Category Archives: Jobs

Oct 25 2011

Want a Job in PR? It All Starts with the Cover Letter

A cover letter is a sure fire way to get your resume looked at by human resources. This is the first step in branding your package and who you are as a public relations practitioner.

As an experienced worker or beginner in PR, its important that you have the right information for the agency you’re most interested in. Be sure to do the research on the company to see if it would be a perfect fit for you before you put a second thought into writing that cover letter.

Secondly, ask yourself, how much do you know about the position – this way you can make sure that your cover letter showcases your capabilities.

Some of the best cover letters I have come across show just that. Here are some helpful tips from resumes I have come across to get your cover letter read and resume noticed:

  1. Research the company – this will help you generate a cover letter that gives you an edge
  2. Put thought into content –  a cover letter is a letter, keep it brief, but showcase your capabilities. This will entice HR into wanting to read your resume.
  3. Following direction – IMPORTANT! If you are asked to send it in a specific format, and addressed to a specific individual, do just that. If you don’t, this is an easy way to have your resume pushed to the side.
  4. Never send your cover letter as an attachment as it may not be opened. Keep your cover letter in the body of the email. As you can imagine, many HR practitioners received hundreds of emails a day, which more than 50% are blind emails.
  5. Always explain why you would be best suited for the position – this shows your interest most of all.

On a side note, please remember not to be informal – there should never be a “Hey There” or  “Hi, Chris”. If there is a name attached to the job posting, please use Mr. or Ms., and if you are sending it blindly to HR, always address it as Hiring Manager, or take the extra step to call the agency and find out who to address it to.

Remember, the cover letter is not obsolete and not expendable. It really is the best way to showcase to a potential employer your full portfolio.

About the Author
Lisa Hutchins is a human resources professional and a frequent contributor to PR at Sunrise. She has previously worked at leading PR firms such as Ruder Finn and Cohn & Wolfe. Her responsibilities have included recruiting, employee relations, and miscellaneous employee changes. In addition to her HR experience, she has also as a PR pro on an array of accounts and campaigns, including GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. Follow Lisa on Twitter via @lisahutchins.

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Oct 18 2011

Choosing Your Career Path: In-House vs. Agency

Agencies and in-house PR/marketing departments each have their pros and cons, and either can provide a tremendous experience for aspiring marketers.

The following are some of the differences between in-house and agency work that I have experienced:

 

 

Scope of Attention

In-house employees know the ins and outs of the companies they work for, as their attention is completely devoted to one company and its clients. This expertise enables even the most junior person to bring value to the company. In an agency, the time spent with clients can vary, and contribution may be project specific. Publicists tend to be generalists, and their company-specific knowledge pales to that of someone in-house.

Variety of Work

In-house, the variety of one’s work is limited to one company, while publicists in agencies have their hands full with the campaigns of various clients. The plethora of clients allows newcomers to experience many aspects of PR that come with servicing different accounts, while in-housers only experience the strategies that their company employs.

Requests of Clients

While the agencies service businesses and individuals who entrust them with campaigns, in-house marketing departments service partners and clients of the company. The greatest liability is always on the marketing department, and not the agency of the firm. Executing an unsuccessful strategy or crisis management campaign may result in the loss of one client in an agency, while the same may translate to the loss of many clients in-house.

Pace

The pace of the agency tends to be faster and more versatile than the pace of a company, as many companies mimic their industry. Consider the type of environment you’d like to work in when evaluating whether in-house or agency is right for you.

About the Author
Marina Tsipenyuk is marketing professional with experience in the financial services, music, and beauty industries. She graduated from Rutgers Business School in May 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. Marina has worked in the marketing department of a fund of hedge funds and interned in a Public Relations firm during her time in Rutgers. Connect with her on Twitter via @msipen.

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Sep 28 2011

Do You Need Social Media Experience to Land a Job In PR?

15 years ago, heck maybe even 5 years ago, before the social sharing, and before “instant news” was wildly popular, a PR professional’s job was tricky, to say the least.

Dealing with potential sabotage, rumors and misinformation; making sure consumers and the public viewed their clients in the correct light. 5-10 years ago, PR professionals struggled to deal with the sheer power of the Internet, to manage expectations.

However in recent years; social media has complicated things a bit. It has obviously made opinions more valued, but more importantly social has given PR professional an avenue for creating engaging relationships.

There is no doubt that most PR firms are diversifying their employees to shape both their high level communications and social engagement talent base. So does having social media experience help you? Sure, it probably does. A better question for many is, do you need social media experience to land your dream job in PR?

That answer is rather complicated. I’d love to say that social media would typically be handled by entry level employees, because it requires less “seriousness.” However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “The recent emergence of social media in the public relations is expected to increase job growth. Many public relations firms are expanding their use of these tools, and specialists with skills in them will be needed.”

This data may suggest that firms are actually investing professionals with a high level of experience to manage their client’s social presence. With that notion, the data may suggest that social media is an acquired skill within PR firms. A surprising number of high level executives are working directly with social media, according to Simply Zesty.

Then again, it makes sense to strategically drive social media campaigns. Twitter is one of the most direct ways a company will show face to its community; if I were a company hiring a PR firm to manage my social presence, I’d want some experience behind my tweeters. Having experience as a community manager can illustrate that you have the chops to communicate messages professionally.

Personal accounts
I’d like to say that nowadays, a personal social presence helps in the screening process. But PR firms likely understand the difference in tweeting personally and professionally. Unless you are a social media guru with 40,000 followers plus, being authoritative on your personal social media accounts shouldn’t impact your screening process. However, do note that personal statements, or inappropriate material could definitely hurt your chances.

PR firms want people who can run social media campaigns for clients and measure ROI. If you are an entry level employee who tweets every few days, I’d stay away from calling yourself “social media savvy.”  Hard experience, means you have influence on a community, scope to communicate effectively and the chops to track and monitor campaigns.

All in all, if you are looking for a job in PR, social media experience can help, but only if it is professional experience. Having a social presence is important but not necessary for succeeding public relations. Even though PR firms are inherently more social these days, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get “in” with them with little social media experience.

About the Author
Matt Krautstrunk is an expert writer on document management systems based in San Diego, California. He writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs such as document software at Resource Nation. Contact Matt on Twitter via @MattKrautstrunk.

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Sep 7 2011

It’s a Small, Small PR World

Running into an old boss, there are moments in life that happen so fast you don’t have time to think about it.

I was walking in downtown Chicago and happened to see my old boss from my previous internship. Now just a quick bit of background: Not every internship or job you have will be perfect. Perhaps you won’t be doing the kind of work that you enjoy doing at first. Perhaps the agency culture isn’t a good fit.

My last internship was my first one out after graduating from college. For a number of reasons, at the end of the internship I was not offered a full-time position. This was an incredibly stressful experience that, considering everything I handled fairly well.

I had seen my former boss since my last day of work and had a decision to make when seeing her walking by. Do I go up to her and say hello or do I put my head down and try not to be noticed? I went with the former and we had a delightful impromptu five-minute conversation about my new agency, Chicago’s ridiculous summer weather and life in general. The next day I followed up with a simple e-mail saying how great it was to run into her (which was true).

I write about this because we can sometimes get caught up in the search for a permanent job in the industry. And that search can at times be incredibly exasperating. But as much as the temptation might be there at times, make sure not to burn bridges out of frustration.

On a professional level, the PR business (like many others) is incredibly tight-knit, so I can’t imagine having any enemies would be a good idea.

On a personal level though, your bosses are human as well. It’s their job to make tough decisions. Odds are it’s not that you don’t have a future in the business, but that the agency simply wasn’t a good fit.

So definitely keep your head held high and continue to gain experience in any way possible and you’ll definitely find the place that’s right
for you!

About the Author
James is a recent graduate from the University of Missouri, where he majored in Strategic Communication. His broadcast experience led him to an internship with FOX News in London, where he gained experience producing live shots for shows including Fox & Friends and America’s Newsroom. During his most recent internship at Golin Harris,  James conducted public relations for top clients including McDonald’s, John Deere, USG Corp, and UNICEF. He is currently looking for full-time work in Chicago or New York. Contact James on Twitter via @JamesCoston or on LinkedIn. 

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Aug 30 2011

Top 10 Reasons Why Being a PR Pro is One of the Toughest Jobs You Could Have

At the risk of this post coming off as slightly depressing for anyone interested in pursuing a career in PR, I’ve decided to have a little fun and run this list anyway.

Also, I want to stress that I realize there are many other jobs that are much more challenging (being in the military, a doctor, teacher, etc.) than working in PR, but like I said, let’s have a little fun with this.

Here’s the top 10 reasons why being a PR pro is one of the toughest jobs you could have:

10. Demanding clients – They always want more results.

9. Demanding bosses – See above.

8. Meetings, conference calls, meetings, conference calls – Every day is filled with these. How can work ever get done?

7. Time management difficulties - No matter how many clients you may have, the work has to get done.

6. Getting the raise you want is no easy feat - The economy aside, it’s tough enough showcasing the value in the results we achieve for clients, so how do we go about doing it for ourselves during yearly reviews?

5. New tools keep appearing - There is a constant need to stay on top of the newest resources that are available and a need to be prepared to offer counsel on them.

4. Nothing is harder than securing a top-tier media interview – Even when we send well-timed, appropriate pitches, reporters are still annoyed by all of the e-mails and calls they receive.

3. Nothing is harder than securing an interview, regardless of outlet - There are less media outlets and reporters than ever before.

2. You’re Always On-Call - There’s no traditional work schedule. Check any PR pro’s e-mail inbox and you’ll be sure to find conversations happening at the most random of times.

And the number one reason why being a PR pro is one of the toughest jobs you could have…

1. Hey, we get no respect – Stealing a line from Rodney Dangerfield here. Whether it’s battling for more budget from clients or defending ourselves against the actions of unethical agencies and PR pros, we always have an uphill battle against others.

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