I was part of an interesting discussion in our Student PR Group meeting this past week. The group, comprised of PRSSA and IABC student members, discussed skills needed to get and keep good jobs. Some who were present graduate in December. Others graduate in May 2008 or later. All seemed bewildered by getting a job.
I can’t blame them. Been there, done that. In fact, before joining the Mass Comm department at Towson in 2004, I did that for 30-plus years.
As an instructor, I constantly draw from my real-world experience as a paycheck-earning practitioner to make lessons come alive for students. In fact, every “scholarly” point I make is usually punctuated with a from-the-trenches bridge like, “Now, what this means when you are on the job is….” or, “This is why this is important on the job…”, or “This is how you use this on the job…” or something like that. Students seem to appreciate the practitioner’s perspective in putting lessons into context that has meaning.
What I know and I hope my students will understand and embrace is the fact that their employability begins in the classroom. They learn the basic craft and management skills here with my instructor colleagues and me. But the truth is, their college degree is but an entry fee for the job market.
Students seem most troubled about how to get their first job. First and foremost, to get any job, whether it be entry, middle, or senior level, I stress the value of professional association membership. If you have read any of More With Les, then you know my passion for this involvement.
It seems that most students fear making the wrong choice in a first job. Heck, having any choice is great! You will have to choose among what options you have at any given time. Harsh as it might sound, you may have few options. Your options are a result of your credentials, experience, and ability, the availability of jobs in the market you select, how you market yourself before and during an interview, and the effort you put into the job search to get interviews. Getting a good job is like sales — it is activity driven. The more leads you track down, the greater your options.
My usual job search advice is to first decide what type of communication/PR practice you wish to pursue, such as corporate, agency, nonprofit, or government. Do you wish to be a specialist or a generalist? Heavy PR, marketing, advertising, or a combination?
Second, decide where you wish to practice. Fact is, some markets are good for our profession and some are not. What is your life style, city or suburb or rural? Fast-paced or slower? North, south, east or west? A good market has to have the quantity and quality of career options for you. The size and health of the local IABC or PRSA chapter is a good indicator.
Third, get busy joining IABC and/or PRSA and start volunteering and networking. Get to know people. Let them know you and that you are available. All the while, be as professional as you can be in dress, thought, word, and deed. Follow up leads. Be proactive and persistent. Market yourself with diligence and dignity.
Some resources to aid you in your job search:
- Ned’s Job of the Week, a free email networking newsletter for professional communicators. To subscribe, send a blank email to JOTW-subscribe@topica.com
- For your spirit, read Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow, by Marsha Sinetar.
Happy hunting.
Nice post. It reminded me of some sound advice my brother gave me: “The best way to get a job is to get a job.” Cryptic, I first thought, until I realized he meant simply having a job–even if it wasn’t my dream career–would help me make connections so I could one day find that dream position. I think this is actually a difference between my brother’s generation (“X”) and my own (“Y”). I felt I was owed the perfect job after college. He knew he had to work for it. I’m glad I continue to follow his advice.
Thank you, Michael. The advice you shared from your brother is excellent. I can see why you contunue to follow his wise counsel. Now, after sharing your thoughts here, others will follow your wise counsel.
Hi Uncle Lester,
This all sounds really good, and it is the most useful career advice I’ve gotten from anyone on campus. Here comes that famous word — BUT, again, it sounds good. When I go on job interviews (since I dont really work in my field), I talk about how some of my tasks require some of the skills necessary to work in PR/marketing. I go as far as to mention how I’ve developed an annual five-day holiday party where I do all the logistics, even down to motivating staff to participate since the company doesn’t pay for anything. I talk about how I am excited about the PR/marketing field and how I am eager to get in where I fit in, and get down and dirty. I have even gone as far as to volunteer at nonprofits to help with some of their public communication. It still doesnt seem like I’ve acquired enough hands-on skills for a company to give me a chance to prove that hiring me is one of the best decisions the company will ever make (sounds cocky, but I am a hard worker).
That is not cockiness, just confidence, Marcia. I know you, and I think you would be a terrific hire for any organization. You have the skills you need to do PR/marketing work. I think it is a matter of timing and of the organizations you have spoken with. Your time is coming, but with an organization that is worthy of you, one that will see what I see in you. They will hire you in a nanosecond. Keep the faith and keep looking for the right organization, one that has excellent communication/PR programs. They need you. But remember, it is all a matter of timing — need versus your availability. Hang in there.
As usual, my Brother, you are right on the mark. One more point is that a good communicator’s skills are portable…that is, what I learned in school and in “real life” was that the need for my communication knowledge and experience was the same whether I worked in utiliies, banking, transportation or any of the other jobs I’ve had along the course of a more than 40-year career. Even though I’ve elected “early” retirement, I’m still using those same skills as a consultant to both my former utility employer and some new clients to help them acheive their goals. Communications skills will carry over into any walk of life.
I fully agree with Bill Swank on the portability of good skills. Once you master certain communication/PR skills, they will serve you well in many different industries and organizational situations.
We should all listen to Bill. I always have. He was one of the first successful communication managers I met when I joined IABC in the early 1970s. He was a role model for me, a mentor, and partner and career-long best friend. I still value his advice.
Thanks, Bill, for jumping in here. You are welcome any time.
Excellent discussion and great advice, Les. One added benefit of attending professional association meetings is that it allows college students, especially those in the 18 to 22 age group, to become known by those who most often are older and responsible for hiring. Or as a saying I have seen in several places goes, “It is not who you know but who knows you.”
In my prior corporate life, I hired numerous recently graduated students. Inevitably, I chose someone I knew (or at least I knew the person recommending that person) over someone I did not know. Think of it this way, if you are with a group of people who spontaneously decide to go to a friend’s party and another person overhears you and asks if they can join you, who would you say yes to, a stranger or someone who knows someone in the group. Employers are not that different. People like reassurance.
It really does pay to network over a period of time with others who either hire or know others who hire. Networking at professional association meetings, going on informational interviews, and doing multiple internships during the last two years of college are the best ways I know to become known by those who hire. The longer you focus on networking, the greater the impact. Yes, I know this is easier said than done, but I have seen time and time again those that succeed start this process early (at least by their junior year). That said, it’s never too late to take action.
I think the first problem in this discussion is in the definition of what is a good job. Is it measured by money, how easy it is, the learning of new skills, company benefits, etc… I seek jobs where I believe that (1) I can either make the most impact or (2) I can grow the most by learning new and proven skills.
Finding a job is easy, just research and network with obsession. Obtaining them is the challenge. It may require interning, working and/or volunteering at another job/organization to gain the needed skill(s) or find out about hidden opportunities, and most importantly not just beating but blowing away the competition ( from the initial resume’ and cover letter to the interview and follow up).
Keeping a Job is more than just showing up for work and doing what is required, it is about making yourself a reliable and essential part of the team; becoming someone they want to turn to for ideas and solutions.
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