Step 11 - Personal Branding 101

Branding for Yourself for Success

Public Relations is often behind great branding ideas. But branding is also a useful tool for job seekers. Because let’s face it, a job market is no different than a consumer market; it is like you’re a product on a store shelf beside other great products, striving to get the customer’s attention and make the sale. 

To be a successful job candidate, we need to stand out and show employers that we are a great product with a complete package. The package is part of the brand and it includes our look (the way we dress), our personality (the way we act), our education (what we know), our experience (what we can do) and our charisma (where we can go). These are like the features of a product. And like any product you want to be effective, stylish, durable and worth the investment. 

1.       Branding builds awareness & recognition

Awareness is all about getting yourself out there so that people can say ‘Oh yeah, I’ve heard of her. I hear she is great with clients.’ This is when awareness becomes recognition. This is similar to when someone gives you a strong recommendation. You are recognized for your accomplishments by others, why strengthens your claims about yourself as a job candidate. I am a strong believer that making others aware of your potential can often lead to great opportunities. 

2.       Branding builds relationships

“Public Relations is the strategic management of relationships between an organization and its various publics through the use of communication.” –Definition  of PR from CPRS

The fact that ‘relationships’ is a key element to the very definition of PR shows how important it is to each PR practitioner. And what some might forget is that we aren’t just responsible for building relationships (or brands) for the companies that we work for. We should be doing it for ourselves. This does two things. It shows we know what we are talking about when it comes to PR and it benefits us by strengthening our brand. 

Relationships are built through connections that make up networks. Networking is touted as the key word for 2013. And as a PR student I can say I have been told many time that networking is the key to getting a job and being successful in communications. But to elaborate on that, I think the networks we make reflect our personal brand, and shows how our brand fits in the industry. So ask yourself, are you building the right kind of network for your brand? 

3.       Branding builds success

Often times, PR efforts are used in conjunction to marketing and advertising to increase sales and ultimately the success of a company. So why wouldn’t we use this for ourselves. How many PR students have been told to make a 30 second commercial so as to ‘sell’ themselves? Isn’t that what our resume and the job interview are all about? Selling ourselves to the employer? 

Branding helps make sales because it also creates consistency. When you make your brand, you should therefore think about all aspect of the job hunt and the progression of your career. You don’t want to say one thing about yourself on your resume and then another in the interview. You don’t want to say you are a good at one thing in person, but then are terrible when placed to do it on the job. This would be false advertising. And the employer would want a refund. 

So how do you brand yourself? 

Here are some great tips on how to brand yourself from DanSchawbel:

1. Understand how others perceive you and how you perceive yourself

2. Define your unique abilities

3. Create a brand toolkit: resume and cover letters, business cards, personal blog, portfolio, social media profiles, wardrobe, email, all these things need to be consistent with your brand.

What to do and What not do do

Here are some great tips recapped from an article on creating your personal brand:

1. Publicize yourself and your voice – Create a blog or comment on LinkedIn group discussions

2. Research and know your competition – this doesn’t have to get ugly. Maybe you can actually help each other by sharing tips and pointers.

3. Be yourself – it’s easiest to create a brand for something real and genuine.

Here are the strongest pointers on mistakes to avoid from an article on LinkedIn Branding:

1. Being unprofessional - this includes in profile pictures

2. Lying about your skills or accomplishments

3. Not including all your links in one place (Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs)

4. Asking people who don’t know you to write a recommendation

Links in this Post:

Personal Branding 101

6 Ways to Market your Success -Create your Personal Brand

10 personal branding mistakes to avoid on LinkedIn

What do you think about personal branding? Do you think it is necessary or an annoyance? Let me know by commenting. 

P.S. Good Luck with your brand!

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Step 10 - 3 Tips for the Busy PR Student

Organizing Career Goals

Yes Step 10 already! It seems like the steps never end, but I think it is because starting a career requires a lot of work and effort. Now that January 2013 has arrived, I have decided this post will focus on time and how to make the best of it for 2013. I feel that now that I am in my second semester of my PR postgraduate program and graduating in April, time is starting to fly fast. But at the same time, with my internship starting in a week, I will have less time than ever. So the solution is to get organized and keep time in mind. Funny this comes around the New Year. I guess I could say my objectives are almost like resolutions.

1) Focus on Routines and Habits

First, with a new semester and internship starting, I will have to adjust my routines and habits around time. I have decided that the best way to do this is to start a habit of keeping a day planner. I have always used a calendar (yes a physical calendar that hangs on my wall, very old school) to keep track of important events and dates. But, I find sometimes it’s the little things that you forget. So a day planner will help me keep track of everything! Birthdays, deadlines, assignment due dates, internship days, volunteer stuff, etc. This is a good habit to start before entering the busy PR world. Because I know that in the work world, day planners are a must. Not to mention my parents got me a fancy leather planner for Christmas (I didn’t even ask for it, they must have known I needed help!).

2) Write it Down in a Schedule

I am determined to stay on top of my assignments despite the busy schedule I will have with also searching for a job. To do this I usually gather up a list of all my assignments for every class, including due date, weight of assignment in the class and the class it is due in and I write it all out chronologically. This helps me keep track of days when I have multiple assignments and it lets me know when I have busy weeks or slow weeks. Then I cross things off as I complete them. This will ensure I don’t run into any of those nights where you realize you have an assignment worth 20% due the following morning at 8 a.m.

3) Choose a Priority

I will set aside time to search for jobs, as this is basically my number one priority. This means I won’t wait around for job postings to come to me, but I will set aside time each week to actively search jobs out. This means setting aside time to contact people and answer emails back. I will also stay on top of the things that make me feel like a PR professional. I will periodically update my resume according to different job needs and I will set aside time to work on my portfolio of work. I will also keep my contacts organized. Here are some tips from PR Daily.

There, I got through the priorities of my career life (I won’t even bother with my other goals outside of career ones). I think the best way to hold yourself accountable to your goals is to tell other people or write them down. It motivates you and then other people can encourage you too. So that is what I have done with this post. 

Goodbye time wasting activities. Goodbye procrastination. These are the enemies and I must do all that I can do overcome them to achieve these resolutions. Will it work out? Only time will tell. Next, Step 11 I will talk about the different types of employers you can look at for a job in PR. 

P.S. I love how busy PR is!

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The Art of Blogging!

After starting my own personal blog this past fall chronicling my entry into the PR world as a student, I have done a lot of research on blogs and whenever a link comes to me (via Twitter mainly) about blogging it always catches my eye. Here I want to share with you some these links in case you too want to start your own blog or want to understand how blogging works. Keep in mind that in PR you may be blogging as part of your job, in which case these links may also prove useful.

Let’s start with the basics. If you have never written for a blog before there are methods to the madness of the blogosphere. Follow this link if you need an easy breakdown for starting a blog.

After writing the post, it’s all about making your blog successful. It’s hard to know how to do so if you don’t research tried and truemethods. 

The difference between blogging and content marketing? There isn’t really. Blogging is a medium for which you can deliver content and blogs need to be marketed. Therefore you can’t really blog without understanding the basics of content marketing. Here is a link introducing content marketing and here is one that talks about compelling content.

Blog is a short form for weblog, which came from logs way back in the day of writing with pen and paper. That means blogs are like a journal and each post an entry. Therefore the blog is a story and each entry is a chapter. This makes sense since people are drawn into your posts because of the content, but most likely come back for more for your storytelling (what happens next?). This is why I suggest this link for tips on making your posts more interesting. And if you love infographics as much as I do, check out this link for tips on storytelling.

After publishing the post, that’s it right? Not necessarily. You put in a lot of work to write that post so why not take it further? This link provides some unique and broad examples of suggestions for taking your blog posts beyond their initial purpose.

The best part about blogging is that it is a learning process and it improves your writing ability. If you are looking into blogging here is a great infographic to help you with your blog posts.

Finally if you want to take your blog to the next level here is a guide that is a little more advanced. 

What do you think of blogging? What makes a good blog? Let me know by commenting below.

P.S. I love PR and good luck blogging.

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Step 9: Adding Value to Your Future in PR

Filling in the Blanks 

This next post will cover some of the things that you might want to consider looking into at this point if you haven’t already. These are things that will compliment your existing body of work, that will round out your efforts to appear professional and that will help you stand out from a crowd in PR.

1) Find a Mentor
Finding a mentor is something that many higher-up PR pros will recommend to young PR newbies. The reason why is because as students we don’t have access to the inside of the PR industry unless through internships, so we need to insight and firsthand accounts from someone on the inside. Mentors will also help you find out about the hidden job market, make connections and build essential employable skills that you may not know you even need.

Finding a mentor can be done through existing connections or networks. Maybe you can send some messages or call someone you know in the industry from LinkedIn or maybe from a business card you collected at a social event. You can even try calling up a local PR professional and asking for an informational interview. A mentorship doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment. You can have one mentor or several. They may play a large role or a small role. Either way mentoring will help you out. You can check out my post on my own mentorship.

2) Get and Give Networking Cards
Just because you are not fully employed doesn’t mean you should be carrying around those ever important business cards. As a student you may call them networking cards. These are basically cards that include your name, contact and industry. For instance, put your name in large and underneath write public relations. Then include your phone number, email, LinkedIn and even your Twitter handle if you want to flaunt social media.

Networking cards are great because it shows you are professional and that you take yourself seriously. In turn other people will take you seriously. This past month I went to a CPRS event and brought networking cards and got a really positive reaction. People said it was proactive and they admired it. It is also great to be able to complete the card exchange. Having a card to give makes it easier to ask for a card.

The cards themselves don’t have to be a fortune. If you have a decent printer you can design and print them yourself. Otherwise look up some printing companies like Vista Print. 

3) Be Online 
I was recently told that in PR, you need an online presence to stand out. This is because so much of the PR industry is digital. I was told to start a blog, build my Twitter presence and learn to use other social media platforms. Also use LinkedIn as this is predicted to be a very popular tool for PR in 2013.

When it comes to your online presence my one advice is to always keep it private or professional. Anything you say can be seen by others and will reflect on your character. I think it’s important to avoid slang, bad words, insults or spelling mistakes, because these could be the one difference between you and another job candidate. It also shows that the company that hires you can rely on you to be professional in representing their organization.

This step is sort of a mash up of some actions you can take when you have time among your busy schedule. They are things that aren’t necessary at this point, but that are additional if you want to get ahead. Every now and then I like to think of small things this that I can do that will add to my value, so stay tuned for more tips like these in future posts.

Next up: you can never be too prepared for graduation and the job hunt, so I will start with that in Step 10.

P.S. The count down for 2013 is on and this will be the year you make it in PR!

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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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The Art of Baking - Holiday Cookies!

I don't know what it is about the holidays and food, but it is a thing that is so special that it deserves a blog of its own. There is something about this time of year and the massive amount of baking and cooking, and inevitably eating that fills our lives. It is a wondrous thing, but also a powerful thing, the way the simple act of baking Christmas cookies brings families together and creates memories.

For me the greatest part of this tradition is trying something new for the first time. As we all know there are those recipes that are classics that everyone looks forward to, but I love to learn, be creative and be adventurous so there is nothing more fun than trying a new recipe. Will it be good, or will it bomb? I can say I have had my share of both (though more on the good side, so I'm told). And even when a recipe doesn't work out, like a cookie is too crispy, or a macarons is too flat, you still learn something to help you improve for next time.

The next best part about this traditions is sharing with others. I love baking and my friends love eating, so it's a great fit. Just today I baked with my good friend, and a few days ago baked with my boyfriend. I shared some cookies with my friends and received rave reviews. There is one thing I've learned in PR (yes I know I'm crazy bring PR into baking). That is: evaluation is key. How will you know what to do better next time? How will you know what the response will be? That is why the sharing and feedback of Christmas baking is so important. It's how I find out my cookies rock!

Here are some of the recipes I made and I guarantee that I will be making more.

 


1. Eggnog Snickerdoodles 
(The Hamilton Spectator)

2. Peppermint Biscotti 
(Taste of Home's
Holiday & Celebration Cookbook)

3. Cherry Pecan Icebox Cookies 
(Taste of Home's
Holiday & Celebration Cookbook)

4. Gingerbread Cutout Cookies 
(Anna Olson's Back to Baking)

5. Chocolate Shortbread Meltaways 
(Anna Olson's Back to Baking)






P.S. Enjoy your Holidays!

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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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