So I’ve given you the necessary steps to getting an interview with your dream public relations firm/ agency in NYC but that’s just the minors. If you plan on landing the job itself, well then, welcome to the big league. Landing a job in public relations is not easy. It’s not like other careers where a 4 year degree in accounting is enough to secure your own desk, computer, and land line. PR goes far beyond your education to your experience, your personality, and yes, even your personal style gets taken into account.
Now I left off with building your own brand equity but that step should never truly end. Throughout your entire career, your words and actions will be constantly dissected and with either contribute to or take away from your brand’s equity. So how do you add some positive reinforcements on the day of your big interview?
Here are the final five steps to guaranteeing your position in public relations:
Research – I know, you just graduated and you’re absolutely sick of research assignments…too bad. Get online and Google everything there is to know about the company. Learn their clients, campaigns, staff (if information is available), find out who the CEO is and how they got there, learn their mission statement, their goals, and beliefs. All of this information will help you out exponentially. By knowing what they’re about, you’ll impress your interviewer and show them that you are a capable future professional who is serious about their work.
Appearance – Before we even jump into the interview itself, plan your outfit to the last little detail. This may seem a little rudimentary but trust me; the wrong outfit will send the wrong vibes. In my opinion, it’s better to get a little dressed up than arrive dressed down unless told otherwise. Through your research, you may have been lucky enough to learn a little about the office environment so you may already know that showing up in a full suit may be overkill but a classic pair of slacks and a button down can never go wrong, feel free to spice it up a little bit with some accessories and some killer heels (leave the stripper heels at home) and you’ll be good to go!
**This all depends where you’re applying**
- Corporate/Financial PR: Full Suit
- Full Service Agency/ Boutique Firm: Classic look, add your own personal touch
- Fashion PR: They may want you to look as trendy as possible, so dare to be a fashionista and be sure to read those fashion magazines!
Creative Writing Samples – Do not go to the interview empty handed. Whether they ask for a writing sample or not, bring some along with your resume and cover letter. It will show that you’re not only prepared but proactive. By leaving examples of your writing style, you take a lot of the guess work out of the decision maker’s job. With physical proof of your verbal ability they will know whether you’re a good fit for their team/ how many workshops you may need before your share the same style as the rest of the company.
Ask *RELEVANT* Questions - You know how your mother and teachers always tell you that there is no such thing as a stupid question? On an interview there are about a million stupid questions. It’s ok to ask them about the work environment, level of micromanagement, level of team vs. solo projects, etc. but you should never ask about clients and projects that you could have and should have learned about on their website. If the information is not available then go ahead and ask but only if you’ve truly looked and could not find a thing.
Follow Up – After the interview is behind you, it’s time for some follow up. But be sure to learn and abide by the very fine line of Persistence vs. Pest. Here are a few great tips:
-Send an e-mail the next morning/same night expressing your gratitude.
-Send a handwritten “Thank You” note expressing how happy you are that you had the opportunity to meet and look forward to working with them.
- After a week, if you’ve heard nothing, e-mail them again just to see where they’re at. PR is a very busy industry and sometimes things get pushed to the bottom shelf so send a friendly reminder asking for a rough estimate of when they hope to fill the position by. Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to get some good news!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
(Former Client Pitch) Newest Bridal Trend: The Four-Eyed Bride
For years and years brides have strived for perfection on their big day. To prep, women have been known to diet, wax, tweeze, pluck, dye, occasional nipping and tucking, but getting fit for contacts or LASIK doesn’t usually come to mind. Alas, that has been the fate for the majority of the bridal population. In the United States over 50% of women wear glasses and only 18% of those women wear contacts regularly. So what does this mean for the 32% of brides who wear glasses but not contacts?
Every bride knows the time between the engagement and the wedding is vital and every second counts. Between the save the dates, the invitations, booking the location, the officiant, the band and the god forsaken guest list, most brides don’t have the time to run to the ophthalmologist to get fitted for contacts or to dedicate the time to get and recover from LASIK.
From these aggravated brides came a few trendsetters who said “screw it” and sported their glasses down the aisle. There have been critics who claim it dresses down your wedding dress but why should these brides have to change their individual look to fit into an industry mold of the “perfect bride.” According to the Offbeat Bride, there are two strategies for wearing glasses at your wedding: wear what’ve you got or get new ones!
Many people who wear glasses know that after a while your glasses become a part of your face. So, just as you’d buy a wedding dress to fit your shape, shouldn’t it fit your face as well? Besides, miracles can be done with makeup and fake lashes. (i.e., Kate Moss, Renee Zellwegger, etc.)
It’s amazing how changing your glasses changes your face. Don’t be scared to try something new and experiment a little. Bold, dramatic glasses can really give your dress a modern look. You can coordinate these glasses with the dress, the décor, the flowers, the color of your hubbies eyes, absolutely anything. Right now you may thinking that you’re catching me with a foot in my mouth, here I’m saying you can spare time to shop for new glasses (a very timely ordeal) but not to get fit for contacts or LASIK but (yes, there is a but), with the help of XXX you can find the perfect frames at a fraction of the time and the cost.
You’ve already spent a ton on the dress, the hall, the flowers, the rings; spare yourself from buying a pair of designer frames at retail prices. XXX gives you discount prescription glasses at wholesale prices which means you can afford to buy a special pair for your honey moon too, maybe a transitional pair to soak in the sun from Bora Bora!
It’s 2010 and it’s about time that we take a stand and say “Let them wear glasses!”
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