networking

Career Limbo: Transitioning from Entry-level to Mid-level Positions

Heather Sliwinski 1 Comment

Breaking out of the entry-level barrier to mid-level positions is not easy. Many times, it means getting past the catch-22 of needing the experience to get the experience, but there are avenues to make the journey easier:

  1. Always exceed your employer’s expectations: This work ethic will get you noticed and shows you to be a team player. Sometimes learning a new skill simply means volunteering for it. You may have to work a little bit later – but if you want to become a social media expert, for example, the best way is to enthusiastically take on the new work responsibility.
  2. Volunteer pro-bono with other organizations, local charities and religious affiliations: If you are not getting the type of experience in your full-time job that you need to move on to the next level, try local affiliations or industry associations and chapters for experience. They will appreciate the free assistance, and it’s a wonderful stretch to try your hand at new tactics.
  3. Network with purpose: Nowadays, it’s not enough to hand out business cards and think you made a bonafide contact. Learn about the individuals that work at the organization you are aspiring to join. Visit their LinkedIn profiles and Facebook pages. What are their likes? Did you go to the same school? Are they traveling to an area with which you are very familiar? Can you make some restaurant recommendations or suggest vacation spots? When you meet someone – state your vision. Who are you? What is it that you want to do? What was the biggest problem you solved in the workplace?
  4. Perfect your personal branding: Your personal brand is something you should be working on upon graduation. Positioning yourself as an expert is all about your blog content and your contribution to the industry. If it’s too early in your career to develop your own content, work with Google Reader, have the content come to you and then share it with others. Learn about the relevant content sites out there and get involved in Twitter chats. These outlets will help grow your reputation as a thought leader. Also, consider writing some short dos and don’ts about your field of expertise. It may sound strange, but “don’ts” always pull more clicks. People are always most afraid of making major mistakes.
  5. Research, research, research: Getting to the next level means knowing exactly what the position entails. Learn about the keywords used and all the qualifications. Be sure you can back this up with tried-and-true experience. Nothing aggravates a potential employer more than someone that lists keywords on their resume but doesn’t have the actual practical experience to go with it. Choose about 25 key companies for whom you’d like to work and research them on Vault.com and GlassDoor.com. Become acquainted not only with the company’s business, but also their corporate culture.
  6. Know how to make that salary and position jump: You may now be at the stage where you are qualified to do a job that pays $20,000 more but still getting paid $20,000 less. How do you address the salary question? Always remember to come from a positive place. You never want to say that your company was holding you back or that they don’t pay well. Whether you like your current job or not, never back-bite. You are heartbroken to leave your current company, but this opportunity is a dream job, and you feel you can make a real contribution.
  7. When asked about salary – you have a few options: You can always turn it back to the employer, asking what they’d consider based on your qualifications. However, that may lead to a game of salary Ping-Pong. The next option is to give the potential employer a very wide salary range. The range can be as wide as $10,000 or $15,000. The next option of course is to let them know that it was key at the time to gain the skills you needed to excel in your field. Now that you have those skills and the practical experience putting them to use, you are ready to earn the salary that more closely matches your skill set.

Most of all, have faith that you will get to that next level. Remember that 20 percent of job rejections eventually result in a job offer – so don’t give up.

 

Richard Spector is the manager of client services for PRSA Jobcenter.

Intro to Political PR

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

Growing up, I knew I had to be involved in politics. From the time my mom took me to a presidential rally when I was only five years old, her political enthusiasm rubbed off on me. I helped knock on doors to get out the vote in high school and registered to vote the day I turned 18. There’s nothing like the thrill of election night, when all the hard work pays off and the candidate you believe in is allowed the privilege to work on behalf of the people.

Working on campaigns, Capitol Hill and in the executive branch has given me a unique perspective on how the political world works. Political PR is not for the faint of heart – expect long hours, unexpected demands and job uncertainty because of elections. However, it’s incredibly rewarding when you see major legislation, which you helped guide through, passed and signed into law.

As I knew the natural progression of working in political communications leads to Washington, D.C., or a state capital, I have learned a few things throughout my journey that can help tremendously if you’re looking to break into political PR:

1)     Always network. In an extremely competitive environment like politics, it may seem tough to break into the industry. Not having many political connections myself, I worked hard to connect with anyone and everyone who would meet with me. Make the most of your friends, classmates and their connections. Once you identify someone whose work and experience interests you, ask for an informational meeting and always be thankful for their time. Even if a position isn’t open at the moment, there might be one down the line, and that person can help you land it.

2)     No position or task is beneath you. Although you may have graduated from college, politics is all about working your way up the totem pole. Many young professionals make the mistake of thinking they are qualified to be a press secretary without any experience. It’s important to find solid internships, perhaps on the Hill, which will help you gain skills applicable to a legislative office to be considered for entry-level jobs. If you want to do communications, ask to help the press secretary or communications director with drafting press releases or coordinating social media.

3)     Join a campaign. Often, some of the best hands-on experience you can gain is to join a campaign and work on the trail. A lot of people begin their political PR careers on campaigns, which always need extra help. If you join a race at a more local level, you are more likely to earn more responsibility.

These are just a few takeaways from my time spent in Washington, D.C. One of the most important rules is to have fun. I’ve had made some of my best friends through working in politics. Also, pay it forward – someday, when you’re a big shot, remember there will be people looking for their start and how you have been in their shoes. Happy politicking!

 

Kate EnosKate Enos is currently an account executive at GYMR Public Relations. Previously, she served as deputy press secretary for the federal agency, the Corporation for National and Community Service. She also has several years of varied legislative and political experience, working on Capitol Hill and on several state and nationwide political campaigns. Enos is the PRSA New Professionals Section mentorship co-chair.

March Twitter Chat Highlights: Personal Branding vs. Personal Marketing

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the March #NPPRSA Twitter chat.

Specifically, we’d like to thank our co-host for the month, YouTern and their #InternPro chat for joining us.

Join us again on April 11 at 9 p.m. ET for the next #NPPRSA Twitter chat.

Review highlights of the chat below. What did you learn from the March chat? What do you value in a personal brand? How do you identify and use your unique value in marketing yourself to others?

 

 

Amy Bishop is the digital marketing manager for Cru Global, a faith-based nonprofit. Bishop helps align Cru’s global marketing, branding and digital strategies with new technology systems to move Cru toward a social business strategy that improves customer experience and increases revenue. She is the social media chair for the PRSA New Professionals Section. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Millennials vs. Boomers: the Imaginary Division

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

According to the National Center on Citizenship, there are 77 million baby boomers and 82 million millennials. Chances are you are among the wave of 82 million millennials who are now employed or are looking for employment, or are a member of the boomer era who is phasing out of the workplace. Our personal, professional, societal and structural values are changing and along with them, the workplace.

Unfortunately, the generations have been framed as feuding—one generation up against the other. Baby boomer vs. millennial.

Many stigmas are associated with both baby boomers and millennials to further this imaginary division. Millennials whine and feel entitled. They are lazy, immature, sloppy and in constant need of attention. Boomers are resistant to change, stuffy, impersonal, greedy and slow. These stereotypes come from one point of view misjudging the other. Boomers and millennials have much more in common than credit is given.

These differing values are ironically due to the boomers who have raised the millennials. An MTV study called “No Collar Workers” highlights the very different views that millennials and baby boomers have about professional life as a whole. This different mindset on how to approach the workplace seems to be the overwhelming variance between the two. Boomers and millennials differ on how the workplace should be run, where one fits into the overall structure, how teams are comprised, when and why meetings are scheduled and how to effectively collaborate on a team project, to name a few.

Boomers have values centered on structural and individual responsibility vs. collective responsibility. Boomers are hardworking, devoted to their position within the workplace and feel that the traditional office environment and the traditional workday is the best way to get the job done. “Face time” is equally important, as is the actual labor. Boomers prefer to have a specifically structured system where feedback is given at a specific time of year (six months review/annual review). This structure is based upon objectives and goals. Boomers are content with being a cog in a machine, not necessarily knowing or caring where they fit into the big picture. This expectancy and rigid hierarchy places each person in their “lane.” The hierarchy provides a chain of command that allows decisions and what work is to be done and by whom and what direction the company heads in delegated to appropriate areas.

Millennials would rather have no job than a job they hate. Millennials attach meaning to doing what they love not just doing. Millennials are hardworking and want to work where their creativity is appreciated and valued. Within the internal structure, millennials want to see where and how their work fits in the overall picture. Millennials crave mentorship and responses from their management and hierarchal team. Their view is a more flexible approach to the job. For millennials, as long as the work gets done, the amount of time spent in the office shouldn’t matter. Transparency is a mainstay of the millennials, which translates to openness and honesty.     

These stigmas, values and opinions about the other group cause both sects to get a bad rap. Boomers feel overworked and unappreciated, and millennials often feel the same way. Both sects face age discrimination and are having a tough time landing jobs in the current market. Boomers have been forced by financial necessity to delay retirement and continue working, while the millennials enter a more intense job market with fewer opportunities. Both groups need each other. They need each other for different reasons and are having a hard time understanding each other’s perspectives, values, motivations and intentions. Among the clash of ideological difference, personal difference and professional difference, an accord must be reached. Both groups can teach, grow and learn from the other.

As the retirement ages continue to rise and the evolution of the workplace continues, maybe we will see a transformation and the revocation of any idea of a generational rift. The millennials are a huge and beneficial entity as are the older and more experienced boomers. Hopefully by focusing on the common goal of finding meaning work, the environment will be one of collaborative nurturing, leading and learning.

 

JR RochesterJR Rochester is a recent graduate of East Carolina University with a degree in public relations and interpersonal organizational communication, with a passion for digital communication, interpersonal communication and international relations. He has experience in social media, community building digitally and locally, in-depth experience planning, implementing digital product marketing strategies, grass roots efforts, client and brand reputation management, event planning and marketing. He is a member of PRSA Charlotte, PRSA New Professionals Section and Toastmasters International. He is a proud veteran, drummer, avid cook and self-professed geek. 

Lessons from PRSA International Conference: A New Professional’s Perspective

Heather Sliwinski Leave a comment

The last time I attended PRSA International Conference in 2010, I was convinced that I needed (and wanted) to join Twitter after sitting in on so many compelling social media sessions. Joining Twitter when I did was one of the best decisions I made in my early career. On my way to San Francisco last month, I couldn’t wait to see what the 2012 conference would have in store for me.

In a three-day whirlwind, I furiously monitored Twitter feeds, filled numerous pages with notes (am I the only one who still takes handwritten notes?) and even had time to kick back and socialize with industry peers. The conference flew by, and my brain was on overload on my flight back to Chicago. I was excited about all the new tips and tricks I was going to implement right after conference, but once the overflowing inboxes and pressing deadlines kicked into my routine again, it would be easy to forget everything I learned and go back to doing things the way they’ve always been done.

Even though a month has passed since conference, a few key takeaways made a lasting impression on me. Here’s what I’m still thinking about four weeks later:

Content is king: One of the themes across many sessions and keynotes was that traditional sales-y press releases and marketing speak are no longer tolerated, by either the media or consumers. The key to achieving great results for PR campaigns is developing and sharing relevant content targeted to your audience. The question “So what?” has never been more important.

When the spreading of information is placed in the hands of the public—not just the media—content can cause your communications to sink or swim. Newsletters, images, tweets, blog posts and videos should all be developed with the audience in mind, making sure to show what’s in it for the consumer when spending their precious time on your communications. Provide interesting content and both consumers and the media will keep coming back to your brand for more.

Social media should supplement, not replace: Tim Westergren, keynote speaker and founder/chief strategy officer of Pandora, mentioned in his general session that social media would never replace his town hall meetings or personalized emails to Pandora users. Other presenters echoed his sentiments that social media is a great tool, but it’s not a strategy and should not be the lone tool in your toolbox.

Even the Conference committee realized that social media is no substitute for in-person networking and relationship-building and hosted a tweetup (my first!) for attendees, allowing us to meet face-to-face with other PR professionals we follow on Twitter, as well as make new connections. Being able to speak with other professionals in sound bites longer than 140 characters was an irreplaceable opportunity to make more meaningful impressions.

Don’t rest on social media alone to converse with your audience and provide relevant content for their use. You might be missing out on great chances to connect.

Passion drives success: Both Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter and keynote speaker at Conference, and Westergren made one point clear—passion and belief in their business was the driving force behind their success.

As new professionals, we may not always have the privilege of working in an industry for which we have a specific passion. The truth is, because of the economy many of us are either still looking for positions or are working in positions that might not get us jazzed every morning. Maybe you love sports, but you’re interning at a local hospital, or you’re working for a corporation and long to be involved with political campaigns.

However, if we can learn anything from Stone and Westergren, it’s that the passion for what we do will determine our success. If you focus on your dedication to pitching reporters, keeping up with social media trends and providing the best results for your organization or client, you will succeed in your career. If you have a great idea, don’t give up on it. Dedicate yourself to PR and your goals.

I know I really do love PR, I love learning and I love when I achieve top-tier media coverage for a client. It’s all interconnected.

 

Who else attended PRSA International Conference? What else would you add? What did you learn?

 

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.