Is anybody out there?

Thanks to the constantly broadening horizon of the world wide web, I'm not the only one blogging about life after graduation. While my blog is just getting kicked off, I thought it would be important to share a few others that are already established in the blogosphere. The following blogs will help to shed some light on many different perspectives of life after graduation in PR, marketing and social media.

• http://aftergraduation.net/blog/
• This blog could very well be my favorite out of all the blogs I've come across so far. The creator simply goes by "Allison" and documents her thoughts and career path in a relaxed and relatable tone. I wouldn't recommend to read this blog around any kids though, her real-world language might be PG-13. But the occasional cursing lends the blog a sense of reality, she's speaking the truth, from the heart. Plus it's funny. "After Graduation" is a must read. Here are some of her topics:
• the job hunt after graduation
• "Allison's" career path in blogging
• being confident/humble in an interview
• networking
• BlogWorld
• being content
• www.komailmithani.com
• Komail Mithani is a 20-something communications graduate who spawned a blog from his personal webpage. Sometimes his posts are personal, but mostly he offers great tips on social media and a first hand account of success after graduation. He's a great blogger and anyone who plans on working with social media could learn a thing or two from him. 
• "How to Improve Your Social Media Stance"
• social media evangelism
• "10 Signs That Show You're Ready to Graduate" - my favorite
• Deanna Ferrari - Slide Share
• This one isn't a blog, but I came across it and decided it needed an honorable mention. This powerpoint presentation was given to communications students at Clarion University in 2010 by Deanna Ferrari, a Senior Account Executive at WordWrite Communications. Okay, let's remember this is the internet (where anyone can say anything) so these facts about this person may not necessarily be true, but for the sake of the information, we'll just go with it. The presentation is titled "How NOT To Get a Job After Graduation - and How To Use Social Media to Help You Get One". It's short, sweet and to the point, but helpful. She shares her story of job hunting after college and offers advice on how to best make it through the hunt. 

So hopefully these other blogs and sites will help you even more along your way. One last thing I want to mention, PRSA Job Center might be the mack daddy on starting a career in PR. 'Nuff said. Check it out. 

A Whole New World

The public relations profession as we know it is changing. Social media has introduced a new dimension to communication between an organization and the public. Whether you consider them an audience, the consumers or the mass public, everyone is now able to communicate with and about your organization. Key to this new world is the idea of dialogue. As Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge state in their book, “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations”, we are no longer talking at the people, we are talking with them and building a relationship. This is no longer a one way monologue in which we put out a message and send it soaring into the faces of our key audiences. Facebook, Twitter, blogging and many other social media platforms have put the ball in the public’s hands. They now have the power (and will use it) to make the first move, whether you are aware of it or not.

So how, as a public relations professional, do you stay on top of this? As your career progresses you always want to maintain communication with your audiences. This is something that not only a new PR professional must learn how to do but also someone who has been in the industry for years must constantly update their knowledge. So here’s my proposal: start now. If you haven’t already (and who hasn’t?) create Facebook, Twitter, blogging accounts, anything you can find on a social media platform. Don’t associate them with any job you may have, this is only used for you to become familiar with the scene. On these platforms, there are three things you need to do:

1. Observe
2. Respond
3. Join

Observe - Watch and learn how people talk to each other. Watch how people communicate with and about businesses around their area and large corporations. Watch how people form their opinions by the things they post and share. Observe the atmosphere.

Respond – Don’t be afraid to comment on posts and shared articles. State your opinion, start a conversation. ASK QUESTIONS!

Join – Join groups and “like” companies and organizations. Follow their posts and learn from them. Follow industry guru’s on Twitter, they’re constantly posting great things to read that will keep you current in PR. Read what they read!

There are many social media platforms other than the most common listed above. I encourage you to play around in as many as you can. The more you become familiar with, the more knowledgeable and up to date you will be. When you begin your PR career (or if you already have) don’t stop using your personal accounts. Using your own private social media accounts can allow you to see a perspective “outside the box” of your professional or organization accounts. Stay current on the industry with any kind of continuing education you can find and I can almost guarantee most will be about the web or social media. Finally, my number one rule to stay up to date and on top of the ball in a publically controlled social world…NEVER STOP READING! As much as you can, check out as many tweets, blog posts, newsletters and magazines as possible. There is always something new going on that you need to know about to stay at the top of your game.

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

When beginning in any career, it's important to know a little bit about what you're getting into. Most of us future PR practitioners know the public relations industry and have an expectation of what we will be involved in, but it is always good to know the statistics of what kind of career you are walking into.

Most of this kind of information can be found on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, but here I will touch on some of the key facts for public relations specialists.

As we all know, having a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university is the most prominent first step. Public Relations doesn't always necessarily have to be your major though. Some companies accept PR specialists with degrees in journalism or marketing. Additional experience in the PR field is a major plus, and as most (if not all) advisors will tell you, an internship in the PR field will look like gold on your resume. Also, membership in your regional chapters of PRSA or PRSSA and such communities will boost your chances at success.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the employment for public relations practitioners to increase by 24% between 2008 and 2018. While this is faster than the average for most industries, do not let this fool you. Competition will be stiff as the industry is highly congested with new graduates and entry level job seekers. Now don't get scared, rapid global expansion and the emergence of social media is likely to open many opportunities in the public relations industry. Bilingual applicants are always in demand.

Now to the good stuff. The mean annual wage for entry level public relations specialists is reported at $59,150 by The Bureau of Labor Statistics. This same report also lists the states with the highest employment level as California, New York, Texas, Florida (yay!) and Pennsylvania. The top paying states are Washington D.C., New York, Virginia, California and Maryland. In D.C. The annual mean wage is $82,540! But you need to remember the cost of living in each city is different if you plan on relocating.

Below are listed some of the general job descriptions of a PR practitioner in his/her early stages (provided by The Public Relations Professional Career Guide) :

• Entry-Level Technician- “Follows others' directions to gather and disseminate information, persuade, and/or solicit feedback.”
• Technician 2- “Gathers and disseminates information to persuade and/or solicit feedback. May direct the abilities of entry-level technicians. ”
• Supervisor 1- “Manages processes, projects and functional units. The supervisor continues to utilize technical and craft skills but also applies interpersonal, conceptual, problem-solving, consulting, and teaching skills.”
• Supervisor 2- “Supervises organizational units. Required skills include planning, budgeting, scheduling, organizing, leading, controlling and problem solving.”

Please remember that these job descriptions are not always how it is in the real world. This is merely a guide to a general idea of PR jobs.

Now you have a basic understanding of what to expect from your future career in PR!

References:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2011, May 17). Public Relations Specialists. Occupational Employment Statistics. Retrieved October 3, 2011 from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes273031.htm.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2010, May 17). Public Relations Specialist. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. Retrieved October 3, 2011 from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos086.htm.

The PRSA Foundation. (1993). The Public Relations Professional Career Guide. Retrieved October 3, 2011 from http://www.prsa.org/jobcenter/career_resources/resource_type/tools_tactics/CareerGuidePRSAFoundation/Career_Guide.pdf.

Welcome!

Hello! Thanks for visiting my blog! Over the next several weeks I will be posting about what to expect when you take your first steps into the world of public relations. After graduation, most of us feel confident in our academic education and resume building skills, but that's not all you need to know to get the career you want.

Here I will discuss the statistics of PR jobs, interviewing skills, what a prospective employer would want from you and how to stay on top of an industry that's constantly evolving.

Please take some time to review the links to the right of notable public relations front-runners, in my "Who You Should Follow" section. These guys will keep you on your toes, especially during the era of social media. As for me, I will guide you through what you need to know to be a part of the new age in public relations as you take the leap from the classroom to real world!