If you’re looking for your next public relations gig, the agencies are hiring. Check out this list of over 100 PR jobs and internships. Download the attachment for the entire list complete with links. Enjoy.
Adfero Group – Account Director
APCO Worldwide: Communications/Public Affairs opportunities Conference Center Coordinator Executive Admin Assistant Grassroots Public Affairs Manager/SAE Entry-level & junior opportunities – New York Senior Account Exec/Manager opportunities – New York
Brunner Digital – opportunities available in Pittsburgh
Burson-Marsteller: Senior Associate, Issues & Crisis Practice Finance Manager, Govt. Contracting & Compliance Director/Managing Director, Public Affairs Client Staff Assistant, Technology Practice – San Francisco Managing Director, Public Affairs Practice – New York Associate, Public Affairs – Dallas
CorpComm – Fredricksburg, Va. Senior Vice President Organizational Change Manager Communications Specialist III Communications Specialist II
Crosby Marketing Communications – Senior Digital Strategist
CRT/Tanaka – PR Manager/Director of Social Media – Richmond, Va.
DBC PR + New Media – Account Exec
DCI Group : Vice President, Client Lead Vice President, Chief of Staff Director, Client Services Research Account Manager Vice President, Digital Strategy Vice President, Digital Operations HR Intern Account Manager, Field
DDB Communications: Account Supervisor Account Supervisor, Healthcare Advocacy – Seattle Assistant Entertainment Specialist – Los Angeles
Edelman: Intern, Digital Public Affairs Multiple account & admin opportunities – Chicago Multiple account & admin opportunities – New York Account Exec & Supervisor positions – San Francisco Senior Vice President, Public Affairs – Seattle
Feinstein Kean Healthcare: Account Director, Life Sciences Vice President, Life Sciences Account Director positions also available in Cambridge, MA and Iselin, NJ
Fenton Communications: Senior Account Exec Senior Vice President
Fleishman-Hillard: Account Director, Financial Communications & Investor Relations – Toronto Healthcare practice opportunities in New York: Account Exec – Vice President – Vice President with TogoRun healthcare communications affiliate Account Supervisor/Managing Supervisor with High Road Communications affiliate – San Francisco Vice President, Digital Healthcare Communications – Cleveland
Gibraltar Associates – Manager, Healthcare See full list
In lieu of a photograph, I snagged this recent video interview of today’s TDMJ subject Ged Carroll. This London-based PR man is the head of digital strategy for the UK office of Ruder Finn Public Relations. In the above interview with Econsultancy, Finn gives us a few social media best practices. Below in TDMJ, he tells what it’s like to work in the UK and in the digital department of a top global public relations agency.
Name: Ged Carroll, 38
Current City: London, England
Company: Ruder Finn, 40+ people UK and 600+ worldwide. Prior to this he helped found Waggener Edstrom‘s digital office and worked in house at Yahoo!
Job Title: Director, Digital Strategies
Mopwater: What made you get into public relations? What do you like best about the field? GC: I got into PR through wanting to work in an agency environment following completing a degree in marketing. I had previously worked part-time marketing club nights, DJ’ing and working in the oil industry as a plant process operator. PR as a career has been good to me; I have managed to travel internationally and meet some interesting people.
Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you currently most excited about? GC: Probably the most exciting bit about the industry at the present time is the change that it is undergoing, which I think that the recession will accelerate. This change will be structural as marketing communications disciplines mesh together and the opportunities opening up as the Gordian knot of how to measure PR is finally broken!
Mopwater: Describe a typical work day including your typical work hours. GC: There is no typical work day in digital. The other day I went from dealing with lice shampoo to semiconductors in the space of half an hour. My role involves doing web research, conducting online outreach, designing online campaigns, working with internal designers, developers and third parties to build websites, providing advice to teams and clients, running external training programmes and speaking at conferences. Sometimes it can be long hours, but on the up side the firm is pretty flexible and efforts are appreciated. Read the full story
Name: Anne Williams Age: 36 Current City: Washington, DC Job Title: Customer Services Program Specialist Company Name: DC Office on Aging Length of Time in this Role: 1 year Twitter Handle:annieb1113
Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. How did you wind up in this field? AW: As a radio,tv & film production major at Howard University, I had interesting internships that sparked my interested in the public relations field: promotions department at Majic 102.3 and the White House Office of Communications. After HU, I got my graduate degree in public communication from American University. I’ve worked at a non-profit organization in the DC area and a marketing and PR firm in Northern Virginia. In 2000, I landed in the marketing and communications department at BET Networks where I stayed for a little over seven years. Now, I work for the DC Office on Aging.
Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about? AW: Entertainment PR. I have always been a huge television and movie addict and pop culture junkie, so everything entertainment related really excites me.
Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day? AW: My work day begins at 8:30am and ends at 5pm. On a daily basis, I manage the ADRC website, create publicity and marketing materials for upcoming events and agency initiatives. Because all media related public relations is being centralized under the Mayor’s communications team, I work on collateral publicity and marketing materials. A lot of time is spent using desktop publishing programs to create flyers, brochures, advertisements, program booklets, etc. I also design and edit the ADRC newsletter.
Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks and why? Do you love to pitch? Dread writing releases? Adore blogging for your brands? AW: I love writing! Being creative and making people take a second look at what would normally be considered “the usual”. I’m an optimist so I try to find the positive an every situation. I’m not as big a fan of pitching but with digital media, that aspect of pr is evolving. You can establish relationships and creatively pitch clients via email, Facebook, and Twitter a lot faster and reach a broader audience. Pitching has become so much more than just a phone call to a reporter. Read the full story
Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. What made you want to get into the field?
CR: This is a difficult question, because I really fell into this field. I have a B.A. in history and an M.A. in Urban Studies. When I was looking for jobs after graduate school, I wanted to work in nonprofit—likely in a research capacity. I landed a position with a large workforce development agency in Philadelphia as a communications manager, simply because I was a good writer, understood the issues and could synthesize information quickly and concisely. I immediately fell in love with communications and can’t see myself doing anything else. In particular, media relations are an enormous amount of fun. There’s nothing quite like seeing an article appear in print or online that you’ve pitched and placed.
Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about?
CR:I think social media is exciting, in part because so much of it is uncharted territory. The rules are changing as quickly as they are created, so you really have to be on your toes.
Mopwater: Describe your office and workplace.
CR:My company, DPR Group has two offices—one in Germantown, MD and one in Cary, NC. It is a fairly laid-back environment, as long as you deliver results for your clients. We are lucky enough to have a casual dress code and the ability to telecommute on an as needed basis. How many co-workers do you have? DPR Group is a small firm with 7 people in the MD office and 7 people in the NC office. Where, how, and how often do you collaborate with them? I collaborate with my co-workers quite frequently, seeking regular advice on a range of issues from media relations to client relations. We connect several times throughout the day using email, phone and face-to-face contact most often, but we also connect via Twitter, sharing industry news related to both PR and our clients’ respective markets. Read the full story
Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. What made you want to get into the field? RL: Back in high school I was elected to the Public Relations seat on our Student Council and something clicked. Since then, I’ve always gravitated towards managing people, business, and events and loved the idea of creating value for businesses and organizations by doing so. I started in college as a Dance Pedagogy major, then Journalism, and then quickly changed to PR upon learning what it was really all about. I was the nerd who sat on the front row and actually read the textbooks and started a blog upon my professor’s suggestion. After a stellar experience at my internship, I took a job in Marketing with a top Atlanta Real Estate Firm. I couldn’t wait to strike out on my own once I saw the depth of small businesses in our area needing counsel and direction. I like to be behind the scenes, and position people and causes for success. It seems PR is a natural extension of my personality and gifts and I’m very passionate about what I do. I enjoy the fast-paced climate of PR and always learning what’s next.
Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about?
RL: Strategy and Campaigns, Writing, Social Media, Causes and Events. I like to help businesses get from A to B, and help them look back at how far they’ve come.
Mopwater: Describe your office and workplace. How many co-workers do you have? Where, how, and how often do you collaborate with them? RL: I work from my home office and communicate with the world outside non-stop via phone, email, and social media. I work hand-in-hand with a couple of other PR companies and freelancers to accomplish everything on my plate.
Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day? RL: My days are always different-but that’s half the fun! I start early and end late, and even work weekends most of the time to catch up. I may have a few office days a week, but I travel a lot to meet clients, attend events, and network.
Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks? Do you love to pitch? Do you dread writing releases? RL: Reverse of your example answers-I love to write and don’t enjoy pitching! I have a knack for the written word and really enjoy getting a client’s message across so that a certain media’s listeners, viewers, or readers can relate to and identify with the idea or story behind the feature. Read the full story
I have some fresh communications job leads courtesy of my extremely plugged-in husband and MLMG partner Marc Littlejohn. I’m featuring a Deputy Communications Director for a policy/lobbying org., a social media savvy Online Communications Director a political organizing group and a Communications Director for an economic policy think tank. Enjoy!
Deputy Communications Director : Transportation for America
Transportation for America seeks an experienced, energetic communications professional to help manage the communications activities of a dynamic, fast-paced campaign to reform the nation’s transportation spending and policies. The Deputy Communications Director will assist the Communications Director in developing and executing strategic communications in support of the campaign’s legislative and public education goals.
The successful applicant will have a minimum of five years experience in journalism and/or media relations, advocacy communications, message development and marketing, or similar, preferably with project and/or personnel management duties. Special consideration will be given to applicants with relevant knowledge and experience connected to issues concerning transportation, urban planning and development, and related arenas.
Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume and at least two writing samples (preferably unedited), along with three references, to jobs@T4America.org. Transportation for America is an equal opportunity employer. People of color
are strongly encouraged to apply. Read the full story
Volunteer: Interim Communications Director for Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professionals
Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. What made you want to get into the field? TY:My path to PR has been rewarding and challenging because I had always wanted to be a writer or journalist every since I was 10 years-old but my passion for wanting to help people and serve as allowed me to be fulfilled in the PR field. [I spent a year as a community beat reporter covering Southern Prince George's County Maryland for the PG County Gazette Newspaper in 2004 and] I wanted to get into the field because there were no PR people like me when I was a reporter. I didn’t find a PR person that was honest and caring, so I wanted to be that person for me and other journalists.
Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about? TY: I am most excited about social media. Social media is the best way to [connect with people], no one picks up the phone anymore.
Mopwater: Describe your office and workplace. How many co-workers do you have? Where, how, and how often do you collaborate with them? TY: I work in a small department surrounded by other supporting departments including Career Services and Admissions. There are two people in my department-my direct supervisor and me. Sometimes, I collaborate with my co-workers during weekly meetings and planning meeting for projects. But most of the time, I work independently.
Mopwater: Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day? TY:My workday begins at 7:00am. Before I eat breakfast or take a shower, I am checking my blackberry for scheduled appointments or meetings for the day. I head into work via Metro, which I love so I can read a book or catch up on the Essence Magazine articles with my iPod blasting. As soon as I get into the office I’m back on my blackberry and logging into my computer checking more email, putting out quick fires. I make a few phone calls, draft several press releases, update the school Web site for the day, manage student projects and make sure people have been paid.
In the afternoon I take a break from my [job at the Arts Institute] and get to working on my community service gigs. I am the Interim Director of Communications for the Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professionals Network (YPN). I have afternoon phone calls with the President of YPN during which we discuss updates for the Web site and future communications efforts for our members. I am also the Second Vice President for Black Public Relations Society DC Chapter, often times I am emailing members back about the status of their membership, upcoming meetings and other PR opportunities in the DC area. Read the full story
Let me just preface this profile by saying how much I adore Lurma Rackley. I wrote an article about Lurma back in 2007 when I was a staff writer for the Washington City Paper. The article was about how Lurma’s book on Washington figure Petey Greene-the man’s only authorized biography, was not referenced at all for the 2007 Focus Features biopic “Talk to Me”. It’s an interesting story, so check it out.
Anyway, Lurma is an incredible woman and writer who has been in the media industry for years. I am so honored to profile her here on Mopwater PR+ Media Notes.
Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. LR: Journalism and Public Relations in many ways are two sides of the same coin: Communications. I started my career as a newspaper reporter at what was then the afternoon daily for the nation’s capital, The Evening Star (which became The Washington Star), right out of college. My desire to be a journalist developed during my senior year in college when I was on the staff of a Student Government-created paper we called “Your Mama is Black,” to encourage race pride and activism. At that time, it became clear to me that without effective news communications (with many voices and backgrounds contributing), humanity’s progress slows and injustice finds fertile ground.
The aim of news reporting and of public relations is to influence people and their behavior. I hope my contribution to both the news business and the PR business has influenced people for the good.
I left the newspaper after nine years, the last two as an editor on the copy and assignment desks. Next, I joined the DC Government, putting in 11 years there first as an editor in the Office of Planning, then as Deputy Press Secretary, Deputy Communications Director, and finally Press Secretary to the Mayor. I was able to employ my background in media to help me balance the needs of the reporters covering City Hall with the needs of the Mayor’s Office to engage with and inform the public responsibly.
After leaving government, I worked for an international public relations firm, serving a variety of clients, before moving to the top communications position at Amnesty International USA. Working for an international human rights organization fulfilled my desire to contribute positively to a cause on the continuum of domestic civil rights, in which my family and I were deeply involved during my teenage years. Next, I took a job at Eddie Bauer, to form the company’s first Corporate Social Responsibility unit and to help make decisions about which organizations the company would partner with and support. From there, I came to the humanitarian organization CARE, once again allowing me to contribute to a noble cause. Read the full story
Our Notes: He’s fashionable, award-winning and game-changing. He won the Independent Press Association 2006 Award for Best Article on a Social, Racial, or Immigration issue. The article, Punishing Phone Call Tax for Prisoners’ Families forced the New York Congress to confront the issue.
Mopwater: Where do you see yourself fitting into this industry?
CC: Well, I can’t say that I dreamed or even still dream of becoming a publicist; it’s just something that I have experience doing and actually like. But, I don’t like the agency side of it [because] I don’t like being hovered over. I feel I’m at my best when I’m able to sit down and speak with a client one-on-one and develop a plan of attack to garner him/her press. Not to say I wouldn’t take a position with a firm, but I prefer freelancing.
Mopwater: Describe your work history, including relevant internships, up to this point.
CC: While I was in college, I was a paid intern for over two years for the NY Amsterdam News, one of the oldest black newspapers in the country. I was brought on by the owner, Elinor Tatum, and former Editor in Chief Jamal Watson. I covered news in the Harlem community and garnered close to 100 clips at the weekly publication.
I also interned for TravelwithVal.Com, a website that focused on travel deals and destinations. It was a great experience because it exposed me to a field of writing I was never familiar with. I’ve also interned for the Columbia Records A&R and Universal Music Enterprises Catalog Department. I was also a writer for DefJam.com profiling artists and generating news pieces.
After graduating [from Brooklyn College] in the summer of 2008, I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to find a job considering the direction the economy was headed in. But I contacted a company called yoonew, whose focus is in sports tickets; and considering that I have experience doing ticket re-selling and journalism, I was brought on as their PR Manager. Read the full story
A lot of you are transitioning from journalism or another industry to public relations, and are wondering how to gain the experience that will help you land your next gig. Some of you have volunteered as much as you can afford to and need to start bringing in the money while you continue to gain experience.
Subcontracting, or offering a specific service or skill on a project under another person/company’s contract, is a great way to break into the industry and make money without the added responsibility of being in charge. You may not be ready for prime time but that doesn’t mean you can’t work under someone who is.
So how do you go about subcontracting? Where do you find projects and how do you convince someone to hire you? If you’re a recent graduate who’s looking to get a PR gig, or a mid-career professional who wants to make the leap over from another industry, here are some tips to guide you.
Take Stock. Identify your strengths as well as your weaknesses. I recently discovered that I’m not really the party planner in terms of making an event look visually beautiful. I am gifted however, with event scripting and planning how an event will flow from moment to moment. So if I got a lead on an event planning project, I would not bill myself as the expert in floral arrangements or banners. But remarks? Run of show? I’m your girl.
My point is, take stock of what you’re really good at, and use that to get your foot in the door. During your subcontracting gig, you’ll invariably learn new skills to add to your repertoire. Build your skill set with each project so each time you approach someone, you’ll have more and more services to offer.
Create a Portfolio. I recommend creating a portfolio and posting it online, and adding the hyperlink to your e-mail signature. But this document should also come in an easy to email format (preferably an easy to e-mail pdf). When you’re pitching yourself, you will inevitably hear the words “Send me something,” so be ready with samples of your best work. If you’re a great writer, have your best clips handy. If you’re a graphic designer, your most beautiful creations. If you’re an event planner, create a portfolio that visually captures the essence of your most memorable events. Done a little media relations? Mock up a case study or two that includes your pitch and resulting coverage.
Analyze the News for Buried Leads-Pun Intended. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it bears repeating anyway. You should always read the paper and follow the business section, your town’s business journal and any industry publications that pertain to you. Look for interesting events, developments and projects that will be coming down the pipeline in the coming months. Do some digging to find out who is doing the PR for a particular project so that you can approach them with your portfolio. Read the full story
Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. What made you want to get into the field?
MC: I grew up in the entertainment industry working as a model/actress, but always loved to write and am an avid storyteller. I graduated from Rowan University in 2002 with a BA in Communications and began my career in corporate PR. I didn’t enjoy working in a corporate environment so I switched into sales before ultimately deciding to go back into PR…this time on my own terms. I started my own firm when I was 26 years old working with small business owners, professional speakers, authors and industry experts.
Mopwater: What do you love most about doing PR?
MC: I love landing big placements for small business owners – there’s something exciting about getting in on the ground floor and watching a business grow with your efforts. I also love seeing direct ROI from placements and helping clients leverage placements into sales or into ongoing coverage (like regular columns or correspondent opportunities).
Mopwater: Describe your office and workplace. How many co-workers do you have? Where, how, and how often do you collaborate with them?
MC: I have a home office and do not have employees. Instead I collaborate with other industry experts in marketing, copywriting, advertising, social media, etc and outsource work to them when necessary. We collaborate by phone, email and Skype.
Mopwater:Describe a typical workday including your work hours. What do you do all day?
MC: I usually start work around 7:30am. Every day I start with a plan and just check off tasks as I go. The hours between 9-5pm are spent pitching clients (new pitches, follow ups, coordinating interviews). I also use Profnet and HARO as a leads source and respond to those queries throughout the day. The evening I reserve for writing, social networking and any housekeeping that needs to be done for my business.
Mopwater: What are your favorite and least favorite PR tasks? Do you love to pitch? Do you dread writing releases?
MC: My favorite task is pitching. I love crafting pitches tailored to each individual outlet and really envisioning how my client will fit in their program/publication. My least favorite is writing press releases, because I rarely use them. 95% of my media placements are from a well-crafted pitch. Read the full story
I’m doing something new today. I come across amazing, talented people all the time. I profile some of them for Test Drive My Job, Senior Counsel or How to Pitch. But occasionally I meet very impressive people who are looking for work. Brilliant, talented and eager to work in PR and communications, I wish I could put them all in a building and start my own mega-firm! And someday, I just might.
Just because you don’t have a job does not mean I won’t profile you. If you’ve impressed me with your job-seeking skills and hustle, you might just find yourself on Mopwater PR + Notes. Like Karyn Watkins. I “met” her on Twitter. She was tweeting about her search for PR work in DC, so I contacted her and we met for coffee. Currently living in her hometown of Chicago, Karyn writes The Fabulous Giver–an amazing blog on philanthropy. She also writes a philanthropy column for the Examiner. Very tech and new media savvy. Sharp young lady. Check her out–she won’t be “retired” for long!
Name: Karyn Watkins, 25
Current City: Chicago, Illinois
Looking For: A Healthcare or Non-Profit PR Job in DC or Chicago
Mopwater: Can you give me a quick description of your decision to leave advertising and move into PR? Karyn: Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work in various facets of marketing communications from sales to advertising. I’ve learned so much from each experience! However, it’s becoming very clear that the Internet is changing the way that people interact with each other and with companies. I knew that I wanted to be a greater participant in the conversations happening between people, businesses, and donors about various brands, initiatives, and organizations. So, it seemed only natural that I switch it up and move into public relations.
Mopwater: How is the search going? How long has it been? What is your ultimate goal? Karyn: I’ve been “retired” for almost five months, but honestly, I didn’t start my job search until January of this year as I wanted to focus on writing and volunteering. So far though, I think that the search is going well. I’m not saying that the opportunities are endless, but in all fairness, I can’t totally blame it on the economy. I have a specific idea of the tasks and creativity needed to do my next job, and while I’m willing to compromise a little, I can’t compromise it all strictly because the Dow Jones tells me that I should! After all, I courageously and voluntarily left my previous employer to pursue my ideal career path and I just can’t throw that away.
My ultimate goal is to land in a public relations or communications position within the healthcare or nonprofit sector. I am either looking to stay in Chicago or relocate to the Washington D.C. Area. There are pros and cons to each decision, but I’ll just have to weigh the opportunities once they become available to me! Read the full story
I recently got an e-mail from someone who is moving to the DC Metro area and wants my advice on landing a writing or public relations job here. The person requested 20 minutes of my time to sit down and chat. Fittingly, said person attached a resume for my review.
After I took a look at the resume, I realized that I need to speak to this person about revamping it before we can go any further. The person has obvious communications and writing experience, but I only know that because I have held some of the same types of positions mentioned and can read between the lines on this resume. A general HR manager most likely won’t be as knowledgeable about the nuances in communications job descriptions. Nor will they be generous enough to spend time reading between the lines.
Before you ask someone to help you out with your job search and connect you to their very valuable professional contacts, make sure you have an outstanding resume for them to distribute on your behalf. A personal introduction or recommendation can only go so far; once you get your foot in the door, make sure your resume is so dynamic that it gets your butt in the interview seat. Here’s how.
1. Think “My Resume=My Brochure”. Your resume is your #1 marketing tool. It tells a complete stranger why they should bother to invite you in to discuss a job opportunity. Make it shine! It can be tough for you freelancers and consultants who might not want to “toot your own horn.” But trust me: this is the time to toot. Use adverbs and adjectives to glowingly describe yourself and your past work. If you’re doing a professional profile at the head of your resume, don’t be modest. Call yourself what you are: award-winning, proven, strategic and experienced.
2. Give Hiring Managers What They Ask For. If you’re responding to a job listing, please look at the description to find out what the hiring manager is looking for. Even in the communications field I’m surprised by how many people don’t put two and two together on this point. If the manager is looking for someone to “handle media relations, respond to inquiries, and pursue proactive media activities,” be sure to list in your experience where you’ve done just that. Include your most successful freelance or consulting projects; projects where you garnered great media hits to show you know a thing or two about media relations. Show that you’ve not only done this before, but you’re proven. Take it a step further by listing the outlets or programs where you were able to score coverage. Read the full story
Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. What made you want to get into the field?
AK: While I didn’t “fall into the PR field” so to speak, I did take an interesting route. Sometimes you have to figure out what you DON’T want to do before you find what you DO find value in pursuing.
I was originally a Nutrition major when I went to The University of Texas at Austin and I quickly realized (after a brutal organic chem class) that being a dietitian was not the career path I wanted to take. If I didn’t enjoy learning and executing the material then, I knew that there was no way it would help me lead a fulfilling life down the road. So when I took some time and thought about my true passions I realized my whole life I have always loved writing and communications; always enjoyed literature, was the PR Class Officer for our high school, spent time writing for a newspaper and also sold their ad space. After taking time to reflect on this, I decided to apply to the Communications School. I knew I had no interest in being a journalist, but decided that Public Relations was the way to go. I am so blessed that I made the decision and was true to myself even though there was a possibility of not getting into the school, graduating late and an unspoken pressure to not change majors.
Mopwater: What were you doing prior to launching your business?
AK: I spent time in Austin as the Director of PR for Texas Campus Compact, a state-wide education nonprofit and my last position was leading the communications at a start up advertising/media agency in Dallas.
Mopwater: What kind of clients does your company serve and what services do you provide?
AK: Right now we are serving small to medium sized organizations from very diverse industries; entertainment and retail to industry machining and nonprofits. We help build our clients’ brand and image assisting with internal and external communication; help build awareness through traditional and non traditional media and form partnerships with sponsors for events and charitable causes. Read the full story
I’m dedicating today’s post to the job seekers among us. It’s difficult for me to ignore the fact that so many people are out of work right now, so instead of offering you best practices for the job you might not have, today I’m all about helping you get the PR job you’ve been dreaming of.
I know you’re conducting an active search by scouring job boards, newspaper classifieds and even talking to recruiters. But here are a few things you can do to improve your chances of getting noticed by people who are looking for someone like you.
1. Head to the Top. Talk to people who know people—preferably people who know lots of people. Befriend the heads of your local (and national) professional organizations. Request a sit-down with leaders in your field. I know what some of you are thinking. “Why would the leaders want to talk to me?” You’d be surprised at what people are willing to do when you ask them. Find someone who knows your target and request an introduction. If you don’t know someone who knows the person you’re trying to reach, use Google or LinkedIn to connect the dots. Make a phone call or send an e-mail introducing yourself. Detail your experience and your goals. Ask for what you want. They may not have a job to hand you, but chances are, they’ll know someone who will. And be patient. Once you begin talking to the right people, and they begin mentioning your situation to their people, something will eventually open up.
2. Go On Informational Interviews. I love informational interviews and make a practice of doing these a few times a year, even when I have a job. For PR people, especially, it’s a great idea to get in front of people who practice different types of PR if you’re thinking of changing your focus. Informational interviews are great because there’s absolutely no pressure on you or the interviewee. Your host doesn’t feel pressured to “give you something” and you’re not competing for an open spot at their company. However if something should open up for you, that’s great,too.
When I was finishing up at Howard University, I spoke to an English professor about my writing goals. She mentioned that her sister was an editor at the Washington Post and I should set up an informational interview. Well, the sister turned out to be Marie Arana, the Washington Post Book World Editor-in-Chief at the time (in short, a really big deal). Marie connected me to several other Post editors who agreed to do informational interviews with me as well. They gave me invaluable advice about journalism and writing that I have repeatedly used and actually passed on to several people who have come to me for advice. But all this came about through a simple request: Sit down with me and tell me about what you do. No strings. No pressure. Read the full story
Mopwater: Describe your path to PR. What made you want to get into the field?
RC: My motto is ‘I was born to do this…’ and that’s because if I go back to my childhood I can see the evidence. For example, I was always ‘reporting’ something and my grandmother, Irene, would always say, “If you don’t want it repeated, do not say it around that one.” I can see the evolution of the little loud girl who became the little loud woman who has this ability to connect people and influence decisions. Plus, I was bossy and if that’s not a trait of most PR practitioners and publicists, I don’t know what is. On a practical note, I began college as a broadcast major with the goal of becoming an anchor, but a major melt down (stage fright) while taping audition reels led me to change my major.
Mopwater: What aspects of the industry are you most excited about?
RC: There are two aspects that I find not only exciting but delightful. The first would be the Barack Obama presidency, which I believe from a practitioner’s perspective will ultimately become the Obama Era. As a former college instructor who taught mass-mediated images of African Americans, nothing delights me more than to see a shift in our image on the world media stage. The leader of the free world looks like me and has a background that is not only similar but relatable. It gives me hope that my niche will become commonplace and more of us with great African American or underrepresented minority clients will be able to translate their value to a broader market in mainstream media. The second thing that excites me most is the inclusion of social media and Internet strategies as a part of our campaigns as practitioners. News can be relayed more quickly and efficiently than ever before. Moreover, I love the social media news release because it gets to the heart of your story and offers another way to tell it. Read the full story
I have some fresh communications job leads courtesy of my extremely plugged-in husband and MLMG partner Marc Littlejohn. I’m featuring a Deputy Communications Director for a policy/lobbying org., a social media savvy Online Communications Director a political organizing group and a Communications Director for an economic policy think tank. Enjoy!
A lot of you are transitioning from journalism or another industry to public relations, and are wondering how to gain the experience that will help you land your next gig. Some of you have volunteered as much as you can afford to and need to start bringing in the money while you continue to gain experience.
I recently got an e-mail from someone who is moving to the DC Metro area and wants my advice on landing a writing or public relations job here. The person requested 20 minutes of my time to sit down and chat. Fittingly, said person attached a resume for my review.
Name: Amy Kauffman, 23, on the right
I’m dedicating today’s post to the job seekers among us. It’s difficult for me to ignore the fact that so many people are out of work right now, so instead of offering you best practices for the job you might not have, today I’m all about helping you get the PR job you’ve been dreaming of.
