Public Relations

We run a robust internship program here at Buchanan PR and take a deeply personal interest in helping our interns transition into fulltime employment in the Real World.  One of our fall interns recently left us to accept a fulltime job. It got me to thinking about all the tools I hope we equipped him with – as well as one that will be new to him but is critically important in launching his career.

Here’s a parting gift to Jeff and all of the terrific interns we’ve had the honor of mentoring over the years:

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One of the many benefits of being a part of a global consortium of independent public relations agencies – the Public Relations Global Network – is the ability to get a first-hand impression of major news events in other parts of the world. With so much attention focused on the frantic efforts to resolve the European debt crisis, we thought we’d check in with our affiliate in Germany to gauge the mood. 

From Wiesbaden, Germany, Michael Diegelmann of the Cometis agency reports that the effects of the crisis are felt throughout the European business community, and the consensus is that a unified action is essential. “Especially the financial community sees the need for helping Greece or other countries in order to save the Euro,” Michael says. “But the unanswered question is: What do these countries pay for this help?!” 

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With the media world hyper-focused on the phone-hacking media scandals in the United Kingdom, we were interested in getting an inside perspective. Sara Pearson, a former journalist, is now a London-based partner at Spider PR, the UK affiliate for the Public Relations Global Network, our global consortium of independent public relations agencies. We asked her opinion of several aspects of this fast-moving scandal.

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Those who know me know that one of the things I’m passionate about is helping young people get their careers started – a daunting goal these days. I’ve written and spoken a lot about job-hunting and networking, and I’ll continue to do that.

But today, I’d like to take a different tack and share some tips that may help those of you who are starting a first job or internship.

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Our recent blog post – Why You Will Never Get Hired At Our PR Firm, a lament on the lack of gratitude expressed by many in the job market – spawned a host of thoughtful replies from both employers and jobseekers alike.

One of the interesting questions that several job hunters asked was: Does it matter if a thank-you note is handwritten or emailed?

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We had an experience today at our agency that has left us shaking our heads. Actually, what we experienced was what Yogi Berra famously referred to as déjà vu all over again.

The upshot is that a (probably unsuspecting…make that clueless) young lady has just ensured that she will never receive a job offer from our firm.

I am sharing this story to make a point. The point is: Everything counts. Especially when you are job hunting.

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Job hunters have long known that connections can be key. It’s often said it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Increasingly, however, people are making those professional connections through social media – with people they’ve never met in person.

Take the Twitter group HAPPO, of which Buchanan PR is proud to be the Philadelphia representative. Stands for Help a PR Pro Out. Started by a small group of PR bloggers only a year ago, it’s already become a vital resource for job-hunting PR people.

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Last night, I participated in the HAPPO (Help a PR Pro Out) live-tweet event on Twitter. This one was especially geared toward college students and recent grads trying to break into the world of PR.

Throughout the evening, I repeatedly gave this bit of advice to jobseekers: Stop asking employers for a job. Instead, ask them if they would be willing to spend a few minutes with you, brainstorming about your career plans and options.

I know this seems counterintuitive.

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I just returned from the semi-annual gathering of the Public Relations Global Network – an independent network of 40 public relations firms from around the world to which Buchanan PR belongs.

It’s a veritable United Nations when we assemble to discuss our agencies, how we can work together to benefit our clients, and what keeps us up at night.

It’s also rather remarkable how consistent client needs and challenges are, no matter the continent on which they are headquartered.

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