It's that time of the year again - another wave of eager young college graduates are moving out of the safety of their academic setting into the wild, weird and woolly
environment commonly known as the "real world."
PR News queried the industry's leaders to ask for their advice for tomorrow's superstars as they make their first tentative steps into the world of public relations.
Their answers range from the practical to the playful, with considerations of the world as a whole and the young job candidate as an individual entity. Or, in the words of the PR
professionals themselves:
Mark Cybulski, director of public relations, MassMutual Finance Group, Springfield, MA: My primary advice would be not to just limit yourself to PR jobs. Working for a
daily newspaper can be a great way to enter the field. I worked for a small Western Massachusetts daily for three years before starting a career in corporate communications, and
I maintain it's the best thing I ever did to jump start my career. Starting your career in the news business has three key benefits: (1) working for a daily paper gives you the
opportunity to produce volumes of copy and, over time, you'll notice your writing will get better and better, (2) by working in a newsroom, you truly get the sense of how
reporters work, and what their needs are, and (3) having a journalism background shows that you understand and respect a reporter's profession, and know exactly what they need to
do their jobs effectively.
Patrick C. Doherty, director of communications, Center for National Policy, Washington, DC: Don't mistake tactics for strategy and message for meaning. Without strategy
you waste energy; without meaning, you waste trust.
Solveig Thorsrud-Allen, president, The Firm Public Relations & Marketing, Las Vegas: Once you get an interview, dress for success. Make sure your shoes are shined,
your appearance is neat and clean and bring a clean copy of your resume (we once had a gentleman show up in a rumpled shirt with no jacket and pulled a mangled and mauled resume
out of his back pocket for us to review).
Jeanne L. O'Grady, director of sales and marketing, Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford: Be daring - make huge leaps of faith early in life! When you are on the
job, be fully present and then turn it off when you leave for the day. Take vacations, don't take yourself too seriously, and have fun.
Karyn Szurgot, director of communications, American Osteopathic Association, Chicago: I would say don't discount applying for internships after you've graduated. Many
companies hire college grads for their internship programs and they actually pay them something. It's also a foot in the door. Companies get to try you out and you get to try
them out. If the fit is a good one and the timing is right, your internship could turn into a job.
Frank Ovaitt, president and CEO, Institute for Public Relations: First, try to get paid for what you do. No one should ask a young PR professional to take an unpaid
internship just because that person is fresh out of school. The content of an unpaid job too often correlates with the level of compensation. Second, try not to take yourself
too seriously, while taking your work VERY seriously. Laugh at your mistakes, but never make the same one twice.
Mark H. Mahoney, president, M2 Public Relations, Whitefish Bay, WI: Three things: (1) Check, re-check and check again your resume and cover letter for accuracy - one of
the most disappointing things I see are resumes from college grads laden with errors or AP Style mistakes, and (2) read the local newspaper - not front-to-back, but choose one
story from each section, and read the entire story...as PR professionals, it's our job to know the news, and (3) network, network, network - did I mention networking?
Steve Ellis, president, Ellis International, Darnestown, MD: Be curious. Ask questions about everything. Read all you can. Be observant - notice how people communicate,
what they say, what they don't say--find out why they do both. Learn what questions will be asked by the press, government officials, shareholders, customers, etc., and work on
answers for your client/company. And don't forget internal communications: Internal communications is as important (maybe more so) than all external communications. Learn how to
do it well and never take it for granted.
Scot Montrey, communications director, Cyber Security Industry Alliance, Arlington, VA: If you're going to work in Washington doing PR on issues where the ultimate aim
is to influence Congress, nothing will prepare you better than a couple of years working on Capitol Hill, even in a very junior position. It's knowledge and experience that you
can't get anywhere else - perhaps a better way to put it is that no one really understands how Congress works who hasn't worked there. Also, it provides you with a lifetime of
street cred. Finally, minimize your use of adverbs. It's just lazy writing.
Nate Towne, president, Xanadu Communications, Portland, ME: Network until the young, tender flesh on the palm of your shaking-hand is chaffed raw and bloody, and don't
stop until your best outfit is riddled with the vacuous residuum of a thousand name-tag pin holes. Then and only then will you be prepared to enter the magical world of public
relations. (Unless your rich daddy wants to hire you - then you're golden.)
Jeffrey Zack, senior manager, crisis communications, national public relations at Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, New York: As a PR professional, whether you work in-
house or for an agency, you will be an advocate for your company or your clients. It's an occupational hazard that PR people can become myopic, one-dimensional or, worst of all,
chirpy as they further the business interests of the people they work for. Don't let it happen. To be successful in their careers, communicators must earn the trust and
confidence of senior executives. In a complex world, specialization is important. But having a broader perspective - seeing the bigger picture - will enable you to connect the
dots, be more creative, have greater influence, get better results and have more fun. And view yourself as a work in progress who still has much to learn.
Doug Simon, president, DS Simon Productions, New York: Try to have fun at your job everyday. You'll do better when you are enjoying yourself and your managers will
notice your positive attitude.
Ted Birkhahn, managing director, Peppercom, Inc., New York: Don't burn the proverbial bridge - it seems obvious but I've seen it happen one too many times. Whatever
happens at work, don't ever leave on bad terms. Not every job is right for every person. People come, people go; it's the nature of business. However, wherever you work for
however long, leave with your reputation in tact. In the PR industry, the expression, "it's a small world," is an understatement.
Mike Paul, president, MGP & Associates PR, New York: Keep your mind, heart and soul on the path to truth. Sadly, you will meet many executives and leaders in our
business that are not very ethical and have tossed their moral compasses away. Seek a mentor who is ethical and honest. You should be sure to walk what you talk. To do so, you
must have faith in something bigger than yourself. The bricks of an excellent and long lasting reputation include truth, honesty, transparency, humility, accountability and
consistency. These tools are as important as any tool or skill you will gain in our profession and also help you in life.
Michael T. Strecker, director of public relations, Tulane University, New Orleans: I would advise future PR leaders to maintain a healthy sense of humor as they pursue
their careers. And, they should develop interests outside of work. A career in Public Relations can become all-consuming if you let it. Be devoted to your work but not obsessed by
it. Also, always spell everyone's name correctly, especially your CEO's and your own.
Colleen Coplick, president, Type A Public Relations, Vancouver: New grads need to seriously be okay putting in their dues, not just say they are. Just because you
graduated at the top of your class does not entitle you to an $80,000 salary, corner office and company car right out of the gate. Everyone you see in a position you lust after
did grunt work for longer than they thought they should - but they're where they are because they earned it. These positions weren't just handed to them - they won't be handed to
you, either!
Chris Hammond, vice president for communications and development, Wells Fargo, San Francisco: You're only young once and you're whole career is ahead of you. For some,
there's nothing wrong with taking timeout to travel internationally or taking a vacation after school. That first job is out there and keeping your saw sharp helps put yourself in
a position to succeed. Another internship under you belt or an admin job may lead to grander possibilities instead of playing a waiting game by lounging on your mom's couch
waiting for your old neighborhood friends to call. The amenities maybe good, but mom's couch can lead to a road to nowhere.
Darren Paul, managing partner, Night Agency LLC, New York: Make sure you find a way to stand out. Employers/ HR folks are inundated with resumes, cover letters and the
like. One MUST stand out. When the time comes to make a decision for who to hire, how is someone going to remember to select you? That question must be answered. Simply doing
the fundamentals will not cut in. Especially considering the industry we're talking about - PR folks live and die based on their ability to get their message heard. Also, be
persistent. There is nothing to lose, you don't have the job yet. Don't be annoying and rude - but make sure your being heard. It will show your hunger, and hunger is good for
someone just starting out.
Rod Meade Sperry, media director, Wisdom Publications, Somerville, MA: Don't forget that your youth is an asset. More often then not, you'll be more naturally media and
Web savvy, more like the demographic an employer might covet than anyone already stationed in-house. And don't be ashamed of who you are. One day recently, a would-be printer came
with a pitch to our production manager and me. We were in sneaks, shorts, and tattoos, while he was sweating it out in a three-piece suit. Someday, we'll be dinosaurs, sure. But
who'd have ever thought people like us might be making important decisions?
Clint Weiler, director of publicity, Music Video Distributors and Eclectic DVD Distribution, Oaks, PA: First of all, choose an area of interest. For example, if you love
entertainment and music, be familiar with the latest and most popular magazines, Web sites, blogs, etc. - and pay close attention to their specific styles of writing, and to what
is being covered and where. Also, staying on top of current trends and technology is very important. Since you will be younger than the people you work with, it's a prime
opportunity to prove that you are in touch with the latest and most popular technologies with teenagers and early twenty-somethings - a very important market. You may be expected
to be the lifeline for this market, so prepare yourself to "wow" your superiors with your knowledge of it.
Ned Barnett, president, Barnett Marketing Communications, Las Vegas: If you want a job in PR, look like you're already doing something to further your career in PR.
And if you want your four years to pay off, don't settle for a non-PR job, thinking you'll get back to it later. You won't. Every quarter, there are new PR graduates entering the
job market, and the farther you get from your own graduation, the less attractive you'll look compared to the latest crop of new graduates.