It’s that time again, when an army of newly minted graduates hits the
streets (or, more literally, their laptops) to land the all-important
first job. It may be the tightest employment market in years, but the
challenge of finding work is probably excellent preparation for what’s
to come! If you’re determined to break into PR, here’s my best advice.
Use every connection you have. Neighbor’s
son-in-law’s girlfriend work at a PR agency? Ask for an introduction.
Share a hometown, hobby, or favorite sports with an employer? Let her
know. Be polite, but be persistent, and don’t be shy. This is not a
career for the faint of heart.
Ask for advice, not a job. Of course your goal is to
be hired, but you may get further if you ask a senior executive for ten
minutes of her time to solicit her best advice about breaking in. It’s a
bit harder to turn that down, and your strategy should be to get on the
radar.
Perfect your writing. In a competitive job market, a grammar error, tortured phrase, or typo will eliminate you, plain and simple. Learn to write for brevity, rather than for term-paper word counts. Be punchy. Be bold. But be brief.
Don’t spam. It’s amazing how many emails I get with
another agency’s name in the body, or with telltale font changes or
other signs of an e-blast. A mass email tells an employer that you’re
not serious. And never, ever, start a note with “To Whom It May
Concern.” Prospecting for a job is a lot like pitching media; the
personal approach is time-consuming, but it’s very effective.
Be social. As in following prospects on Twitter,
engaging them on Facebook, and participating in industry or company
LinkedIn groups. Consider Facebook ads, an introductory video of
yourself, a career-themed Pinterest board. Show that you understand the
medium and how to use it.
Get real. Experience, that is. Most agencies require
at least one internship. Interviewing PR pros about their daily
routines, studying the media and developing knowledge in a niche area or
vertical category is also helpful. When I co-taught a graduate-level PR
course, I was impressed by what the students knew that I didn’t. Cool
stuff, like persuasion theory. But,
very few had enough practical knowledge to write a solid client
recommendation memo. The more practical experience you have, the better.
Have opinions. The best way to persuade an employer
that you can help a client stand out is to do it for yourself. In an
interview or short cover letter, offer some independent thinking. It’s
more impressive if, instead of saying how much you’d die to work on
their newest client, you have thoughts or ideas about the client’s
business, the category, or a competitor. If an employer asks what you
think of her agency’s website, blog, philosophy, or culture, be prepared
with a thoughtful answer, not empty flattery. If she doesn’t ask,
volunteer it. PR people are recommenders. Be one.
Package yourself. Make your strengths relevant. Be a
storyteller, but prepare your narrative in advance. One of my worst
interviews occurred when a recruiter asked me to tell her about myself. I
babbled a life chronology rather than controlling the interview and
focusing on relevant strengths. The open-ended questions can be the
hardest, so have your “key messages” ready.
Show, don’t tell. In telling your story, illustrate your strengths with anecdotes and examples. Don’t just brag about your best qualities.
Be a media junkie. Nothing warms a PR executive’s
heart like a true student of the media. Drop names, visualize stories,
show that you’ve not only done your homework, but that you consume a
broad diet of traditional and social media on your personal time and
take an active interest in many PR industry and business topics and
developments. You are what you read.
Be curious. Always ask questions. Even if you’re
speaking with six executives in a row and have heard the corporate spiel
from each of them, ask them something. Even if you’ve heard it before.
Your job is to show engagement.
Have other suggestions that have worked? Please share!
This post was originally published on Crenshaw Communication's website
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