Posts Tagged ‘mentoring’

PR Resume Heaven (or the other place); the Gable PR Refresher Course

Wednesday, August 8th, 2012

Standing Out

Posted by Tom Gable

We blogged last year about “Looking for a Job in PR? Gable PR Has Tips for Getting Resumes Read, Advancing Toward an Offer.”  After receiving more than 100 resumes recently for an intern opening and seeing everything from candidates for sainthood and the Pulizter Prize to the uneducated (or on some form of hallucinogen), it seemed time for a quick refresher course.

Our emotions surged and waned: admiration for the work ethic of some (multiple internships, working more than one job, active in organizations); disbelief that some students were actually in college or recently graduated (poor grammar, typos); and some LOL experiences (using the name of another agency in the salutation when emailing Gable PR; and probably doing the same to the other agency).

Other issues: blank emails with no introductory messages, just attachments named “resume”;  all the resumes named “resume” (think about personal branding!); wrong agency name in the subject line; and including photos taken with a phone at a party.

For specifics, here is one we are going to submit to the What Were They Thinking Resume Hall of Fame.

From: REDACTED

Subject: ATTN: Gable PR (to whome it may concern)

To whom it may concern, hello my name is XYZ and I am a undergrad student at San Diego State and while browsing the Public Relations Soceity of America site I came across your webpage and in my efforts to try and obtain a internship in the field I am writing to whom it may concern in regards to any possible intenship positions you all may be offering. Thank you for your time, if there is anything at all that might be availble please contact me, I am a more than willing student trying to get a start and oppurtunity in the field, I can also send my resume, etc. over as well.

Thank you all for your time

We did provide feedback:

Thank you for your inquiry.  Unfortunately, we won’t be able to consider you because of the number of typographical and grammatical errors in this email. 

For future inquiries, you might want to spellcheck your work and also have someone else proof it.

Good luck in your search.

Gable PR

Count the errors, post a comment and the winner gets a free PDF copy of the PR Client Service Manual.

On the good news side, we liked the following as an example of a smart, short introductory email:

Hello,

I am a senior at San Diego State University studying public relations and minoring in political science. As I am close to graduating and starting a career in the public relations field I am looking for an internship that will help me put my education in perspective to the real world. I have held previous internship positions doing public relations for San Diego businesses and I am interested in growing with a firm. I have a passion for blogging, reading newspapers, writing, fashion and travel. I was wondering if Gable Public Relations had any internship openings. I have attached my resume for your convenience.

And a final one from someone with a few years of professional experience, which we liked because of the detail that related to our profession:

From: REDACTED

Subject: Rockstar Publicist Looking for New Home

Hi Tom,

I’ve recently relocated from Florida to San Diego and I’m seeking a publicist position at a dynamic agency in town. At a meeting with ABC of DEF PR, she spoke very highly of your agency and I wanted to reach out and see if there are any current opportunities.

I have 3+ years’ experience as a results-oriented PR professional who has a passion for media relations and client satisfaction. Highlights of my capabilities include:

• Exceptional writing and editing skills; from press releases and newsletters to media kits distributed to retailers nationwide.

• Developing client plans, presentations and creative ideas while working with executive team.

• Creating and maintaining excellent media relations on regional and national levels through aggressive print, online and broadcast pitching. Clients received exposure in top outlets such as: Good Housekeeping, Parents, CBS Early Show, NBC Today, and Good Day LA.

•Extensive knowledge of broadcast media, securing and executing over 45 segments last year alone.

• Working in both a team and individual dynamic to exceed client expectations.

• Planning various media tours, from small destination immersions to hosting 30+ media professionals.

If there are any open positions I’d love to be considered.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have openings at the time.  We did let the individuals know that we would be saving their resumes for future reference should our needs change.  Great cover letters and resumes do make a difference in the PR job search.

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PR is a Team Sport; Organizing to Win

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

Leading the Surge

Posted by Tom Gable

The key to a manager’s success in a PR firm or otherwise is how well he or she can organize other people and direct them toward achieving specific goals in the most effective and efficient manner. The process needs to have an outward, multidirectional focus. What needs to be accomplished on multiple fronts? How can you achieve your goals with the minimum possible resources?  How to leverage time, so one hour of senior management can turn into ten hours or more of productive work by others on multiple fronts?  Go for a ten-fold leverage; if you achieve five-fold you will still be WAY ahead of the game.

Speaking of game, management works best as a team sport. In working on the Fifth Edition of my PR Client Service Manual, I came across guidance from an early mentor, a former dean of the College of Business at San Diego State University and a Vistage chair. He had a growth model showing how a company goes from a one-man shop (the long-distance runner, competitive swimmer, archer, gymnast, etc.), to the race car driver (one person supported by a team of mechanics), to basketball, to football and soccer (multiple players, different tasks, focused on results according to a game plan). Some liken it to a philharmonic orchestra. Whatever the model, the direction is clear: the better you can do in assembling, training, organizing, coaching and improving your talent as you move your game plan forward, the more impressive the results.

Michael Gerber, in the classic e-Myth Revisited, advises building the team from the bottom up.  Who does the tactical work?  How do you build checks and balances into your system so average people can achieve extraordinary results? Not unlike a university setting, how do you keep your talent learning and advancing, which both improves overall organizational results and gives management more time for strategic thinking or marketing? Discipline is key, particularly when it involves creative teams.

Two Big Traps

Do It Yourself – The argument: the initial work was so poor that I’ll just do it myself and save a bunch of time. The problem: you just reverse-delegated to yourself and did nothing to improve your talent for the future. Take the time to set expectations, educate, delegate and provide rapid feedback – candid and brutal if needed. The first effort may take more time than you would like, but it will pay off. If the latent talent is there, the next assignment will improve. Momentum will build. Your 15 minutes of future counsel will turn into two or three hours of useful work by someone else – the ten-fold payoff.

Throw Everything at the Issue – In this case, the manager sends a small army to do battle, wasting huge amounts of time and energy, instead of getting strategic with his team and achieving more with less. This is the dark side of leverage. Instead of going for a ten-fold increase in your ability to generate results, you have cut it by whatever your over-kill factor might be. Five people working in a room on one issue have gone from the Power of Five to the Power of One – an 80 percent reduction in efficiency!

Next: Nine Steps to Improved Mentoring and Team Results

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Horizon Management, In the Beginning, Leverage, Team Play | Comments Off