{In today’s guest post, Stacey Viera asks how you feel about bringing gifts to an interview. Is gifting brown-nosing, ignorance or smart marketing? Participate in the poll after the jump.}

Recently, I learned from a colleague at LyonsPR, a Washington, D.C.-area firm specializing in radio, that an interviewee for their summer internship slot brought brownies to the interview.

I thought such a gesture was a fluke, a desperate attempt to get hired in an incredibly competitive industry in an even-more-competitive town. I’ve hired and been hired for jobs and internships since I was a teenager, and never once have I come across a similar situation.

But then journalist Jeff Sonderman at the new TBD.com news organization noted on Twitter that a potential hire sent flowers after an interview. I wondered aloud what the accompanying card read. “You had me at ‘hello!’” was my snarky guess. Read More…

Today, I had the privilege presenting alongside D.C. arts professionals Robert Pullen (Kennedy Center)  and Greg Stevens (American Association of Museums) on a career development and personal branding panel at the American University Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium. Clearly, I was not asked to speak about my arts administration expertise; I was there to talk with folks about lessons I’ve learned in paving my desired career path.

My advice to the smart and driven men and women in the room today was simply this:

• Be memorable–some of the most amazing opportunities/clients of my career were the result of someone having met and worked with me–and months or years later–thinking of me when a challenge arose that required my skill set and personality. Are you memorable? …in a good way?
• Be ready–I know Chris Brogan isn’t a big fan of business cards, but Margie Newman is.  When you run into a person who matters/gal you’d love to work for at the Whole Foods, hockey game or trendy coffee shop and they ask how they can contact you, will you be ready? I know, I know. You love technology and this is the year 2010, etc., but you seriously can’t count on everyone having the Bump app for the iPhone/Android.
• Be a communicator–you’ve got your Master’s degree in X and a passion for X and Y. That’s great, but if you want someone to hire you, you must be able to translate and articulate what that degree and passion means to his company. Stop being so humble (that doesn’t get you any where in a job search) and tell me: What do I gain by hiring you? How are you different? What do you have to offer that others do not? These questions must not only be answered verbally, but also on your resume. Read More…

A cricket: don't be one.

Reaching out to other folks for career help and advice is a wonderful thing, but be sure you’re giving back, too.

If you email someone and ask them to critique your resume, be sure to thank them for their time and follow up with a note (or several) about your success. PR peeps do this with me all the time and I really appreciate the fact that I’m not just a one-and-done to them; the majority keep me posted on their job hunt and lessons learned. It’s nice.

There will also be times you’ll want to email folks and ask for advice in general. “How do I move to a new city for a gig?” or “How do I know I’ll like PR?” and “What books and blogs should I read to learn more about social media?”

I get these questions a lot through LinkedIn and my blog’s comment form. I love that people–especially recent grads–understand how important it is to solicit advice and such from folks who’ve been around the block before. But these general question-ers tend to also be the folks that hit you with 10 questions, get an immediate response from folks like me, and then…

{crickets chirping} Read More…

I’ve been in DC nearly a year and have learned that, much like my home town of Nashville, you never know who you’ll run into at any given moment and what that person may mean to your career.

That gal–the one who just asked for your business card, but you told her you didn’t have one–might be your future boss. Rather, she might have been your future boss, but she doesn’t have your number.

There’s a movement around town that I’m happy to see: recent grads,  laid-off folks, freelance PR pros and/or people like me who work for a company that understandably doesn’t want us mixing business with pleasure, are creating personal business cards.

Most folks’ cards are designed and ordered at places like Moo.com. If you’re me, you’ve got a talented hubby who designed them for you. Either way, this mini, paper you should communicate: Read More…

Yep. Another post about how you folks are too humble. Well, you are. Look, I’m not asking you to declare you are God’s gift to public relations. I’d just like you to admit you’re great at what you do and then give me an example or two.

Unless, of course, you’re not great at what you do, which is what the majority of your resumes tell me. They scream mediocrity. And you ain’t mediocre, so why is the paper version of you communicating that?

Each week, I receive a handful of resumes from strangers who find me through friends and the Internet. They ask me to read over them and give feedback, and I do. But I can’t help but think, “Is this really all you think you do? Because if you thought your boss thought that, you’d slap her. Is the fact that you didn’t include any successes on your resume mean that you didn’t have any?” I think not. But how would I know?

So I send back my edits and suggestions, but what I really want to say is this:

If you aren’t prepared to explain why you are fabulous, don’t bother asking a hiring manager to become your biggest fan.

Read More…

The thing a lot of folks overlook about digital public relations is that core skills like strategically utilizing social media, writing for search engine optimization and directing metrics-driven Web strategy aren’t usually sharpened from 9 to 5.

Digital flacks do most of their research and development at home and for themselves. They blog,write columns, speak on/host panels and plan happy hours. They Twitter, Buzz and Facebook. They read countless articles, surf Mashable and attend conferences. All on personal time. I’m not talking about “social media gurus.” These people are traditional PR pros, but with the added bonus of a highly sought-after, enhanced digital skill set.

Because digital flacks rarely leave the practice bubble of the all-seeing, insanely reactive, Very Public Internet, they are getting more PR practice than you. As a result, they may possess a greater understanding of crisis communications strategy; they receive public accolades and enhanced credibility, and are often a client’s one-stop resource in today’s increasingly tech-centric PR profession. Read More…