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| posted: January 31,2012 01:19 AM -- submitted by: Melissa Mazza | |
| Q1: | Received my BA in Comm. in 06 and worked in the field for a few years. Unfortunately, due to the economy I have been in administrative/reception work since and am currently unemployed since January 2011. I'm having a difficult time getting interviews in PR/marketing because of my gap in relevant work. 1. Tips to get in the door? 1. Any suggestions for low-cost classes to "refresh" my skills/resume? 2. Books/sites I should be focusing on for education/jobs/networking? Thank you so much! MM |
| A1: | Melissa: We are in the midst of a very tough job market. So your situation is not that unusual. It sounds as though you need to recraft your resume so that your communications/public relations skills are highlighted and you do a refresh on public relations as a career choice. Here are some thoughts: 1. Enroll yourself in a PR Bootcamp. Check the www.PRSA.org website for local bootcamps in your area or inquire with the local chapter of PRSA. Click the learning tab at the main PRSA web site. Also search Google for the local PRSA chapter site. 2. Start developing a local network of PR professionals who can give you insight into their jobs. You might even ask one or two PR pros to allow you to shadow them for a couple days to give you first hand knowledge of what public relations folks do. You can do this by attending meetings of and workshops by the local PRSA chapter. 3. Expand your network of contacts and begin to institutionalize them through tools such as Linkedin and Facebook. 4. Pick up a couple of books on public relations and read them. You can get some recommendations at the PRSA web site at Amazon at http://astore.amazon.com/prsa-20 5. In addition, make sure that your resume is focused on your accomplishments and not just descriptions of jobs you have held. Please take a look at this video for tips on crafting a compelling resume. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EuKDzDLvcY I would be happy to take a look at your resume once you have recrafted it as recommended in the video. All the best, Gerry Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA expert response from: Gerard F. Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA |
| posted: January 31,2012 12:26 AM -- submitted by: Nikki | |
| Q2: | My boyfriend got his Masters in Education in August 2011. He has been really good at submitting his resumes - we're at about 30 and counting - , but that's where it stops. I have had to pay the majority of the bills by myself since he moved in in September 2011 and we want to be able to save for a condo, but we can't do this on one salary. How do I let him know that while I fully support him, he needs to be more proactive and aggressive with potential employers? |
| A2: | Nikki: We appreciate your situation but unfortunately your question is beyond the scope of our expertise. We are happy to provide counsel regarding career management and career search. My recommendation would be to have your boyfriend take a look at www.CareerThoughtleaders.com which provides a full range of counsel as well as www.hirecentrix.com. If your boyfriend has questions about communications/PR career search I would be happy to answer any questions. All the best, Gerry Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA expert response from: Gerard F. Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA |
| posted: January 31,2012 12:04 AM -- submitted by: vishal | |
| Q3: | I have completed B.E IN COMPUTER and i have also worked as webdeveloper in PHP in opensource but what should i do ahed to make future more bright?i dont get enough salary as per engineer in this web development should i study further? should i go for government job? OR should i learn something new like SAP or ORacle ? OR i should join as lecturer in college? I am confused please help me out....I want perfect solution ahed that whether i should continue in web development or try something else? |
| A3: | Vishal: This Job Center "Ask the Experts" site is for public relations and communications professionals. You may wish to consult a web site such as www.dice.com in order to seek advice about computer related disciplines. All the best, Gerry Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA expert response from: Gerard F. Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA |
| posted: January 31,2012 12:02 AM -- submitted by: Marilyn Mongeon Quill | |
| Q4: | What is the average hourly rate for an editor? I have the opportunity to edit medical research papers. |
| A4: | Marilyn: There are various sites on the web that can provide some general salary comparisons. For example, Glassdoor.com shows average salaries for medical editors to be in the range of $58,000 to $78,000 per year. Salary.com shows a range from $41,000 to $71,000. We trust this is helpful. All the best, Gerry Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA expert response from: Gerard F. Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA |
| posted: January 19,2012 08:11 PM -- submitted by: Rostislav | |
| Q5: | I interested to study PR but my worried about finding the job. Some tells me that its not popular major in the US. Someone can suggest me whether or not to get this major? I will be appreciated for the answer. Thank you! |
| A5: | Rostislav: You are most welcome to spend time on this PRSA website where you will find a great deal of useful information about the Public Relations field. The fact is that public relations is one of the faster growing fields attracting people who are creative, good writers, strategic thinkers and able to communicate ideas and information in ways that are helpful and useful to society. The decision whether to go into the field is soley yours and based on your abilities, interests and passions. According to the U.S. labor department there are about 300,000 people involved in the public relations field. If you look at the number of people registered on www.linkedin.com the number is likely well over a million. Here are my recommendations: 1. Discuss your options with your academic advisor at your college and inquire about getting a mentor. 2. Contact the local PRSSA chapter if there is one and consider joining as a way to become familiar with the field and begin networking with people who are like you, exploring the field. 3. Identify the local PRSA Chapter in your town and consider attending a couple of meetings and events so that you can get first hand understanding of the nature and dynamics of the business. 4. Identify one or two PR professionals in your town who would be willing to take you under their guidance and give you a better sense of the profession. Please let me know if you have any other questions. All the best in your quest to identify your career interests. Gerry Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA expert response from: Gerard F. Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA |
| posted: January 15,2012 05:29 PM -- submitted by: Susan Ferraro | |
| Q6: | I am looking for "the going rate" for a salary range for an AE or SAE position for a mid-sized agency located in NYC. I'm trying to find an accurate salary range -- not the ones I see at salary.com which always seem to be inflated. [Everyone I've talked to regarding salary.com says their salary numbers are inflated in contrast to their real salaries.] Is there a resource you can recommend? Thank you very much. Susan Ferraro, APR President/PRSA Detroit susan@mprg.com (734)677-9970 |
| A6: | Hi, Susan - Apologies for the late response. I check Ask the Experts on a regular basis, for some reason this one has not popped up before. At any rate, PRSA has salary survey data you may want to check out: http://www.prsa.org/jobcenter/career_resources/resource_type/tools_tactics/salary_information/salaries_pr/ This data groups some cities together, so NYC data does not appear alone. As you've experienced, specific data is difficult to come by, and often organizations do not want to give general numbers because so many variables come into play. Your best bet for detailed information is to do some primary research with the particular agencies that you are interested in. Agencies are generally helpful in defining a range. As noted, other variables will determine actual offers. Best regards, Judy expert response from: Judith Turner Phair, APR, Fellow PRSA |
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