This document provides guidance on building your brand, finding your first job, and networking in public relations. It discusses traditional and new skills needed, capturing opportunities, developing your public persona and online presence, writing resumes and cover letters, interviewing effectively, and utilizing your network. The presentation was given by Gary McCormick from HGTV and Kevin Saghy from the Chicago Cubs to provide advice on landing an entry-level PR job.

1. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
WELCOME
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2. FOR LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
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3. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
1. If you have a question, raise your hand, and
we we will take each
question in turn
2. Or, type your question in
the chat box
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4. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
To talk, click the Talk button once. Click it again
when you are done.
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5. Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA
Director, Partnership Development, HGTV
Kevin Saghy,
Manager, Communications,
Chicago Cubs

6. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
TRADITIONAL SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES
Advice from Dave Fleet
• Writing
• Communications skills
• Attention to detail
• Media relations
• Proactive
• Work ethics
• (I’m adding) Curiosity / Competitive
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7. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
NEW SKILLS/ATTRIBUTES
• Blogging / Microblogging
• Social networking tools
• Understand SEO
• Coding
• RSS / RSS Readers
• Blogger relations
• Social media ethics – astroturfing, ghost
blogging, sock puppets,
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8. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
WHAT’S THE REAL STORY
Looking for employees, the hiring manager
• Wants to mitigate risk
• Is filling an opening on a team
• Is balancing the time it takes to hire with his/
her real job
• Will never find the “perfect” candidate (think
of that prom dress search…)
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9. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
FINDING A JOB, IS A FULL TIME JOB!
• Who Are You?
• What Have You Done?
• Who Do You Know?
• What Are Your Skills?
• Where Do You Live?
• How Committed Are You?
• What Are Your Dreams? Passions?
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10. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
THE CAPTURE STRATEGY
• Who do I know that knows the company or
hiring manager?
• What do I know about the position?
• What do I know about the company?
• What makes me unique for the position?
• What can I do to improve my chances of being
interviewed? Hired?
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11. Job Description: Scripps Networks' Corporate Communications team is currently looking
for an energetic, detail-oriented public relations intern in our communications department
at the company headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn.
Corporate communications interns at Scripps Networks receive multi-faceted, hands-on
experience in a variety of PR disciplines including consumer and trade media relations,
marketing, event marketing, internal communications, public affairs, and presentation
services.
Projects and Assignments Planned for Internship:
- Research, write and distribute a weekly e-mail newsletter about GAC programming and promotions.
- Research, compose and revise bios of Scripps Networks employees involved with the corporate
communications speakers bureau.
- Research / assist in the planning and/or executive of events on behalf of the event marketing team.
- Research and write articles for internal communications including daily, weekly and quarterly newsletters.
The intern will work with corporate communications team members to develop ideas and story outlines.
- Assist in the development of story ideas and pitches for trade media.
- Shoot and edit video for internal and external use.
- Research media coverage of a particular topic, company or industry and generate a clip book that would be
distributed to senior executives.
Successful candidates for this internship are very goal oriented, work well in a team environment, and must
have a desire to invest in their experience with us to reach personal and professional goals. In addition, the
intern candidate must:
- Demonstrate strong writing/editing skills (AP-style proficient)
- Major in Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism or related field

13. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
YOUR PUBLIC PERSONA
• Facebook – it’s more about what you like
• Microblogs - Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr
• Posts on blogs, comments on articles
• Have you Googled yourself lately?
• What will friends, co-workers say about you?
• Do you have a BRAND?
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14. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
WORK EXPERIENCE
What is it and how crucial is it?
• Be creative in what you have done
• Don’t be afraid to ask for references and letters of
recommendation
• Don’t limit yourself to jobs for your experience
• Bottom line - You better have it!
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15. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
BUILDING A RESUME / PORTFOLIO
• Qualitative and Quantitative examples
• Revise to include keywords from job
description and/or use in website
• Have samples you can leave
• Consider an electronic portfolio linked by QR
Code on your business card (think if you
personalized it!)
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16. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
COVER LETTERS AND INTERVIEWS
• Your cover letter should be your best writing
sample
• Never use template cover letter, replacing
company and contact names, etc.
• Practice interviewing – i.e. media training
• Develop an “elevator” speech
• Interview the company as much as they interview
you
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17. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
NETWORKING
• Three degrees of separation
• Provides access and opportunity any where in
the world
• Transitions you into new “cultures”
• Eliminates a lot of the competition
• Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers” - Leverages
someone else’s 10,000 hours
• Social media isn’t connecting!
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18. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
THE JOB SEARCH
• The Hot Line / Change phone habits
• The Email Address
• The Wardrobe
• The Appropriate Follow Up
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19. BUILDING YOUR BRAND &
FINDING THAT FIRST JOB
RESOURCES
• Culpwrit column
• Culpwrit advice by Abby Stollar, Univ. of Delaware
• University of Alabama Platform Magazine
• Mashable, PRNewser
• Keith Ferrazzi’s “Never Eat Alone”
• Flipboard, Streamboard
• RSS Feeds
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20. #Plank1stJob

21. PRESENTERS’ CONTACT INFORMATION
Gary McCormick
gary.d.mccormick@gmail.com
@garymac865
Kevin Saghy
ksaghy@cubs.com
@CredibleKev
The slides and audio from this Webinar will be archived on The Plank Center website at:
http://plankcenter.ua.edu/resources/webinars

22. FOR LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC RELATIONS