Step 14 - 3 Steps for Mastering the PR Job Search

Be Prepared for After Graduation

Job searching is one of the most time-intensive and stressful processes of graduating. This time last year, I was relieved to not have to search for a job, knowing that I would be going back to school. Now that my postgrad is coming to an end, job searching has become a must. I have to say that I began the process a couple months ago, and now that I am in the midst of it I can share with you some of the things I have been doing and some of the interesting tips I have learned along the way.

Job searching has its ups and downs. It can become overwhelming, especially if you don’t know what you are looking for. This is why you need to know your career goals before you throw yourself into the search for the perfect job upon graduation. Check out my post on assessing you career path.

#1 - Where to Look
The first step in my job search involved answering the question: “where will I look?” One of the most obvious answers was job search engines, but even these can be confusing. There are so many to choose from. So I discovered that the best ones to use are the engines that compile job postings from various sources, which saves you a lot of time.

#2 - Hidden Market 
Another question I needed to answer was: “where else am I going to look?” Because in this day and age you can’t rely on job boards and search engines. Thousands of people are looking at these sites as well, so your application can get lost in the process. A better place to look is LinkedIn jobs, which will suggest jobs that match your career field. Twitter is also quite useful, as people in online networks often tweet job opportunities. Also, I have been keeping a keen eye on certain career pages of company websites. I like using RSS feeds for career postings or even job alerts. These deliver potential jobs straight to your computer.

Ultimately, knowing where to look is important as it will make the job search more effective, but remember, only 20 to 30% of jobs happen this way (the rest is from networking). So you may need to take a more proactive approach.

#3 - Timing of Search
Another thing that I have figured out is that timing is important for job searching. Certain times of the day are better than others, and certain days of the week yield more job search results. When you find an opportunity you like, you also have to keep deadlines in mind. I like to leave time to research the company so I can personalize my application. I keep track of the dates I apply on, so I know when to follow-up. And following-up is essential.

Job searching is not easy. Start out with these simple steps, and work from there. This is how I am making this process work while I am in school. With more time I would take more active approaches. Regarding the proactive approach remember that networking is an asset. Every once in a while I will reach out to companies I like to let them know how I can be an asset to their team. I also think letting people in your network know that you are looking is a good thing too.  Proactive strategies will compliment more passive approaches and make your job search efforts worthwhile.

So I would like to ask you, how do you go about job searching, do you have some tips to share?

P.S. I love PR.

Step 12 - The 5 Steps of Informational Interviews

Recently in my PR program at Mohawk, we were given the task of completing an informational interview as an assignment. This was a great way to force us students to realize that we need to get in gear. While I have been networking over the course of this program, I had not conducted an info interview yet and I was excited to get started. In fact, this excitement lead to 4 informational interviews, more than was required. But the thing is, info interview are helpful for my career beyond an assignment, and now is the best time to be doing them.

So I took the time to seek out new contacts and set up info interviews. I have my first one tomorrow, which I will share with you here in a follow-up post. Now I want to take the time to share some knowledge I have gained on info interviews and why they are important for student and soon-to-be professionals.

But wait. Before you go any further here is a caution: informational interviews are not job interviews. Why I am beginning with this forewarning is to clarify misconceptions that you are attempting to get a job from info interviews and ease any hesitations you may have about actually doing info interviews. Also, because info interviews are not filled with pressure and nerves like job interviews are, they should be something you look forward to. They should also be a means to your end of learning more about the industry that you want to work in and the profession that you are striving for. You may be asking why bother with info interviews if you already have a lot on your plate preparing for graduation. Look at it as an opportunity to learn more about the job you may get. It could also lead to a job prospect down the line. And any job opportunity is a good thing.

The 5 Steps of Informational Interviews

1. Make Contact

• Search out professionals in your field that are located within a traveling distance that you are comfortable with. It is futile to contact someone that you are unable to reach if you don’t have a car. 
• Contact them (email or phone) to introduce yourself and ask for an interview. Make your intent clear and keep the emails minimal else you become annoying.

*Maintain a positive outlook here as some people may dismiss you if they are busy. Just remember there are many out there willing to help. 

2. Preparation is Key 

• Schedule a mutually agreeable time to meet, preferably at their office (unless they suggest coffee at a shop nearby). 
• Research the company they work for so you have an idea of the work they do. This will help you in knowing how to interview them. 
• Prepare a list of questions to bring along.

3. Do it Professionally

• Show up to the interview early, dressed professionally. Introduce yourself and immediately thank them for meeting with you. Be honest in why you approached them, and be courteous in not taking up too much of their time. 
• They may ask to know more about you, so be prepared to answer this question with a 30 second commercial or personal pitch. 
• You should have a resume handy in case they ask too. But don’t give it to them unless asked.

4. The Q & A 

• Ask your questions, and take notes. You may want to ask them if you can record the interview with your phone or voice recorder to better capture their answers. 
• Once the interview comes to a close one of the last questions you ask should be a referral. 
• Ask them if they know anyone else you should talk to. 
• Ask them for their business card so you can keep in touch post interview. Even better, show up with your own business card handy as well.

5. The Thank You 

• Thank them profusely, but don’t act silly. 
• Follow-up the interview with a formal thank you by email or mail. 
• Keep in contact, with brief messages, maybe through LinkedIn. 
• This person is now a connection in your network.

Additional Resources
I also suggest you seek out additional information on informational interviews. This blog post addresses 5 things you should remember that are complimentary to the ones above.
To know more about the types of question check out the list here.
And to know what a Thank You Letter looks like check out this link.

You can also check out my other post of networking for student on the IABC Toronto Blog: Conversations.
What do you think about informational interviews? have you done any?

Stay tuned for more on my informational interviews.
P.S. Good luck with your own.

PR Moment - Creatvity in PR

This far into my blog I have brought up the topic of creativity quite a bit. I feel naturally drawn to this topic and feel it deserves to be approached more in depth. In my Step 5 Blog Post I included a link on a study that assessed the current state of creativity in the PR industry (in 35 different countries!). This study led me to other sources that cover different aspects of creativity.  (By the way this under Mini Posts, but I apologize if it’s a bit lengthier than usual.)

1) The study that sparked this blog post

Apparently the PR industry is lacking creativity, which is considered a serious problem. The roadblocks to creativity include small budgets, lack of time and staff being overworked. The interesting paradox apparent in this study’s results is that the PR professionals surveyed for this study thought they were themselves were creative, but that the industry wasn’t. This shows disconnect and inconsistency (how can a high % of people surveyed be creative but the industry isn’t?). But maybe the most important finding from this study is that PR professionals think creativity is necessary in the profession. So what is the take-away? Creativity is something all PR professional should strive for because it is necessary and it may not be as nurtured or encouraged as necessary. This is definitely a challenge PR students should be aware of before starting a career in PR.Check out the Study.

2) Can creativity be taught?

I love this post that argues that creativity cannot be taught. Why you ask? Because, creativity is something that distinguishes real PR pros from the rest of the business world. To recap the main argument of the article, creativity is elusive and not well-defined in the profession. This makes it challenging to teach as there is no benchmark. So what to do for those lacking in the creativity department? The author believes that creativity can be elevated in people who show a spark and it can be fostered in people who appear to be uncreative. Let’s remember creativity is subjective and dependent on the type of organization. For fellow PR students, I suggest that you express your unique type of creativity while adapting it to the industry that you want to work in. Don’t be afraid to show that you are creative even as a PR newbie, because it shows you have the aptitude and that you are worth the investment that will elevate you in your job. View the post.

3) Do creativity and strategy go hand-in-hand?

Super important point here: Creativity is not complete without strategy! You have a great idea? Nice. Now what? Have any ideas on how to execute it? How it will address your clients need? Does it fit with their brand? These are things that a lot of PR newbies don’t necessarily think about when asked to come up with a PR tactic. I know this because I have seen it. That being said strategizing is something that can be taught, whether it through a business program or a PR postgrad. For PR students, this is something to consider if you want to be successful in PR. Read the article.

4) The Creativity Paradox

The last point I will touch on creativity in this post is: Is creativity truly rewarded. The study above mentioned it is something that the PR profession needs, but do creative ideas win out over practical ones. There may in fact be a covert fear of creativity in that it can sometimes be rejected. But why? Namely because ideas that are tried and true are so solid that why would we mess with something that works? Well namely because those ideas came from creativity somewhere down the line and somewhere in the future they won’t be enough. It is always a good idea to strive for something new, even if only applying creativity to a solid existing tactic. For PR students this means we must be cautious not to overstretch our creative side and to always remember that PR strategies need to have tangible results even if they aren’t fancy. Read about it here.

Again all the links are here:

The Creativity Report

Teaching Creativity

Creativity and Strategy

Creativity Paradox

You may also like: The Creativity Index

What do you think is the future of creativity in PR? Why do you this is important? Let me know what you think by commenting below. 

P.S. I love PR

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Step 8 - Tips for Finding a PR Internship

The Hunt for the Unpaid Job

This is it! One of the most exciting posts to date; because Step 8 is all about getting the elusive internship. That’s right I will share some of my experience in finding an internship. And this is so exciting that it had to be written in 2 parts. The first part will outline where I looked and how I contacted people. The second part will cover the responses I received throughout, the decision process and provide some details on the internship I landed.

First, I will explain that this internship is not the “first job internship” that I dream of having when I graduate. It’s the unpaid, credit earning internship that you do while simultaneously taking 8 classes. Sound a little crazy? From what I hear it is quite hectic; with classes 3 days a week and an internship 2 days a week, which only leaves the weekend to take on another full-time job… Job searching. How many copies of a resume to personalize, how many applications to fill out, how many emails to write, calls to make, follow-ups, dead ends, interviews… And moments of frustration will I be able to cram in alongside the busy overloaded semester? Luckily, I have dealt with work overload before, I have mastered my “dealing with stress techniques” and I am ready to take this on. But let us back it up to September and the internship search process.

So months ago when I started searching for an internship I used the trusty Google to search for PR agencies. I used search terms like “communications agency”, “PR agency” and “marketing agency” and got quite a lot of hits. I made a list of PR agencies and marketing firms ranging from Toronto, Oakville, and Burlington to Hamilton. This was time consuming and in retrospect, probably not the best approach for finding an internship where I could only go in on Mondays and Fridays for 105 hours. That being said it was not a waste of time because I still have this magical list and plan on using it for my job search for after I graduate.

What I have to say about this approach is that some firms are difficult to search for and aren’t as visible online. This eliminates some great opportunities. The solution: build connections. I never thought I would have connections that led to a position and my network did not actually get me my internship. I just spoke to people in PR and learned about places I didn’t know about and added them to the contact list, this is one of the advantages of joining a professional association liked the CPRS or IABC as a student.

I also used Twitter to look of PR agencies. I followed them and checked out their websites. The key is to always look where they are located. The firm may sound great, but that’s pointless if they don’t have an office near you.

So I made a list. My tip is to use Google Bookmarks to keep tabs on this list. This way you can catalogue information about each firm and organize the list how you like. You will also have quick access to all the places at once to look up each firm’s website. You will also have the date you added the link and you can label things by categories including where they are located, what type of agency they are etc. This also means you won’t lose the information should anything happen to your computer because you can access the bookmark list from any computer. It’s a great tool.

Then came the part where I researched the firms. This was intensive as I dug deep in each places corporate website to learn more about their body of work, their niche, their team atmosphere, their culture and their history. Then I wrote cover letters for each place that suited me. To make things easier I used a base cover letter that I made changes to when I needed. Then I took my resume and transformed it for every firm as well. I will not lie this took entire days to do and I strongly recommend setting aside designated time to do this.

Also time consuming, keeping track of the emails I sent out and the responses I received. I will go more in detail about this in the next post, but I will tell you I quickly learned that when you check your email multiple times an hour you are being obsessive. Be patient and don’t panic if you don’t hear anything the same day or even the same week. Sometimes they just take a while to get back to you. But to keep you interested I will save the rest for the next part.
Continued in Part 2

P.S. The effort is worth it if you love PR.

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