Building Your Brand & Finding That First Job

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BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB

FOR LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

#Plank1stJob

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BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

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BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA Director, Partnership Development, HGTV

Kevin Saghy, Manager, Communications, Chicago Cubs

TRADITIONAL SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES Advice from Dave Fleet • Writing • Communications skills • Attention to detail • Media relations • Proactive • Work ethics • (I’m adding) Curiosity / Competitive

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

NEW SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES • • • • • • •

Blogging / Microblogging Social networking tools Understand SEO Coding RSS / RSS Readers Blogger relations Social media ethics – astroturfing, ghost blogging, sock puppets,

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

WHAT’S THE REAL STORY Looking for employees, the hiring manager • Wants to mitigate risk • Is filling an opening on a team • Is balancing the time it takes to hire with his/ her real job • Will never find the “perfect” candidate (think of that prom dress search…)

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

FINDING A JOB, IS A FULL TIME JOB! • • • • • • •

Who Are You? What Have You Done?

Who Do You Know?

What Are Your Skills?

Where Do You Live?

How Committed Are You? What Are Your Dreams? Passions?

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

THE CAPTURE STRATEGY • Who do I know that knows the company or hiring manager?

• What do I know about the position?

• What do I know about the company?

• What makes me unique for the position?

• What can I do to improve my chances of being interviewed? Hired?

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

Job Description: Scripps Networks' Corporate Communications team is currently looking for an energetic, detail-oriented public relations intern in our communications department at the company headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn.

Corporate communications interns at Scripps Networks receive multi-faceted, hands-on experience in a variety of PR disciplines including consumer and trade media relations, marketing, event marketing, internal communications, public affairs, and presentation services.

Projects and Assignments Planned for Internship: - Research, write and distribute a weekly e-mail newsletter about GAC programming and promotions.

- Research, compose and revise bios of Scripps Networks employees involved with the corporate communications speakers bureau.

- Research / assist in the planning and/or executive of events on behalf of the event marketing team.

- Research and write articles for internal communications including daily, weekly and quarterly newsletters.

The intern will work with corporate communications team members to develop ideas and story outlines.

- Assist in the development of story ideas and pitches for trade media.

- Shoot and edit video for internal and external use.

- Research media coverage of a particular topic, company or industry and generate a clip book that would be distributed to senior executives.

Successful candidates for this internship are very goal oriented, work well in a team environment, and must have a desire to invest in their experience with us to reach personal and professional goals. In addition, the intern candidate must: - Demonstrate strong writing/editing skills (AP-style proficient) - Major in Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism or related field

YOUR PUBLIC PERSONA • • • • • •

Facebook – it’s more about what you like Microblogs - Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr Posts on blogs, comments on articles Have you Googled yourself lately?

What will friends, co-workers say about you?

Do you have a BRAND?

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

WORK EXPERIENCE What is it and how crucial is it?

• Be creative in what you have done • Don’t be afraid to ask for references and letters of recommendation • Don’t limit yourself to jobs for your experience • Bottom line - You better have it!

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

BUILDING A RESUME / PORTFOLIO • Qualitative and Quantitative examples • Revise to include keywords from job description and/or use in website • Have samples you can leave • Consider an electronic portfolio linked by QR Code on your business card (think if you personalized it!)

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

COVER LETTERS AND INTERVIEWS • Your cover letter should be your best writing sample • Never use template cover letter, replacing company and contact names, etc.

• Practice interviewing – i.e. media training • Develop an “elevator” speech • Interview the company as much as they interview you

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

NETWORKING • Three degrees of separation • Provides access and opportunity any where in the world • Transitions you into new “cultures” • Eliminates a lot of the competition • Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers” - Leverages someone else’s 10,000 hours • Social media isn’t connecting!

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

THE JOB SEARCH • The Hot Line / Change phone habits • The Email Address • The Wardrobe • The Appropriate Follow Up

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

RESOURCES • • • • • •

Culpwrit column Culpwrit advice by Abby Stollar, Univ. of Delaware University of Alabama Platform Magazine Mashable, PRNewser Keith Ferrazzi’s “Never Eat Alone” Flipboard, Streamboard

• RSS Feeds

BUILDING YOUR BRAND & FINDING THAT FIRST JOB #Plank1stJob

#Plank1stJob

PRESENTERS’ CONTACT INFORMATION

Gary McCormick gary.d.mccormick@gmail.com @garymac865

Kevin Saghy ksaghy@cubs.com @CredibleKev

The slides and audio from this Webinar will be archived on The Plank Center website at: http://plankcenter.ua.edu/resources/webinars

FOR LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC RELATIONS