I’m so happy I have a contact form on this website. I get a steady stream of mail from you folks; mostly with questions about breaking into the public relations industry, how to handle various PR issues or a comment about one of my Her Nashville columns.

Today’s question comes from new reader JM:

I’m a recent graduate who just moved into the Nashville area from California and have found myself to be one of the millions of fish in the employ-me-sea. Any advice/tips for a upward minded new guy?

FlackRabbit says:

Dear JM: You’ll love Nashville. I was born in raised there. I moved to D.C. a year and a half ago, but Nashville will always be home. Family and friends are still there; I still write for Her Nashville magazine; many Nashville folks believe I still live there. Here’s three ways a recent grad can stand out in Music City:

Talk to strangers: many fantastic job opportunities are discovered by word-of-mouth, so start meeting folks! A great way to meet fellow recent grads and potential employers is through Meetup.com. That’s where the Nashville Flacks PR happy hour lives; the first meetup is Tuesday, August 10 in downtown Nashville.  If you don’t find a Meetup group that suits your fancy, start your own. That’s what I did when I moved to D.C. and DC Flacks now has 270 members! After you meet someone new, stay connected with them with LinkedIn.

Give back/show your love for the town: Nashvillians are quite proud of their city; and they don’t call Tennessee the volunteer state for nothin’. Hook up with Hands on Nashville and find a way to use your skill set and meet movers and shakers around the city. You’ll meet folks, make a positive impact in the lives of others and be able to show an employer that your service-oriented. And since public relations is a service industry, a good employer will understand why volunteering matters.

Contribute to the field: in this economy, you may find yourself employed somewhere doing non-PR work while you’re looking for PR work. No matter your current line of employment, you should still find a way to get your voice out there and make meaningful contributions to the public relations field. Your own blog, leaving thoughtful comments on news articles, etc are a fabulous way to do this. Just because you’re not actually getting paid for PR right now doesn’t mean you can’t share your knowledge and expertise. This could mean that you’re only doing what you love/the real career you want at night, but it’s worth it.

If you have questions about public relations practices,  career advancement or just need a little encouragement, scroll down  to the comment box and holla at me!

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