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   Richard McGowan 

Increasingly I have chatted with students studying PR and communications at universities who want to point out how irrelevant they think their courses are to “the real world” of working in journalism, corporate or agency PR.  But really folks, relax.  A uni or college course cannot prepare you for the specifics of any communications/PR job, but what you are learning are the important broad strokes that you can fine tune and apply when you start work.  It’s important stuff to know.

It’s really important to focus on your ability to capture information and turn that information into the content you are being asked for by your class leaders or lecturers. It’s the same as when you join a news crew or PR team.

You also should recognise the difference in writing styles between a news story on a particular event and a feature you might be asked to write about that same event that analyzes its origin and impact.

Both these two points above are key to managing the challenges and opportunities of being a good all-round journalist or PR operative.

Consider this:  You have accepted a job as a junior reporter on a large newspaper.  At the interview stage the newspaper is looking for a solid person to join the newspaper’s State Politics reporting team.  In the weeks before taking up the new job you study State Politics and follow the newspaper’s coverage closely.  On the day you start work the Chief of Staff says there’s been a change of plan – and now they want you to join the Crime and Emergency Services reporting team.  

How can you prepare for that? Well folks, a good college degree would certainly do the trick.

And I know, because that’s what happened to me.

(Richard McGowan is managing director of  RGM Communications, based in Sydney, Australia.  We first met when he headed PR for giant ad agency Young & Rubicam in New York). 

Q.  Reading Brad Culp’s post confirms what I’ve heard about journalists switching to public relations, but do a lot of PR professionals switch around to different industries within PR?  

One of the major challenges I’m finding as I near graduation is deciding which industry I want to land my post-grad internship or job with. It seems like most PR professionals either work at agencies and choose an industry to delve into after their agency years, or go directly into a specific industry and remain in that industry for a good portion of their careers. Of course, there must be others who delve into one industry and switch to another, but I’m wondering if that switch and transition can easily be done.   -JK

A.  Your assessment of the current state of affairs is accurate, but I don’t feel specialization is necessarily the best way to ensure career success. 

Too many young professionals zero in on a segment of the PR discipline that is most comfortable for them and their skill set–and stay.  As a result, they pigeon hole themselves as specialists.  That works fine in high-demand areas of the profession, but it hinders their growth as generalists–still the predominant leaders of most PR functions and agencies. 

I’ve always let the needs of the corporation or agency drive my career moves.  I didn’t realize until Richard Edelman observed some time ago that I switched industries five times before joining the agency world, thus giving me experience in government, pharmaceuticals, office equipment, consumer products and retailing.  And I held a variety of roles ranging from internal communications to media relations to financial communications and management.  As you’ll find in Career Capsules, a large number of senior PR pros have followed similar paths. 

Today, career goals are sometimes too rigid and don’t allow for fate, which is my preferred career path for those willing to work hard and have fun.  My recommendation:  Stay flexible, seek out a wide variety of experiences and enthusiastically embrace change that allows you to stretch your experience and talent base. 

   Brad Culp 

During the three years I spent as a journalist I probably uttered the words, “I hate PR people” at least 200 times. That probably sounds a little surprising considering my father has made a career out of public relations (and it paid for my journalism degree), but I always reasoned that he was one of the few “good” people in the world of public relations and everyone else was just looking for a free handout from those of us with the power to publish.

Did I ever actually hate any public relation professionals?  Absolutely not.  In fact, most of those I’ve met have been quite personable and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them (which I guess means they were doing their job well).  However, as the editor of a magazine that often ran over 300 pages and had an editorial staff of only five (yes, five), time was always short and finding time to talk to PR people was seldom a priority.

As an editor, I made it my job to write, edit and plan content and anything I did beyond that seemed to take away from the quality of the magazine.  Basically, I hated fielding phone calls from PR people looking to sell me on a product that my readers “just had to know about.”  In the triathlon industry there are a lot of really bad products, so I seldom gave those trying to push such products the time of day. I instead gave them my voicemail, which I seldom checked.

That being said, within the triathlon industry there existed a certain subset of PR pros that I got along with quite well.  I always took the time to talk to those in charge of promoting events instead of products.  As a dedicated triathlete, I feel triathlon is the greatest sport on Earth, so anyone looking to promote the races deserved more than voicemail. In particular, I held Stephen Bourdeau, the International Triathlon Union’s Media Manager (read: PR dude), in high regard.  Bourdeau’s job was to promote triathlon’s Olympians and Olympic-qualifying events to as many media outlets as possible—a very noble job as far as I was concerned.  I held his job in such high regard that when Bourdeau told me he was leaving ITU to start a family, I applied for his job.

I’m now in my third week as Media Manager for the ITU, and while the job is a bit of a departure from my previous gig, staying within the triathlon industry has made for a smooth transition.  As much as triathlon has grown over the past decade, at its core, it’s still a small community and I can already tell that the three years I spent getting to know the major players in the community will be invaluable.

I’m certainly no expert when it comes to public relations (I now have 15 days of PR experience), but I think working in the media prior to taking on PR is vital.  As an editor I received dozens of story pitches each week and I quickly learned the difference between a good pitch and a bad pitch (and a really bad pitch).  Understanding the needs and capabilities of the reporters I’ll be working with will help me work with them when it comes to developing stories that are both positive for the ITU as well as relevant for a given publication’s readership.

Switching from journalism to PR was certainly not an easy move, but I’m happy to report that so far there are no regrets.  I’m glad I made the move early in my career, because I feel like after a decade or so as a journalist I would’ve been pigeonholed for the rest of my career.  In my [limited] experience, there are two types of journalists:  Those who stay in the field for their entire career and those who make the move to public relations.  At 24, I feel fortunate to have the flexibility not to get stuck in either one of those groups just yet.  I’m enjoying the hectic, fast-paced and dynamic work of public relations, but I miss the peace and concentration of writing and editing.

As I’ve learned after only three years in the real world, you can never predict where your career will take you next.  I certainly plan on returning to journalism at some point in the near future, but for now, I’m enjoying the view from the PR side of things.  After a few years of this, I hope to have a new-found respect for the public relations profession—maybe then I won’t let all of those incessant PR calls go straight to voicemail.

(You guessed it, Brad Culp is my son.  A Miami University journalism graduate, he started his career as an unpaid intern for Triathlete Magazine and eventually became editor before moving to Vancouver last month where he is Media Manager for the International Triathlon Union.)

Q.  What are PR agencies looking for in the writing tests they give to applicants?  How are the tests scored, and by whom?  Do agencies want to confirm that you have basic writing skills and have the potential to improve, or are they looking for perfection?  There isn’t much information about this, so any insight you could provide would be greatly appreciate.  DD

 A.  Writing tests vary from agency to agency, and many have different tests depending on the level of the position for which you are applying.  Most tests for entry-level positions include grammar, spelling and basic proof reading/editing.  Often, you are asked to write two short articles about topics of the day or a new product launch.  Many tests for mid- and senior-level positions have digital and social media components.  Some agencies require you to take the test in their offices, while others allow you to take the test home.  If you have the opportunity to do the latter, be sure to take your time and proof read, proof read, proof read.  Typos will kill your chances faster than burying your lead in the second to last paragraph.  

Tests often are scored by independent, free-lance contractors who are excellent writers.  Sometimes, strong writers in the agency are tapped to grade the tests.  Although perfection will give you an A, test scorers are looking for individuals with strong writing skills that can be developed.  Take the test seriously.  I’m stunned that 40% of applicants at our agency last year scored C or below on the take-home test.  Nobody receiving a D or F landed a job, and hardly any Cs got hired.   

   David Gallagher

Twenty-plus years at agencies and in-house roles in the US and London have taught me a few things about success in the PR business. For one, it is elusive. PR is a popular path for many early in their professional lives, but how many remain after five or ten years? Far too many are lured away well before they’ve had a chance to truly succeed.

For another, it’s hard to measure. There are far more direct paths to material wealth, if that’s what you’re after, and fame favours those whom we serve, rather than any ambitions for personal celebrity. And it’s fickle. We’ve all wondered how some people achieved whatever station they’ve attained (my own appointments to various posts have raised eyebrows, I’m sure), or why others seem unable to catch a break, despite seemingly having all the right stuff.

Even so, there seem to be some personal characteristics that, while not guaranteeing success in our business, can be associated with a long and satisfying professional experience in the communications business. Here’s what I’ve learned to look for in potential colleagues, whether they’re raw talent just joining the work force or seasoned professionals under consideration for board positions:

1. Curiosity.  Einstein said that intellectual growth begins at birth and ceases only at death, but that’s not true of everyone. For the truly curious, work becomes play, or at least a pursuit worth continuing, day after day. I’m not talking about the random, shallow curiosity of children, but a deeper, focused need to understand and master the answers to the questions before you each day.

2. Integrity.  I read somewhere that having integrity is like being pregnant: either you are, or you are not. No middle ground. Perhaps, but the larger point is that integrity is not confined to the ‘large’ matters of honesty about invoices and counsel, but also avoiding the ‘small’ challenges, like gossip or making excuses.

3. Versatility. Even as the PR business continues to specialise along narrowing lines of expertise, versatility – the ability to move seamlessly from one kind of task to another, or one industry to another – is key. Yes, this needs to be balanced with specific competencies, but show me someone who can be a leader and a follower, a doer and a manager, all in a day, and I’ll show you someone likely to be successful.

4. Courage. It takes fortitude to speak the truth when something at work is amiss, and this kind of ‘constructive opposition’ can be a real marker for courage. Even greater? The capacity to make adjustments when something is amiss in your own working style, or to push yourself beyond your personal comfort zone.

5. Generosity. PR can be ruthlessly competitive, and keeping score can be exhausting, not to mention demoralising. The temptation is to hold your cards close, and to share only as much as you must. This might pay off in the short run, but for the long game, you’re better off giving as much as you can, to as many people as you can, for as long as you can. Why? Because people will want to help you in return, and the most important thing I’ve learned about success is that you can’t have it if others won’t help you get it.

Thanks to Ketchum colleague David Gallagher for this post, which also appears in UK online PR publication, PRmoment.  David is CEO Ketchum Pleon London and he also serves as president of Ketchum Pleon Europe.  David is chairman of the Public Relations Consultants Association. 

     Matt Soriano    

2010 has brought a new sense of optimism in the business and public relations worlds.  Companies are hiring more aggressively, albeit with increased “skill set” selectivity.  According to a Q4 Quick Survey, half of the Council of Public Relations Firms’ members anticipate and increase of hiring activity in 2010.

The LAGRANT Foundation and the Council of Public Relations Firms recently sponsored a career workshop at New York University to help soon-to-be candidates get a leg up on the competition.  While the attendees ranged in age and experience, they all had the same thought in mind: how do I start my career in public relations?  Nearly a dozen public relations professionals provided tips on how to get the job hunt started on the right foot.

Torod Neptune, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Waggener Edstrom advised that, although you may be inclined to begin by searching where jobs are available, it’s more important to focus on your passion.  Pursue companies that practice in the areas that interest you the most, because after all, the best place to start a career is in an industry or field in which you have a genuine interest.

Mai-Lise Nguyen, Account Supervisor at Weber Shandwick and a past LAGRANT Scholarship recipient echoed Torod’s sentiments and noted how she originally studied biology but was later drawn to PR.  “I love science but I knew I didn’t have the desire to be a doctor or a nurse.  Public Relations allowed me to pair my business acumen with my inner science nerd.”

The rise of digital communications and developing a “personal brand” were also hot topics.  While tips were provided on how to safeguard online profiles (remember those privacy settings) Kai MacMahon, Vice President of Digital Strategy at Ogvily PR gave insight on how to be proactive in building your online brand, including:

• Be Strategic – Learn how to manage your twitter feed, blog, and other online profiles to cultivate effective search engine optimization;
• Focus on Your Passions – Continually creating and sharing content can be cumbersome, but if you focus on an area of interest you’re not only more likely to enjoy yourself, but potential employers have a chance to see your eagerness and passion;
• Participate – Get involved in discussions on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other online forums; you never know when an online connection will foster into a professional relationship;
• Be Patient – It takes some time to create a presence and brand, don’t expect your profile to reach the first page of Google overnight (unless you have a unique name);
• Use the Mom/Boss Filter – Simply put, if you wouldn’t want your mom or boss to see it, think twice before clicking the post button.

Although an individual’s digital footprint has had an increased influence in hiring decisions, traditional job hunting skills are still necessary to get noticed by an employer.  A panel of HR professionals shared common practices that candidates can use to gain their interest when applying for an open position.

• Experience counts - One panelist noted that their firm will divide resumes into two piles: one with candidates who have internship experience, and one without. 
• Cater to the Firm – There are no “one size fits all” resume and cover letters; be specific when citing how your contributions will help the organization.
• You can’t over prepare - When you do land that first interview, don’t just research the company but also read up on the current events and trends that are happening in their practice areas. 
• Network, network, network - Join a professional association, attend networking events, utilize your college alumni network, and be proactive in creating new connections; you never know when a connection will lead to a recommendation.

Be sure to check out these career building resources as well: PR Quick Start Career Center.  Other speakers atthe program were: Alyson Campbell (Porter Novelli), Caitlin James (Cohn & Wolfe), Meghan Lantier (BlissPR), Rob Longert (Peppercom), Kai MacMahon (Ogilvy Public Relations), David Miller (Hill & Knowlton), Torod Neptune (Waggener Edstrom Worldwide), Mai-Lise Nguyen (Weber Shandwick), Steve Seeman (Makovsky + Company), and Patricia Taylor (The Jeffrey Group).

Matt Soriano is Member Services Coordinator at the Council of Public Relations Firms.

You read the online job posting, send your resume and later learn that the job was filled with an internal candidate.  Sound familiar?  More than half of open jobs are being filled with internal employees, according to a new study by CareerXroads, a New Jersey-based staffing-strategy consultancy. 

Fortunately, the study is bullish on 2010 hiring, with 48% of companies predicting an increase in hiring, and only 10.8% forecasting further reductions.  Although a slight majority of companies hired from internal staffs, the study suggests that this unusually high rate will return to normal ranges in 2010 which is good news for people looking for jobs. 

CareerXroads says the most efficient way to hire someone or find a job:  Referrals, referrals, referrals. Referrals make up 26.7% of all external hires. Corporate plans for 2010 indicate a strong interest in leveraging referrals.  Many companies and agencies pay employees bonuses for recommending prospective employees who are eventually hired. 

This study underscores previous posts here suggesting that job seekers should use online job boards and job postings from companies and agencies, but then tap their own networks to find ways to become recommended for open positions.  As Julie Bauke said in her guest post, “Networking.  You’ve Got to Do It.” 

    Sarah Van Nevel 

Throughout my time as a PR major at the University of Minnesota, I can assure you that I always had my eye on the prize—and I’m not talking about a diploma. As I began my final semesters as a full-time student, I began to think more and more about what came after graduation day. I wanted a job, but I had no idea how to start looking for one.

While I worked hard to maintain a solid GPA and gain experience through internships and PRSSA activities, I put even more effort into making meaningful connections with my teachers and PR professionals in the community. All throughout college I heard about the benefits of setting up informational interviews and attending networking events, but I had no idea where to start. It can be a very intimidating process, and unfortunately, there’s no guidebook for beginning conversations with a bunch of people who are experts in communications.

Below are a few tips I was given along the way that I found particularly useful:

Many of my friends are teaching one or two college courses, and a few have moved into full-time faculty positions.  One friend gave up his long and unsuccessful search for a PR position in order to return to college for a year to get a teaching certificate.  He’s now an elementary school teacher.   

In each instance, these friends have had a variety of reasons for their decisions.  Some simply are in the “give-back” mode of their careers.  Several haven’t had success in finding appropriate-level PR positions.  A couple have always wanted to be teachers but got onto other career paths due to opportunities that seemed more appealing (and profitable) at the time they were starting out. 

The Sunday New York Times today tells the career-switch story of Peter Wilson, a Boston-area PR manager who was laid off in 2006, and eventually decided to return to college to get his master’s degree in teaching.  Today, Peter is a middle school teacher.  His story provides important insights that will be helpful to anyone contemplating a career switch into teaching.   

As a parent who had the ability to help support sons in unpaid summer internships, I know the value of of such experiences, although I don’t like the concept.  Unpaid internships favor those who can afford to work for free, while eliminating talented individuals who need to earn money for college expenses and life. 

I feel most organizations, even nonprofits, should pay something in return for the work performed by summer interns.  However, I’m fighting a losing battle, and I realize unpaid internships can provide experience and networking contacts that will lead to future employment.  I’ve seen it happen with two sons whose unpaid internships led to full-time jobs in professions they love. 

Before agreeing to underwrite unpaid internships, I asked myself similar questions that appear in an entertaining father/son column by Steve and Isaac Yoder in the Wall Street Journal.  Isaac wants a Washington, D.C. summer internship just like my older son did, and his father is pondering nine important questions that you should be prepared to answer before seeking unpaid internship support from mom and dad.  

Unpaid internship support from parents must address Steve Yoder’s “thought loop” consisting of the following questions:

• Can we pay for it?
• Can we afford it?
• Did I get subsidies like this?
• Is this a worthwhile endeavor?
• Would it be equitable?
• Can Isaac afford to pay for this summer plan?
• Might Isaac actually benefit if I declined to pay?
• Where, exactly, should parental dole stop?
• Will I feel stingy if I say no?

Last year, this blog wrote about the disturbing trend of purchased internships.  That idea requires an even stronger business case or very rich parents.