This morning, I had the absolute pleasure of informing six talented, young DC-area communications professionals that they had been selected as finalists in the Washington Women in Public Relations 2011 Emerging Leaders Awards (ELA). As a WWPR board member and Chair of this year’s ELA’s, I’ve been working towards this day for months; this morning’s announcement makes it so real!
Please join me in congratulating these amazing young professionals who have already made significant contributions to the public relations field!
2011 WWPR Emerging Leaders Awards Finalists
Veronica Brown, Gibraltar Associates
Jennifer Mastin Giglio, Ogilvy Washington
Katie Lilley, Hillenby
Amanda Miller Littlejohn, Mopwater PR
Judy Lubin, Public Square Communications
Tara Silver, SilverStrategy
The final three winners will be announced the evening of July 26 at the ELA cocktail reception. Please join us! If you’d like to learn more, volunteer or sponsor this event, email me: ela (at) wwpr (dot) org. Read More…
{Today’s guest post is from my new friend, former newspaper guy and current communications pro, Mike Diegel. In this post, Mike offers up a fabulous addendum to one of my more popular posts, “Four Ways to Be Successful in PR.” Numbers three and six are my favorites; share your preferences in the comments!}
When I read Margie’s advice about how to succeed in PR—good stuff, by the way—it reminded me of a profile Q&A I was asked to participate in nearly five years ago for the Potomac Flacks blog. In addition to the usual bio/how-did-you-get-started questions, I got one related to being successful.
I sent the post to Margie just for kicks, and she asked me to share my answers with you. So here goes, modified only slightly from the original.
What advice would you give to people wanting to advance in PR?
- If you can’t cope with deadlines, please do everyone around you a favor and find another line of work.
- Don’t stress out over today’s coverage. Learn from it. Tomorrow is another day, another story, another chance to tell yours.
- Your integrity and credibility with reporters is all you have to sell. Protect it.
- Tell the story, tell it straight and tell it better than anyone else. If you want guidance, read Aristotle’s Poetics and Rhetoric. Some things never change. Read More…
{Today’s guest post comes from Susan Hart, a Tennessee-based PR pro who pens one of my favorite current events blogs: EveryDayPR. I don’t write about current events here on FlackRabbit, nor comment on them in a public forum; but I love reading about them. Especially when folks’ views are relevant, quick reads that make me think. Susan’s blog fits that bill. In this post, she talks about what set her on the path to blogging and how she’s stayed true to herself along the way.}
My New Year’s resolutions for 2009 were to read the Bible and learn about social media, two completely unrelated goals or so I thought. The two goals actually couldn’t have been more related.
So I became my own client. I immediately set up accounts on Facebook, Twitter, et al. I also started my EveryDayPR blog to have a venue to express an experienced public relations take on industry topics or current events. I was confident that people were begging to know what I thought about things.
This brings me to the single most important lesson of blogging: Be yourself. If you can’t be you, then who are you going to be?
I never started EveryDayPR to grow Hart Public Relations. The reality was that I was opinionated, a decent writer and a thinker. In my experience, effective public relations leaders from the C-Suite to department heads want thinkers on their team. Thinkers equate to problem solvers. Problem solvers mean happy clients and employers. I am rewarded on a number of levels when happiness happens. Read More…
You’ve heard of the URL shortener and tracker, bit.ly, but have you seen the bit.ly Sidebar? To “install” drag the link bit.ly provides you to your browser’s toolbar, sign in with your bit.ly-linked Twitter account and presto! You are now shortening links and Tweeting them out to the masses without ever having to leave the page. Like this:
I’ve outfitted all of my browsers with the Sidebar and use it at least a half a dozen times each day. Bit.ly Sidebar is free and syncs with your bit.ly or bit.ly pro account, making all of you shortened and shared link history easy to access and manage. What’s not to love? Read More…
After my recent post about resume mistakes, several of you asked about how I feel about cover letters. Like any nerd, I love a cover letter; as long as it is written as God intended: a 500 word love-note to your future employer.
Poorly written cover letters regurgitate your resume, are not in the least bit tailored and scream “I’M ONLY DOING THIS BECAUSE IT IS REQUIRED…AND I’M BORED.” So, that’s it. The first impression you’ve chosen to give this guy you want to work for is: I’m lazy.
On the other hand, carefully crafted, effective cover letters communicate confidence, intelligence and energy. And you have all of those things! They radiate positive vibes. Most importantly, a great cover letter provokes curiosity: these folks just have to meet the gal who wrote this thing!
When thoughtful and sincere, a cover letter can say more about you than any mere resume can. Like, “I really want–and am the best candidate for–this job.” That is especially important for those of you seeking a career change, or to communicate skills not depicted in your eclectic collection of job titles.
A word of warning: as helpful as a strong cover letter can be to your job search, a poorly written cover letter can do even more harm. According to the Purdue Online Writing Lab, at its core, a cover letter should:
- Explain your experiences in a story-like format
- Allow you to go in-depth about important experiences/skills and relate them to job requirements
- Show the employer that you are tailoring the job application
- Serve as a sample of your written communication skills
Don’t spend 48 hours on your resume and ignore the cover letter. The tool that serves as the Golden Ticket for others, might just be your downfall. Look, you don’t have to take my word for it, I asked the Twitter: Read More…
Did you know your LinkedIn profile can be converted into “resume” format and downloaded as a PDF with one click of the mouse? I didn’t until today. It’s right at the bottom of your profile introduction, see:
The PDF option generates a classic resume layout based solely on the information you’ve provided on your LinkedIn profile. This includes your contact info, summary, experience, skills, honors and awards, interests and education. It even organizes your LinkedIn recommendations. Here’s a sample: Read More…
If you want to advance in a PR firm, non-profit or bureaucracy, you must know how to craft a stellar strategy memo.
Showing your peers, clients and bosses that you can transfer your out-of-the-box, creative thinking into a practical, actionable strategic plan will set you apart from the rest. It also gives you a chance to think through your tactics while proactively addressing known obstacles and potential critics.
I love a good memo. So, it hurts my heart when I hear folks say “oh, I don’t do memos.” Well, friend, let me tell ya: I’m chalking up your memo-aversion to your lack of critical thinking and writing skills. I’m not impressed, and I’m not alone.
Thankfully, many of you are averse simply because you don’t know what makes for an effective memo. Well, I’m more than happy to help! Give these three memo-writing tips a twirl:
- Think like a consultant: Strategic plans from young professionals often read like permission slips. There is just enough information to pique someone’s interest, but not too much excitement, for fear that it might scare folks away from signing off. On the other hand, a smart consultant’s memo conveys complete ownership and authority while inspiring the reader. This is because consultants want
your money you to know they are the experts; that you can trust they know what they are talking about, even if it pushes you out of your comfort zone. If you can’t escape the feeling that taking charge–even on paper–is “not your place,” it might help to approach it like the consultants do! If someone reads your memo, would they want to “buy” what you are “selling?” This perspective always helps me create a more impressive document.
- Address doubts head-on: Will the higher-ups question the return on investment, staffing capacity and/or relevance of your idea? Well, of course they will! That’s why you’re writing this memo. In addition to your goals, tactics and measurements of success, your document will need to tastefully acknowledge the reader’s skepticism. Folks have the right–and frankly, the responsibility–to question your proposal. Addressing their questions head on is a mature way to calm the nay-sayers, while showing you’re proactive and thoughtful. Read More…
