{"id":7841,"date":"2017-03-03T08:00:10","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T13:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/?p=7841"},"modified":"2018-08-22T09:46:25","modified_gmt":"2018-08-22T13:46:25","slug":"4-steps-to-remember-during-your-job-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/2017\/03\/03\/4-steps-to-remember-during-your-job-search\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Steps to Remember During Your Job Search"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo courtesy of pexels.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As your undergraduate studies come to an end it\u2019s time to enter the real world. It can be daunting to think of post-graduate life, so keep these four steps in mind during your job search.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Personal Brand 101<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cPersonal branding is critical in this day and age,\u201d said Donna Wertalik, Virginia Tech director of marketing. \u201cThe digital footprint you create can be developed into an area of expertise. Build your network with quality connections, follow influential members on LinkedIn that you aspire to be like and above all, stay true to your USP (unique selling proposition) and the value you bring.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Wertalik also teaches a marketing class at Virginia Tech. I remember when Wertalik told the class she had a student who loved Nike and how he interacted with the brand through Twitter. He created a personal brand, which eventually landed him a position at Nike. They saw he was genuinely invested and dedicated to the brand. If you aren\u2019t passionate about something, why should someone hire you to represent their company?<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Free Advice<\/b><\/p>\n

Take advantage of career services at your college or university. Career services provide essential resources for the \u201creal world\u201d by helping you improve your communication, writing and interview skills. Don\u2019t wait until the month before graduation. Go early and you\u2019ll feel more prepared and comfortable during interviews.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Finding a Job is a Job<\/b><\/p>\n

The internet is a great resource for job searching, but don\u2019t let it be the only way. I had a college classmate who found an internship by going to several businesses asking if they\u2019d consider someone to help with their public relations efforts. They ended up hiring her, which goes to show creative thinking pays off.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s more to finding a job than filling out applications. Going on job shadows is an opportunity to explore various work environments. Find companies nearby and schedule a time to visit in order to get a feel for their culture. Talk with the public relations team and learn about their job responsibilities and clients. Attend agency tours with your PRSSA Chapter. It\u2019s a great way to explore how different public relations teams operate.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Experience is Key<\/b><\/p>\n

Internships are important to help jump-start your career. If you haven\u2019t had an internship before graduation, apply for post-graduate internship programs. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn our industry, internships are often the best way to get your foot in the door,\u201d said Melanie Ford, assistant account executive, consumer marketing, MSLGROUP. \u201cI was open to taking a paid internship even after graduation if it increased my chances of getting my dream job and the experience would prepare me in my future career path.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let job qualifications keep you from applying. There\u2019s a difference between efficiency in Adobe software versus 3+ years of experience (which you will see a lot). If you\u2019ve held internships or worked on extensive class projects, all the effort and time you put in counts for something. If you can explain to a potential employer why you think you have the experience it shows them you\u2019re capable and confident.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s competitive out there, but if you\u2019re persistent and willing you will achieve your goals. You\u2019ve worked hard for this during your college years and nobody deserves it more than you. All those late nights and early mornings will pay off, literally.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n

Erica Hammett earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in public relations from Virginia Tech. Currently, she is a public relations account executive at a digital and advertising agency in Virginia, providing public relations support to Caribbean boutique hotels and resorts. Erica is a PRSA and Travel and Tourism Section member.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As your undergraduate studies come to an end it\u2019s time to enter the real world. It can be daunting to think of post-graduate life, so keep these four steps in mind during your job search. 1. Personal Brand 101 \u201cPersonal branding is critical in this day and age,\u201d said Donna Wertalik, Virginia Tech director of marketing. \u201cThe digital footprint you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2892,2894],"tags":[104,28,593,2667],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7841"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7841"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7889,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7841\/revisions\/7889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progressions.prsa.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}