I can't think of a more exciting time to be starting out in the public relations industry than right now.
Heaps of change thanks to the ever-evolving new communications landscape spells plenty of opportunity for today's young PR turks.
But as is always the case, the best opportunities generally will go to 'cream of the crop'. Those willing to go the extra yard to learn more skills and build a credible personal brand.
If you're a progressive, whippet-smart young practitioner, you are extremely well-placed to surge ahead of the pack in terms of your employability.
A young PR Warrior gets ready for his first job in public relations!
If I was starting out in PR now...
ONE - I would read books, heaps of them! Here's a selection to get you going:
- The Cluetrain Manifesto
- The New Rules of Marketing & PR
- Six Pixels of Separation
- Putting the Public Back in Public Relations
- Trust Agents
- Meatball Sundae
- Groundswell
...(plus from the 'oldie but goodie' category: The Marketer's Guide to Public Relations in the 21st Century).
TWO - I would regularly keep up to date with the business/social media/PR/marketing blogosphere, for example here are some blogs I read on a regular basis (in no particular order):
- Web Ink Now
- Conversation Agent
- Comms Corner
- Chris Brogan
- Logic + Emotion
- Danny Brown
- Damn I Wish
- Seth Godin
- Steve Rubel
- Matthew Gain
- PR Disasters
- Altitude Branding
- Craig Pearce
- Karalee Evans
- Servant of Chaos
THREE - I would regularly listen to podcasts.How much time do you spend walking around, or on public transport? Put this idle time to good use and get ahead of the pack by listening to some of the brightest minds around - for example:
- The Engaging Brand
- Six Pixels of Separation
- Dishymix (Success Secrets From Famous Media & Internet Business Executives)
- Duct tape Marketing
- For Immediate Release
FOUR - I would research Twitter and then get in and get my feet wet with a view of mastering the art of tweeting (as well as get my head around the possibilities of emerging new media technologies such as FourSquare).
- Check out this post for more information/inspiration: The World's Greatest Twitter Treasure Trove
FIVE - I would write a blog. It doesn't have to be work-related, it could focus on anything you're passionate about (blogging, after all, is the 'passion medium').
- I researched the art of blogging like crazy before I actually started one, and then I learnt more in six weeks of actually doing it.
- Get involved, have a crack! Get noticed - consider a blog your 'calling card'!
- Don't use the excuse it's too hard or you don't understand technology...pffft! You can keep it very simple by using a platform such as Posterous or Tumblr (they'll have you up and running in a matter of minutes).
SIX - I would read every newspaper I could get my hands on, hang out at the newsagent and flick through as many magazines as humanly possible (without getting sprung!); read newsletters, swap radio stations, check out the array of cable TV channels on offer.
- Traditional media is not going away any time soon; if you can 'join the dots' between traditional and social media, you will become a lot more valuable to your employer!
SEVEN - I would take extra classes in writing (and practise, practise, practise). In my experience, the bulk of PR graduates and young practitioners cannot write to save themselves.
- Save the flowery 'creative' writing for your journal - learn how to write economically like a journalist.
EIGHT - I would get as much work experience as possible.
- If you're already working at an agency or in-house, see if you can get some media work experience 'on the side'.
- There is no substitute for practical experience!
- Let me repeat that: There is no substitute for practical experience!
CASE STUDY: Kimberley Lee
Meet @KimberleyL
Kimberley Lee is a dynamic young practitioner employed by my agency parkyoung.
We recruited her via Twitter.
She moved to Melbourne from Sydney; by the time she got here, she was already better connected than most people her age. Importantly, she continues to use social media to increase her network of contacts (PR is a people business after all!).
Kimberley blogs (and has a Posterous page) and is active across multiple social networks, including Facebook.
All good stuff!
However, Kimberley's real value as a PR professional is her growing understanding of the social web and how it impacts on communications. She is already a 'gun' at media relations, that's a given. But her social media nous is all 'bonus' for our agency. In other words, a true 'value add' (funnily enough, that's the name of her blog!).
You could do a lot worse than hold Kimberley up as a shining example of what a young PR practitioner needs to do to succeed in today's hyper-connected marketplace.
