2008 Woodie Awards
Job hunting tips for communication/English majors
Issue date: 9/26/02 Section: Features
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Today's grads have a lot to offer medium-sized as well as "mom 'n pop" businesses that are not computer or web-savvy, said Publisher Jack O'Dwyer. The essay has drawn a number of comments from students, professors, and PR professionals.
Then tips are summarized as follows:
1. Instead of wasting months job-seeking or taking a minimum-wage job, open your own business at once. It's easy. There's no need to form a corporation.
2. Bill yourself as a writer able to handle editorial, PR, or advertising assignments.
3. Emphasize your computer and web abilities including graphics expertise.
4. Approach local small businesses and offer to barter your services for restaurant meals, clothing, travel, etc., if no PR budget is available. Many famous PR firms started this way.
5. Have a short, easily remembered, user-friendly name. It shows you have business savvy.
6. Listen to local businesspeople and their problems. Jump if you're asked to do personal chores including picking up laundry and baby-sitting. In the business world, anything that pleases the clients is solid gold. An important part of PR is solving all sorts of client problems.
7. Save direct mail pieces instead of throwing them away. Fortunes have been spent on their design and copy and they can give you plenty of ideas.
8. Avoid the nationwide PR operations which have mostly sold out to advertising conglomerates such as Omnicom, Interpublic, and WPP Group. These three have $8 billion in debt and are under intense financial pressure.
9. Don't use words such as "strategic," "integrated," "synergy," or "goals," all of which have to do with the future and even the distant future. Merchants want work done now.
10. Take lots of writing courses. Take the most difficult courses you can handle to develop your ability to think. You don't want anyone doing your thinking for you which they certainly will do if given half the chance.
Then tips are summarized as follows:
1. Instead of wasting months job-seeking or taking a minimum-wage job, open your own business at once. It's easy. There's no need to form a corporation.
2. Bill yourself as a writer able to handle editorial, PR, or advertising assignments.
3. Emphasize your computer and web abilities including graphics expertise.
4. Approach local small businesses and offer to barter your services for restaurant meals, clothing, travel, etc., if no PR budget is available. Many famous PR firms started this way.
5. Have a short, easily remembered, user-friendly name. It shows you have business savvy.
6. Listen to local businesspeople and their problems. Jump if you're asked to do personal chores including picking up laundry and baby-sitting. In the business world, anything that pleases the clients is solid gold. An important part of PR is solving all sorts of client problems.
7. Save direct mail pieces instead of throwing them away. Fortunes have been spent on their design and copy and they can give you plenty of ideas.
8. Avoid the nationwide PR operations which have mostly sold out to advertising conglomerates such as Omnicom, Interpublic, and WPP Group. These three have $8 billion in debt and are under intense financial pressure.
9. Don't use words such as "strategic," "integrated," "synergy," or "goals," all of which have to do with the future and even the distant future. Merchants want work done now.
10. Take lots of writing courses. Take the most difficult courses you can handle to develop your ability to think. You don't want anyone doing your thinking for you which they certainly will do if given half the chance.