Does knowledge of social media make you a better job candidate?

A few weeks ago I got an email from a reporter for PR Week, asking to  interview me for a story she was writing about jobs in public relations and how much weight agencies give to certain skills and experience when hiring entry level and others just starting to climb the employment ladder.

She asked specifically if the fact that a candidate participates in social media makes them more valuable.

My response:  Yes, it's good that an employee today has some knowledge of social media since that's the hot new media venue the public relations world is trying to understand and possibly harness for its own message-disseminating purposes.

But I give more weight to other skills and experience. 

Most important is the ability to write clearly and concisely.  I am still amazed at the poor level of writing I see in young people just getting out of school as well as those already in the agency business.  Too many p.r. people don't seem to know how to write journalistically, instead writing drivel that reporters and editors shake their heads at before they toss it.  The skill I look for is the ability to write well while working in a client's message in a way that stands a chance of getting used by the media.  It's an acquired skill that comes from studying how media stories are written, coupled with good on-the-job training.

That leads to another thing I look for in candidates.  I gravitate toward people who've spent some time at a smaller agency -- hopefully an agency whose work and ethics I respect.  Too many of the larger agencies push their people to get placements by virtually any means possible -- badgering reporters, misleading pitches and, sometimes, out & out lies.

Smaller and mid-size agencies often get their junior people involved in all aspects of the business.  They're a good training ground for well-rounded p.r. people.

Back to social media for a moment.  For entry-level candidates, it's very helpful if they have related experience, be it a summer job or extra-curricular activities like the school newspaper, college radio station or even handling marketing or publicity for a school organization.

Social media -- especially blogging -- offers recent grads or those new on the job the opportunity to showcase their writing and critical thinking abilities without having to get published in a paper or magazine, which would be understandably difficult for someone with little or no experience.  But I would give much more credence to a blog that covers topics on public relations, journalism and media than to a blog about your love life or your favorite band or sports team.  If you blog to advance your career, make it a professional blog.

If anyone has advice for readers recently or soon to get out of college and considering public relations, feel free to leave a comment below.

And, fyi, the story from PR Week is reproduced below...

 

PRWeek

 

Answering the rising salary demands of youth

Aarti Shah January 25, 2008

In a perfect world, young PR job-seekers would start their careers concerned only with gaining experience. And in this scenario, the important cities in the industry would also sit near the top of any cost-of-living survey.

In reality, though, young PR candidates - often lured by the promise of a glamorous career in a chic metropolitan locale - are increasingly disillusioned with entry-level salaries and are sometimes making staggering counteroffers.

Asking for more money without experience to justify the request will inevitably backfire. But there are some ways young PR pros can build a solid case for more money - yet it often involves defying conventional negotiating wisdom.

For instance, while young PR pros can offer agencies social media know-how, they should be careful about overestimating the value of these skills. As social networking moves mainstream, simply having real-life experience with the sites is losing potency.

“Just because you know how to use social media doesn’t mean you [can] manipulate it for your clients benefit,” says Michael Rogers, president of Michael Rogers PR.

Todd Defren, principal at Shift Communications, says young candidates who keep personal blogs can often make a compelling case for their higher value.

“If it’s not just a blog about the parties you’ve been to, but some thoughtful pondering about the state of PR, marketing, and social media,” he notes. “That’s someone who I’d be more interested in, that’s someone who has leverage.”

But the barriers to entry into the blogosphere have never been lower, and in turn, mediocre blogging is becoming a standard resume marker, decreasing its leveraging power, Defren warns.

Additionally, Defren cautions young PR pros from being too focused on money and forcing ultimatums on employers.

“The people who make the most money here never ask me for a raise,” he reports. “They knew that I knew they were performers.”

David Reich, founder of Reich Communications, says interest in coveted practice areas, like health or pharma PR, can give job-seekers bargaining power. Additionally, while some young pros go to large agencies for name recognition they hope will translate into more money later - his hiring strategy challenges this tack.

“I have a preference for folks from smaller agencies because they have been able to put their hands in everything,” he notes.

Janet Van Rysselberghe, staffing manager at Waggener Edstrom, says only a small percentage of the firm’s entry-level candidates negotiate salary. “Most are willing to accept an appropriate entry-level salary if they know there is room for growth,” she adds.

Yet the young pros who ask for higher salaries often cite cost-of-living. She cautions against using expensive rent or car payments as grounds for more money.

“That won’t take them as far,” she says, recommending candidates offer specific examples of the value they can bring to the agency.

Whether the higher expected salaries reflect a generation gap, or if the glamorization of PR in pop culture has resulted in a flood of young graduates, entry-level salaries are a challenge that young pros have to face,

Rogers

advises.

“If you want this career, you’re going to have to [live with] with a few friends for awhile,” he adds.

Key points:

Maintaining a well-written blog with insights about PR and marketing can give entry-level job candidates a salary edge

Simply using social media isn’t enough to push for a higher salary, unless the experience is different from the standard user

Don’t use cost-of-living issues as grounds for an increased salary, focus on your value

Comments

[Ryan Karpeles]

I think writing is the most underrated (and under-honed) skill among people coming out of college today.

Starting a blog is what ultimately landed me a job in marketing. And not a job full of cold-calls, sucking up, and filing papers. A job that I'm truly passionate about.

If I had stuck with the traditional method (firing out 4,000 resumes), I wouldn't have had many options. At least not many good ones.

Blogging allows you to showcase, refine and improve your skills as a writer. It also allows you to learn and grow and connect with other professionals in your area of interest. Frankly, it's virtually invaluable for any job-seeker with any ounce of ambition.

[David Reich]

I agree, Ryan. Poor writing ability is a problem senior p.r. people have been talking about for a long time. Knowledge of social media doesn't trump the ability to write well.

[Nathan Snell]

Would have to agree with the general consensus of what you said and Ryan's sentiment toward it. Writing is probably the most underrated skill coming out of college. Although I would also consider the ability to communicate ideas or thoughts within that (perhaps inaccurately, but it's something that comes to mind).

@Ryan: I'm not surprised your blog helped you land a job, you do a terrific job on all fronts. While not quite as well versed writing wise as you, I am hoping mine can accomplish similar :)

[David Reich]

Thanks to both of you for your comments here.

[Norm Leigh]

David,
Thanks for continuing to push the need to write effectively. In fact, I just posted on the same topic on my own blog. As a part-time writing instructor at the university level it's my task to teach future PR, advertising and journalism pros the craft of writing well. I love the job, but it's a difficult one, and it seems that fewer students are coming to college equipped with even a fundamental grasp of grammar and style. The problem is compounded by the increasing reliance on texting and instant messaging. All we can do is to keep trying, I guess.

[Staci L]

As a PR student who will soon be entering the job world, I found comfort in knowing that social media knowledge is not going to be the sole deciding factor in whether or not I am offered a job. We have been spending a good amount of time in my PR class going over social media, and while I feel that knowledge will benefit me in my career, I like to think that my writing ability would play a larger role. Social media is something that can be taught, but writing is a talent that is difficult to teach. Thank you for the reassurance that social media doesn’t outweigh writing.

[bkrummel]

Learning the latest trends with social media, I think has been beneficial to my future career. My PR teacher has us all blogging weekly and we just created a podcast. I feel these tools are going to be helpful, as well as skills that will project me past a fellow potential candidate who I might be up against. But it's nice to hear that going back to the basics and having an understanding of the field we've been learning about for however many years of our college careers, is something that is still valued in today’s world. So many times, people are focused on advancing that you lose touch with why you got into the career you chose to begin with. Thanks for the refreshing view, and confirming my teacher’s daily lectures.

[khandke]

This is definitely something that I need to hear, again and again. While I have been learning a lot about the professional uses of social media this term in class, I sometimes find myself shrugging it off. I am glad that I have started a blog, even if it was a requirement for class. And, even if it doesn't land me my first job, I have definitely learned a lot. Your thoughts make me realize my blogging efforts aren't worthless!

[Mary-Hospicia Venance Kafyome]

I really appreciate for your blog, it has helped me a lot in my research. I am a first year student pursuing MA in Mass Communication with a specialization of Public Relations at St. Augustine University of Tanzania based in Mwanza Tanzania. However, I still have some problems on getting some materials on Public relations teaching. Could you please send me more through my email?
I will appreciate for your help.
Mary

[David Reich]

To the PR students who commented above -- thanks for reading my blog and I'm glad it helps. Stick with it -- PR can be an enjoyable and rewarding career.

[Kristin Fullerton]

I found your post particularly interesting since I am in the process of finding my first PR job out of college. I have been participating in social media as a requirement for one of my classes, and I agree that it is definately a valuable and marketable skill to have. However, it's important not to lose sight of the core communication skills (writing, speaking, etc.) that have been--and will always be--key aspects of any PR job.

[David Reich]

You got it right, Kristin -- core communications skills are key. Good luck in your job hunting.

[Megan]

Thanks for this post. As a student trying to reconcile traditional PR disciplines with new media, I'm constantly wondering which will help me out more when I'm looking for a job. Especially since I feel more confident in the traditional disciplines. This was very helpful.