PRSA

Intro to series…Small Business PR by Janet Krenn

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Odds are, as a new PR professional you may find yourself working for a small business. What makes me say so? For starters, half of all private sector employees work for small businesses and small businesses generated 60 to 80 percent of new jobs, so says the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Many of these businesses need PR help. A small business might higher young talent to keep expenses down, and you, as the young talent, might be interested in the additional responsibility that comes with working for a small business.

When working for a small business, your employer is your client. Small businesses offer a lot of opportunity for new PR pros like you, who might gain access to projects and responsibilities you might not get at larger companies. On the other hand, the smaller the business, the more non-PR work you might be expected to do, anywhere from admin to marketing to taking out the trash.

The term “small business” is allusive. The U.S. SBA tailors its definition of “small business” based on industry, but typically small businesses have fewer than 500 employees and make fewer than $14 million. This covers a huge spectrum, and it has a bearing on what you can expect from working in at a particular small business.

For an idea of what it will be like to work for a small business, pay attention to the number of employees a company has.

What PR activities could you expect to do?

The smaller the company, the more likely that you’ll be asked to take on multiple PR tasks. For example, if you’re the only PR professional at a small business, you may be required to write press releases, conduct media relations, and work on internal communications. On the other hand, the larger the company, the more likely that you will have a well-defined role and might have specialized work.

What are industry-specific challenges?

The major challenge to small businesses is limited resources. This might mean you have to get creative with your project budget. It also means you may have to learn to go without something that you previously thought was non-negotiable.

Working for a small business can also pose a professional challenge. You will probably be challenged to develop a skill set that you lacked. You will probably be challenged to multitask several various projects and tasks on a regular basis.

What kind of non-PR coursework/skills/interests could be helpful?

Not only should be well-trained in writing and PR, it would be helpful for you to have some coursework in
(1) the specific industry in which the small business belongs. You may not know exactly what you want to do; you probably couldn’t predict exactly where you will end up working; so dabble in anything that seems interesting to you. If you’re still in school, don’t be afraid to use those elective credits to explore the world beyond PR.
(2) marketing and business. Working for a small business may mean that you will have to take on business and marketing functions as well as PR ones.
(3) design. Again, the smaller the business, the more odds and ends you’ll have to take on. Having an understanding of web and print design could go a long way in a company with no designer or one who is out sick in the middle of a pressing deadline.

How can I find a PR job in a small business?

In one word: Networking. The smaller the business the less likely they will (1) know how or where to advertise a position or (2) be willing to pay fees to advertise a position only to receive a grab bag of candidates. Aside from networking, check publications and websites that offer localized listings, as small businesses might be unable to pay relocation fees and instead hope to draw a pool of candidates that are already living in their area. Local small business associations and bureaus might be another good place to start.

Janet Krenn is a Sea Grant Communicator at Virginia Sea Grant.


professional development…Mentorship: What New Pros Have to Offer by Sommer Caraway

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Throughout my life, I’ve been advised that I should always have a mentor and be a mentor.  When I first joined PRSA, a mentor program is something I searched for but found was nonexistent.  Shortly thereafter, I became a Phoenix PRSA New Pros leader and about a year ago, we divided our responsibilities into two keys areas: events and mentorship.  A passionate advocate of the latter, I was tasked with developing a mentor program, in which we New Pros would mentor others.

We developed the first mentor program between the PRSSA students at Arizona State University with the goal to simply bridge the gap between the academic and professional worlds.

We set small goals, knowing that we could build on them later. The PRSSA liaison (a PRSA member) and I decided to pair up New Pros group leaders with the student leaders.  We would try it for a semester and if it worked, we hoped word-of-mouth would yield greater participation the next semester.

So I sent out mentor and mentee interest forms to the most active New Pros and to the PRSSA president. To our surprise, 14 students signed up to be mentees the first semester!

We designed the mentor program to be informal so that people wouldn’t feel the time commitment was unattainable. For one semester, every other month, pairs were to meet one-on-one; on the off months, all pairs would meet as a group.

Because of the commitment of the PRSSA leaders and the gracious mentors, the program has been a success, and we look forward to implementing it again this year!

Thinking of starting a New Pros/PRSSA Mentor group? Here are five ideas for group meetings to get you started:

  1. Plan a kick-off happy hour (with options for students under 21, of course!) to discuss the importance of mentoring, expectations and topics students care about.
  2. Schedule a volunteer group event in lieu of a happy hour so mentors and mentees get to know one another outside of work.
  3. Pair up with the local Master’s SIG for a “speed mentoring” event that includes students, New Pros and seasoned pros.
  4. Offer a Shadow Day so students can see PR in action at local agencies and corporations. Encourage mentors to schedule a group lunch the same day so mentees can discuss what they learned.
  5. Plan a holiday, spring or graduation party to conclude the semester of mentoring. Host at someone’s house for a casual, fun celebration!

Sommer Caraway is a public relations professional in Arizona and a New Pros Committee Leader in Phoenix PRSA.  She may be reached at sommercaraway@yahoo.com.

The Changing of the Guard – New Professionals Section Relaunches Blog…

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We’re Back! It’s that time of year again folks, where the old Board is ushered out and we say hello to the newly appointed 2010 New Professionals Section leadership. But before we introduce ourselves, we would like to thank last year’s Board for their time and hard work in making this blog and the New Pros section such a success!

As your newly appointed Communication Co-Chairs (the people who manage this great blog), we would like to express how excited we are to serve you! The New Pro’s blog was created to be a resource for young professionals and communications-focused students and we can’t wait to bring you posts on the latest industry trends and technologies, PR best practices, and other topics to help jump-start and navigate your New Pro career.

Along with providing the best-in-class reading in which you have become accustomed, we will be launching some great new features this year:

“Intro to…” Series – We have all wondered what it would be like to work in our dream industries (for Andi it was always the fashion industry!), but many of us don’t know the first thing about how to break-in. For the “Intro to…” series, we will profile a new industry each month (i.e. corporate, agency, non-profit, entertainment, travel, fashion and more) and report on industry-specific PR challenges, the glamorous and not so glamorous aspects of the industry, important skills to possess and tips on how new professionals can break-in and find a job.

Summer Book Club – May through August, we will be reading and reviewing the top books every New Pro should crack open. If you’re looking for a great book to read when sunbathing this summer, stop back in for our recommendations!

Now a little about us!

Andi Wilmes directs the PR and marketing activities of Beringea, Michigan’s largest venture capital firm located in Detroit.

Brian Camen is a brand new Illinois resident. He left higher education PR and the sunny skies of Arizona behind to work in digital media at Weber Shandwick in downtown Chicago.

We really hope you get a lot out of this blog. If there is a topic you want us to cover or if you’re interested in writing a guest blog post, don’t hesitate to contact us! We are always looking for new and experienced pros to share their experiences, lessons and expertise.

If reading this blog doesn’t provide you with your fill of New Pro info, feel free to visit the New Professionals on Facebook and LinkedIn.

professional development event…Navigating the PR terrain

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Mary Beth WestNext week, on Wednesday, September 30, Mary Beth West will be telling new PR pros how to generate opportunity and avoid common mistakes in the teleseminar, Navigating the Terrain of Your First Professional Years.

Mary Beth West currently manages her own public relations consulting firm near Knocksville, Tenn., and she has been very active in PRSSA and PRSA, including being a co-founder of this New Professionals of PRSA Section!

We asked Mary Beth some questions about herself and her upcoming teleseminar. Check out this Q&A, and to hear more, register for Navigating the Terrain of Your First Professional Years. (Keep in mind, you must register ASAP if you want to phone-in to the live event!)

1. You are one of the founders of the New Professionals Section. What motivated you to try to start a new section?

PRSA’s member demographics had shifted somewhat younger in the 1990s to early 2000s. The Society needed a section that served the immediate needs of new public relations professionals — whether they were younger 20-somethings coming straight out of undergraduate public relations programs or individuals who were switching careers with perhaps 10 or more years of experience under their belt in another profession. Beyond the demographic opportunity, it was very important to create a place within PRSA that could serve the needs of these new professionals and enable them to utilize their own skills and insights. It needed to be a self-directed group to create leadership opportunities, professional development, and networking that spoke to their interests and changing needs. Helping set the initial course for New Professionals has been one of the most rewarding volunteer tasks of my PRSA involvement.

2. How did you go from PR newbie to starting your own consulting firm?

I was lucky to start my career in the agency business, interning in school and later working for both small firms in mid-size markets to a large agency in New York. The diversity of experience and exposure to so many different companies and organizations was an excellent eye-opener on what the possibilities and opportunities are in the field.
In terms of how I transitioned from my early years in the business to ultimately owning my own firm . . . I guess the key to it is that I not only embrace change but also thrive on it. I never like to get into a comfort zone with what I’m doing professionally, because to me, it quickly turns into a rut. I’m always seeking out challenges because I genuinely enjoy them and relish the opportunities they offer to become better at my work. And to be self-employed, you have to have that energy and that ability to face ever-changing circumstances.

3. One of the things you’ll discuss is a “three-year career plan”. Why is such a thing helpful/important for new pros?

As they say, if you don’t plan on going anywhere in particular, you’re sure to get there fast! While a new pro’s first years in the public relations field may be a time for exploration and not being sure what the immediate future holds, it’s important to ask oneself some challenging questions that will lead you to where you ultimately want to be. Only then can you begin creating a definitive plan for how to get from Point A to Point B.

For example, what kind of work do you truly enjoy and get personal satisfaction from doing (beyond getting a paycheck)? What are the work-reward values that mean most to you? What industry or organizational sector is most fascinating to you and where you see the most potential for you to utilize your interests, talents and skill sets? Once you’ve answered these and similar questions, you can start mapping out the experience you need to start accumulating, the networking/professional relationships you need to start building, and the types of companies or organizations you need to start researching for near-term job opportunities.

4. What do you think is one of the most challenging aspects of being a new pro, and how do you think it can be overcome?

In terms of strategic skills, PR pros must always maintain an acute understanding and sensibility about how their stock-in-trade–building communications, relationships and reputations–impacts the overall success of their clients or employers, particularly in financial terms to generate revenue and mitigate expense. Only then can you really achieve resonance between what your employer/client needs from you and what you have to offer. Sometimes, professionals in our field are expert technicians in the tools and tactics of our profession but are lousy at translating the value of those tactics into a real business strategy that is designed to make money for the company or otherwise achieve a very critical business objective. And until you have the capability of connecting those dots on your own, your career progression will be limited.

Regarding the more tactical skills, the thing I see lacking too often is attention to detail. Cutting corners just doesn’t work in this business. There is often an entire mindset or attitude that goes with that tendency, and it’s generally revealed readily in many different ways, such as a person’s writing style (short on clarity and rife with errors), verbal communications style (a lot of “you know”s and “like”s), and even the way they present themselves (lack of eye contact, a lazy handshake and a bit-too-casual dress code). My advice: Sweat the small stuff. It’s often the little things that either solidify good impressions or send them packing.

5. What are tips or information are you most excited about sharing during the teleseminar?

Like Generation X–which I am part of and in the 1990s was conveniently termed the “slacker” generation right as I entered the profession–I think Generation Y often gets a bad rap with the whole “trophy kids” and “helicopter parents” attributions. That imagery can lead some employers and supervisors to make automatic negative assumptions about younger new professionals before they have had a chance to prove themselves. I’ll address that issue and how new professionals can overcome it in a workplace.

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MARY BETH WEST will be presenting Navigating the Terrain of Your First Professional Years: Generate new opportunities for yourself while avoiding common mistakes on Wednesday, September 30. For more information and to register, go to the event site.

your pr career… 10 Steps to Starting a Local New Pros PR Group by Crystal Olig

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Our first years in public relations can vary from enlightening and fun to intimidating and tough. Our peers in PR quickly become our best resources, providing a relationship-based connection to the industry.

By starting a New Pros group for your local PRSA Chapter, you’ll be able to share your passion for PR, be a leader in the chapter, and grow your personal network of connected, smart, and helpful peers—who won’t mind if you occasionally geek out about AP style, social media, or the coolest new blogger in the city.

Starting a local New Pros group takes some work, but it is not as hard as it sounds. This 10-step roadmap spells out exactly how you can get there.

Find New Professionals in Your Area

1. Build a base of new PR professionals.

Associate members, recent graduates, and current internship programs are rife with new PR pros eager to build professional skills and connections. Get email addresses, Twitter handles, phone numbers, and LinkedIn or Facebook info and connect with new pros in multiple ways.

2. Expand your base of new PR professionals through referrals.

Build an active referral program. At every live event, ask new pros for connections to their peers. Challenge each attendee to bring a friend or industry peer. Engage new pros on Twitter; then use your network to create a “re-tweet” trail for event postings and resource links. Use Facebook to actively invite others to events, engaging them pre- and post-event. Use word-of-mouth to help bring in new people.

Reach Out

3. Create a consistent outreach plan.

Choose a primary New Pros communication tool, such as a list-serv or Facebook page. Train new pros where to go first for group information, and stay in front of busy professionals by using secondary resources like an online chapter calendar, weekly e-blasts, and oral announcements before other PRSA events. Reminders are key. Follow this schedule and contact members one month, then one week, and then one day out.

4.  Don’t assume—Ask what new professionals in your area need.

You can discover what your members are interested in using a short and sweet questionnaire. A quick Survey Monkey quiz can do the trick also. For example, you can ask new pros to rank interests, such as these:
•    Career building advice
•    Connection to a mentor figure
•    Gen Y workplace issues/generational differences
•    Hard skill development, i.e. pitching practice, social media strategy
•    Informal socializing
•    Meeting the media
•    Networking with more seasoned pros
•    Sharing experiences in comfortable peer-to-peer environment
•    Soft skill development, i.e. time or information management

Plan and Engage

5. Plan hybrid new professionals events.

Many young pros want to socialize, but need an academic incentive to compete against a crowded social calendar. In Phoenix, we created the “Happy Hour+” program, hosting informal education opportunities for the first 15-20 minutes of the event, followed by networking. Examples include a “Top 10” tips presentation on focused topics, roundtables on hot button issues, or quick Q&A sessions with PRSA board members or notable leaders.

6. Initiate a matching program.

Many times both seasoned and new professionals are unwilling or unable to commit to a formal mentoring program, though it’s a frequently-mentioned need. A matching mechanism during the RSVP process for chapter-wide events allows new and seasoned professionals to be paired up for a one-time-only mentorship opportunity. If individuals make a great personal connection, it can develop into a more consistent mentorship relationship.

7. Deliver variety in programming.

Deliver events and topics that are varied. Don’t be afraid to crowd-source the next topic. Shifting physical locations for events, from local agencies to downtown pubs to suburban restaurants, helps spread the burden of drive time obstacles.

Keep this Advice in Mind

8. New professionals leaders must be visible and accessible.

Send at least two New Pros members to the regular PRSA events and host a New Pros table. Invite new professionals to join the table. This way the new pros will will have someone to sit with, ask questions of, and network with. As an added bonus, New Pros committee chairs get valuable visibility within the larger PRSA chapter.

9. Be time- and cost-conscious.

New pros encounter common barriers to developing a consistent tie with professional associations: Time and money. As an entry-level or junior employee, it’s hard for a new pro to request time off to attend daytime PRSA events. Plan events outside of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Events such as weekend brunches, happy hours, or coffee meet-ups might work better than lunch meetings. Many organizations are unable to assist with membership fees for junior pros, and entry level salaries don’t cover many extras. Be open to non-member attendance, and try to keep events free or under $5 (unless the fee covers the cost of food or drink).

10. Create a super committee.

To launch a New Pros group, you need a solid, diverse, and enthusiastic committee to share the workload. Start with four to five new pros from different areas of PR, including corporate, non-profit, and agency. The New Pros committee leader should have a strong tie to chapter leadership, whether through a designated board member contact, within a professional development cluster, or via the membership committee. Meet monthly in person or via conference call. Maintain a strong committee by respecting each person’s time, requiring accountability and responsiveness and consistently incorporating committee members’ input or ideas.

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CRYSTAL OLIG is the former Phoenix PRSA New Pros Committee Chair and is a current Central Ohio PRSA University Liaison committee member. She can be reached at crystal.a.olig[at]gmail.com or through @sparklegem on Twitter, linkedin.com/in/crystalaolig, or the whY genY blog.