Saturday, July 27, 2013

Use Public Relations Headhunters To Break Into The PR Industry

By Maryanne Goff


Public relations is the practice of disseminating information to the general population. This information can come from large companies or individuals such as celebrities. The object of it is to create a favourable public image. There are several ways to get work in the industry but getting noticed by public relations headhunters is probably the best.

To be successful in public relations you need to have superb communication skills. Much of the work involves writing for the press, offering media training and speaking to the public. Understanding how the media operates is crucial, so is keeping up with popular trends. Getting publicity for clients is also a big part of the job.

Headhunters specialise in finding people for specific job roles. Their skill is in researching and unearthing talented individuals. Their purpose is to find the highest calibre people for the company they are acting on behalf of. Headhunters represent the company with a vacancy rather than job seekers.

To attract the attention of a headhunter, networking is very important. Going to conferences or conventions and talking to different people is one way of doing it. Getting your name on the guest list of an event can be useful as headhunters usually look at them. It's worth getting high quality business cards and disseminating them can help too. It makes it easier for people you meet to recommend you at a later date.

The jobs market in the PR industry is certainly competitive but it's not impossible to get work. There are a few simple things you can do to make sure your application is taken seriously. Thoroughly research the company you are contacting, so that you have a solid understanding about what they do. Also, ensure that you have a well written cover letter, and be sure to proof read it.

Do not submit general cover letters because the employer will pick up on it. It's better to tailor the letter to the specific company you are contacting, stating why you are applying. Explain to them why you are the right person for the job role. Draw attention to any qualities you have which will make you stand out from the other applicants.

Try to establish yourself on social media. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are all now useful ways for networking and finding employment. Connect with others in your industry and try to help them. Create a blog about PR and keep it updated with useful and knowledgeable posts. Write regularly and use social media to generate traffic for the blog.

So there are a couple of different routes into the PR industry. Using public relations headhunters and getting in touch with potential employers directly are the most popular routes. Once you do get work however, it can be very well paid. High level professionals can earn around a hundred thousand dollars a year. San Francisco is the city with the highest paid PR professionals, earning around eighty-three thousand dollars a year. Washington DC is next, where the typical salary is around eighty-one thousand a year.




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