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New Professionals Section Tweetchat—Promoting YOU: PR Tips for Networking, Landing a Job and Moving Up

Heather Sliwinski 1 Comment

Working in the public relations field, promoting our clients or organizations is the root of what we do. We leverage Twitter, blogs, networking and traditional media to garner the highest praise for our client. When it comes to promoting ourselves for a better position, a higher salary or maybe even our first job, new PR professionals may come up short since we’re used to working behind the scenes.

The PRSA New Professionals Section wants to answer those burning questions you have about how to network effectively, how to stand out in a saturated job candidate pool and how to continue progressing in your PR career. This Tuesday, October 25, the New Professionals Section will be hosting its first Tweetchat with the authors of our July Summer Book Club book, “Be Your Own Best Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Noticed, Get Hired and Get Rewarded at Work”. Jessica Kleiman and Meryl Weinsaft Cooper will be live Tweeting at 7:15 p.m. EST with the PRSA New Professionals Section.

How to Join the Conversation

We will be posing questions from the PRSA New Professionals Section handle, with Kleiman and Weinsaft Cooper providing insight from their handle. You can follow both @PRSANewPros and @BestPublicist on Twitter, or simply monitor the #npchat hashtag to see what the whole Twitterverse is saying.

Didn’t get a chance to read the book? No worries. Read Blog Co-Chair Diahnn Henderson’s discussion of the book to get a preview of the advice you’ll gain during the chat.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from two experts in PR, publicity and personal branding and make yourself indispensable to your current or future employer! Follow #npchat with the New Pros on Tuesday night!

Our featured participants:

Jessica Kleiman is currently VP-public relations for Hearst Magazines, one of the world’s largest publishers of monthly magazines. A graduate of University of Michigan with a BA in Communication, she started her career at a magazine publicity firm and then served as director of PR at The Knot, a wedding media company. In 2011, Kleiman was nominated as “Publicist of the Year” by PR News.  She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and daughter and enjoys posting words she finds funny on Twitter, Facebook and her blog, Funny Word of the Day.

Meryl Weinsaft Cooper is a co-founder and principal of Allen/Cooper Enterprises, a marketing, exhibitions and events company with a focus on art and lifestyle brands.  Previously, as managing director  of the DeVries Public Relations‘ Home & Lifestyle division and as SVP-Partner at LaForce+Stevens, she led programs for a variety of hospitality and consumer brands including Veuve Clicquot, Belvedere Vodka, Pepperidge Farm, Samuel Adams Beer, New Amsterdam Gin and Ecco Domani Wines.  A graduate of Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications, her PR experience includes stints in art, music and entertainment, including time at the Screen Actors Guild’s New York office.  She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and dog, and spends her spare time writing and producing films as well as seeking out the best culinary, travel and art experiences, which she documents in her blog, Searching for Jake Ryan.

Both authors are contributing bloggers on Forbes.com’s Work in Progress section.

Intro to Consumer PR by Mark McClennan, APR

Diahnn Henderson 1 Comment

Almost 20 years ago, Oscar Mayer crushed my dreams when it told me I didn’t quite cut the mustard to drive the 27-foot long Weinermobile. I was one of 36 finalists, but they chose only 12 to go hot-dogging around the country for a year.

I quickly recovered, joined a public relations agency and haven’t looked back since. For most of that time, I have been doing PR for consumer technology – everything from 3D game controllers and the first professional cyber-athletes, to online shopping, a free online dating service (you shouldn’t have to pay for love) and new forms of cash.

The realm of consumer PR is broad, and there are dozens of subspecialties within it. From beverage and restaurant PR, to music, technology, travel and consumer services, more than 70 percent of the U.S. economy deals with consumers. 

Consumer PR is a crowded field, and even with the social media explosion, you are fighting thousands of others for the same slice of attention. That, to me, is one thing that makes consumer PR so exciting. My day is one of non-stop motion. 

Every day is different, but it usually begins by checking my iPhone before I get out of bed to see the latest news and developments – spending time on Facebook, Radian6, Google+ and Twitter to see what I need to know. When I get into the office, I start juggling the demands of a number of clients and come up with creative ideas ranging from surveys and videos to analyzing Google Analytics and HootSuite metrics to see what is driving traffic to my clients’ websites.

The best part of my day is brainstorming with all the creative professionals at our agency. Just last week we came up with a city-by-city heatmap highlighting the worst cases of identity manipulation and a creative campaign for Comic-Con. What happens on a daily basis changes quite a bit. However, there are a few pieces of advice that I have found useful over the years. The following are four tips for new professionals looking to break into and develop their careers in consumer:

  • If you don’t love what you are doing, don’t do it: Find something else, both for your own personal satisfaction and because people that have a passion for their job will lap you and leave you in the dust. Every single day I am excited to wake up, see what has happened with my clients and their competitors and go to work with a great group of people.

  • Every opportunity is a networking opportunity – and I mean every place: Work, dinner, church, sitting in the airport or playing sports. Keep in mind, networking does not mean “What can you do for me?” Good networking involves helping others and making connections, just like investing in your 401k. At first, your network seems small, but if you keep it up, the beauty of compound interest gives even someone who is an average networker an amazing web of contacts and influencers in just five to 10 years. Don’t be intimidated just because someone has been doing consumer PR longer than you have been alive. You have a valuable point of view and experiences they do not have. Share it.Networking is also the best way to break through the HR roadblock and get an interview and possibly your dream job. Having a news snippet to share at the interview to show you have done your research is also strongly suggested.

  • Change is constant: With consumer PR, change is constant. You need to keep up on the latest trends. Ten million people joined Google+ in the first three weeks–is that something your company or clients should leverage? The only way to know is to try it yourself. This often means putting the time in after work. Just keep in mind, you need to look at things through your clients’ and your company’s eyes, not your own. This also means you shouldn’t be wedded to any one thing. Discussing a Facebook strategy is the wrong question. You should be looking at the social networking strategy. Facebook may not even be here in five years. 

  • Everything matters: As a consumer PR pro, you need to be a subject matter expert, but your subjects can be featured in everything from “Sex in the City” to USA Today; TechCrunch to “Captain America.” This means you need to keep up with quite a bit. Read constantly. You will be amazed when an obscure piece of knowledge helps you connect with a reporter or a client.

Consumer PR is a thriving, dynamic market with an opportunity for you to do whatever you want. If you have a goal – go for it. However, keep yourself open to new experiences. In consumer PR, you can be sure you will have a new challenge every day.

Mark W. McClennan, APR, is a senior vice president at Schwartz Communications, where he heads the research group and co-leads the consumer technology practice. In his spare time, he writes blog posts on how Dora the Explorer teaches you all you need to know about PR and does stand-up comedy.

Follow Mark on Twitter          Follow Mark LinkedIn

PRSA Jobcenter Adds Features Designed for New Professionals by Richard Spector

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

Recently I had the pleasure of managing PRSA’s Jobcenter redesign – with the help and guidance of some wonderful colleagues. We rebuilt the navigation and compiled information from all PRSA and PRSSA resources including advice based on PR Tactics articles, Forum blogs, comPRehension entries, HR consultants and resume guidance from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What is the result? We now have an information-rich career center to set job seekers on a successful path for all career levels. If you are new to public relations, the entry-level and tools and tactics pages can provide a needed edge in this ever-changing economy. We based the redesign on answering a series of questions for new professionals.

How can I write the best resume? A resume starts with making a personal pitch through your cover letter. This letter is your chance to make a great first impression. The first two sentences of your resume should summarize your background, to tell the HR person whether to read on. Once you have reviewed more resume and career articles, you can sign up for a customized 21-page resume guide or a resume critique. You will be able to access these portions once you post a resume to PRSA Jobcenter.

How do I prepare for a job interview? As the saying goes, you only have three seconds to make a good impression, and we can help. The first bit of advice is of course to keep calm even when asked tough questions. PRSSA has a great synopsis of the types of interview questions you may be asked. Next comes the question of following up after the first interview. The growing importance of social media has made the “give to get” rule a necessity. Stand out from the crowd by sending the company you interviewed for a relevant article or helpful observations on improving their website. When you get to the second interview, prepare a brief customized marketing or social media plan. Throughout the process, also take note of your personal brand. This will help you present yourself in the best way possible.

What are the best resources to search for a job? Nowadays, the answer really is “everything.” An HR consultant mentioned a conversation he had recently with a job applicant. The applicant waited a year before coming to him. Why? They were searching for jobs only via social media. Using only one resource decreases your chances of finding a job. You can stay competitive by searching for jobs on job boards, LinkedIn and Craig’s List. The PRSA Jobcenter has some time-saving elements when searching for a job, such as signing up for job alerts or a job feed.

How do I land that internship? PRSSA can help you get started with internship realities for graduating seniors. They also offer perspectives on working for an agency vs. a corporation. Once you have landed that much-coveted internship, you will want to make the most out of your internship experience. The ultimate goal is to be hired for a permanent position, and advice from both PRSA and PRSSA can help.

How can I network most effectively? The best outcome from networking effectively is to have an employer at the company you wish to work for hand-deliver your resume to the HR director. But how do you make this happen? PRSA Jobcenter has a page to help you network like a pro. Set up a plan to network with intention, make networking an art and follow the essential steps for networking success. Best-selling author Andrea Nierenberg offers tips on Ways to Say “Thank You” along with the “ABCs of Networking“.

Finally yet importantly, always stay positive, and remember PRSA Jobcenter will have strategic guidance for you every step of the way. Whether you are looking to ask our panel of mentors a question, wish to attend graduate school or find a helpful webinar, we will follow your career from entry-, mid- to senior-level.

Richard Spector is the manager of client services at Public Relations Society of America.

Navigating Your Financial Future: Q&A with New Pros Brown Bag Speaker Jim Beverley

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

You have, or are looking forward to, one of your first jobs in public relations—and your first steady paycheck. So, how can you take steps now to ensure you are building a strong financial foundation?

Join New Professionals Section members for a free brown bag teleconference “Navigating Your Financial Future” on Thursday, April 21, hosted by financial advisor Jim Beverley.  Beverley is a financial advisor with Partners Wealth Management with more than 15 years of financial planning experience.

PRSA New Professionals Blog Co-Chair Heather Sliwinski spoke with Beverley to get a preview of some of the topics he will be covering on Thursday.

Heather Sliwinski:  In regards to their finances, what are the biggest challenges facing new professionals in today’s economy? 

Jim Beverley: These days I hear quite a bit about paying off student loans as a significant challenge to new professionals.  The cost of education required for getting a job and the recent investment landscape has made debt-free education a rare situation. 

HS: Another crop of seniors is graduating this spring.  What is a tip you have for those who are about to face their student loans? 

JB: Shop for the best available repayment strategy, pay every time on time and if you can pay more, do so.   Getting beyond these loans will help you get to saving money earlier in your life.  It also helps you build your credit for when you are ready to buy a home or car.

HS: Do young professionals often seek out your council? If not, why do you think that is the case? 

JB: Young professionals do not typically seek my council.  In most cases, I have the feeling they would rather spend their money on buying fun things for their life.  Cars, electronics, clothes and eating out seem to get the priority over paying for financial advice.  On the one hand, I understand that motivation, and yet if they would spend their first dollars saving for their own future, they would soon be able to afford all the clothes, dinners, cars and electronics they desire. 

HS: In your 16 years of experience, surely many of your clients have told you about financial regrets. What is the most common regret, and what can new professionals do early in their careers to prevent it? 

JB: By far the most common regret my clients share with me is that they did not start saving early enough, and when they started, they wish they had saved more of their income.  While there are many regrets, it is amazing to me how often I hear this response.

HS: If you could give just one piece of financial advice to recent graduates, what would it be?

JB:  Whatever your income is, live as if you earned 10 percent to 20 percent less than that, and get in the habit of saving money from your first paycheck.  Do not get into the mindset of, “as soon as I get x, then I’ll start saving”.  Save some of EVERY paycheck you get, and do it right away. 

So how do we start saving?  Find out by registering for the brown bag today!  Among the general topics, Beverley will discuss:

  • A sample budget based on an average entry-level public relations professional’s salary
  • Managing your credit, including what affects your credit score (and how it affects what you can do with your money)
  • An overview of available student loans, and tips to make the repayment process as painless as possible
  • Planning for retirement (clearly, you are not too young)

Jim BeverleyJim Beverley, CLU, ChFC, CFP®, has 16 years of experience as a financial advisor. Beverley offers Securities and Investment Advisory Services through NFP Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. NFP Securities, Inc. is not affiliated with Partners Wealth Management.  Beverley empowers clients by eliminating conflicts of interest, taking the time necessary to understand each client’s financial situation and educating clients on the solutions available to help accomplish their objectives.

entry level… Networking: How I Got the Job by Lauren Gillaspey

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For many of us, May has come and gone, and, diploma in hand, we find ourselves wondering, ‘now what?’ With a college degree comes the expectation that we have been magically granted a dream spot at the dream company, but more and more recent graduates are finding they have to work twice as hard to get the job than they did to get the degree. Regardless of if you can walk the walk and talk the talk, you can find yourself talking and walking in circles unless you learn to utilize the number key for securing a job—networking.

After graduating in May, I was more than ready to take the summer to relax and unwind. Instead, I pursued a recently acquired contact before too much time had lapsed. As a result, I ended my summer with not only an internship, but also an entry-level marketing position that has shed a lot of light on what I want out of my career.

How did I manage this?

It’s all about meeting the people that matter through the people you already know. And my story starts with my final presentation for my senior advertising course at Northern Arizona University. At the end of the semester, my group and I faced our final stepping-stone—the presentation of our semester-long advertising campaign on Perrier Sparkling Water. To up the ante, our professor invited guest judges to critique our campaigns and presentations.

Following our presentation, my fellow group members and I had the opportunity to speak with the judges about our futures in the industry and any recommendation and advice they had. They all stressed the importance of networking and how useful LinkedIn is as a networking tool. That evening, I made it a point to thank each of them for their time and to request a connection through LinkedIn.

By following their advice, I successfully completed the first step in using networking as a job-hunting skill. I proved that I was determined and that I did actually listen to what they had to say. As a result, one of the judges offered to critique my resume and help me with my job hunt. And, boy, did he follow through!

Within two weeks of my graduation, I had already secured an interview at Gadabout SalonSpas for their Social Media and Public Relations Intern position. An opportunity my networking contact had heard about through his association with the Tucson chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA).

With a little hard work and determination, I proved myself once again by being offered the internship. But, my newly acquired networking contact didn’t stop helping me. Periodically, I would receive job notices and career update questions from him. In June, he informed me that he had passed along my resume to another contact of his through AMA and a few days later, I received a phone call from a company I had never heard of requesting that I come in for an interview.

This time, the interview wasn’t for an internship; it was for the real deal. And sure enough, I was offered a marketing position with the company—my first real job in the industry, a mere couple of months post-college.

Since graduation, I’ve had to learn how to stop being a student and start being a successful and noticeable 20-something in the ocean that is the working world. Although I have drive and determination, I would be nowhere if I didn’t stop to talk to the people I meet along the way. They are your hidden jewels and missing pieces that make up the puzzle of life. Prove yourself to them, and sometimes they will bend over backwards to help you get from point A to point B.

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LAUREN GILLASPEY is a freelance public relations specialist who recently graduated with Bachelors of Science in Advertising and Public Relations. Lauren continues to network with new and seasoned professionals through PRSA, AMA and AAF.