Hello there, talented journalist!

I’m often approached by print and broadcast reporters and editors like you for tips on transitioning into a career in public relations. After years—even decades—of researching, reporting, investigating and doing your best to file balanced, accurate and timely stories, you’re contemplating making the move to the dark side.

Congrats! You’re really going to love it over here. That is, unless you take a job you have enough years, but not the experience for; assume you are still going to see your name in the paper; or negotiate a salary that does not take into account the overtime you’re about to give up. Yikes!

Never fear, I’m happy to help. Here are the pitfalls and pick-me-ups you’ll need to remember in order to rock out your new career:

Your decade of newsroom experience does not equal a decade of communications management experience.

Public relations isn’t rocket science, but it is a learned skill set. Just like “talking to reporters” everyday doesn’t make me a great journalist, “talking to PR people” doesn’t translate into mastery of project management, strategy and proposal memos, event planning, running a client’s budget, dealing with corporate bureaucracy and crafting and implementing a media relations campaign.

If you walk into a room of experienced PR folks and declare that although you’ve never done their job, you’re awesome at it, they will turn on you so fast it will make your head spin. And you need those flacks because you’ve never done this before…

Accept that you don’t know what you don’t know—then, seek out an employer who understands that.

Take a job at a public relations or public affairs firm that understands that although you come with a highly-valuable skill set, you must be trained in—and given time to learn—the actual craft of public relations.

I strongly encourage you to NOT make your first communications gig a “Communications Director” for a company, or any place that expects you to be a one-woman show. 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?

1. If you can’t cope with deadlines, please do everyone around you a favor and find another line of work.
2. Don’t stress out over today’s coverage. Learn from it. Tomorrow is another day, another story, another chance to tell yours.
3. Your integrity and credibility with reporters is all you have to sell. Protect it.
4. 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…

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…

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:

1. 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.
2. 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…

I read a lot of resumes. For the most part, they attempt to detail the career path of smart, well-educated young professionals on the hunt for their next great challenge. Yet, most of these resumes scream mediocrity and naiveté. Maybe it’s because most folks learn how to craft a thoughtful resume in college; maybe it’s because they are trying so hard to be a team player.

Whatever the reason, Young and Talented People of Earth, please stop making these three resume mistakes:

1. Leading with your education and grade point average: Oh, I know this stings; you’ve worked so hard to earn that masters degree. But as much as you love your alma mater, your major/minor, GPA and campus activities offer an employer zero indication as to how qualified you are for an actual job. We want to see your real life work experience. If you’re leading with four paragraphs about education, we’re assuming it is because you don’t have much relevant employment to talk about. There are of course, exceptions to this rule: if you are a Ph.D. applying for a fabulously wonky research position at a well-respected think tank, you have our permission to lead with education. If not, you should move education down by “Special Skills” and “References Available Upon Request.”
2. Cutting and pasting your title and job description: I don’t know anyone whose day-to-day responsibilities mirror her job description. You do so much more; am I right? Why so many of you choose not to communicate your gig beyond your title is beyond me. It’s also the first sign of someone whose self-esteem is keeping them from achieving greatness in the workplace. Take the time to thoughtfully craft the description of your contributions, successes and skills. Read More…

One reason I’m always pushing folks to lunch with strangers, network and participate in relevant professional PR association events is that you really never know when a person you’ve met will call you and offer up your dream job. Unfortunately, when presented with this option, many of you will turn down the opportunity because you are scared that “changing jobs” after a year or two at your current gig will reflect poorly on your work ethic.

Really? You’re saying “no” to a communications gig custom-made for you because of what others may think? Are you sure you’re in the right profession?

Seriously! You are a PR professional. It’s your job to message this career move on paper, in pixels and in person, not just let it lie out there and hope folks see and value it for what it really is. If you’re moving up with each move, you have nothing to hide! And your future employer has the right to know how you roll; she may truly need a “lifer” and clearly, that ain’t you. It ain’t me either. For PR job-hoppers likes us, transparency and consistency of message are critical.

You can do this. I simply cannot rest thinking there are folks turning down career-advancing jobs out of fear/shame when in fact, job hopping may actually make you a better, more productive employee.

Here are three strategies to consider when messaging your (many) gigs and revamping your resume:

1. If you were recruited, say so. My favorite message/resume trick is to brag on the fact that you were recruited into the position. This aptly addresses the inevitable question “Why did you leave?” right off the bat. Plus, it’s human nature to want a person more when you know he/she is wanted by others.
   
2. Paint a picture of the ladder you’re climbing. We’ve been over this before: communicate beyond your title and job description. Really outline the increasingly impressive responsibilities, employees and deliverables you have been assigned with each new gig. The goal is to assure that the first-time reader of your resume can easily interpret this “Changing of the Jobs” as The Steady Rise of Your Career. {Insert trumpet call.}
3. Show confidence in your value and success. It’s important that you and your resume convey 100 percent confidence in your career history and path. If you are going to justify “job hopping,” you’ll not only need to  prove you are movin’ on up each time, you’ll also need to show you leave each employer (and/or client) better than you found it. Stop being so humble. Your resume (and talking points) must communicate that you will bring value to an employer–no matter how long you work in her office. Read More…

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. Read More…