they become an optimal way to help your position appear much more credible and relevant.

Change your vocabulary.

It’s astonishing how just a change of words can make a world of a difference and get you hired. While “discussed and planned an event with peers/colleagues,” sounds good, “participated in an event development and execution group,” sounds much better and more professional. The key is to switch everyday words with action words. Assisted vs. helped; developed vs. planned. Don’t let your poor choice of words throughout your resume be the reason you didn’t move on to the next round.

Tip: Don’t lie. There is a difference between rephrasing and overstating. Nothing is more embarrassing or damaging to your credibility than showing up to your interview and having to explain the misrepresentation of your skills.  

While these changes might not seem brand new or revolutionary, they are easy enough to forget in the resume writing process. Remember, employers want to hire professionals and using your college leadership roles not only shows your capabilities of being a leader but more importantly your willingness to accept new responsibilities. Who wouldn’t want to hire someone like that?

Stephanie VelardeStephanie Velarde is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mass Communications with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Business. She has a knack for crisis management, an interest in global communications and a guilty pleasure for event planning. Connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter or Pinterest.

Finding a Home for Career and Personal Growth in Your Local PRSA Chapter

Stephanie Vermillion 1 Comment

It was a cold Tuesday night in January of 2014. We didn’t really know what to expect that night. Would people be nice? Would people want to talk? Will everyone else already know each other? Well, at least there’s free wine.

We met each other that night at the PRSA-NCC Leadership Rally – and within the next year we would become co-chairs of the newly developed New Professionals committee, and one of each other’s closest friends in this beautiful, historical, pant-suit wearing, House of Cards city.Finding a Home for Career and Personal Growth in Your Local PRSA Chapter

As melodramatic as that description might be, PRSA-NCC has provided us both a home in the District of Columbia PR community. It has offered us an avenue to improve and expand our skills and talents and a venue in which to connect with other professionals at all different stages in their careers.

Our professional skills and networks have grown exp
onentially since embarking on this journey of chairing a committee. Planning and executing monthly events, managing a committee of nearly 20 people and constantly being on the lookout for job opportunities for PRSA-NCC’s newest professionals has given us the opportunity to learn skills we might not have ever been exposed to in our day-to-day work.

In the world of PR, a good network can be just as important as a skill set. So while the PRSA-NCC New Professionals committee does host a couple of professional development events each year, most of our events are networking heavy. They enable new professionals of all ages to go through this journey together. We share ideas, challenges, lessons learned – and a lot of laughs.

For example, in 2015 we have planned six happy hours – one with free professional headshots – two professional development events, one networking baseball game and one cross-industry networking event. We could not have done this without the help of the wonderful New Pros committee members and the support of our local chapter, PRSA-NCC.

Don’t have a New Professionals committee in your local chapter? Start one! It’s a great way to get even more out of the already great experience PRSA membership has to offer. If your chapter already has one, join the committee. Get out there, network, challenge your skill set and offer your talents.

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Katelynn Wiggins and Kelsey Pospisil are co-chairs of the National Capital Chapter’s New Professionals Committee. Katelynn is the public relations associate at the American Psychological Association and Kelsey is the client engagement and media relations manager at News Generation.