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May 29, 2009
The Graduates
I am in the midst of graduation sensation, with my eldest to receive her college diploma next Thursday and my middle child having earned her high school diploma just a week ago. We entertained thirteen college students at our home last weekend; I could now write a new script for “Survivor; The Parents” based on that experience. I am very pleased that my college graduate will begin her career at Edelman Chicago in the fall; Generation Three begins!
Given the terrible job market for college and professional school graduates, I thought it appropriate to offer some advice on how to approach the employment search in PR.
First, consider working initially as an intern. Most of our offices are utilizing summer interns. Some of these jobs will become full time in the fall, given normal employee turnover. We have the interns do real work, from preparing press lists to writing press materials.
Second, digital is your fastest way in the door and to the top. All PR firms are rapidly adapting their core offerings, as the game shifts away from sole reliance on media relations. Show us how you’re blogging, tweeting, utilizing video, participating with communities, advancing issues. If you can demonstrate how you can advise on social media, then you have immediate value. We operate a facebook site solely for potential interns, and a twitter, facebook, widget and a LinkedIn site for all pros so they can participate with the Edelman community.
Third, language skills and desire to work abroad is essential. Our goal over the long run is to have all of our operations managed by country nationals. But the connective tissue in PR firms is often the expatriate talent who have come from the larger offices and bring the culture with them.
Fourth, offer a connection to good causes. The tenor of the times is community benefit and shared sacrifice. Companies are expected to operate in a stakeholder society. If you have personal experience in volunteering for civil society, then you have a special advantage. By the way, you should continue to work as a volunteer even after you are employed.
Fifth, real capability in economics/business, science, engineering/technology is extremely helpful. We are called upon to explain new products or justify corporate decisions. If you have enough background to ask tough questions of the technologists, it makes the communications job that much easier.
Sixth, attitude and professional demeanor matter. Just as in any new relationship, every interaction is important, from the first letter asking for an interview through to the thank you note after the visit to the firm. You must be well informed on the firm’s culture, work for its top clients and on recent wins.
Seventh, use whatever connections you might have to jump ahead in the queue. A professor could call one of his former students employed at the firm to rave about your capabilities. A boss from a summer job could write a supporting letter. There is a formal process (registering at the firm’s web site, doing the writing test) and the informal process (what do you know about this person).
My wife correctly points out that I never had to apply for a “real job” because I have worked at a family company. I understand that my advice must be taken, therefore, with a grain of salt. But I have hired hundreds of people in my 31 years in the business, many of whom I took straight from college (examples: Matt Harrington, now President of Edelman US and Russ Dubner, now manager of Edelman’s 500 person NY office). Hopefully this list is of some use to you new college graduates.
Posted by Edelman at May 29, 2009 2:49 PM |
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Comments
Great advice. Especially like your point on having some real business acumen. Too many PR-focused majors don't spend enough time learning basic business skills.
Posted by: Adam Silverstein at May 29, 2009 4:52 PM
Great advice for an upcoming graduate in the PR industry like myself! It gives me confidence as I continue my job search.
Posted by: Meredith Cook at May 29, 2009 6:46 PM
Thanks for the tips. This is something I can use even as a young professional looking to move forward with my career.
Posted by: Lila at May 29, 2009 9:35 PM
This is an incredibly helpful post. Being a recent college graduate, this answered some questions I had about the best approach to take when conducting an effective and efficient job search. All of the suggestions are realistic and reflect the type of self-improvement practices which a lot of my peers are working to master.
Posted by: Candace Greene at May 29, 2009 11:00 PM
I think your advice is quite useful. Being techno-savvy is a real competitive advantage in the PR field. How else would one be able to manage these emerging social media if they are not using them? Let them blog, let them tweet, let them participate and show the world what stuff they are made of!
Posted by: Justa Wawira at May 31, 2009 11:27 AM
How thoughtful and candid. More kids needs to read this as they plan their job search and get into a mindset for their first job.
Posted by: Lynn (www.mamasays.us) at May 31, 2009 7:57 PM
Thanks for the advice Richard -
I think another piece of advice would be to actively participate in online conversation regarding the industry of one's specific interest. Platforms such as LinkedIn allow users to join groups, such as 'Innovators in PR', and discuss industry trends, thoughts, questions or to simply share articles relating to the topic.
I am a senior at Michigan State University, soon to enter this crazed industry we all love. Although I am still a student, I have been able to translate my ideas for the university's communication platform into tangible results for a school with more than 50k students. I mention this because we, as young professionals/students, must offer our advice about topics such as social media since after all, we are the experts!
Best of luck with the job hunt to everybody else, I feel the weight of the hunt right now as well.
Posted by: Steve Mnich at June 4, 2009 9:16 AM
Thank you so much for this insightful advice. As a recent college PR graduate I am always trying to find ways to keep myself cutting edge and hopefully being a step ahead. I felt like this was a great checklist of what I should be doing. I recently made a decision about wether or not I should go abroad with an internship I am involved in currently to work with a client. Seeing that I recently graduated college, money is always and issue so I was weary to jumping on board wondering if this would pay off in the end for when I need to get a job. Your post made me feel like I made the right choice, plus there are other things I can check off my list that you mentioned. Thanks!
Posted by: Brooke Winebrenner at June 4, 2009 2:03 PM
Thank you for your tips,espically for me planing my job search on PR.
谢谢您的建议，我正在北京寻找PR方面的合适工作机会！
Posted by: Bassie Jia at June 5, 2009 1:27 AM
Your list is definitely a must read for all current and potential PR grads. As a current student coming to the end of my program I’m always looking for ways to get an edge on all the other new grads.
My program has touched on all of the things you mentioned, and it's great to hear it coming from someone out in the field.
I will be doing a two-month co-op in September and I think that interning is one of the best ways to really get a feel for the field and figure out what sector of PR one wants to focus on.
Great advice!
Posted by: Christina Petovello at June 9, 2009 10:55 AM