PR

Just Keep Swimming: 4 Things to Remember During a New Chapter of Your Career

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You’ve seen the memes complaining that adult-ing isn’t all cracked up to be. Truth be told, it isn’t easy but it is nothing you can’t handle. Believe it or not, your time in school has prepared you for the task at hand. One thing I admire about the public relations profession is that it is full of critical thinkers and crisis managers who think creatively.

As you navigate the real world, think of yourself as your first public relations client. What is your mission statement, what are your goals for the next six months to a year, what tactics will you use to reach them, and how will you set yourself apart from other brands? Now that you don’t have defining markers like grade levels to help you advance through life, you have to learn to identify both small daily achievements as well as significant milestones that move you closer to success. Below are some tips to remember as you start a new chapter.

Set 6 month or yearly goals…

Whether it’s a creative project you want to complete, a personal achievement like reading one novel a month, or a career goal such as getting a promotion. Setting goals are important because unlike when you were in school, the fall “back-to-school” season, and even a new calendar year, don’t present much change in the “real world.”

Remain poised, passionate, and professional…

Although millennials and Generation Z are driving change in the workforce, we must remember that professionalism never changes. Put your phone away at work, take notes during meetings, and ask questions. It’s the little things that will set you apart from your peers when it’s time for a promotion.

Be curious…

Yes, your role is to manage communications for your company’s brand but there is much more to your organization or agency. Talk to everyone! Initiate small talk with someone in the finance department or reach out to someone on LinkedIn in a different industry; you never know what knowledge you will gain and how it can contribute to your personal or professional self.

Just keep swimming…

Your career is a marathon, not a sprint and things don’t always pan out as planned. Plan A can turn it to Plan B which turns into Plan C all the matter of a few months but don’t let that discourage you. Before you know it, you’ll realize you needed Plan B and Plan C to be ready for Plan A. Remember that success is relative and is dependent on what makes you fulfilled. Success doesn’t happen overnight and if it were easy, everyone would have it.

As you start a new chapter of your career, remember to stay creative, give 110% to your work, and most importantly have fun!

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Jasmine L. Kent, a member of PRSA-LA, is a fan of all things food and beverage, pop culture, and media. Combining all three passions, Jasmine builds community through engaging online marketing and dynamic events as a communications professional in Los Angeles, CA. Keep up with her on Twitter at @JaVerne_xo or visit LoveJasPR.com.

New Pros Week is Coming: Here’s How to Get Involved

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Celebrate PRSA New Professionals Week Aug. 1-7, 2016

Each year, PRSA New Professionals Week (Aug. 1-7, 2016) encourages new public relations professionals to share resources and advice with fellow new professionals across the country as we celebrate current members and encourage new members to join.

During this week, we encourage local Chapters to host events focused on providing networking and career development for professionals new to the industry.

Here are a few ways PRSA Chapters, new professionals and employers can get involved with New Professionals Week.

PRSA Chapters

Plan a New Pros Week event

While the PRSA New Professionals Section provides national programming, each PRSA Chapter can host an in-person event of its own. Here are a few ideas:

  • Ask a new professional in your Chapter to help plan an event
  • Arrange a mentor meet and greet in which young professionals are paired with seasoned mentors
  • Sponsor a networking mixer at a popular happy hour location
  • Host a “What I wish I knew as a Young Pro” panel featuring seasoned public relations professionals; invite students and recent graduates
  • Host a viewing of a PRSA New Professionals webinar over coffee, lunch or drinks

Once you set a date, be sure to register your event here.

Recruit new professionals to join your Chapter

New Professionals Week is the perfect opportunity to plan a membership campaign targeted at young professionals. Use this week to target your communications to new professionals who are not members.

New professionals

Participate in national programming

During PRSA New Professionals Week, we will provide national programming such as a Twitter chat, webinar and blog series. Stay tuned for more details, and continue to monitor our website for upcoming dates.

Organize an event

If your Chapter isn’t already planning a New Professionals Week event, volunteer to organize one. Once you set a date, be sure to register your event here.

Employers

Work with PRSA to host an event

If your company has a lot of new professionals, consider working with a PRSA member to organize an event to recognize your company’s newest hires. Here are a few ideas:

  • Promote your local PRSA Chapter’s New Professionals Week event to employees
  • Invite a PRSA member to host a training for new professionals at your agency or corporation
  • Write letters welcoming your new professionals to the company and thanking them for their work
  • Sponsor your new professionals’ PRSA membership and use the code AM16 to get a free New Pros Section membership

PRSA New Professionals Week 2016 will be here before we know it. How are you planning to celebrate?

AAEAAQAAAAAAAAl1AAAAJGM5NWQyMTZkLWFlZTAtNDU1OS05NDZiLTgxYTU2ZDNjZGJmNgHeather Harder is the PRSA New Professionals co-programming chair and an account executive at Capstrat in Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact her with questions about getting involved with New Pros Week.

How My Graduate Degree is Advancing My PR Career

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Editor’s Note: As part of our month-long topic on continuing education we’ve touched on the APR, Tools for New Pros and other professional development. Today, we’re interviewing members of PRSA’s New Professionals section that have completed some form of higher education or are in midst of earning their graduate degree, with an end goal of advancing their public relations career.

Meet our panelists and their earned or in-progress graduate degree:

Lindsay Moeller
Master of Education in Higher Education (Student Affairs), Iowa State University

Simon Oh
Master of Science in Transportation Management (administered by the Mineta Transportation Institute), San Jose State University

Brian Price
Master’s in Public Administration, Northern Michigan University

Robyn Rudish-Laning
Master of Science in Media Arts & Technology (focus in Creative Media Practices), Duquesne University

Alyssa Stafford
M.A. Journalism and Mass Communication (concentration in Health Media and Communication), University of Georgia

What made you decide to go to graduate school?

LM: First, I love school. Second, I knew I would need to get a graduate degree in order to pursue a career in Student Affairs.

SO: To prepare myself for a greater role in transportation, potentially managing a team, department or an entire organization within the business.

BP: I decided to stay at NMU after graduating with a bachelor’s because I had a graduate assistantship opportunity. I worked as a G.A. in NMU’s communications office both years. I couldn’t turn down the discounted tuition, stipend and relevant work experience (and faculty lot parking pass!) so I’d advise anyone looking at grad school full time to research G.A. opportunities. I thought about an MBA but lacked prerequisites for multiple classes and ultimately decided to build on my communications background by applying it to public administration and policy.

RRL: It was a perfect storm of things. When I finished my undergraduate degree in 2011, jobs were hard to find and I had had some internships, but nothing that turned into a real full-time lead. I didn’t feel like I had a completely firm grasp on what I wanted to do, besides work in PR, (I understand now that no one actually has it all figured out.), but I didn’t want to move back home to figure it out either. I knew that I would have better opportunities to gain experience in Pittsburgh and I had already begun to develop connections out there from my undergraduate work. It just so happened that my alma mater, Duquesne, also offered 25 percent off of graduate degree tuition for particular programs, mine included, to alumni. So in August 2011, I packed everything up and moved back up to Pittsburgh to pick right back up where I left off in May.

AS: My bachelor’s degree is in creative writing, and I ended up in a job where I was doing sales and marketing. When I discovered public relations, I knew I wanted to make the switch, but I had no idea where to start. I decided to get my master’s in PR, thinking a formal education was what I needed to make the transition. It turned out that while my classes got me up to speed academically, the most important thing for me was being exposed to professional development opportunities as a graduate student.

Robyn Rudish-Laning on graduation day.

Robyn Rudish-Laning on graduation day.


How has your degree helped or simply played a role in your PR career?

LM: It helped me to get my first job out of graduate school working in college admissions, which put me on the path to working in the marketing department and eventually PR.

SO: Although the degree is not required, it will almost certainly help me elevate to a position like a PIO or community relations manager for transportation projects down the line.

BP: In the classroom I learned general concepts like how to apply research, how to truly research a topic and honed my ability to read and digest complex issues; it was a unique opportunity to really build up those muscles. Outside of class, I applied that knowledge to executing digital and traditional media for NMU as a G.A. and just spent a lot more time crafting my skills. I was really in that student mindset where you try to read and learn everything while in grad school, which is difficult to maintain in a full-time job.

RRL: I felt like my graduate program was much more hands-on than my undergraduate program, even though they were within the same department at the same school. It also wasn’t entirely PR-focused. Instead, I learned a lot about related skills, like marketing, social media, journalism, advertising, web design, etc., on top of furthering my PR knowledge. The program wasn’t rigid, so I was able to pick and choose classes from a number of disciplines to round out my skill set. I think these things have been most helpful in my career because I was able to really dive into what I was interested in and what I thought would benefit me most. No two people in my program graduated with the same exact experience or degree, no matter what our diplomas said.

AS: I actually switched my concentration from Public Relations to Health Media and Communication, because I wanted to develop expertise in healthcare communications, social marketing. My concentration also emphasized health journalism, which trained me in writing about health topics for a broad public audience. I joined the Association for Healthcare Journalists and attended their annual conferences and reported at the Society for Neuroscience conference. I learned how to shoot and produce videos, worked on my writing craft and came away with a great portfolio of published work.

I also dove into professional development opportunities through UGA’s PRSSA Chapter. I served as the chair of the events committee my first year, and became president my second year. I really put myself out there in ways I hadn’t during undergrad. A big part of this was finding my passion. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in college, so I was much more energized and ambitious during graduate school. I also felt a sense that this was my last chance to make the most out of being a student. I credit PRSSA with helping me land my job at Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta. I was hired on as a contractor in 2014, an opportunity I had because I met the PR manager at a PRSA/PRSSA networking event.

What is some advice you would give to PR pros wondering if they should go back to school?

LM: Graduate school was such a great practice for me in really learning how to buckle down and apply myself. Even if I didn’t get a degree in public relations, I think that it really helped me to learn how to research, plan and effectively communicate with multiple audiences and the importance of being able to do all of those things. I think it maps really well to PR.

SO: Think about where you stand now and where you want to go in your career. A graduate degree could expand opportunities beyond where you currently stand. Do your research before embarking on any program.

BP: Hard for me to say as I went straight through at NMU for six years. But I would think it’s important to have a vision for how this plays into your larger career goals, because this isn’t a challenge you’re going to want just for fun.

RRL: Only go back if you’re willing to put in all the work necessary and if you’re doing it to better yourself. Don’t go back to delay getting out into the real world or assume it’s going to be easy. The two years I spent working on my master’s were the two hardest years of my life so far. The best advice I can give is to be sure you’re pursuing it because you want to continue to learn.

AS: Even if you get funding through a graduate assistantship, grad school is expensive and time consuming. Think deeply about your goals and spend time asking questions of faculty and staff at your prospective grad school. Make sure that you really need and want a graduate degree before you commit. I usually encourage people to work for a year or more between undergrad and grad school, because it gives you time to establish yourself in the workplace. If you’re like me, you’ll learn a lot about yourself during that time and it will lend a lot of perspective to the decision-making process. Also, you’ll have work experience on your resume that will distinguish you from other graduate students who are job hunting at the same time you are.

Brian Price with his diploma in snowy Northern Michigan.

Brian Price with his diploma in snowy Northern Michigan.

What’s a fun fact or your favorite memory from grad school?

LM: This won’t seem like a fun memory to most, but at the end of my first semester of graduate school I had to write four papers which were due during finals week for a total of over 60 pages. It wasn’t fun at the time, but it was really fun for me once it was over.

SO: Working on a group project about transit-oriented development and, by my suggestion, injecting corgis into nearly every aspect of our presentation. Too bad we couldn’t get corgi ears headbands as part of the bit…or actual corgis.

BP: Teaching. During my final semester I was an adjunct instructor in my undergraduate academic department, teaching Introduction to Public Address to 23 freshmen and sophomores. It’s fun and I learned so much having the chance to teach a class while in grad school.

RRL: As a grad student, I worked for the Duquesne’s student newspaper, The Duke. In addition to helping me fine-tune my writing skills, all of the hours and late nights spent working on it gave me some of the best memories. My favorite was the “awards” ceremony we did after we finished the last issue of the year each year. We’d spend a week coming up with awards or superlatives for each of the editors and our advisor. I use the word “award” loosely because most of them were poking fun at the recipient or an inside joke we were all in on. Some of them were incredibly heartfelt, though, even if they were tinged with a bit of sass. We’d try to get the issue done as early as we could that night and take turns bestowing these awards on our colleagues, before heading to the nearest pizzeria/bar to celebrate. My favorite award? “Most likely to keep the newsroom waters calm as a proverbial tsunami approaches.”

AS: Traveling to the 2015 Association of Healthcare Journalists conference in San Francisco, meeting incredible reporters from around the country who are telling important health stories.

Considering going back to school or have an experience to share? Tweet us at #NPPRSA 

PR Pros + the APR

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Continuing education should be a focal point of every professional’s long-term career plan, but especially for PR pros. Working in an industry that is constantly changing requires lifelong dedication to learning, professional development and adapting. It’s not enough to graduate from college with a degree and to have done well in your coursework; continuing your education past graduation is necessary to be a successful PR professional.

There are plenty of ways to keep appraised of new trends, tools, practices and theories within the industry. Many websites and professional organizations, like Hubspot, PRSA, Skillshare, the American Marketing Association, and Ragan Communications, offer online courses and training opportunities on a wide range of topics. You can become certified in inbound marketing, Google Adwords and Analytics, social media marketing or a number of other skills in a matter of days or weeks. Then, of course, there’s the APR — or Accreditation in Public Relations.

Administered by the Universal Accreditation Board, the APR is a designed to “unify and advance the public relations profession by identifying those who have demonstrated a broad knowledge, experience and professional judgement in the field,” according to the UAB’s website. Professionals who sit for the APR exam must have at least five years of professional experience and a bachelor’s degree or higher. Once you become an APR, you’re required to earn 10 maintenance points every three years to remain an APR. Activities that earn maintenance points include professional development courses, teach, mentor, volunteer, serve in a leadership position, publish a book, and more. Five of the points must be in continuing education and professional development.

There are plenty of arguments out there for and against becoming accredited. Some say that the APR has no value and is just a gimmick to get members to spend more money on courses and memberships to remain accredited. Others say that becoming accredited is the best thing they’ve done for their career and understanding of the profession.

Conflicting opinions from respected professionals inspired my deeper survey into how PR practitioners of all experience levels feel about the APR. Using Twitter and email outreach, I gathered 40 responses to a survey I created to gauge feelings toward the APR. The breakdown of respondents looks like this:

apr

Fifty-one percent of responses showed neutral to negative attitudes toward the APR. Ten respondents were either completely on the fence about becoming an APR or leaning against becoming an APR. Eleven respondents are firmly against becoming an APR.

Of the remaining responses, six professionals had become accredited and 10 were planning to pursue an APR. The three remaining responders were on the fence, but leaning towards pursuing an APR.

Those who were not planning to become accredited cited a lack of value as their main reason not to pursue it. A common sentiment was that, given the way PR and marketing have fused and that PR is no longer strictly publicity- and media relations-based, the APR may be a bit antiquated and not quite relevant to today’s professionals.

One account executive from New Jersey pointed out, “I think it may be more beneficial in a strictly-PR career. For example, leading a large agency or working in-house. I also noticed that many of my professors in undergrad had an APR title. It seemed a bit “old school” to many of my colleagues, and I don’t see it much in the professional world of marketing.”

“I took the test a few years back and didn’t feel it truly represented where the field and professionals are in today’s world,” said the president of a Washington, D.C.-based communications firm.

According to a vice president of PR at an agency in Pittsburgh, “[I decided not to pursue an APR] A few years ago when literally everyone I spoke to in a marketing role had no idea what it was and the fact that many senior PR executives actively said it wasn’t worth it. There is no discernible value to it outside of PRSA and intrinsic personal development. No one knows what it is or why they should care.”

From the information I’ve gathered, the biggest hurdle to becoming an APR is in understanding what, if any, value there is. Many people surveyed felt that there weren’t enough career benefits to justify the time, effort and cost of the APR, especially since it’s not just a one-time investment. According to those professionals who were already APRs, there aren’t necessarily immediate or highly noticeable career benefits. The benefits are primarily personal and in the form of resources, networking and personal accomplishment.

“I think the biggest problem with APR is that many in the field are skeptical of what it can and should do. They point to the lack of rigor in the criteria and say it’s not like becoming a CPA, passing the Bar, or earning a CFP,” said a Pittsburgh APR with 31 years of experience. “They miss the point. In communications, we are free to communicate without license and that’s a good thing. But accreditation is only designed to demonstrate that the individual takes personal pride in his or her commitment to professionalism. Is committed to the code of ethics. And that a third-party (PRSA) has testified to this.”

The 10 responders who said they plan to pursue an APR pointed to a deeper understanding of the profession and validation, credibility and proof of skill as the benefits of the APR. Seven of the 10 professionals plan to begin the APR process in the next five years, while two plan to begin the process in the next year.

So should New Pros consider becoming an APR? Sure, we should consider it. We should have many conversations with other pros of all levels and experiences about it. When it comes down to whether to actually do it, that’s a personal decision.

When I started researching for this post, I thought I had made up my mind that I would become an APR once I had enough experience under my belt. After hearing thoughts from professionals on both ends of the spectrum, I’m not so sure. From my research, I’m not the only New Pro who’s a bit undecided. Seventeen New Pro-level practitioners completed this survey; nine are on the fence about the APR, three are uninterested and five would like to pursue one in the future.

There are so many options out there for professional development that an APR is just one of many options for New Pros to continue to grow over the course of their careers. Since professional development needs to be incredibly personalized, there is no one-size-fits-all formula for what the best options are. The best thing for any New Pro is to weigh all of your options – APR vs. graduate degree, extra courses vs. webinars, etc. – and strike up a conversation with as many other PR pros as you can to bounce ideas around, learn new things and find what might work best for you. 

Robyn Rudish-Laning (1)

Robyn Rudish-Laning is a member of South Carolina’s PRSA chapter and is communications coordinator for the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness. Robyn is also a member of the New Professionals executive committee. She is a graduate of Duquesne University and is currently located in Columbia, SC. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter or read her blog here.