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For those of you that haven't heard the news by now, the statue of disgraced late former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno was removed Sunday.
That was just one of the many results of a sad, sorry episode that began when campus officials began covering up the multiple misdeeds of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
Sandusky, of course, was convicted on June 22 of multiple counts of child sexual abuse. He'll likely spend the rest of his life in prison when he faces sentencing sometime in September.
So, what does this mean for Penn State's PR image? The reason the cover-up occurred to begin with was the fact that the football program needed to be protected from "bad publicity?" Guess what, that "bad publicity" is now rearing its ugly head. It just happened to take a while, that's all.
Oh, and there's one more thing. By the time this post is put on this blog, the NCAA could impose the most severe sanctions levied since Southern Methodist University (SMU) received the death penalty back in the late 1980s. To make a long story short, this is a scandal that scar the Penn State campus for many years to come. Not only that, it might take years to repair that damage.
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That's probably the first question you'll hear from an employer, if and/or when you go to a job interview? Sounds like a simple question to answer, right? Wrong!
When answering the question, "Why do you want to work for us?," or a similar question, "Why do you want to work here?", the one answer you surely don't want to give out is, "I need the money", or "I need this job", or "I'm married with two kids, with another on the way." That's an easy way to put yourself out of the running for that job.
Now, consider some potential "positive" answers for "Why do you want to work for us?"
"I've always wanted to work for (insert company/industry name) ever since attending college."
Or:
"In doing my research on the company, I've come to admire your commitment to providing excellent customer service, quality products at affordable prices, etc."
Or even this:
"I enjoy the challenge of telling the story of your company, and/or promoting your products and/or services."
Here's one more:
"This company has been known for your innovative marketing/PR campaigns, and it's something I want to be a part of."
Coming up with a solid answer to the question: "Why do want to work for us?" or "Why do you want to work here?", is something that requires a great deal of creativity, as well as a lot of thought. In answering a question like this, you need to show a sincere interest in the company you're interviewing for, whether you plan to be there for a long time or not.
The bottom line: If you only want to work for a company just for the sake of having for a job, or simply collecting a paycheck, it'll be not only a waste of your time or money, but also that of the company. You want to show the interviewer what can you do for the company, not the other way around. After all, what's the use in wanting to even sell a company, much less work for it, if you can't show a sincere interest in it. The purpose of many businesses is to make money. Therefore, most employers will hire people who will make that money for them. Yes, that includes companies that hire communications and public relations professionals.
Want more tips on answering the "Why do you want to work for us?" question? Click here for more, courtesy of about.com.
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all posts at http://communication-careers-corner.blogspot.com/.
Send e-mail to communicationcareers@gmail.com
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As the first half of 2012 draws to a close, here's a brief word on building your personal brand.
As the term implies, personal branding involves a person treating his or her career as a brand name, give or take. It's sort of like you're going to, or promoting, WalMart, only you're doing it as an individual, not a company.
The most important thing about personal branding is that you're always promoting a product: you. Basically, that means you're selling your product to one customer: the company or employer you want promote someday. But it'll be impossible for you to do so if you can't promote yourself or your brand.
The bottom line? Just simply sending a resume, cover letter, and portfolio isn't enough. It takes selling and promoting yourself to get potential employers aware of your personal brand.
Want more on building your personal brand. MediaBistro's PR Newser has some tips here.
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all posts at http://communication-careers-corner.blogspot.com/.
Send e-mail to communicationcareers@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/commcareer
By now, most of you reading this blog know that the New Orleans Times-Picayune is cutting back the publication of its print product from seven days a week, to just three days a week, starting this fall.
Many articles published on the Internet, such as one recently published by John McQuaid in the Atlantic, suggest websites alone won't entirely replace daily newspapers. That especially will be the case in New Orleans, which will soon become the first major metropolitan area in the United States without a daily newspaper. Another post, written by Josh Stearns at savethenews.org, has more on what the upcoming downsizing will have on the future of journalism as a whole.
So, what will this move mean for public relations and other communications professionals? For one thing, a reduced printing schedule means fewer opportunities, or days, if you will, to have key events publicized in the paper, but might create more chances to plug them online, as well as on mobile devices. For those that have them, that is.
For instance, suppose a major employer were to come to--or at least expand to--a city like New Orleans? The announcement might come on Monday, however, people who rely solely on newspapers to get their news, and don't have a radio or television, or a computer to log on to, for that matter, likely would have to wait until Wednesday to find out that a new company is coming to town.
While the downsizing of the Times-Picayune might mean fewer print journalists at press conferences, it could open the door for PR pros to pitch their story ideas to online and broadcast journalists. Plus, the seemingly constant growth of the Internet, social media, and other related digital media content will give PR people more chances to promote their product via their websites, blogs, and other channels.
The bottom line? It's time to think outside the box when it comes to pitching journalists who need to get the story out to the general public.
Feel free to comment on any and
all posts at http://communication-careers-corner.blogspot.com/.
Send e-mail to communicationcareers@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/commcareer
As this post is being written, it's almost the middle of June, and summer is just around the corner. Most colleges and universities have already held their graduation, or commencement, ceremonies, with multiple graduates are looking for work.
Those of you who are reading this post are no doubt know by now just how tough it is to find a job in an increasingly competitive market, especially in public relations, journalism, and other related fields. If you want to stand out in this tough job market, you must do more than simply send out resumes. You must be willing to embrace social media, as well as the other related new or digital media technologies available.
Additionally, other ways to stand out in a crowded field might include internships, doing volunteer work, or even joining a political campaign or organization. Also, starting a blog like this one, as well as visiting social networking such as LinkedIn can be a tremendous help in standing out. Also, don't dismiss communications related jobs that aren't in public relations, such as doing freelance writing for a local weekly newspaper or magazine, going into sales at a TV station, or even becoming a production assistant for a radio station.
So, if you're among the many recent college graduates that are having trouble finding work: remember the following closing words to this post: Be persistent, and don't give up!
Feel free to comment on any and
all posts at http://communication-careers-corner.blogspot.com/.
Send e-mail to communicationcareers@gmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/commcareer
