1. Setting Yourself Apart as a
Candidate + Entering the
World of PR
Arlene Cook
Elena Garcia
Jessica Lee

2. first, get your foot in the door

3. full disclosure
on our advice:
everyone
looks at
resumes
differently.

4. resume don’t
• Use crazy fonts.
• Worry about the length.
• Write an objective.
• List skills unless you’re
actually skilled.
• List, “references available
upon request.”
• Waste money on fancy
paper.

5. resume do
• Highlight your education at
the top.
• List relevant experience.
• Share your GPA if it’s over
3.5.
• Include relevant
courses/projects from
school.

6. more resume do’s
• Tailor your resume for each
individual job.
• List the kinds of clients or
industries you’ve had
exposure to.
• Have a professional email
address.

7. interview don’t
• Wear your dad or
mom’s suit to an
interview.
• Forget to ask questions.
Lots of them.
• Go in blindly to
interviews. Find out
who you’re meeting,
Google them.

8. interview don’t
• Be too persistent or
aggressive.
• Have a limp handshake.
Don’t have sweaty hands.
• Speak in hypotheticals.

9. interview do
• Have an opinion.
• Be aware of your body
language.
• Highlight relevant coursework
/school projects.
• Have realistic expectations.
• Think about perks +
benefits, not just pay.
• Bring a portfolio if you have
one.

10. entering the PR world
post graduation

11. OPTIONS.
corporate agency

12. work for one, work for many?
corporate agency
• higher starting salaries, • fine tune skills quickly
with variety of clients
• maybe less growth
• more minds, more teams
• intimate exposure to the
• greater growth +
business/industry
promotions
• no timekeeping/billable
• greater diversity of clients
expectations
and projects + more
• account management
media exposure
skills aren’t taught

13. agency account levels
APCO the others
account coordinator
project assistant
JUNIOR
assistant acct exec
junior associate
account executive
associate senior account exec
account manager
manager
MID
acct supervisor
senior associate account director
vice president vice president
SENIOR
senior VP senior VP
executive VP + executive VP +

14. what’s your worth? (agency)
$62,360
$50,144
$42,000
$35,000
$32,000
Account Coordinator Account Level 1 Account Level 2 Account Level 3 Account Level 4

15. a day in the life…
• position:
– account executive
– New York office of a global agency
– technology practice group
• clients:
– large public technology organization
– global provider of enterprise search software,
– global managed security services provider (MSSP)
*borrowed from PR QuickStart

16. • 08:30 Scan headlines online in major daily newspapers
, including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and CNET
News.com, read industry blogs and technology trade
publications. Discuss any relevant articles or major news
stories with colleagues.
• 09:30 Participate in conference call with enterprise search
client to discuss product launch activities and a messaging
document.
• 10:00 Receive details about new computer virus outbreak.
Draft media pitch and begin outreach to targets. Send report
of interview opportunities to MSSP client and secure
spokesperson availability. Work with team members to
develop briefing notes for spokesperson.

17. • 10:30 Field inbound media inquiry about virus
outbreak. Answer reporter’s questions and report back
to internal team.
• 11:00 Participate in customer briefing for enterprise
search client, during which a new user reference is
interviewed about the installation and benefits. Take
detailed notes to later draft a press release.
• 11:30 Answer call from client at technology
organization. Switch gears and run through status
updates for upcoming campaign.

18. • 12:30 Return calls from reporters: CNET News.com needs
answers to questions via email regarding the computer virus;
InformationWeek will take an interview if we can produce a
user reference.
• 01:00 Draft responses to CNET News.com questions and
send to MSSP client for review before finalizing content with
the reporter.
• 02:00 Incorporate manager’s feedback on launch targets
and pitch media for enterprise search client. Research
additional media targets.

19. • 03:00 Work with account coordinator to scan for resulting
coverage of computer virus outbreak.
• 04:00 Conference call with marketing team at technology
organization regarding upcoming campaign. Provide PR
updates on call and answer questions. Send detailed recap to
client.
• 05:00 Follow-up with MSSP client to ensure reporter’s
questions are answered. Call back InformationWeek and let
reporter know we don’t have a user reference.
• 05:30 Review notes from customer briefing and begin
outline of press release for enterprise search client.