Archive for Peppercom
Using Social Media to Find a Job
Posted by: | CommentsGuest post by Abby Schoffman, Peppercom intern
Gone are the days when a private online existence was a good thing. If you’re looking for a job in PR, a digital presence is a must. Some like to call it personal branding. As someone who spent much of 2009 looking for an entry-level position, I know how important social media is to the job search. While you’re busy researching a company to prepare for an interview, they’re doing the same to get a feel for you. You need to make sure what they find represents you well.
If you’re not already developing your brand online, here are four ways to start using social media to benefit your job search:
1. Start tweeting. I’ve met and interacted with PR people from all across the country thanks to Twitter – people I would never have had the opportunity to talk with if it weren’t for social media. Twitter is a casual, no-pressure way to network. I’ve found job opportunities, been able to connect with people at companies I’ve applied to and even landed interviews because of Twitter.
If you’re looking for a job in the communication industry, it’s time to get on Twitter. Once you’re there, use your bio to let people know you’re looking for a job and your link to send people to your personal blog (assuming it’s appropriate), LinkedIn profile or online portfolio. (For more tips on using Twitter to find a job, check out this post.)
2. Follow and comment on industry blogs. PR is an industry where it’s important to know the latest news and trends. Blogs are a great way to stay informed and continue learning. Many PR bloggers have built a community of followers on their blogs, and the comment section is a great place to be involved in an insightful conversation.
You may not know where to start when looking for blogs to subscribe to, but if you’ve started following smart PR people on Twitter, check out the links in their bios. Most PR agencies also have some sort of blog, so be sure to look for those, too. Following PRiscope is how I found out about Peppercom and eventually landed my internship here.
3. Start your own blog. Blogging is a great way to showcase your writing skills and show that you know what’s going on in the industry. If you can’t dedicate the time needed to start your own blog, ask to guest post on one of your favorite PR blogs or become a contributing blogger. Having posts to share with potential employers is a great way to supplement your traditional portfolio.
4. Update your LinkedIn profile. That’s assuming you already have one, because you should. More and more recruiters are using LinkedIn as a search tool to find job candidates, so it’s important that your profile is complete. Use keywords, share links to your other sites and take advantage of the application that lets you feed your blog to your profile. Look at it as an opportunity to include anything you didn’t have space for on your traditional resume.
LinkedIn is also a great place for you to do research. It’s easy to find information about companies you’re interested in, their employees, the HR contact your e-mail should be addressed to, etc. You can also see if someone you know is connected to someone you want to know, which is a valuable tool when looking for a job.
(Another note about LinkedIn – I recommend joining @heatherhuhman’s group, #PRintern | #EntryPR. Heather does a good job pulling in PR job postings from all over the web.)
With these tips, you’ll be more in control of how you’re projecting yourself to potential employers. And the more you put into the digital space, the better the odds that those potential employers will find something that backs up the skills and qualifications listed on your resume.
Peppercom on One Internship, One Day
Posted by: | CommentsA big thanks goes out to Heather Huhman today for her post about Peppercom’s internship program on One Internship, One Day. I frequently recommend Heather’s site and Examiner column for advice on entry-level careers so it’s an honor to be well regarded in her eyes.
For those of you who would like to join the team, we’re currently looking for a part-time Spring intern for our San Fransisco office, and one for our New York graphic design department. Send your cover letter and resume to interncommittee [at] peppercom [dot] com if you’re interested.
PRSSA- A good investment for your future
Posted by: | CommentsGuest Post by Stacey Davidson
As a public relations student in college, it is difficult to differentiate yourself in a flooded job market. There are too many candidates and too few positions. One way I have found to differentiate myself was to be involved with PRSSA, the Public Relations Student Society of America. In conjunction with PRSA, the largest professional public relations association in the world, PRSSA helps students to gain real world experience, leadership and networking opportunities outside of the classroom. At the University of Florida each month we learn about interview skills, industry trends, resume writing and more from professionals in the industry. These speakers help us to transfer what we learn in the classroom to our internships and future jobs.
In addition to monthly meetings and speakers, PRSSA also provides opportunities like its annual conference in November. PRSSA annual conference is held alongside PRSA national conference to allow for increased networking and professional development opportunities for both students and practitioners. At this conference, I was able to learn about multiple facets of PR from the industry’s leaders, such as media relations from the media trainer and media relations director for the United States Army, and non-profit public relations from the VP of communications for United Way.
This conference provides a unique opportunity to do more than listen to a lecture. For five days I was immersed in an amazing learning environment where I could ask questions and build my professional network in addition to hearing from presenters. After leaving the conference, I was armed with business cards, e-mail addresses and phone numbers from agencies and practitioners located all around the country. I was ready to take on the world and the job search.
One of the most important factors when applying for a job is make yourself more than just a resume. Many of the people I met at the conference were active recruiters and account executives at companies where I desire to work. To them, I am now a face, a person, no longer just a resume. When I begin seriously applying for jobs in the spring, I know that our relationships will be integral in landing interviews and eventually jobs.
Q&A Friday: Ann Barlow
Posted by: | CommentsAnn Barlow is partner and president of Peppercom San Francisco. She is the founder of GreenPepper, Peppercom’s environmental offering.
Q. How did you get your start in PR?
A. I actually majored in public relations, which at that time meant designing my own major through the University of Illinois’ college of liberal arts. When I graduated, I moved to New York and started with a small agency.
Q. You lead GreenPepper. What has been the most important thing you’ve learned in that endeavor?
A. You have to surround yourself with people who know more about environmental issues than you, and then read as much as you can. This is an area of expertise that you just can’t fake.
Q. What qualities make a young PR professional stand out to you?
A. Initiative, good listening and learning ability, and organization.
Q. What one piece of advice do you have for those just starting their careers in PR?
A. Have an ownership mentality. In other words, always be looking to see what else you can do to make a project and the company successful. Do your work as if it was going directly to the client, so make it as high quality as possible. Let others come to rely on you, and you’ll be successful.
Q&A Friday: Darryl Salerno
Posted by: | CommentsDarryl Salerno is Peppercom’s business consultant, and runs Second Quadrant Solutions, a consultancy that helps professional service organizations improve their performance, profitability, productivity, effectiveness and overall long-term financial health. If you’d like to meet him in person, he’ll be performing stand up at the New York Comedy Club tonight- $15 plus two drink minimum, and I promise it’s well worth it.
Q. What’s your favorite part of your job?
A. What I love most is when someone approaches me and tells me that something they learned from me has had a dramatic positive effect on their job or their life outside work. It’s extremely gratifying to know that your counsel is being followed and is making a difference.
Q. What’s the most common complaint you hear from young PR pros?
A. Too much work. Too many accounts. Too many bosses. Far too many e-mails. Being expected to be on-call 24/7/52 and respond to everything immediately.
Q. And how do you respond to them?
A. I tell them they need to recognize that right now we are living in extraordinary times and that expectations are very high. Long-term, these things need to be fixed and I tell them that they should not struggle in silence. They must bring these issues forward to management at their agency in order for there to be a chance for them to be addressed when it’s possible.
Q. What advice do you have for those just starting out in PR?
A. You need to work very hard and diligently in this industry. Strive for excellence in every thing you do so you can be seen as trustworthy. However, you also need to create some boundaries in order to protect your work-life balance. If left unchecked, this profession can demand your time around the clock.
Asking questions in interviews
Posted by: | CommentsGuest Post by Laura Zanzal
As a former member of the intern committee at Peppercom, I’ve sat through countless interviews. When it comes to hiring a candidate, for me personally, it doesn’t matter if you had one previous internship or five. What matters to me instead is the questions that candidates ask during an interview. Many times when interviewing, we start by asking if candidates have any questions before we share what the internship entails. This gives the opportunity for the candidate to have control of the conversation. In an ideal interview, I love when we’re able to tell the candidate everything about the internship and Peppercom through questions and answers, rather than us regurgitating the “schpeal”.
Now, I’m not referring to questions like “When’s the start date?” or “How much does it pay?” Instead, I enjoy questions where I get to tell you a little bit more about myself, and hopefully turn the interview into a conversation.
Not sure what to ask? Try these questions in your next interview:
· How did you get your start in PR?
· How long have you been at your company?
· What’s your favorite part about your company/PR?
· What’s a typical day like?
· How does your company measure success?
· How has your company fared over the past year?
By asking questions, the candidate has a better chance of showcasing his or her personality, allowing the interviewer to understand if the candidate is a good fit for the position. So the next time you are in an interview and you are asked “Any questions?”, whatever you do, please don’t say, “No, I’m all set.”
How To Become A Guru At Grunt Work
Posted by: | CommentsGuest post by Brooke Winebrenner
As a current grunt work guru of Peppercom, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to comment on last week’s RepMan post from Steve Cody and expand on the grunt work mentioned, from an intern perspective. I began interning at Peppercom over a month ago, and I have had the opportunity to work on an array of client projects, that from day one have presented various challenges and obstacles.
I have seen my fair share of grunt work, but at the same time I have put into perspective that all of my co-workers and supervisors have walked in my footsteps. For this, they have an understanding and are appreciative of the time and work that an intern puts in. My daily tasks vary from day to day, but some of the work you may classify as grunt work include:
• Completing media coverage reports
• Pulling editorial calendars
• Developing media lists
• Social media and news monitoring
• Meeting note taking
• Distributing media mailers
This list is by no means the entire list of my responsibilities or all of the work I have completed, but this may give you an idea of the tasks I have mastered. As Steve mentions, some may complain of the “misery” they have been subjected to as they slaved over their current or previous internship tasks, but I would like to tell those people that they should appreciate the assignments they are given. I am sure they could be put out of their misery and there would be more than enough people willing to take their spot.
I know I am very grateful for all of the work I can get my hands on (whether it’s grunt work or not) and would like for my superiors to feel comfortable enough to consider me that go-to-person. I want to be the best possible grunt, as Steve mentions. Whether my task is big or small, I know that everything I give really does matter and that it contributes to the team’s end result and success.
After speaking with Peppercom’s managing director and co-founder, Ed Moed, this only reassured my latter comment. He mentioned to a group of very attentive interns, that the work we are completing now is providing us with a foundation that every successful public relations professional needs to have an understanding of. The internship offers insight into the faceted skills we must be equipped with to produce and implement strategy and tactics for clients in the future. Ed’s interpretation of an intern was very inspiring and important advice that I will always keep in mind as I continue to work daily.
What is some of the grunt work you have completed and how did this task help you to grow?
Q&A Friday: Steve Cody
Posted by: | CommentsSteve Cody is co-founder and managing partner of Peppercom Strategic Communications. You can find him here, here and here. And sometimes here.
Q. How did you know that PR was right for you?
A. I didn’t. My undergraduate degree was in journalism. My goal was to be the next Woodward or Bernstein. My Northeastern University co-op jobs taught me that, while I loved the news, I did not like news people. So, I went to my advisor who suggested public relations. I sent out hundreds of cover letters and resumes and was fortunate to land at Hill & Knowlton.
Q. What’s the biggest mistake you made in your young career?
A. One big mistake I made early on was not realizing that, in responding to a reporter’s questions, I could be quoted as a client spokesperson. Not realizing that the typing I was hearing in the background of a call with an AP reporter was, in fact, my words being taken down, came as a huge surprise the next day. Happily, the client was pleased. My boss, however, read me the riot act. I’ve never made that mistake again.
Q. Other than starting Peppercom, what has been your greatest professional accomplishment?
A. I was just named one of Northeastern University’s 100 most successful alumni (it was done in recognition of their 100th anniversary).
Q. What one piece of advice do you have for those just starting their careers in PR?
A. Read voraciously about as many things as possible. You’re only as smart as what you know, so make it your business to know as much as possible about as many things as possible.
Preparing for a performance review
Posted by: | CommentsBy Alicia Wells
It’s mid-point review season for our Peppercom interns, where we check on their progress so far and make sure they’re getting the most out of their internship. We speak with supervisors on their individual account teams to find out the things they’re doing well and how they can continue to improve, and how this stacks up with how the intern thinks he or she is doing.
While all companies have their own review process, here are some general tips for preparing for a performance review that you may find helpful in your PR careers:
- Assess your own strengths and weaknesses and come prepared with examples of your stellar performance, and how you’ve continued to work on any shortcomings. We’ll likely have heard examples from your supervisors of your great work, but in case they missed something it’s a good idea for you to be ready to chime in. On the flip side, we all make mistakes and need to constantly improve our skills, so showing that you have recognized this and are making efforts to continuously improve will go a long way.
- Hopefully you’ve been given an opportunity to pitch to the media. Come with some examples of pitching you’ve done, whether it’s email, phone, or even editorial calendar follow-up. It all counts and shows that you’re willing to learn and jump in on what’s a major part of our business. If you haven’t done any pitching, don’t be afraid to ask your reviewer for advice on which opportunities you can get involved in or who may be willing to let you “pitch” in (sorry, that pun was intended).
- While it may be too late at this point, it’s smart to check in with your individual supervisors on your own in an informal manner, just to get a sense of how you’re doing and any advice they have for improvements. Not only will they appreciate the initiative, they may have some helpful insights for you before you even get to the review stage. If you’re getting your review soon, trying checking in a month from now to get updated feedback from your direct supervisors.
For those of you who have been through the review process, what other advice or tips can you offer? And for those yet to receive one, let us know if you have any questions on how to prepare.
Q&A Friday: Sara Whitman
Posted by: | CommentsSara Whitman started at Peppercom as an intern ten years ago, and today is a Senior Director. She manages a mix of consumer and corporate accounts, and also handles staff management for the New York office and agency recruiting.
Q. You started at Peppercom as an intern- what do you think has contributed to your success?
A. Determination: I’ve always set the bar high for myself and I aim to outperform my own expectations. There’s nothing like a sense of self-accomplishment and taking pride in your work.
Dedication: I love Peppercom. I love the culture, the teams, and the work. I don’t want to let anyone down and I like striving to do the best work I can for our clients and for us as an agency. We have a great reputation as a firm and I want to add to that as much as I can.
Flexibility: This is on my part and on Peppercom’s part. It’s a give and take. I put everything I can into my work. In turn (and actually well before I even knew what I was doing in this industry), Peppercom offers amazing flexibility. I have a wonderful family and am able to raise my kids the way I want because of the flexibility I have at Peppercom. It’s the best of both worlds. In this same category of flexibility though is something I think is very important. I really do look at what we do as teamwork – both within the agency, with our clients and with the media (or should I say external audiences given the fragmented and dwindling media) – and I think I’m a decent team player. I’m not in this for the glory – if I am, I’m in the wrong business! I’m most satisfied when I know the work was done well, the team scored killer results and the client is thrilled. There’s a lot of expectation and entitlement I see and hear about among industry employees. That’s an attitude people need to check at the door.
Q. What do you look for in entry-level candidates?
A. An avid learner: This business requires the ability to grasp many different subject matters very quickly. You have to live, eat and breathe the clients’ business and a love of learning is essential. It also provides a great base for strategic thinking and planning.
A news junkie: Going hand in hand with that is being a news junkie. Wanting to know about what’s going on in the world of business, politics, culture, society, entertainment, etc. is critical. We have to align the news of our clients with the news of the world and a person in this business has to be able to connect the dots. A natural love for the news should be a given.
A strong writer: The number one complaint I hear from management and from clients is that writing is not as strong as it could be. The industry tends to attract really smart, outgoing people who, for some reason or another, have a tough time with clear, concise and compelling writing. Some of that can be learned, but without a strong core, it’s very difficult.
Has a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude: I like people who will do what it takes to get the job done – big or small. Those who are resourceful and can figure out how to make things happen are indispensable. Negativity and defeatism don’t breed success.
Q. What are you most proud of professionally?
A. There are so many things I’m proud of that have involved so many people. I’m proud that I’m still here after 10 years! I’m really proud of some of the long-standing client relationships I have. I’m incredibly proud of being able to say I’m part of a firm that has had so many external successes with clients – but even more proud that I was part of helping to build the team to make that happen. I’m proud that a significant chunk of our staff are people who also started at Peppercom as interns or JAEs. That’s a huge accomplishment that we should all be proud of.
Q. What one piece of advice do you have for those just starting their careers in PR?
A. Think about your professional network from day one. The people you meet and help out now can become people who will do the same for you later. You never know where people will wind up and what doors they might open for you in the future.
