My friend J believes in following up by telephone. She would always encourage me to do so when I was searching frantically for a job last November. I do think following up on the telephone is a good idea. You get your answers quicker — but do people find it annoying? I’d love to get some PRs perspective on this, because I did following up when I was applying for journalism jobs. Read the rest of this entry »
Kate Brindley with Stephen Ayres, head of menswear buying at Liberty
LinkedIn can cook you lots of nice treats. I have warmed up to it a lot since I started using it. I do not have hundreds of connections, but a steady number which I am thrilled with.
Here is what sugar that LinkedIn adds: it allows you to get the names of key contacts you may have had a hard time trying to pin down. Read the rest of this entry »
I think this post about personal branding is onto something.
Sending thank you cards is so important. I did this in the zygote days of this website to most of the people who helped me out and there are still thank yous that I need to send.
I think sending a thank you card to someone who interviewed you or helped you in any way is definitely a way of being a more personable candidate.
It is good personal PR which is something we could all look at more for ourselves.
I am asking this question rather selfishly in fact because I would like to know what you think start-up websites such as this can do to be better at PR.
I don’t want to make excuses but I think it is rather difficult especially when you have a full-time job on the side.
I would say the most important thing a website can do to PR itself is try and update as much as possible. This is something that I need to improve on.
The Cream of Content: Whipping Up 4 Ideas for Digital Dessert
[Image source: Bonnie @ Flickr]
vox-popPRcareers is my baby. Since I have started it, I realised I do not have an outlet to think through my ideas on content in general. This post will be four ideas I have on improving content, but I do think aspiring ideas can take some of these ideas and mix them into their career approach.
Double cream: Look at the sites or blogs that you like. I refer to my favourite ones as ‘double cream’, because they are satisfying to my cerebral tastebuds. One feature popular slices of content have is structure.
Example: Content marketing blog Junta42’s posts are written where each word is needed, as opposed to adding extra words for the sake of it. This is what makes content appetising. Readers want more of good content and less of the bad types. As content creators, we need to look at what we can do to make our work ‘good’. This could include: Read the rest of this entry »
1) Persevere: Gaga is a grafter. I was intrigued to hear that she worked hard for many years like writing songs for other artists before she got her big break. I think this can be applied to aspiring PRs by continuing to write job applications even when you feel like it isn’t happening.
2) Perfect Your Look: Gaga’s image is original and distinctive. I think this could be related to people who want to work in the PR industry. As aspiring career heads, we need to think about how we look and what potential vibes this gives to clients.
3) Demand The Best: I watched some clips of Gaga on Oprah. She had a backstage segment and she showed some drawings of the types of looks she does for her concerts. The amount of detail from those pictures proves that only those willing to work hard get far in this life. I hope I can apply this ethic to what I do.
One thing about me and I think a lot of ice-cream lovers is I adore vanilla. Vanilla is an essence that is always present. What on earth does this flavour have to do with career ambition?
I think ambition to be successful is similar to vanilla because for people who are desperate to succeed in whatever context, you always yearn to be the status quo, as opposed to simply aspiring it. Vanilla is the gold standard in ice-cream for many consumers… Read the rest of this entry »
Bizcommunity have featured an indepth look at some ideas for 2010 PR trends.
I think #5 on their list (integration) may count for a lot in media circles such as PR & communications.
Integration essentially means that things become more of a ‘team unit’ and less separate. Less like a solar system in different orbits, but one planet in one orbit.
As aspiring career graduates, we have to think of how we can fit into an integrated career model in our companies. I think we can do this by mixing traditional and digital skills. Online PR lovers should not forget their traditional skills and traditional heads should embrace online. A mix-and-match approach is a bigger package to offer employed. This method of ‘employee integration’ may be easier to mould in a country than a linear person who only can do one thing.
This military strategy book, which is centuries old is popular with management heads from all industries, as the military itself.
I think the following tenets in The Art of War can be applied to trying to advance your career in creative industries such as PR and journalism. Read the rest of this entry »
Balancing blogging is easier during the weekdays than the weekend, right? - posted on 08/02/2010
Happy today! Website is improving and weekly views ARE increasing!! this has pulled me out of my temporary online depression. - posted on 05/02/2010