Congratulations to all the college graduates who will be entering the public relations field! Last year, U.S. News listed “public relations specialist” as one of the top jobs for 2011. That can be good and bad: competition will be fierce. So here are some tips for soon-to-be graduates to stand above the competition and build a solid foundation for a long, successful career in public relations.
1) Don’t be afraid to take an internship, fellowship or other non-full-time option. Fellow PR professional Kerry O’Neill and I share this sentiment (check out her recent Ragan.com article on advice for PR grads and job interviews). Yes, you had several internships during college. That’s excellent, and there’s nothing wrong with continuing that for right now! Especially if a) you land a paying internship before you land that job, b) you aren’t sure what area of PR you want to be in (non-profit, higher ed, corporate, etc.), and c) you can land an internship in the city you want to be in.
I have a friend whose internship at a non-profit turned into a full-time position a year later. I also have a friend who interned at a major magazine right out of college. Her experience sharpened her skills and portfolio for her current marketing position.
2) Clean up your social media. If you’re applying to a position for which I’m making the hiring decision, I’m going to look you up on the three major social networking sites. Tidy up your Facebook wall and photo albums or make it private so I can’t access your information. Don’t let a Twitter account lie dormant: If you haven’t Tweeted in three weeks, start now, and make them semi-interesting (I guiltily admit that I need to work on this one myself). And make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated with as much impressive (and true) information as possible.
Considering a person’s social media activity within the context of a job interview is a touchy topic. The reason it’s important to me is because social media is a growing part of the marketing field. I’m sorry, did I say growing? I meant essential and undeniable. So if you can’t manage your own social media presence, then I’m going to assume you can’t manage my company’s or client’s.
3) Continue to learn. Just because you’re finished with college doesn’t mean it’s time to put the books down. If you really want to be a public relations professional, you’re going to have to research who the experts are, read their work, and consider them critically. Reach out to them on Twitter or on their blogs. When you’re interviewing for a position, put on your résumé and work into conversation the fact you follow certain marketing professionals. Professional and personal development is crucial to success in this ever-changing field. If I’m interviewing you, and you drop the name of an author or marketer that I’ve studied, too, it’s going to get you a gold star.
4) Start a blog. Blogging—in any field or topic, not just public relations—is a heavily saturated practice, just like the public relations field in general. But that doesn’t mean you still shouldn’t create a blog to showcase, explore and expand your own knowledge and experience. That’s what I’ve done with this blog. Make sure to include blog entries as writing samples and link to your blog from your résumé and all social media accounts. There are tons of apps that’ll automatically post your blog entries to all of your social media accounts.
The Internet has changed the PR field in that it’s created a learning and networking environment that’s conducive to career growth. It’s a really, really great time to be in public relations. Begin a blog, be thoughtful and intentional with your posts, and most important, don’t leave it dormant. (Some tips from my first year as a blogger might be helpful for newbies.)
5) Create your own opportunities. Ok, you’re 22, you have a degree, and you know how to write a press release and engage people in conversation. Excellent. Why don’t you head down to your local humane society or that vintage boutique that you love or that band at that bar on Friday night and ask them if they’d like help with their advertising and publicity. Chances are, they’ll say yes, and you’ll say great, I’ll do it for free. Why? Because it’s experience that you need. You’re creating your legacy, building your career path and experience, and you’re making friends that can turn into references and clients. True PR professionals don’t work 9-5. They live PR, which is very lucky for their clients.
6) Stop taking yourself so seriously! Your dream job will come. Right now, I promise, you’re too young to know what your dream job is. In the meantime, if you’re serious about being a PR professional, take in as much as you can from everywhere you can. Not sure if PR is the right field for you? Let me know what questions you have, and I’d be glad to help you sort it out. I started college as a pre-med major, then veered off to English and journalism, attended grad school for an M.S. in book publishing: it wasn’t until later that I decided PR was where I belonged.
Congratulations, and good luck!
abbymalikPR 
Hey Abby, my name is Sheyda Mehrara and I’m a sophomore at Auburn University. To be honest, I am actually a biomed major, but I have this immense gut feeling that it’s not what I’m suppose to do with my life. I want to switch because I don’t love it, not because my grades are suffering (I have a 4.0 gpa). I’ve always been good with networking and starting conversations (I’ve been known to break the awkward silences in the room quite a few times). My passion lies with the drive to build relationships with people and companies/businesses. I want to switch my major to Public Relations as soon as I can. Is there any advice you can give me? To be honest, one of the reasons I haven’t switched is because I’m scared of the job market.
Hi Sheyda! I think you need to follow your gut instinct here, ultimately, but first, I think you should explore PR and marketing a little more to make sure it’s what you really want to do. Networking and making people feel at ease is a fun and wonderful part of PR, and I’m so glad you’re good at it and feel comfortable doing it. That’s very important.
So next, do a few things: pick up a copy of The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. The third edition is out now; I actually just bought it and haven’t had a chance to read it! David is an excellent PR professional, a great writer and teacher. If after you finish reading this you find that you’ve dog-eared, highlighted and made notes all over the book, then I think a PR major should be in your future.
You should also subscribe to one of the many industry e-newsletters out there. Ragan.com has some great newsletters that might be a good starting point.
Being worried about the job market is a smart to do, to a certain point, but we can’t let it stop us from following our dreams. PR is diverse, and just about every type of business and industry needs a communications professional. Higher education, public broadcasting, banking, non profits, construction, the entertainment industry…most places have marketing and communications divisions and offices.
And if you’re interested in freelancing or building your own boutique, then the time to start is now. In addition to your studies at Auburn, start doing work for clients – campus groups, become PR chair of your sorority, local organizations, causes, etc – and begin building your professional profile and portfolio.
I think it also will benefit you to take some journalism classes and spend a semester on the campus newspaper, so you get the experience working as the folks you’ll be working with in the future should you specialize in media relations. In fact, interning at a local newspaper might not be a bad idea, if you have the time, in addition to definitely shadowing/interning at either PR agencies or with a communications professional.
I’m so excited for you to be embarking upon a potential PR career! Let me know if you have anymore questions or need more guidance.
P.S.: I started out as a pre-med major. Just like you, my grades were good (not 4.0, though!) but I knew that field wasn’t for me. Good luck.
[…] this week, Sheyda, a college sophomore, read and commented on my post about recent college grads wanting to get into PR. She’s in the middle of her bio-med studies, and she feels her future being pulled toward a […]
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