Ok, so everyone is getting a little worried about what might happen to us in the big wide world when we get out there with this recession looming over our heads. We are all smart, educated well presented young (well most of us) adults so why shouldn’t we get a job? Well, just to put things further into favour here are a few tips derived from PR Buzz – a letter to young job seekers translated from American sugar coating into plain Kiwi. But feel free to read the original.
Tip 1: PROOF READ!!! This may sound obvious, but you really need to make sure CV and cover letter are %100 free of any errors, especially spelling and grammar mistakes. If you’re sending out a few CV’s obviously to don’t have the time to fully customise each CV, however doing something as stupid as misspelling the name of the company you’re applying for id the type of thing that will get your CV chucked away after the first glance. - Typos send the message that if you’re careless with work for your own benefit, you’ll be careless with agency work.”
Tip 2: SELL YOURSELF! A lot of interviews will start with the “tell me about yourself” line, so you need to know how to talk yourself up. This is not the time to be modest and coy; this is the time to tell them exactly why they should hire you over anyone else. So if you can’t sit there and list of your strengths, than get practising! - Prepare a one-minute spiel that highlights your strengths and personality, then practice it before your interview. You don’t want to recite mechanically, but you also want to sound ready and polished.
Tip 3: Research the agency before you get to the interview. More likely than not you’ll be asked why you picked that particular company to work for. Right now while you’re going for that job at the local retail store it’s easy to bluff this one with a few generic answers. But when you’re going for that wicked job at the wicked PR firm or ad agency, that’s not going to work - you’re meeting with professionals who can spot spin in an instant - So jump online, get some info and show them that you’ve done your homework on them.
Tip 4: Bring a portfolio. Make sure it’s a good one that showcases your good work. It’ll make you look good and hopefully set you apart from the other candidates, giving you the leading edge.
Tip5: Prepare Questions. This is just as important as doing your homework on the agency because it’s basically the same thing and shows that you have initiative and are interested in the company and your possible place there. The article goes into really good detail on this one - Go beyond “What is an average day like for someone at your agency?” That’s not a bad question, but a better question would be, “I saw on your website that you work with Client X. What are some of the projects and campaigns you put together for Client x?” This lets the interviewer know that you researched the agency and demonstrates that you’re interested in the agency’s work. Asking questions also extends the interview, meaning you have more time to convince the interviewer that you’re the right candidate for the job. Ask questions about the interviewer’s perspective on industry issues. Engage in conversation. Even if you don’t get the job, at least you will have learned something new that will help in your next interview.
Tip 6: Be careful with your online footprint. Here we go again with the stuff our tutors tell us in every class, but turns out they were right...who’d a thunk it? Basically just be careful what you post, because it’s all fun and games until a potential employer finds that photo of you at your mates 21st spewing in the main street dressed as a skanky pirate on your Facebook. Either get rid of those photos or set privacy filter on all of your social networking sites. - Peter Shankman once said, “Grandma, Priest, Boss - If either of the three would be offended, DON'T POST IT.” In the same vein, if your cell phone has a voicemail greeting that presents you in an unprofessional way, consider changing it. Your friends might love the rap music that plays before they leave you a message, but your potential employer probably won’t.
Tip 7: Turn all of those “wasted” hours on Youtube, Facebook and Twitter etc in valuable new media knowledge and savvy. - Demonstrate that you can be creative and insightful about how new tools can be applied to PR. Comment (positively!) on past agency work in this area and be familiar with some of the well-known case studies in the PR industry. Make sure you are in the know about the latest social media tools. – To me that sound like a great excuse to be on Facebook at work!
So get out there, do the research, sell yourself and PROOFREAD!
Tip 1: PROOF READ!!! This may sound obvious, but you really need to make sure CV and cover letter are %100 free of any errors, especially spelling and grammar mistakes. If you’re sending out a few CV’s obviously to don’t have the time to fully customise each CV, however doing something as stupid as misspelling the name of the company you’re applying for id the type of thing that will get your CV chucked away after the first glance. - Typos send the message that if you’re careless with work for your own benefit, you’ll be careless with agency work.”
Tip 2: SELL YOURSELF! A lot of interviews will start with the “tell me about yourself” line, so you need to know how to talk yourself up. This is not the time to be modest and coy; this is the time to tell them exactly why they should hire you over anyone else. So if you can’t sit there and list of your strengths, than get practising! - Prepare a one-minute spiel that highlights your strengths and personality, then practice it before your interview. You don’t want to recite mechanically, but you also want to sound ready and polished.
Tip 3: Research the agency before you get to the interview. More likely than not you’ll be asked why you picked that particular company to work for. Right now while you’re going for that job at the local retail store it’s easy to bluff this one with a few generic answers. But when you’re going for that wicked job at the wicked PR firm or ad agency, that’s not going to work - you’re meeting with professionals who can spot spin in an instant - So jump online, get some info and show them that you’ve done your homework on them.
Tip 4: Bring a portfolio. Make sure it’s a good one that showcases your good work. It’ll make you look good and hopefully set you apart from the other candidates, giving you the leading edge.
Tip5: Prepare Questions. This is just as important as doing your homework on the agency because it’s basically the same thing and shows that you have initiative and are interested in the company and your possible place there. The article goes into really good detail on this one - Go beyond “What is an average day like for someone at your agency?” That’s not a bad question, but a better question would be, “I saw on your website that you work with Client X. What are some of the projects and campaigns you put together for Client x?” This lets the interviewer know that you researched the agency and demonstrates that you’re interested in the agency’s work. Asking questions also extends the interview, meaning you have more time to convince the interviewer that you’re the right candidate for the job. Ask questions about the interviewer’s perspective on industry issues. Engage in conversation. Even if you don’t get the job, at least you will have learned something new that will help in your next interview.
Tip 6: Be careful with your online footprint. Here we go again with the stuff our tutors tell us in every class, but turns out they were right...who’d a thunk it? Basically just be careful what you post, because it’s all fun and games until a potential employer finds that photo of you at your mates 21st spewing in the main street dressed as a skanky pirate on your Facebook. Either get rid of those photos or set privacy filter on all of your social networking sites. - Peter Shankman once said, “Grandma, Priest, Boss - If either of the three would be offended, DON'T POST IT.” In the same vein, if your cell phone has a voicemail greeting that presents you in an unprofessional way, consider changing it. Your friends might love the rap music that plays before they leave you a message, but your potential employer probably won’t.
Tip 7: Turn all of those “wasted” hours on Youtube, Facebook and Twitter etc in valuable new media knowledge and savvy. - Demonstrate that you can be creative and insightful about how new tools can be applied to PR. Comment (positively!) on past agency work in this area and be familiar with some of the well-known case studies in the PR industry. Make sure you are in the know about the latest social media tools. – To me that sound like a great excuse to be on Facebook at work!
So get out there, do the research, sell yourself and PROOFREAD!
That is a scary thought if potential employers can hack into our facebooks, or maybe they are already our friends and we just don't know it yet...another great blog. Sound advice, motivational...nice!
ReplyDeleteYeah I know! I just applied for a job and straight away I block and "non-friends" seeing any photos!
ReplyDelete