On November 3, 2010, five students from the program attended an event held by the Canadian Public Relations Society. The event was the first of a three part lecture entitled “Professional Development: Navigating Your Career.” The guest speaker was Roxanne Cramer, the President of Cramer and Company, a company that specializes in recruitment services, strategic consulting and career counselling exclusively for Public Relations, Marketing, Corporate Communications, Investor Relations and Public Affairs (http://www.cprs.ca/prodev/RCramer.htm).
Although the seminar was intended for those who have already embarked on their career in Public Relations, we as students found it very informative and came away from the experience with many helpful tips.
Roxanne spent a large portion of the evening speaking to the importance of resumes, portfolios and interviews. When it comes time to write a resume, “branding yourself” is highly valuable. Be aware of your strengths, weaknesses and skills, and always be honest about what you have and have not done, can and cannot do. Honesty is not only a valuable asset as a person and employee, but more and more nowadays employers are running extensive background checks… just something to keep in mind! Another tip for writing a resume is to “quantify your accomplishments”. Roxanne commented that exact numbers (versus saying “I’ve done a few projects”) is useful and solid information, as well as comforting. Remember that resumes are not only used to get a job, but they are considered for promotions as well, so keep track of your accomplishments!
The tips for developing your professional portfolio were pretty basic and straight-forward, not to impede on its importance. Roxanne suggested they should consist of a minimum of five pieces of your work. It should demonstrate your writing skills, that you’ve gained some sort of media coverage and examples of tactics that garnered results. It is also wise to tailor your portfolio according to each position you are applying for.
Interviews can be intimidating but they are a necessity for employers to gain a sense of who you are. Again, the notion of “branding yourself” was addressed, but this time it was more directed at your image. Everyone knows first impressions are important. Keep this in mind when you are preparing for interviews! How you present yourself and how you speak are vital in an industry that relies on good interpersonal skills and communication. Roxanne said you should even be aware of your shoes and how you smell! The only thing more important than shiny shoes is your attitude about your career. Always be proud, positive and passionate about what you do!
The part of the seminar that we students found the most engaging was when Roxanne talked about social media. This is where our generation has the upper hand. Just as Tim explained in class, we are technological natives, meaning we’ve grown up with access to the internet and the vast majority of us have had exposure to sites such as Facebook and Twitter for a while now. These are skills that the generation before us (technological immigrants) have had to learn. I asked Roxanne if she experienced a lot of stubborn behaviour from those older PR practitioners who were required to learn social media as a business tool and she responded by saying that age can sometimes be a factor when it comes to changing how one does their job, but this is the future and they cannot afford to move forward with their “head in the sand”. Roxanne also went on to explain that each user has to employ boundaries when using social networking. It should be used as a tool to connect and kept professional. A big tip of hers was to provide contact information everywhere like on LinkedIn and at the bottom of emails.
Speaking of connecting, one thing that you will hear again and again being in a PR program is that networking is the single most important thing you can do in order to move forward into and within your career. Roxanne’s lecture was no exception. She pointed out that you have to be on the radar to be considered for jobs and promotions and projects, and the only way to do so is to build up your professional network. Here are some tips:
- Recruiters are very important people! It is not enough to only connect with them when it is beneficial to you aka when you know they have a job opportunity for you. Stay connected with them even when you don’t have anything to gain business-wise.
- You should always thank someone who has helped you out within 6 hours after the meeting. It’s always never too late to say thanks. Send a long-lost colleague who’s contributed to your career a thank you email and provide updates.
- Remember, you are “on” at all times. Even bumping into a contact at a grocery store could lead to a professional boost, so you should always have your professional game face on.
- Make use of social networking and online resources to stay in touch. The internet makes connecting very simple, so take advantage of it!
As students who are open to as much help as we can get when it comes to finding and establishing a career, this opportunity was extremely helpful and I am happy that I could share it!
An important thought to leave you with: Roxanne identified our generation’s biggest weakness as a lack of dedication to our job. Apparently what she’s seen in the workplace is the older generation prepared to stay at the office as late as it takes to complete a task, where the “rookies” leave a trail of dust as they fly out the door at 5:00 sharp. So, as one final tip, remember that people want to work with those who are passionate, happy and excited about the work they do!
By: Kristin Sawyer
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