Getting Started in Public Relations

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

So, you’re studying PR in college? I did too. Well, I changed majors five times, but PR was somewhere in there, and that’s what I do on a daily basis now. Studying PR in college was great — I learned a lot about policies, practices and the press, and I use that knowledge on a regular basis for about 50 hours a week. However, the PR world is changing, and I’m afraid a lot of university programs aren’t changing with it. The danger of many PR faculty members is that they haven’t actually been in this evolving field for several years, because they left it so you could learn it.

As someone who has only been practicing public relations for threeish years in the real world, I thought I would share some tools and practices that I believe can help train a young PR mind for his career.

1. Get a blog.

Resumes are becoming a formality. PR pros want experience, and they want evidence of it. What better way to showcase yourself and your talents than recording what you’ve learned and what you’ve done, all while showing off your talented writing and commitment? The commitment part comes in updating your blog. If you don’t update regularly, it’s not worth much. I actually clicked on a blog earlier this evening that I thought sounded interesting, but when I saw that it hadn’t been updated in four months, I didn’t read a single word. I don’t want to invest my time in someone who isn’t invested in sharing, and potential employers won’t either. So take your pick: tumblr, WordPress, posterous, typepad, blogspot, etc. The list is endless, and so are the possibilities. Find an interface that works for you and dedicate yourself to writing about what you’re doing in PR.

2. Remember you are a brand.

When I mentioned earlier that the world of public relations is shifting, social media is a huge reason behind that. While by no means does it replace traditional PR, it does change and enhance it. Twitter is especially powerful in this realm, and while it may have been initially invented to answer the question “What are you doing?”, it’s become “What do you know?”, “What can you share?” and, ultimately, “Who are you?” As a friend of mine says, however cheesy it may be, You are what you tweet. With that, your Twitter feed becomes a promotion and extension of yourself, and the lines are further blurred between a professional life and a private life. Don’t post anything on Twitter that you wouldn’t want as a newspaper headline where your mom, your preacher, a future employer or an eight-year-old could read it. And if you don’t have Twitter yet, you might as well give in now. You’ll need it. There are valuable people to listen to and learn from out there, too.

3. Be interesting and mature.

You’re preparing yourself for a big-boy or big-girl job now, so act somewhat like a grown up. I’m not saying lose a sense or humor or your personality, but don’t use your blog or Twitter as a place to constantly complain or just to tell us what you had for breakfast. Be sure you connect with people, contribute valuable information and promote others, then including an occasional tweet about the awesome concert you’re at or the cool trick your dog just did is fine. It’s all about balance. We want to know you, but we want you to be a valuable and positive experience for us, too.

4. Be innovative.

Most companies recognize that marketing isn’t what it was 20 years ago. Many C-suite executives are relying on people your age to lead the way in internet marketing, and I’ve been surprised with how many people I’ve dealt with that are open to trying something new. Whether it’s because they understand it or because they realize they don’t understand it, managers are interested in new and better ideas. Come up with a few, lead the way in executing them and be confident in your abilities.

5. Take ownership.

If you’ve tried something that works, don’t be afraid to brag about it a little bit. Let potential employers and managers know that you tried something that worked. I have a hard time with this one. I’ve never felt like I should brag about or receive praise for doing my job, but if you don’t push for a little recognition when your work is online where they may not see it, you risk being forgotten, and not being visible with measurable results is a scary place to be.

6. Network, network, network.

It’s much easier to hire someone you have a history with than sift through hundreds of resumes and try to choose the right person from a piece of paper. The more people you know, the more connections you have, and the more chances you have of knowing someone who knows someone who is hiring for you dream entry-level job. Of course, social media is a great way to do that, but so is being active in your community. You may also want to considering joining your local PRSSA.

Don’t let me do all the talking: Is there anything you would add to this list for striving PR pros? If you are still in school, what are you learning that you think will be valuable in today’s PR world?

Tags: career advice, how to find a pr job, public relations, public relations advice, public relations major, student advice
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