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
“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