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The current issue of the Council of PR Firms’ online publication, Firm Voice, provides managers with some intriguing insights about what makes Millennials tick. 

Aaron Uhrmacher, a social media consultant at Text 100 Public Relations, posts an intriguing Top 10 that can help Boomers and Xers span the expectations bridge of Millennials.  Due to current economic conditions, don’t expect most agencies or companies to readily embrace ideas that affect the bottom line.  Fortunately, most of Aaron’s recommendations are very doable.  Please add your recommendations via Comments.   

  There’s a lot of talk about the Millennials these days. They’re also called Generation Y, Echo Boomers and, sarcastically, Generation Why? (That all came from Wikipedia—the Millennials’ utmost authority on everything that can’t be found on Facebook.) The Millennial generation encompasses people born roughly between 1982 and 1994. This group is regularly said to be wreaking havoc on corporate life, making supposedly outrageous demands for things like “work/life balance” and “benefits.”

Even though I fall a few years short of wearing the Millennial tag, I can identify with this group in many ways and I consider myself part of them. After all, I started out as an account executive and quickly earned the senior social media consultant moniker. So, if you have Millennials on staff and you’re looking for a little insight into what makes them tick, here are some tips you might find useful:

1. Let us work remotely: We can work at Starbucks and even from home. By creating a less structured physical work environment, you can stimulate us, encourage our creativity and teach us how to work smarter. Start with a trial month and evaluate the results. You might be surprised at how well we manage our time when it belongs to us.

2. Give us iPhones: Most companies only provide phones to management. If you want us to stay connected, give us the tools to do so. Blackberries are fine, but iPhones are much cooler. And they work on corporate networks.

3. Create opportunities for social interaction: If you want us to enjoy where we work, make it a place we want to be. Give us the chance to connect with our co-workers in an environment that promotes social interaction. Host group brainstorm sessions, take us bowling (or to the theater, or paintballing) and remember to celebrate our success outside the confines of the workplace.

4. Give us feedback: If you like our work, let us know. If you don’t, let us know. We’ve been using blogs, social networks and other platforms for years where we receive immediate feedback from our friends. We expect the same at work, and we look forward to it.

5. Compensate us: Not just with money, but with other benefits. Creative incentives go a long way. Gym memberships are expensive, so are dinners. Having free bagels and OJ once a week shows we’re part of the family.

6. Give us more work: Not just busy work, but smarter work. Empower us to help win new business or participate in our client’s online community building efforts. We may have skills that you don’t. We know how to use Photoshop, build web pages and blogs, and create social networks.

7. Take an interest in us: Start an internal blog where we can share other parts of our personalities, communicate with people at all levels of the organization and continue to ensure that our company is a place we all want to be.

8. Put us in charge: Yes, we want to be the boss and, no, we don’t always want to pay our dues. We’re admittedly impatient, but there are projects that we can work on that will benefit the company and will demonstrate our potential.

9. Let us teach: We can sometimes find answers quicker with Google than with proprietary software. We can automate coverage searches with online tools. And we can interact with reporters and bloggers using some of the tools you see as time wasters. Let us show you how technology lets us work smarter.

10. Make us read this article: If we work for you, we believe in what your firm does. We want to be a part of it. Share this story and let’s discuss if we’re on the same page. If we’re not, what can we do to change that?

Helpful free job sites abound these days so resist the temptation of  pay-to-play sites that charge usage fees to search for PR jobs.  While the Council of PR Firms, PRSSA and PRSA offer excellent job sites, I recently came across a terrific site that is, indeed, very good.  It’s www.indeed.com

Indeed compiles PR jobs on one easy-to-navigate site, and it sends job alerts when positions matching your search parameters are posted.  The site appears to be updated continually, and you can search by desired geographical location.  The site currently provides job listings for the U.S., U.K., Canada and India.   

  Lisa Holton

                                  Independent Writer, Editor and Researcher    

Lisa Holton heads The Lisa Company, an Evanston, IL-based writing, editing and research consulting firm founded in 1998. She is a former Business Editor and reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times and a former editor with the Thomson Corporation. She is a busy author and contract writer for corporations, associations and universities nationwide.  Her new book, For Members Only: A History and Guide to Chicago’s Oldest Private Clubs, was published in June 2008 by Chicago’s Lake Claremont Press.  Her e-mail is Lisa@TheLisaCompany.com. 

As Lisa describes it, this is the not-terribly-brief story of why she chose a full-time career as a freelance writer and author.  It’s a great read for anyone considering a freelance career. 

When I graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School with a piping hot newspaper degree (sweet!) in 1981, I had already heard the rumblings about the death of American newspapers for some time.  You see, papers had already been dying for well over a century – at the turn of the 20th century, there were nine major dailies in Chicago. At the turn of this one, only two.

I found myself in business news completely by accident, or more accurately, necessity. The nation was digging itself out of recession in ’81, and after a summer internship at the Sun-Times, the only full-time gig I could snare was a rewrite position in the paper’s business section, then at a whopping 15 staffers (of course, back then, the well-heeled Tribune had more than 30 writers and editors on the business section payroll and they had the gall to gripe about how thinly staffed they were compared to the New York Times).

I thought of the business section as a waystation when I got there, because, come on, in the aftermath of Woodward & Bernstein, who would actually want to spend a life in journalism writing about business?  I despised numbers (still do).  I hated rewrite and the boss I was working for at the time. I hated that most people at the paper looked at us as a bunch of goldbricks who got weekends off. (Well, that was pretty cool.)

But when I finally got a beat, I learned to love business writing because when it’s done right, it’s the best storytelling out there. Why do people take on extraordinary risk to start companies? What happens to them when they fail? What happens – or doesn’t happen – when they cheat? How does it feel to be thrown out of a lifetime career because you worked for the bastard who screwed up, got screwed or cheated?

And you’re probably asking, why is she going on about this while she’s spent the last 10 years working in her attic? Here’s the reason. I quit newspapers because I got to do what I loved less and less because newspapers cared less and less about it.  

I’ve been working in my attic for 10 years because I get to do what I love every single day for people who want it.I’ve turned my experience and toddler-like curiosity into career currency. It’s bought regular assignment work at national magazines (there are fewer now than there used to be, but you get the point) where I’ve covered everything from personal finance to corporate governance. Right now, I’m working on my 15^th book in a series of self-authored and ghostwritten titles. I still get to tell stories about major organizations, but now, I get to hear the really good stuff and I understand organizational behavior (and misbehavior!) better than I ever did.  And I realize I don’t have to work at a big organization to do multimedia – I’m now working as a freelance producer and on-air interviewer in a video podcasting business I’ve started with some longtime partners. It’s out there, I have the knowledge, why not try it? 

Most important, I’ve learned to become self-sustaining and extremely flexible in a media world that’s going through convulsions at every level. Now, that doesn’t mean I haven’t sweated over a client’s late payment or lain awake at 3 a.m. fearing that Hank Paulson might not be much brighter than his boss. But at least I realize that every chance for success and failure is completely mine, that I’m teachable and I don’t have to wait for a boss’s OK to try something completely new.

For anyone new coming into the communications business, in journalism, in PR, marketing or the technology end, the most important thing is to identify exactly what it is you love and how to leverage the skill no matter what comes next.  My job still allows me to do the best storytelling out there, and that’s everything.

Q.  How will the current economic situation affect my job prospects when I graduate next May?  -SB

A.  The state of the world economy, especially in the U.S., does not bode well for job creation in the near term.  In addition, current employees, who may have been contemplating retirement or moving to other jobs, are more likely to stay in their current positions longer.  Don’t get overly concerned yet.  Job growth is expected to continue once the current hysteria calms down and recovery programs kick in.  

Today’s economic conditions underscore the critical need for ‘09 graduates to seek out relevant experience before they have to send their resumes to prospective employers next Spring.  If you can’t get a part-time job in PR or journalism, you still have time to enhance your resume by providing volunteer PR support for campus or community organizations.

While the advertising world has long relied on research to help direct and evaluate its campaigns, PR agencies increasingly are building research into their programs. 

Since three readers this week have requested information about PR research, I asked Patrick O’Donnell, project manager of the research team in our office, to provide a brief description of  what goes on in Ketchum’s 25-person research network.  

“Our group provides quantitative and qualitative research to both internal and agency clients as well as to our own clients,” Patrick explained.  “Similar to any other marketing research discipline, we help our clients understand their targets, set and measure goals and find statistics that can be used for programming, decision making or publicity.”

Researchers in public relations firms have a wide variety of educational backgrounds.  Some come out of traditional PR programs, while others have degrees in business, math, English, sociology, psychology and liberal arts.  Besides digging through volumes of data, the PR researchers engage with other PR professionals to determine how to best use the information to build PR programs. 

You can get additional insights from The Institute for Public Relations, a prestigious group of corporate, agency and academic PR thought leaders that recognizes and supports important research initiatives within the profession. 

PR Research Guru

  James E. Gruning, Ph.D.

                             Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland

James Gruning is one of the most respected research minds in public relations.  He recently received the Distinguished Service Award from the Arthur W. Page Society for his numerous contributions to the profession. 

In his eloquent acceptance remarks, Dr. Gruning discusses three kinds of public relations research:  research in the profession, research on the profession, and research for the profession.

Dr. Gruning explains:  “Research in the profession is research that communication professionals use in the practice of public relations.  It includes formative research to learn how publics are affected by organizations, to find out how publics view organizational actions, and to plan communication programs to build relationships with publics. It also includes evaluative research to measure the effectiveness of communication programs and to determine what contribution the public relations function makes to organizational success. Research on the profession is conducted by scholars who explain, evaluate, and criticize the behavior of public relations practitioners. Research for the profession also is mostly done by scholars, although many professional consultants and counselors conduct it also. The purpose of research for the profession is to build from research on the profession to develop and test new ideas and techniques that practitioners can use to improve their effectiveness.”

For more insights into this brilliant man and his career, read Dr. Grunig’s entire speech – “The Profession’s Store of Knowledge”.

Q.  I am interested in a career in event planning or event/experiential marketing. There is not much information on how to get a career started in event/experiential marketing and I was wondering how I could start my career in this? For example, do agencies have AEs that just do event planning or event planning?  Also, would it be best to start in a marketing agency like Jack Morton, a PR agency or general an event planning job?  -KJ

A.  While all major agencies provide event planning services, other firms have built specialized business models around event/experiential marketing.  They range from large firms that produce and support major sporting and entertainment events, to smaller agencies that handle openings for restaurants, stores and local entertainment events.   Some provide turn-key support for fund-raising events and others are provide arms and legs to companies and agencies that need help on an occasional basis.  

During my tenure at four corporations, I found in-house event/experiential marketing staffs to be small with little turnover.  Therefore, there are not as many opportunities on the corporate front.  Instead, your best bet is to search out such positions at firms that provide these services for major clients. 

While some AEs might from time to time be primarily focused on event work, most carry out a great deal of other general PR activities that, in my opinion, provide necessary balance for a career. 

You’re correct that Jack Morton is the type of firm that seeks out event marketing talent.  Another impressive firm is Relay Worldwide, a sizable sports marketing firm that supports many sporting events around the world.  Relay lists openings on a dedicated job site that currently has nine such openings.  Several boutique firms such as Margie Korshak in Chicago focus primarily on supporting marketing events. 

Hotels, cultural institutions, athletic teams and major cities have event marketing staffs, so cast your sights beyond traditional or boutique agencies. 

While some event marketing professionals have made wonderful long careers in this field of PR, many of these jobs are often not as glamorous as they initially appear.  The magic of helping stage an event for your favorite rock star eventually wears off after you’ve done the 24/7 advance work for a 33-city tour in as many grueling days.  Still, it provides great experience that I then encourage converting into a selling point to land a more traditional agency position.  There is an abundance of event and experiential opportunities in these more traditional positions, and the scope of work is usually broader.

Several recent PR graduates have raised the thorny question:  Does a PR degree ensure a PR job?   Short answer is “no.” 

A number of factors determine the likelihood of landing a PR job, including the fact there are more PR graduates than PR openings each year.  A PR degree itself is not sufficient for most prospective employers.  With escalating numbers of PR students, employers look beyond the degree in search of relevant experience–either through past jobs, internships or volunteer efforts.  Hiring managers definitely notice uniqueness in resumes–business-related course work, philosophy or English literature minors.  Study semesters abroad also catch the eye of prospective employers. 

  This week, I came across a student’s perspective on this subject in an interesting new blog by a self-described “ambitious student” at York University in the United Kingdom.  Adam Lewis provides excellent insights in his post entitled “Is a PR Degree the Best Way to Get Into PR?” 

While I simply advocate the need for relevant experience, Adam  goes a step further by arguing that any degree from highly-regarded institutions can trump a PR degree from lesser known schools.  “If a top 20 consultancy picked up two CVs with similar experience, grades and interests with one having a PR degree from University of Teeside and the other a English Literature degree from Cambridge which candidate is the company likely to choose? I’m not trying to look down upon the degree or the institutes which offer this degree, I just think that an MD is almost always more likely to see the more established University over the actual degree and employ the latter candidate than the PR degree student.” 

In the U.S., I believe a solid resume with excellent experience still carries the greater weight–perhaps because we don’t see too many resumes from Harvard, Sanford and Princeton.  When we do, they always get considered–so Adam may be right.  From the stacks of resumes on most employers’ desks, those with “name brand” colleges generally make it through the first round of cuts.  Fortunately, the U.S. is blessed with an abundance of great colleges and most of them now offer PR programs. 

Don’t just rely on the degree to land that first job, however.  Relevant experience, internships and volunteer efforts help offset anything that might be lacking in the prominence of the institution from which you graduate. 

DAVID DROBIS

Chairman Emeritus and former CEO,  Ketchum

The Arthur W. Page Society, an influential organization made up of several hundred of the senior most PR professionals in the world, named David Drobis to its Hall of Fame this week.   This is appropriate recognition for David’s lifelong career and dedication to public relations. 

I have known David for many years, but I learned a lot more about him and his career by reading his thoughtful acceptance speech.  I recommend it as must-reading for anyone pursuing a career in public relations.  

Like many of us, David initially thought he’d pursue some other profession.  In his case, it was psychology.  However, upon reviewing results of a test that determined David’s strengths and interests, a wise psych professor and adviser suggested he should pursue areas he had never previously considered–journalism and PR.  The rest is history.   

Like an important book, I can’t do justice by offering a CliffsNotes version of David’s speech.  Please take a few minutes to read it yourself.  It will inspire anyone considering a future in public relations.  And it brilliantly reminds the rest of us about the things that matter most as our careers develop and wind down. 

Q.  I have a B.S. in marketing and after graduation I started working in an in-house PR function at a small fashion company.  Now I want to work for a PR agency specializing in fashion.  Since my educational background is in business should I pursue a master’s in strategic PR? Is it worth the time and money?         -MD  

A.  Although I advocate getting as much education as possible, I have talked with a large number of people who obtained advanced PR degrees and some of them question the bottom-line value of those degrees—especially in the short term.  Some saw no jump in their salaries or status.  Advanced degrees appear to play a bigger role in differentiating individuals as they are considered for more senior positions in corporations and agencies.  Perhaps other readers–especially academics–will be able to provide additional counsel.  An MBA still carries far greater weight with business executives no matter how many PR-related degrees you have.  Most organizations have not yet placed a proper premium on advanced PR degrees.  I hope this changes as more highly talented PR graduate students start to prove the value of their additional education.   

Your situation is somewhat different than PR graduates since your B.S. is in marketing. If your comfort level with PR principles is sufficiently high, an MBA might be the right course of action for you.  If you feel you need a stronger knowledge base in PR and want to make a career in this profession, then the advanced PR degree might be the right approach.  You are doing the right thing by working in the industry for a couple of years before pursuing an advanced degree.  This allows you to put the material you’re studying in context with your professional experience.  Your work experience provides insights that help you focus on where you want to take your career long term.

During my vacation last week, I met a fascinating PR veteran – David Simon.  Over dinner, I “interviewed” him about his career, and he offered a few suggestions for young people starting out in this profession.  A glimpse at his long career will be of interest, especially to individuals who did not pursue a traditional PR or communications degree.

After graduating from Cornell with a degree in engineering nearly 50 years ago, David realized he didn’t want to be an engineer.  Because of his writing skills, he came on the radar of recruiters from Sylvania in Woburn, Mass. in the early 60s.  They liked the fact he understood engineering and was a good writer, so they hired him and made up a title—marketing engineer.  In just two years, Sylvania named him ad/PR manager at its Mountain View, Calif. division.  “I was in the right place at the right time,” David said. 

After moving to Los Angeles to work for other technology companies, David opened his own technology PR firm in 1968.  He latter rewarded a loyal, long-time employee by making her a partner and putting her name on the firm’s door—Simon/McGarry PR.  After 18 years, they sold the highly successful technology-focused agency to London-based Shandwick (now Weber Shandwick).  Today, David runs an interesting project for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department that searches web sites for open-source material that helps officers understand what is going on relative to Homeland Security issues.  He oversees 40 volunteers who help compile information that is turned into bulletins for Sheriff’s deputies.

Throughout his career, David was active in PRSA.  He is a former chair the College of Fellows and served on the PRSA national board for three years.  He’s planning to attend the PRSA international conference in Detroit next month.  If you attend the conference, make a point to meet him and other veterans who will be attending.  They love talking about their experiences and the potential of your career. 

David’s advice to young people pursing careers in PR:  Begin at an agency.  “An agency is a broadening experience,” David recommended.  “A corporate job is good, but that narrows your focus.  Most agencies allow you to work on lots of accounts providing a greater range of experiences.”

Other advice from David:  ”Make sure you can write. . .Do your homework about the agency or business. . .Take any job they offer you—even if it’s in the mailroom. . .Ask questions and offer to help others.”