How to Succeed in PR

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This entry was posted on 7/31/2006 10:12 PM and is filed under uncategorized.

Not enough people entering the PR profession can write. It's the common complaint you hear from agency CEOs and corporate PR directors. For the most part, they are right. When I sit and interview job candidates and ask them what they believe is the most important skill needed to be successful in the PR business the answers usually range from "good people skills" to "being well organized." Seldom do I hear the answer I am looking for -- an ability to communicate via the written word.

In the PR business, we communicate with the media through press releases and media alerts. We report back to clients with call, meeting and month-end reports. We probably send an average of 75-100 e-mails a day and still many PR practitioners don't seem to grasp the art of persuasion is most often practiced through written communications.  Sure, verbal communication is also very important but one's ability to write well is the one skill all PR hiring managers look for.

At our agency, 80% of all job candidates that make it through the initial screening process fail our writing test due to poor sentence construction, sloppy editing or an inability to string cohesive and persuasive thoughts together. Some of these people have been in the business for years.
 
So if you're a job candidate reading this blog -- good for you -- you now have the answer to the question that is likely to advance you to the next round of the interview process. Now you have to show us you can write like the journalists we pitch our stories to on a daily basis.

 

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    • 8/1/2006 1:29 AM Linda Welter Cohen wrote:
      Rick,

      I couldn't agree with you more. Too many people entering the PR business these days can't write well.
      Like your firm, we also require candidates to pass a written test before advancing to the next round.

      Linda Welter Cohen, APR
      President,
      The Caliber Group, Inc.
      Tucson, AZ
      Reply to this
    • 8/2/2006 5:20 PM Heather wrote:
      Well said...I mean, written. I was told repeatedly in college that 90 percent of PR is writing. It made sense then for me to minor in journalism in addition to studying public relations.

      While I appreciate your acknowledgment and advice, I am curious as to how one can get through the barriers of PR firms to even have the opportunity to take the writing test. It seems that having an internship at a PR firm is a requirement for setting up the first interview; therefore, experience is valued more than writing ability. What does it take to get through the initial screening process?

      Heather
      Reply to this
      1. 8/3/2006 1:44 PM Rick French wrote:
        Heather,

        That is a fair question. Having solid internships or relevant media experience is certainly a start and while internships with a PR firm are probably preferred, good corporate internship experience is also desirable. In terms of getting through the initial screening, a solid, mistake-free cover letter and a tightly composed resume are what HR directors tend to look for. Make one mistake in either your resume or cover letter and you can pretty much forget it. The way we catch people is on the spelling of 'Vaughan' because it is often misspelled. They also don't properly research how to treat the agency name. We figure if they can't spell or refer to their potential employer correctly, they probably shouldn't work here. Hope that helps.

        Rick French
        Reply to this
    • 12/4/2006 5:06 PM Patricia Frank wrote:
      Rick,

      You're right, not enough PR pros enter the field due to love of written communications.

      I did. I write as a freelance resource for PR firms, ad agencies, and also freelance for magazines and newspapers.

      I wonder what you think about the future of writing/reading in the U.S., given text messaging, web content that's "new-speak" and other abbreviated forms of communicating with one another?

      Will sound-bytes & bites replace full sentences--and what about literature?

      I enjoy your blog. Lots of solid news and observations--you make me think. That's a good thing.

      Thanks.

      Patricia Frank
      Reply to this
      1. 12/5/2006 8:50 AM Rick French wrote:
        Patricia,

        Thanks for the kind words. To answer your question, I think there will always be a place in business for solid and thoughtful writing. Now the format in which we deliver it will continue to evolve but the essence of good communications isn't the kind of truncated writing we all do via these new formats.

        Regards,
        Rick French
        Reply to this
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