4 Lessons from a PR Grad - The First Job

I have not posted on this blog for quite some time as a result of the recent change in my life. As I mentioned in my post about student to professional transition  life can change fast. It hasn't been difficult, but it has been busy. Finally, I am taking time to sit down and talk about some of the most important things I have learned in my first two months as a Marketing & Communications Specialist. I want to share these with you so you know what lies beyond textbooks and laptops. It really brings my blog to a new beginning. Life as a PR Grad.

#1 Don't be Afraid of Marketing

Having done a business degree at Western University, I know a thing or two about Marketing. And when I went into PR I had no intention of including Marketing in my career plans. I imagined my job would revolve solely around Social Media, Media Relations and Writing. However, I quickly discovered that Marketing and PR work so well together that often times one person does both in an organization. Here I am doing Communications on a Marketing team. Doing both opens up your scope of work. If you like diversity in workdays, understanding consumers, strategizing about brands, and then Marketing is probably something you would enjoy as much as PR.

#2 Don't Pretend you Know, If you Don't

This lesson was easy for me, as one of the best ways I learn things is y asking questions. Sometimes asking the right question actually makes you look smarter than if you don't ask any questions at all. Not speaking up does not necessarily give employers confidence in your abilities. Ask smart questions to show you understand the process or the importance of your task. This has been one of the best ways I have made good impressions on my manager and team.

#3 Under Promise, Over Deliver

Saying you can get something done pronto, might sound like the best approach when impressing your manager. But sometimes when things are not pressing, you should under promise your delivery. This might seem counterintuitive when starting out, but it will save you trouble in the end. If you start right out the gate at full speed that will become the standard and you will always be expected to deliver quick and well. But if you sell yourself slightly short and then surpass what you said you would do, then you not only make it easier on yourself, but you look good. "Wow she did it in half the time she said it would take." Maybe you knew it would only take that long, but you deserve the time to make sure you are doing something well.

#4 Attitude is Everything

Nothing has been more obvious to me since starting working. A bad attitude is easily spotted and easily disliked. One of the easiest ways to jump into a PR team is to have a positive attitude. Maybe the work done before you isn't up to your ideals, but that doesn't mean you should be negative about it. Even when feeling overwhelmed (because some day you will), just put on a smile. You will be known for that smile. 

How do you plan on getting your first job? What lessons do you have to share?

P.S. I Love PR.

The Art of Asking Hard Questions

Achieving your goals comes from hard work. That is a truth and an obvious statement. So why bother mentioning it? It is because so often I see many of my peers who underestimate willpower and dedication. They forget that while sometimes good things come to those who wait, you also only get what you put out. 

Are you feeling underemployed, dissatisfied with your job or internship, or feeling stuck? Sometimes you may blame the job market or your situation. But quite often you need to assess your position and determine how hard are you willing to work to be truly happy? Because at the end of the day, you don’t get what you don’t ask for.

Kevin O’Leary talks about this in his book The Cold Hard Truth. In business you don’t get what you don’t ask for. There may be a great opportunity  waiting for you, but just sit there, dead silent, unmoving, and it will pass on to the person who does speak up. Maybe you feel entitled, but you sit quietly by. Entitlement is not as satisfying as perspiration. Maybe you are scared of failure. But that will only ever hold you back. It could be the risk asks too much. That could also means getting more in return.

Whatever the reason for your lack of success, you are probably thinking it is not for lack of being ambitious. But thinking about success is different than reaching out for it. And success looks different to each person and does not mean you reach the dream job from the start. It just means taking the first step that matters to you in your career.

I learned from a very early age from another great teacher – my mom. I don’t know how many times I would have concerns or questions about things and decisions in my life that I would confront with statements like:

• “I really like x, but I don’t like y. But there is nothing I can do about it.”
• “I wish I could do this. But oh well.”
• “I guess that is just the way things are.”

And without fail my mom would remind me that confronting difficulties, problems or negativity often involves asking something of someone. And that can be a scary thing. For example, you might think asking to work different hours is something you cannot do, because you are afraid of no. But my mom would always say to me “When you ask, the worst that can happen is you get a no.”

I only had to hear this 1000 more times before I internalized it. Now I use it all the time. Every time I want something or need something to change, I am less afraid to ask for what I think is fair. That is because if you do it strategically and be honest, the worst that can happen is they say no.

People can’t read minds. No one goes around giving you what you want. But maybe, if you speak up and ask, you can achieve something and reach that goal you have been reaching for. But you will never know if you don’t ask.

How do you feel about difficult questions? What was the hardest thing you had to ask for?

P.S. I love PR

Step 16 - 5 Tips to Transition from Student to Professional

Start off on the Right Foot

Today I want to talk about how students can transition to full-time work. Any student knows that student life is very different from working life, as they differ in some of the following ways:

Class times are in blocks vs. Word days are 8 hours straight
Classes teach and you learn vs. You are require to perform on the job
When in school you work after hours vs. Leaving your work at the office (maybe)
Paying to work hard vs. Getting paid for hard work

So straight away transitioning can be difficult. But whether you are a grad starting your career or a student starting a summer job until you go back to school in September, there are some tips to make this transition as  smooth as possible.

1. Start on a Positive Note - Even if you just wrote the hardest exam of your life, if you start work the next day you need to be poised, positive and ready to work. So make sure you are rested the night before your first day at work.

2. Learn by Doing - Leave the notebooks at home. Come to work ready to learn by doing. This means you might have to act on the spot or teach yourself a task on-the-job. Don't be afraid that you don't know the theory behind it, work is very hands on, even office work.

3. Act your Age, Except More Mature - It can be hard starting a job at a company where you are the only grad or student. You might feel out of place or intimidated. Don't be afraid to own your age. be proud of what you can do at a young age. Just remember your colleagues have different interests and expectations than the average student.

4. Don't Slack Off - Even straight-A students get side-tracked or procrastinate. This is understandable. But on the job you can't slack off on company time. This can be hard if you aren't giving things to do to keep you busy. But at least use your time to learn something about the company and advance your professional life.

5. Come Prepared - One of he best ways to make a good first impression on the job is to show up prepared. This means being groomed, well-dressed in respect to the type of job, having a general idea of what the company does, bringing documents to fill-out paperwork and showing up on time. Coming prepared will allow you to get started on the job sooner.

These are just some of the simplest ways to mentally prepare yourself for the jump from textbooks to briefcase. In PR especially, you need to be read for a fast-paced learning-curve. You need to be a sponge and soak in as much as fast as possible if you want to succeed. I would love to show some examples of what I mean by this which is why in my next post I will talk about my first two weeks in my first full-time job out of school as a Marketing & Communications Specialist.

So stay tuned! And let me know what you think is the hardest part of transitioning from student to employee by commenting below.

P.S. I  Love PR

The 5 Types of PR Internships

Back in December I brought up searching for an internship. More specifically, for an unpaid internship that you can complete while still in your PR classes. If you want to check out more on searching for and finding one check out Step 8.

Since January I have been doing my own PR internship at a small marketing agency that does work for non-profits and municipalities. As of yesterday I am done! It feels great to have the experience under my belt as my job search comes to an apex. But I want to talk about the different types of internships you may encounter. Some people have great internships, others not so much, so I want to look at what me and my peers have gone through with our internships. Always remember - Stay Positive.

The Different Types of Internships

1. The Pain-in -the... I Mean Challenging Internship
This one is where you become the person who does everything for the people in charge. You are a student and an intern, but all of a sudden you are doing the boss's work. Better yet, they don't have to pay you to do their work. And on top of writing up assignments that seem never ending that they infringe on your schoolwork, you are also expected to keep the coffee pot filled. And they may not even give you a thumbs up at the end of it all, which hurts the most.

Lesson: Even when an internship turns sour you need to make the best of it. This kind of experience will help you realize that life isn't fair and jobs aren't always like you imagined. You will get tougher, but from now on you will also treat others beneath you with respect. So at the end of the day, if you get some portfolio pieces and a new outlook on working, consider this worthwhile.

2. The Do-Nothing All Day Internship
This internship has you showing up eager, excited and ready to learn, only to sit staring at a computer screen for most of the day. Maybe they give you a few menial tasks here and there, but you don't feel like you are contributing or accomplishing much. This can be just as bad as being swamped. Because when you are not engaged in your work, you start to become slack and negative.

Lesson: Again make the best of it. Sure you can work on some school assignments, but why not take initiative and suggest some things you can do to help them. They may not know it, but they need serious help with their social media. That is just one example. And if you are afraid they will turn you down, just do it and then show them. They may just like it, and if they do, add it to the portfolio. And get a great reference, that way your time was worth it.

3. The Cat-on-Your-Lap Internship
This one happens sometimes. You choose to do an internship out of someone's home office. They have just started out and they are more than willing to take on a student for free work. But it turns out to be not what you expected. You work in a not so well-lit room in their basement where their cat insists on sitting on your lap while you write media releases.

Lesson: The office doesn't make the experience. You still get to write media releases and have something to put in your portfolio. Besides, cats are awesome, just don't where your good pants. Again make the best of it. Make yourself feel legitimate by setting up a space and bringing some nice pens and notebooks. Now you're in business.

4. The Out-of-Town Internship
So you wanted to get an internship in the big city, but now you are commuting 2 hours one way! Count 4 hours of traveling for an unpaid internship (actually you are paying out of your pocket to do it) that is not guaranteed to go anywhere. You have to wake up at 5 a.m. cause you don't have a car, but at least you are working with real agency people.

Lesson: Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get great opportunities. Maybe you could have negotiated for them to pay for a bus pass even if they aren't paying you. But regardless, you are proving dedication, so stick with it. Use your commute time wisely and you will no doubt come out with some great references and portfolio pieces.

5. The Why-is-Everyone-in-my-Class-Here Internship
You thought you had snatched up a cool, unique internship right out from under your classmates nose. But wait, a few days after you start, classmates start popping up and now there are 4 of you working there. Now you don't feel so special.

Lesson: This is not a bad thing. The company obviously likes what you and your classmates do. Good news for your PR program. The main thing here is that you may need to work harder to stand out. So do just that. Work hard and don't get slack just because your classmates wants to hang around and joke all day long. Be professional, after all they are your future colleagues as well.

Overall, not all internships are made equal and everyone will feel differently about their situation. Don't compare yours to someone else's. And don't back down, nothing looks worse than someone who doesn't follow-through. No matter the work experience, you have to make the best out of it. I know I said this a lot, but people who can do this tend to go farther professionally.

How do you know if your internship was good? Ask yourself: "Did I learn something new? Did I meet new people? Did you end up with a reference? Did you get a portfolio piece? If you answered yes to at least 3 of these (which most will) then you did great!

How do you feel about internships? What have your internship experiences been like?

P.S. I love PR!

Step 8 Part 2 - What to Expect When Looking for a PR Internship

The Long Overdue Part 2

Finally I have the time to get to part two of the internship hunt (see Part 1). This is fitting as a lot of students will be looking for internships in the New Year, so I need to get this part done before I can continue.

So as I mentioned, I contacted different places and people and my email quickly became overwhelming. This is why it was so important that I kept track of the places that I contacted either on my computer or on a separate sheet of paper. This helped me keep tabs on who had contacted me back and who I should follow-up with. 

Most of the responses I got were very positive, which I think was a reflection of my professionalism in contacting them. Many people said yes they have internship opportunities and wanted to know when I was available. This was great! They seemed quite eager (who wouldn’t be, it’s an unpaid internship after all).

The downside is the way my program is structured. See I have classes Tuesday to Thursday and therefore only have Monday and Friday of each week to accomplish my 105 hour internship. This is very different than some of the other PR programs available and something any future student will want to consider. There is the opportunity to do an internship in May, but that was not an option for me. I wanted to find an internship that I could do throughout the semester to complete my credit so that April and May could be a time for another internship! Am I crazy? Well it can be done. My goal is to seek out a longer term internship after graduation that could lead to a real job. 

A side note here on how I followed up with these people. I definitely replied and assured them that I was available in April/May and I asked about their process in selecting interns.  I set up times to follow-up with them in the New Year, kept the emails, added them to my contacts and added some of them on LinkedIn to demonstrate that I was serious. This is something that I recommend as it will give you more opportunities for future internships and internships are fundamental in PR.

Back to some other responses that I got. Some of the places were willing to take me on with my availability and they ranged in location. But I got this one email that seemed especially promising. This response was immediate and the owner of the firm asked to meet with me ASAP. This was a good sign and it was in Hamilton. The location might not seem important at first, but I quickly realized that as a commuter with no car, accessibility and distance were relevant. So I had to prepare for a meeting that could lead to an internship.

I made sure I brought my resume and my A-game. It was essentially an interview. It was also an opportunity to learn more about the firm which offers services lie PR, advertising, design and marketing. So it was a great place. I think the key in getting this internship was being positive throughout the interview and following up after with a thank you. So there isn’t much to guess here. I got the internship and I start in January. Overall I am really excited that my hunt for an internship worked out. 

To recap some lessons I can share with you: Set aside the time you need to find an internship, because it does take time; ask people about opportunities, because though Google is awesome it doesn’t hold all the answers in the universe; and always be professional, even as a student; also, don’t expect internships to always come to you, seek them out. In fact, I think the reason I got the internship was because they were so impressed that I had sought them out and contacts them. It shows initiative.

The most important tip I can offer is always keep in touch with the people you contact. It shows you are professional, grateful and interested. Even if they straight up say no, thank them and be polite. Maybe the next time you contact them they will remember you and your proactive nature. This is what I hope for anyway, as January and February approach and the real internship/job hunt starts. That is another story altogether and one that has yet to happen. But you can be sure I will keep you posted on the steps I take to get there.

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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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