10 Ways to Get Ahead in the “Real World”

Things that I learned in my Practicum class

When Writing a Resume..- When writing your cover

letter direct it toward the company you are applying to and let them know how you can help them.

- On your resume’ provide strong action verbs when describing your strengths.

- Your resume is the first impression you will make on a potential employer

Communication is Key

• Keeping up to date with the social media network will allow you to stay on track with Public Relations

Preparing for an interview- Dress appropriately for your

interview a suit for both men and women are appropriate. You want to have a professional look so you will be taken seriously.

- It is a good idea to know important facts about the company. This will let the interviewer know you are serious about the job.

- Start preparing for your interview a few hours before the actual interview.

- Maintain a positive attitude throughout the interview.

Tips from an Interview with a PR Professional

For my interview I interviewed Ashley Colgan, she from GSU with a double major in PR and Marketing.

Q. Can you explain why the media relationships are so important? A.As much as I do in a day to keep up with everything, it is easy to miss something which is why I need

to make sure reporters know they can count on me to provide them sources or any additional information they need and quickly. I spend about 85% of my day drafting pitches to reporters and on the phone with clients and reporters, because you always must be in front of the client and media. It is my job as a publicist to create heightened awareness of my clients in front of the right audiences, increased credibility, stronger brands, and in the long run assist in improving their bottom lines.

Q. What three tips would you offer someone just starting out in PR?   A.1) Know the news - it is always changing and you need to be able to go with it. 2) Be prepared to re-learn everything - because you've been to college, but consider your first job a

real world master’s degree and embrace it. 3) Practice thinking outside of the box - and be prepared to work in an extremely fast paced industry or

your head will be spinning.  Q .What has surprised you the most about working in PR?

A. The fast paced environment and how challenging it is on a daily basis. It is definitely not cut and dry and there is never a wrong way to do something .

Be More Than Prepared. Always have an up-to-date resume ready to send - even if you are not currently looking for work. You never know when an opportunity that is too good to pass up might come along.

Use Job Search Engines. Search the job search engines.

Stay On Top of the NewsBe aware of the latest business news in your community or the city where you want to work. Read local business journals to find out who's on top in your industry. Review the Business section of your local newspaper

Job Searching

1. Think about an instance when you were given an assignment that you thought you would not be able to complete. How did you accomplish the assignment? 2. What qualities or experience make you the best candidate for this position? 3. Can you describe how you go about solving problems? Please give us some examples. 4. How does this position fit into your overall career goals? 5. What book are you currently reading?6. What do you think most uniquely qualifies you for this position? 7. Why did you choose this profession/field? 8.Describe a situation in which you did “all the right things” and were still unsuccessful. What did you learn from the experience? 9. Can you describe how you go about solving problems? Please give us some examples. 10. What is one or two of your proudest professional accomplishments?

10 Questions you could be asked in an Interview

FREE by: Chris Anderson

The book Free is a great book it provides incite

to why companies have an incentive to give things away for free, and how in the

near future everything will be free.

“ Free is the most frequently GOOGLED word”-Chris Anderson

Read it!

Become a member of Linkedin

• Linkedin is very important in the Public Relations world!

» LinkedIn has over 50 million members in over 200 countries and territories around the world.

» A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second, and about half of our members are outside the U.S.

» Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members.

PortfoliosGather samples of your work.

This could include writing samples, photographs, published clips, brochures, plans, reports, research papers or drawings. Choose a wide variety of materials to demonstrate the scope of your abilities

Practice demonstrating your portfolio before the actual interview. Make sure you can find each of the samples easily as you talk through your resume and answer questions.

Arrange your samples, resume and a handful of business cards into a quality binder.