On the HUNT…The Job Hunt that is.

Graduation is fast approaching and as each week ends I grow more nervous. What does life hold for me after college? For the last month and a half I have been Google stalking prospective employers, sending cover letters and resumes. Looking for a job after you graduate it not as easy as finding a job posting and applying to it. Because of the economy a lot of companies don’t even post that they are hiring. They figure if someone wants the job bad enough prospective employees will come to them. So basically applying to jobs is a shot it the dark. Here are some of the online tools I use.

1. Job Search Engines, like Careerbuilder, Monster, Craigslist, Careerjet, among many others. This is the easiest online way to look for posted job openings. These are only the posted openings, the employers have to post them or they will not appear on these sites. This is where I would start your job search.

2. Google business search. If you know of an area you would like to work then Google business search is a good tool to use. For example I would type in “public relations firms near Grand Rapids, Mi”. Google comes up with 1,985 results.  A lot of these company sites will have job openings listed on their sites or contact information if you are interested in applying. Dogpile is another good site to use when does this.

Those are the 2 main ways to do online job searching. But there are a couple things you must remember when job searching online.

#1 is do your research. Once in a while you will find a job posting that sounds almost too good to be true. I ran into this about a week ago. The posting read like this:

*SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT FIRM NEEDS HELP IN ALL AREAS! *IDEAL COMPANY FOR UPCOMING AND RECENT GRADS* MARKETING/SALES ENTRY LEVEL OPPORTUNITIES!

Basically this job is selling coupon books. After doing research and reading reviews of the company I knew it wasn’t a “career” job.

#2 thing to remember is follow-up phone calls. After a couple weeks do a follow-up phone call with the company. Make sure they received your cover letter and resume. This could help you in getting attention.

All I know is the job hunt is a job in itself and I am not stopping untill I get that job. I am still working at it and hopefully my hard work will pay off.

Luci’s Healthy Marketplace UPDATE

In my post on July 13 I talked about Luci’s Healthy Marketplace. Two days after I had visited Luci’s, Richardson’s Cuisine of New Mexico, a restaurant next door to Luci’s, suffered a fire. The fire damaged Luci’s causing it to be closed for a number of weeks. Below are links to an interview NBC 12 in Phoenix did with Lucia after the fire and an on-line article from azcentral.com. 

12 News Today Interview: An Optimist at Heart

AZCentral.com story: Richardson’s fire temporarily derails couple’s dream

Ways to Mess Up Your Interview You Didn’t Even Think About

Recently I read this great article about ways to mess up your interview. A couple of them were no-brainers, but then some I had never really thought about.

#1 Acting bored or cocky. If you act as if you’re sooooo amazing that they would be crazy not to hire you, they will probably have a momentary laps of insanity. Just long enough NOT to hire you. Also yawning, yes we are all tired and yawns happen. Try to get a good nights sleep before, maybe pound down a couple espressos on the way. Just don’t yawn or act bored, it doesn’t win you any points with the man.

#2 Dressing inappropriate. This is one of the no brainers I was talking about, but yet people do it all the time. They come into interviews in flip-flops, jeans, t-shirts and other inappropriate dress. I have one simple suggestion. Wear a suit. You can almost NEVER go wrong with a suit. And if you are going to a more artsy interview funk it up with a cool colored undershirt and some sweet jewelry.

#3 Not knowing anything about the company. I mean, come on. With the Internet and all the search engines available to you there is no excuse to why you know nothing about the company you are interviewing with. I am not talking about knowing the whole history, but at least the basics. What do they do? What do they make? Who are their clients? etc…Why would they hire you if you didn’t even have the initiative to click the search button on Google?

#4 Keeping your cell on. Yes even putting it on silent. I know I have been in class many a time when someone’s silent cell starts vibrating. Yes we can all hear it, thank you! It’s unprofessional, just turn it off or leave it in the car. Saves us all some embarrassment.

#5 Not asking good questions. You know the part of the interview where the potential employer will say, “Now do you have any questions for me?” They don’t say that to hear, “no I don’t think so.” Come with prepared questions and not, how long are the lunch breaks? Ask about company culture or what you will be doing. The post I read gave a great question to ask, What do you think will be my biggest challenge in this position? This is a great question because you will discover what the interviewer may think about you as an employee and you may be able to dispel any false information about yourself.

#6 Asking about the $$$ before you get the job. We all think about it and chances are the interviewer will bring it up, so wait. Companies want people who love what they do to work for them, not just love the money. If money didn’t matter we would all volunteer. Just don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

#7 Sending the same resume and cover letter to every employer. You never know who knows who. They might love your resume and tell a friend about it, who you also sent it too. Bad news bears. They can feel similar and have the same information on them, just tailor them to each company, because no two are the same.

#8 Not editing, untagging or removing unprofessional content from your social media sites. The post I read simply put it like this, “Your keg stand skills are not impressive.” Just untag them, delete them, edit your blog. Ranting and raving over that bitch you worked with at Applebees is not going to help you get a job. They will just think you’re nuts, and a little scary.

#9 Not sending a Thank You card after an interview. Now this was the one I had never really thought of. They don’t have to interview you. They may forget you when you walk out the door. But sending a Thank You is a great way to remind them of you again. They may look up your information again and give you a second glance. A thank you card can only help your chances. Go to Walgreen’s and buy a package of plain thank yous. They will never expire and you can make them out to whom ever you’d like.

Tragedy Leads to Healthy Lifestyle and Market

Today I went to a client location, Luci’s Healthy Marketplace to watch the taping of a TV news segment. When the taping first begin Lucia Schnitzer (the owner) was asked why she started the business. Now there are many reasons to start a business, but in these economic times it’s very hard and rare. Only opening 4 months ago Lucia’s story touched my heart.

In 2006 Lucia was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had just had her first child and was in the prime of her life. Instead of falling apart she asked a friend, who had battled cancer herself, what she should do. The firs thing she told her was, ”change your deodorant”, which she immediately did and the second was “start eating organic.”

Organic eating in not really that new of a concept, it’s just not one that a lot of people live by. Eating organic eliminates pesticides and hormones that are in a lot of the foods we get at a regular grocery store. And these are the kinds of things that have been found to cause cancer.

After changing her diet, going through chemotherapy and radiation therapy she was in remission and was told the chance of having another child was slim to none. Shortly after Lucia became pregnant with her second child and had a successful pregnancy.

“After everything I went through I wanted to spread the word about organic living. Even our store is organic. The floor is soy based, the walls and paint are soy milk based. Our toilets in our restrooms are also environmentally friendly.”

Luci’s Healthy Marketplace was born. Lucia and her husband own the business, but are also members of the community.

“We live just down the street, I come in and talk to our customers, tell them about living organic. There are not many places you come in and see the owner walking around and working just like other employees.”

Luci’s has seen great growth in the short time it has been open. Along with its 50s Americana feel it’s complete with an organic coffee house, omeletbar and a pasta bar, coming soon! It also offers organic soaps, deodorants, lotions, vitamins and make-up.

Luci’s also has its Viking Test Kitchen where demonstrations and cooking classes are taught. 

As I teared up during Lucia’s interview about her battle with breast cancer I could see that her victory was that much sweeter because she is now passing on her story and organic living to others.

For more information on Luci’s Healthy Marketplace visit http://lucishealthymarketplace.com/

Are tattoos and piercings a PRoblem in PR?

This has been a subject that has bothered me for quite some time. Are tattoos and piercings acceptable in the world of PR? Or any other professional setting for that matter? Now being a fan of body art myself I wouldlike to think that body art is a generational way to express oneself.

You take a brilliant 20-something PR professional and add some ink to his skin, does this make him any less of a brilliant PR professional, I think not.

I have heard so many different sides to this argument. My uncle, a very smart psychologist and jury consultant says there is no way he would hire someone knowing they had a tattoo. I then asked him to ask his colleagues, professionals he repsected to see how many of them had tattoos he was unaware of and he was surprised by the number who admitted to having body art. Needless to say I think he is changing his opinion on the matter.

I understand that visible tattoos on the neck, face and other obviously visible areas may become distracting, but you could also say that about someone’s mole or birth mark. Would you not hire someone because of those things?

Do I not believe that my body art or piercings make me any less of a hard worker and professional.

I would love to hear other opinions regarding this.

Is PR on the out?

Many in the industry have been talking about PR becoming extinct. Not only does this outrage me because I am not even in the work force yet, but it also scares me to death.

I do not believe that PR is on the out, I only believe that it is changing and adapting to the technology that is available. Social media for example. Some say social media sites, such as, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others are slowly squeezing the life out of P bR, but it merely aids in promoting businesses. It has become a PR tactic.

PR will never be extinct because good PR is more than just sending out a news release, media alert and throwing it up on the company site. PR is very strategic. Research must be done to understand audiences and stigmas. Special tactics are used, like events, promotions, and social media. A new two-way conversation has started with companies, employees, customers and investors with blogs and discussion boards. These are run by PR professionals. These tactics drive traffic and generate sales and revenue.

Crisis Management is also a huge part of PR. Or as I like call it CPR (Crisis PR) and it gives life back to companies that need it. With the troubling economy and big companies with GM and Chrysler filing for bankruptcy. CPR is essential to gain back customer and shareholder trust.  It can save a company’s hard-earned reputation.

PR will forever evolve with the technology and will continue to grow. Just like any industry you must change or you will be left behind. I think the PR industry will be just fine.

Wise advice for graduates from the TOP

Richard Edelman wrote this great post about looking for a job after you graduate. I had to share it. He had 7 basic tips for graduates and after reading them all I was pretty satisfied with myself because I am doing or have already done most of these things.

#1 Consider working initially as an intern.

With the economy the way it is companies are downsizing and laying off employees. A lot of the time firms with hire interns with bachelors degrees with the possibility of that position becoming full time. Edelman says he does this at his firms all the time.

Edelman said “We have the interns do real work, from preparing press lists to writing press materials.”

We all know that being an intern is not always glamorous and you may be doing the “grunt” work until a full time position becomes available, but this helps you get a foot in the door.

#2 Digital is your fastest way in the door and to the top.

All PR firms are rapidly adapting to the current social media and all other digital techy stuff that’s out there. Every firm wants to offer the latest and greatest ways to get their clients name out there and they need young tech savvy account execs who know how to use all of it.

Edelman says, “Show us how you’re blogging, tweeting, utilizing video, participating with communities, advancing issues. If you can demonstrate how you can advise on social media, then you have immediate value.”

Edelman blogs, operates a facebook,  twitter, widget and a LinkedIn site for all pros so they can participate with the Edelman community.

#3 Language skills and desire to work abroad is essential.

Did you take a foreign language in high school or college? Now is the time to use those skills. But if you are like me and took 4 years of Spanish and still have not quite mastered it yet enroll in an adult foreign language class.

Be willing to travel. There is so much going on in the business world in other countries as well as our own. Carpi Diem, Seize the Day as they say. If you can travel, do it.

Edelman, “Our goal over the long run is to have all of our operations managed by country nationals. But the connective tissue in PR firms is often the expatriate talent who have come from the larger offices and bring the culture with them.”

#4 Offer a connection to good causes.

Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. There are so many ways to volunteer in your own community and otherwise. Colleges and high schools offer volunteer programs. Take a trip to your local animal shelter and play with the puppies. Find your local Habitat for Humanity and see if they need any help. Work on can drives and food drives around the holidays.

Edelman, “If you have personal experience in volunteering for civil society, then you have a special advantage. By the way, you should continue to work as a volunteer even after you are employed.”

#5 Real capability in economics/business, science, engineering/ technology is extremely helpful.

A lot of the time PR professionals are meant to explain things to the public in a way that everyone will understand. Say you work for a hospital and they have a new device that helps fight cancer. The CyberKnife (actual device) sounds scary and technical and you need to know what it does and doesn’t do in plain English to explain it to the mass public. The more you know about it the easier it is to explain. This is just an explain of how knowledge on a number of things can put you ahead of the pack.

Edelman, “We are called upon to explain new products or justify corporate decisions. If you have enough background to ask tough questions of the technologists, it makes the communications job that much easier.”

#6 Attitude and professional demeanor matter.

Don’t burn bridges, act professional, even in college. You never know if one of your peers could be in a position to hire you someday.

Edelman, “Just as in any new relationship, every interaction is important, from the first letter asking for an interview through to the thank you note after the visit to the firm. You must be well informed on the firm’s culture, work for its top clients and on recent wins.”

# 7 Use whatever connections you might have to jump ahead in the game.

If you are not looking out for #1 in a job search who are you looking out for?  Use your connections, that’s why they call it networking. Use contacts from your society from college, or people they may know. Stay connected and don’t burn bridges.

Visiting Recess Kids Club

On the 2nd work day of my internship I got to visit Recess Kids Club, one of PRIME 3′s clients. Here is a little background on RKC.

-Recess Kids Club, LLC is a supervised indoor play center for kids. RKC offers a “come any time” place for children. Recess is owned by Shellie Berry, wife of Arizona Cardinals defensive end Bertrand Berry. Shellie came up with Recess after moving to Gilbert, AZ from Colorado in 2004. She had no family in the Valley to depend on for child care and it was hard to find a babysitter, so she came up with the idea for RKC.-

The reason for traveling out to RKC that day was to help Shellie with a TV interview with the local Fox station. Fox was doing a segment on new businesses in the area and RKC was on the list.

It was fun to watch Shellie as she was interviewed by the reporter on RKC and what it was all about. You could see how passionate Shellie is about her new business and how she really wanted it to thrive. It was great to see that enthusiasm on her face.

On a side note: I started reading a book called Damage Control: Why Everything You Know About Crisis Management Is Wrong by Eric Dezenhall and John Weber. This is a great book for PR practitioners and PR students alike. I will be reviewing the book in a later post. I do recommend purchasing it on Amazon.

Day 1 @ PRIME 3 Public Relations

Today was my first day at my internship. It was to say the least over whelming. I thought going through the classes that I have and being involved with PRSSA in the  that I have I would not feel so lost. I am so glad that an internship is required before graduation because I could not imagine getting thrown into a work setting and feeling as if I had never done a single PR task in my life.

My first day I met with other account executives. And then familiarized myself with PRIME 3 clients. PRIME 3 has a variety of clients. Here are a couple:

Cadillac Ranch – an all American premiere bar and grill. CR offers lunch, dinner and late nights festivities, including a mechanical bull.

Designer District – a boutique like clothing store that offers designer labels at below wholesale prices. This used to be known as Designer Off Price and has recently changed the name.

Luci’s – this is called a healthy marketplace, which is becoming a new phenomenon around the country. Luci’s grand opening was May 17th, 2009 and they are continuing celebration throughout this week. Luci’s offers the same things your regular market place would, but with health conscious food.

Johnny Rock Page – Johnny is a pro superbike racer. But he is also an entrepreneur and has started an ATM business as well as a clothing line and his new reality show will be hitting the COX screens soon. He’s quite a character and hilarious guy.

Rejuvena- this is a medical clinic that specializes in Naturopathic & Aesthetic Medicine. The doctors can assist with outer appearance and inner health. Rejuvena has a doctor on hand the specializes in natural remedies and medicines as well as a doctor who specializes in plastic surgery.

Sprinkles Cupcakes – a cupcake company started in Beverly Hills. These are no ordinary cupcakes. They are themed and relatively expensive, but well worth it for a once in a while sin. If you have not had a Sprinkles cupcake i recommend you try one.

There is also Z Tejas, Actor’s Youth Theater, iPrayToday.com, The Ortiz Family Foundation, The Cardinals Fan Club and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

I will be sure to share my journey through my internship in later posts.

Adventures at an Internship! Intro

As most of us who are going to school for public relations know an internship is pretty much inevitable. Whether you have to do it for credit at your university or you just want to gave experience, it is a great way to get your foot in the door of PR.

In 19 days I am on my way to Phoenix, AZ to complete my 300 internship at a agency called PRIME 3 Public Relations, Innovative Marketing and Events. I am so excited to start t his internship and will be sure to update as the summer progresses.

In the mean time here are some tips for internships in general:

1. Meet and Greet with Everyone You Meet

Successful work relationships require excellent communication skills as well as a positive attitude. Depending on the size of the place you are interning for not all your co-workers will notice that you are new; so introduce yourself  to everyone you meet, from the janitor to the CEO.

2. Do Your Research

Do research and learn all you can about the company you are interning for. You can jump online and Google search or you can also write directly to a company for information.

3. Set Personal Goals and Keep Yourself Busy

Set personal goals that you want to achieve during your internship and ask your supervisor for things to do. If you find that your work is done, ask for new projects or look to read company literature and/or professional journals.

4. Read Professional Trade Journals & Magazines

Keep up on employer information and read what the professionals are reading. Learn more about your employer, their competition, and additional information about the industry in general. Is there something happening in the field you should know about?  Successful interns take the initiative to learn as much as possible during the short duration of their internship experience.

5. Be Prepared to do Some Grunt Work

Being an intern you do sometimes have to do what I like to refer to as “bitch work”, but hey someone’s got to do it. Take these smaller tasks in stride and keep your mind focused on the big picture. You may need to make some coffee or do some filing at some point but if making coffee and filing takes up the majority of your day, it’s time to speak with your supervisor about your goals and expectations of the internship.

6. Ask Questions

Take advantage of your student status and ask questions about everything you don’t understand. Employers believe that students who ask questions are motivated and really want to learn all they can about the industry. As an intern, employers do not expect you to know everything about the job.  Internships are a great learning experience and the more questions you ask the more you will learn about the job.

7. Find a Mentor

Learn from those you admire and develop mentoring relationships you can continue long after your internship has ended. Professionals enjoy sharing their expertise and want to assist new professionals entering the field. A good mentor is someone who is willing to share their knowledge and expertise and wants to see their mentee succeed in the field.

8. Be Professional

Maintain a professional image and avoid gossip and office politics. Maintain a positive and professional image both inside and outside the office. Maintaining professionalism while interning also means making efficient use of your time by avoiding the use of company time for personal phone calls and emails. Also as social media has become huge in almost any industry your boss probably has a Twitter account to. Don’t bash your company. boss, or co-workers online, chances are they will read it.

9. Develop Professional Relationships

Communicate with supervisors and co-workers and keep yourself in the loop of office communications. Professional relationships are key in starting a successful career. Throughout your career a professional network will help you to learn of new opportunities and offer ways to advance in your field.

10. Be Enthusiastic!

Show your enthusiasm and motivation and ask to be included in meetings and professional workshops. Enthusiastic employees tend to rub off on each other and have a positive impact on the organization as a whole. If you’re looking to be hired as a full time employee after your internship ends, exhibit the qualities of an enthusiastic worker during the short time you have to make a positive impact on both your co-workers and supervisors.