Career Advice

It’s a small irony that a week beginning with a bogus story about VP Kamala Harris’s children’s book ends Friday (April 30) with the celebration of Honesty Day. It’s a holiday that every PR pro should circle on the calendar as honesty is the currency of the profession.

PRSA responded to the needs of former members and unemployed communicators, unveiling an initiative to encourage them to rejoin or join the trade organization, respectively. “In Between Jobs” offers half-price membership to PRSA as well as other incentives aimed at helping unemployed communicators find work.

It was not much fun job-hunting during the record economic downturn that followed in the pandemic’s wake. Yet Olivia Olson used the moment to her advantage, finding PR pros willing to answer her questions during informational interviews. She landed at Ketchum well prepared for her media coordinator position.

Each month, we look at new terms picking up steam in the crisis landscape with a definition.

A new survey shows the communication sector is bullish for 2021. Hiring will rise during the year, it says, with better-than-expected revenue results from 2020 bolstering expectations. Job security, though, is on the minds of employees, the Capstone Hill Search survey shows.

In the second installment of our “Young Voices” series about new communicators, we profile Michael Galfetti, a young PR pro with Mission North. A double major in government and philosophy in college, Galfetti tells us why he thinks writing is PR’s top skill and how companies can retain talented communicators.

At first glance, you’d think every communicator would long to work on high-profile, big-money projects. Not so, argues veteran PR pro Arthur Solomon. He offers pros and cons of tentpole work. In addition, he provides tips on how to generate coverage without the luxury of having a large budget.

In the latest installment of this continuing series, a collaboration with the Institute for PR, Nneka Logan recalls her early days as a brand communicator and two invaluable lessons she acquired. The first is to toughen up and learn as much as possible. The second is that face-to-face communication sometimes can best email.

PRNEWS introduces the 2021 Education A-List, the 35 educational institutions advancing careers in PR and communications.

A careful reading of the news can be a boon for PR professionals, argues veteran communicator Arthur Solomon. In his yearly roundup of news items that provide PR takeaways, Solomon offers tips on media relations, PR crisis, workplace relations and other important topics.