Creativity. Ambition. Diligence. Whether you're in a 'top ten' firm, a flourishing boutique, or captain of your own ship (this year's "15 to Watch" features all three PR
types), it's a good idea to emblazon these words on your mousepad as a constant reminder of how germane they are to your success. Fortunately, most professionals can glean sage
advice from those who've gone before. In search of a no-fail career management formula, PRN picked the brains of PR prodigies from the past, finding that the capacity to
produce under pressure, stand up to dissension, and develop a diverse background of skills are the quickest routes to PR stardom.
Bucking a "CYA" Culture
Don Spetner surely would have made the "15 to Watch" list had we known of him ten years ago. At 26, he was an agency VP at Bozell & Jacobs in New York. By 29, he managed
Nissan USA's corporate communications, driving his way to VP, Corporate Communications, North American operations by the time he was 34. "I zoomed through the ranks at Nissan,
because I took risks in a culture that was more about covering your ass," he says.
It also helped, says Spetner, that he found a kindred spirit in Nissan North America's then-CEO Tom Mignanelli, who brought him on board to help break down the existing
hierarchy and open up internal communications in the vast organization. Mignanelli greenlighted PR tactics that otherwise met with resistance from conservative higher-ups. For
example, Spetner installed a closed circuit TV system that connected the company's 18 nationwide offices, an investment of half a million dollars.
Reflecting on his fast rise, Spetner, now SVP of global marketing at Korn/Ferry, credits his tenacity and long hours. "I outworked everybody," he says. "I have great people
skills, which continue to be important on the corporate side." But he cautions that meteoric rises can just as quickly be followed by spectacular flameouts. "There's tremendous
turnover at the senior level, particularly in the role of chief communications officer."
This sentiment was echoed recently in keynote remarks made by PR pioneer Bill Novelli, Associate executive director at AARP and keynote speaker at the most recent PR NEWS
seminar. "These days, if you have a 'C' in your title, your life expectancy in that job is about three years; the same as an NFL running back," he told the rapt crowd.
Build a "Toolbox"
"Being recession-proof in this business has to do with building a tool box of skills making you marketable on a broad scale," says Robert Rota, founder of Executive Staffers, a
Dallas-based search firm for communicators. "At the same time, you should still be able to walk that thin line of being a specialist," she advises.
During her 20s, at the Chicago-based agency called Public Communications, Starr McCaffery built a toolbox like the one Rota describes. She was part of a 12-person staff that
quadrupled during her eight years there. McCaffery says her decision to stay put at an up-and-coming agency afforded many more opportunities than agency hopping, a practice common
among twenty-somethings on a quest for more responsibility and higher pay. "The range of activity that we handled for [her client] the Chicago White Sox was endless," she says.
"Gangs allegedly firing shots into the new Comisky Park construction site one day and...kids marketing the next." McCaffery claims, "I can walk into any client's office today,
translate my experiences, and show that I know the basics."
Currently VP and group head in reputation management at Edelman PR in Chicago, McCaffery owes much of her success to her desire to learn--she didn't decide to leave Public
Communications until her "youngest" client was four years old and new challenges became less frequent.
Lifelong learners like McCaffery are the people agency head Steve Schwartz seeks to hire. The Boston-based Schwartz Communications president and co-founder says, "We would be
very enthusiastic about hiring a philosophy major from Harvard." Those with intellectual curiosity (i.e., liberal arts graduates), Schwartz affirms, tend to be the best at
translating the server-and-router speak of high-tech clients. They're also part of the reason his agency has grown to $33 million in ten years, landing on the Inc. 500 list
for three years in a row.
With a master's degree in English Lit (from Duke), Melissa London landed at software-maker Redhat five years ago. One of 20 charter employees and the first PR hire, she didn't
have a lick of experience, but she did have Spetner's tenacity and McCaffery's thirst for knowledge. "I definitely closed my eyes and jumped," she says. Now 750 employees strong,
Redhat employs London to direct corporate public relations. She's 28.
London feels her trial-by-fire experiences--many of which left her scorched --advanced her career much further than those who have taken more conventional paths. "This was the
best situation for my type of intellectual personality," she says. "I was put in the position where I was given the trust to be this expert, and to fall on my sword if
necessary."
Eyes on the Prize
Even when the economy and the job market slide into a period of diminished strength, opportunities still exist for communications specialists, points out Lisa Ryan, managing
director of executive search firm Heyman Associates. During any kind of downward spiral, "every company is worried about their bottom line," she says. But "they need to be out
there talking to the analysts," which means competent investor relations pros are in demand. She advises staying visible and getting known within your organization if you are
contemplating a career move. Recruiters often contact the head of corporate communications when they aren't familiar with the head of investor relations. Participation in external
professional organizations is also key.
According to Judith Cushman who specializes in career management, recruitment and retention, slow economies bring a whole cache of concerns to those who may be contemplating a
career jump. As president of Cushman & Associates, in Issaquah, Wash., Cushman notes that the dotcom shakeout has affected career decisions and strategies nationwide. "The
siren song of start-ups pried many people loose" from long-term careers at Fortune 100 companies, including PR professionals, she observes. Many people believed that there was
little risk involved in seizing opportunities that could yield real wealth.
Cushman refers to "placeholder" jobs, positions taken until the market picks up and more exciting or lucrative positions open up. "PR executives expect to make a smart move at
a time when it may only be possible to make a good "interim" move," she says. Sometimes, patience is required until the job market regains lost momentum.
A cautionary note comes from Justin Meyer, General Manager of Marshall Consultants, "If you're constantly changing your job you lose credibility. It's a good career move to
stay where you are for a considerable time; PR is about your reputation and contacts."
The entry deadline for PR NEWS' Platinum PR Awards has been extended to May 24. Awards will honor campaigns in 13 categories (see entry form on p. 8). Enter online at
http://www.PrandMarketing.com/awards.htm.