Interview with Lars Voedisch, Principal Consultant at PRecious Communications

The latest addition to my Interview Series is Lars Voedisch, currently the Principal Consultant at PRecious Communications. Lars has over 15 years experience working in the communications industry, working extensively in both in-house and agency. He talks about the evolution of the PR industry, the difference between agency and in-house and provides some great insight for students looking to develop a long and fulfilling career.

1. Looking back on over 15 years of working in communications and public relations, at what moment did you realise this was the career you wanted?

Having worked for a radio station in the past and with a Masters in Economics, corporate communications seemed to be a natural fit of bringing media and business perspectives together.

Since that start it’s the people, the exciting brands I’m working with and the constant change that keeps me on my toes and constantly wanting to learn more. Imagine: Until social media came to play, PR hardly changed for decades. So being part of and to a certain extent even defining the ‘New PR’ is awesome!

2. With your experience in public relations, marketing and journalism, how do you think these 3 industries overlap in regards to common skills, platforms and tools?

Traditionally these three trades are looking after owned (journalism), earned (PR) and paid (marketing) media –and that’s what defined their respective platforms, but in today’s world. While these three areas have their own distinct heritage, objective and merits, you can see that this clear differentiation fades away especially with regards to platforms or tools used.

Basically, these three areas are about reaching out to defined audiences through communication matters with the attempt to influence them; this could mean to educate, entertain, entice or simply inform. So key skills across these disciplines are empathetic communication skills through different means. Especially for PR, this change requires that on top of writing, experts have to get versed in visual story telling through pictures and video.

3. You’ve worked in-house with DHL for many years as well on the agency side with Fleishman-Hillard or Hill+Knowlton Strategies. How did these roles differ in terms of agency vs. in-house?

The main difference is that in-house communications departments are cost centres and constantly have to justify the scope of their existence to the business funding their activities. Agencies are profit centres – so there’s a natural conflict of defining what’s best for the client versus the agencies profitability ambitions

4. Do you prefer one over the other?

Not really as they are actually more alike than most people think: How can your (PR) efforts contribute to business growth. In both roles you have to deal with multiple clients (internal stakeholders, e.g. different business units or geographies – vs. your external clients).

Obviously, when you work  in-house you develop deeper domain and company insights vs. rather broad industry knowledge on the consulting side. So if you are thinking about moving from agency to in-house, better be very sure it’s the right industry and company! On the other hand – not everybody can handle the constant commercial pressure on the agency side.

5. At the moment, with the PR industry evolving alongside communication platforms and the online world, how do you manage to stay up-to-date with technology and industry trends?

The basics of PR don’t really change: While the latest hypes, platforms or channels do change, it is still about how to convey a message to selected, targeted audiences.

Some of the key sources I look at are Mashable, Wired, HBR, Social Media Today, PR Daily and a couple of PR and business blogs and of course quite a few people on Twitter and selected groups on LinkedIn.

6. What skills do you think will become increasingly more important for PR professionals?

Technical capabilities to leverage the new possibilities are certainly more and more needed. But what’s even more crucial is a sound understanding of the economy, politics and how businesses actually function in a changing environment. Especially as a strategic consultant (this actually includes in-house communicators!) you have to first and foremost understand how you can contribute to your company’s or clients’ business objectives – and how to measure your success beyond counting clips or ‘likes’. Therefore analysis and statistics skills are becoming more important.

However, never underestimate the basics of writing and connecting to people. These are the two main skills that will prevail.

7. And lastly, what advice would you give to a PR student looking to develop a long and successful career in the industry?

Read a lot and on diverse topics. Constantly challenge yourself to diversify and learn new things and expand your network. Stay up-to-date on what news and topics are on people’s minds – both as your potential clients or employers as well as the audiences you are targeting.

Last but not least, the most important thing for me is to enjoy what you are doing: look for and actively build an environment where you have fun, spend time with inspiring people and brands you are excited about. At the end of the day, PR is also a creative trade – and for creativity to flourish, you need passion and energy to thrive.

***To get in touch with Lars, say hello on Twitter @larsv***

Interview with Jessica North, Communications Assistant at BBC Worldwide

This week for my Interview Series we have Jessica North, a Bournemouth University student who just has just completed a placement at BBC Worldwide. Jessica will be talking to us about her diverse range of roles, working at the BBC Worldwide, running a blog and where she sees herself in the future.

1.      Having worked in such a wide range of roles; tell us about your career path so far.

I started in PR by completing some work experience at the local football club. Shadowing a press officer, especially one in the sports industry is certainly a unique experience; it really gives you a good idea for the speed of the industry.

From there I’ve worked in a couple of agencies and with clients on a freelance basis. I worked for six months at an agency that specialised in Healthcare where I worked across PR and Marketing, which was so interesting and now more recently at the BBC Worldwide.

To me, each role I’ve taken has been a step up from the last and I’m very lucky to have achieved what I have and met the people which have input so much time into developing me as a strong professional. The different roles and varying companies have opened my eyes to what I want to look for when I graduate. For me the most important lesson has been learning how different the same role can be depending on the company for which you work.

2.      When you were working as a Communications Assistant at BBC Worldwide, what sort of tasks were you performing?

I have spent the past six months working in the Global Brands departments of BBC Worldwide; it’s a very fortunate position to receive at 21. I work in a three person team covering the five global brands (Top Gear, Dancing with the Stars, Doctor Who, Lonely Planet and BBC Earth), live events and gaming.

The team handles both press and publicity. To say the team is busy would be a little understated and there certainly isn’t really such a thing as an average day here – it changes all the time but it keeps you on your feet. There have been some fantastic opportunities, my absolute favourite being The Stig driving me round the Top Gear track in a Lamborghini!

3.      Did social networks LinkedIn or Twitter play a big role in your job hunt?

I got my first placement offer through Twitter! I think both are really important but in very different ways. I think you should have a profile on LinkedIn and keep it up to date with your contacts, recommendations and experience – it can show a lot more at a glimpse than your CV can but I personally didn’t use it to search for roles in placements. I think it could definitely play a more crucial role in searching for permanent jobs.

As for Twitter, I know there are many people that don’t like it, but the fact is things happen online first now, whether it be news, releases, trends or jobs… it’s all announced through the internet and Twitter plays a huge part in that, if you see an opening position online you can apply within seconds and they can see a little more about you from your profile.

4.      You also run a blog “Simply PR” focusing on public relations, digital communication strategies and university – what was the main reason you decided to create it?

Oh my gosh, I’m sure I’m not supposed to admit to this, but we had to start it for a module at university! We had to blog about our lectures each week for one semester. I started blogging off-topic and just got really into it. I find the digital world and its affect on PR and Marketing fascinating, it’s so forward-thinking, I think it’s important to stay on top of it all and a fantastic tool to keep your writing in check. A lot of PR students use blogs to market themselves now but I think it can really benefit you if you can find a slight gap to put a more unique edge on yours.

5.      How important do you think blogging should be in a PR student’s job hunt?

I think it’s a strong advantage if you can start a blog. I’ve met some fantastic people through their or my blog. It’s a great networking tool and you can learn so much from your peers, it would be silly not to take advantage of that whilst you’re a student and still have the time to blog because trust me, you will not have time whilst working. I barely have time to sleep and eat, let alone blog frequently!

When I started at BBC Worldwide, they told me that one of the reasons they wanted me was because of my blog and social media knowledge… if your employers are looking at it, it’s just another way to set yourself above other candidates, prove you know what you’re talking about and show off your creativity. It’s yet another fantastic way to build up your reputation in the industry.

6.      Looking at your LinkedIn profile, you’ve worked in agency and in-house roles. Do you prefer one over the other?

One of my old directors told me that when you work in an agency you learn very quickly and build up contacts but you remain invisible whereas in-house you build up a reputation very quickly and if you do it right, you will never have to look for a job again, people will look for you. I guess that kind of stuck with me so I do sort of lean towards in-house roles, but I did really enjoy working in agencies so if the right opportunity came up then I’d definitely consider it.

7.      Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I wouldn’t like to judge really. As I said before; this has been a real learning curve for me. I’m really keen to get involved in some sort of graduate scheme. I’ve looked into a few so far with companies such as L’Oreal and Google but I definitely haven’t decided anything yet. After that, cliché maybe, but I’m completely dedicated to working my way up the ladder. I’ve always said this isn’t just a job for me – this is a career and my life.

8.      And lastly, what do you think are the 3 most important things PR students need to remember while on a job hunt?

I know everyone says it but that should just emphasise how important it is…

Work experience

It’s so much easier to get the jobs and experience you want when you’ve got basic experience under your belt. And when you’re a student – that’s the time to do it, you have such long summers, it’s the only chance you’ll get.

Keep up to date with the industry. 

Read PR week, Media Week, Media Guardian, New Media Age, Wired etc. Read the trade magazines of the sector you want to work in. I’ve set my home page to PR Week so even if I’m not going to read the whole article, I’ll still see the headlines at least once a day.

Use social media… and use it wisely.

One advantage a student can bring to any company, no matter how up-to-date they are… we have an advantage. We have the time to invest in these sites and learn how they work inside out. If you can offer a company some strategies for their social media and know and understand how to monitor and evaluate it, it’s a huge asset for you and definite advantage over other candidates.

Since the time of interviewing, Jessica has completed six months with BBC Worldwide and is completing the rest of her placement with Farrow & Ball.

***To get in touch with Jessica say hello on Twitter @JessicaNorthPR***

Interview with Cameron Blair, Digital Media Consultant at Wilkinson Group

This week for my Interview Series, we have Cameron Blair, Digital Media Consultant at Wilkinson Group, talking to us about his career path, blogging for PR, staying on top of news and trends and where the communications industry is headed.

1. Can you tell us a little about your career path so far? Have you always been working in the communications industry? 

Well, I started out as a photographer, snapping pics for a local newspaper in the Philippines while I was travelling through the southern island of Mindaneo. When I moved to Sydney I started my own business shooting weddings and events. I also did a bit of web design work as well.

2. Did you ever utilise social networking services like Twitter or LinkedIn in any of your job hunts?

No not really, although I do see many people using those sites to find work, I myself have only used social media for reputation building and personal socializing. I suppose the people on Twitter are more interesting than my real life friends. Just kidding

3. As a contributor to Wilkinson Group’s blog, what sort of role do you think blogging plays in the PR?

Blogging is a fantastic tool for clients. Firstly, (and most importantly) it helps companies drive sales through e-commerce and SEO.  Secondly, it allows companies to maintain and increase a positive reputation. Finally, it gives companies a voice and lets them join the conversation.

4. You’re a Digital Media Consultant at Wilkinson Group as well as the Director of Communications at IPREX Global PR and Communications, how do you manage to balance your work / life effectively? Or do you just not sleep?

Sleep? What’s that? Yeah it’s pretty full on, but I do manage to have a great work/life balance. I do work very hard and long hours, but I love what I do, so I don’t mind. My wife might have another opinion on that though.

5. Communication professionals have to perform a wide range of tasks during their day-to-day; monitoring campaigns, writing and updating content, advising clients, developing strategies, etc. But what do you think is the single most important skill for a communication professional?

Integrity, I can’t stress this enough. If you’re not honest in this game, then you’re quickly found out and that’s the end of you. Always be honest.

6. With social media, digital technology and communication platforms evolving at such rapid speeds, how do you stay on top of industry news and trends?

Ever heard of Jeff Bullas? He’s probably the guy I read the most. Mashable is also pretty cool. There is so much information out there that it is pretty overwhelming.

7. What would be the top 3 blogs / websites that you visit most frequently?

Jeff Bullas, Mashable and… hmmm… PR Daily News… yeah PR Daily news is great.

8. And lastly, in the next 5 years, where do you see the communications industry headed?

From a PR perspective, I think it will boom. Especially for Australia because many Chinese businesses are looking to expand in overseas markets, and, thankfully, they will need public relations to develop their brands and communicate their key messages to the media.

***To get in touch with Cameron say hi on Twitter @CameronJamez***

Interview with Kristine Simpson, Account Coordinator at Thornley Fallis Communications

This week for my Interview Series, we have Kristine Simpson, Account Coordinator at Thornley Fallis Communications, talking about her career path, her current role, producing for Inside PR, time management and her goals.

1. Before we get started, I just wanted to say congratulations on your engagement – I thought it was a great idea that you posted the 2-sided story on your blog.

Why thank you! Since the engagement post, a friend of mine who runs a business called Wedding Republic asked me to be a guest blogger – or in other words a “bride blogger”. I have a weekly column on her company’s blog where I talk about tips and experiences of planning a wedding. You can check it out here.

2. You’re currently the Account Coordinator at Thornley Fallis Communications, what was your career path like leading up to that?

I was lucky enough to have an excellent mentor who helped me narrow down what I wanted to do with my future. I remember him asking me questions like: when do you want to have kids, when do you want to get married, where do you want to travel, do you want to even travel. All questions that I had never thought of asking myself.

He knew I was the type of person who can’t sit still and loves to multitask, so he suggested working at an agency. He set me up at an event where I met Joseph Thornley, the CEO of Thornley Fallis & 76design. After learning about the company through Joe and meeting with the VP, LeeEllen Carroll, it basically just happened. I came in for my first day of work on January 10th, 2011 and have never left.

3. What’s your role as Account Coordinator like?

There is no short job description for my role. I generally assist with client work, including, but not limited to, writing, editing, researching, media relations (i.e. pitching and researching), social media monitoring, event planning, and more. I also help with new business, in other words, assist with completing proposals and attending new business pitches.

My favourite part of my job is being the producer of Inside PR, a podcast hosted my Joseph Thornley, Martin Waxman and Gini Dietrich. The three of them get together once a week to record a discussion about public relations, social media, communications and how they all meet and intersect. I am also formatter extraordinaire - I am a pro at formatting word documents to follow our company’s look and feel.

4. Speaking of Inside PR, I only recently discovered that you’re the producer for it. How did that come about?

The previous wonderful producer, Yasmine Kashefi, had started grooming me early on in my career at TF, teaching me how to use the tools and the process of producing a podcast. When she moved on and left the company, I was appointed the official producer of Inside PR. At first, it was like trying to swim in the middle of an ocean during a storm, but I slowly learned the ropes and was able to build and boat and sail off in to the sunset.

Since I have started this role, a while new world has been opened right before my very eyes. It is amazing what you can do with a podcast. I am now a advocate for using podcasts in public relations and communications to communicate with your audience. Be it a weekly podcast discussion social media, to a monthly podcast where a CEO shares news of his company with his employees. It is an easy, short and effective way of communicating with your audience.

5. It must be an eye-opener working with PR professionals like Gini Dietrich, Joseph Thornley and Martin Waxman?

You can say that again! My mentor gave me the best advice when I was in school: “make sure to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.” I am very lucky to have the opportunity to listen to the conversations the three of them have, especially as a young professional. I learn something new every time I produce the podcast. They open my eyes to the issues affecting PR, social media and communications. They use fancy words that I use for my PR Word of the Week, my weekly blog post where I define PR and communication words. They just make me smarter!

6. Working at Thornley Fallis Communications, producing Inside PR, managing your own blog – how do you manage your time to fit everything in, plus have a social life?

Good question… I don’t have an answer! HAHA I have been asked this question a thousand times before. There are people out there that juggle even more than I do, with kids, events, volunteering, etc. I do things I am passionate about. When you are passionate about something, the task is easy, when the task is easy, it just seems to fit in your life like a puzzle piece. Yes, there are days where I sit there and think: how am I going to do ALL of this? But, most of the time, I am excited to finish one task so I can get on the the other, then another, and another. I also am engaged to a very supporting man who supports me in all I do – that makes it even easier!

7. It seems to me at this moment that there are so many opportunities available in the PR industry. I’m curious as to where you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I can’t even see myself in a week from now. I am a young professional. My method of living right now is to live one day at a time. Enjoy the various experiences and opportunities laid out in front of me. My goal right now is to learn from others and gather as much knowledge as I can. I will then use that knowledge to construct a future for myself.

8. And lastly, what’s been the most memorable moment of your career so far?

That is a tough question… The most memorable moment in my career is very recent. Last week, I was lucky enough to go to our Toronto office for a company meeting between a select few of us to discuss our company’s social media process and expertise, and discuss where we want to take the company through social media.

During the meeting we went around the table to say talk about each of our expertise, find the experts in certain tools/platforms. I had never thought of myself as an expert of anything, especially not this early in my career, but when we went around the table, Joseph Thornley had referred to me as the “one to go to” if we had questions about podcasting. That is when it hit me. I am a podcaster, I know the tools, I have already started advocating for the use of podcasts, and I am even in the process of starting my very own podcast. For the first time in my very young career, I had finally found my niche. It was an exciting feeling!

***To contact Kristine say hello on Twitter @kristinesimpson or check out her blog Running a PR Life***

Interview with Catriona Pollard, Director of CP Communications

This week for my Interview Series, we have Catriona Pollard, Founder / Director of CP Communications, talking about the different sectors of PR, starting up a company and teaching writing skills.

Q1. Before CP Communications, you worked in PR agencies, set up a marketing communications department for a software company and managed marketing and public affairs for federal and state government. Can you tell us a little about these 3 areas? What did you like / dislike about them?

In house roles in corporate and government are very different. The start in Government gave me a great foundation to my career but now I realise I have much more of an entrepreneurial bent (which I wish I realised much earlier on in my career).

Working in PR Agencies was fantastic for me to learn how an agency was run and how to manage multiple accounts.

Q2. What do you think was the main reason you wanted to start up your own company?

To accomplish something I had no idea if I could accomplish – so the challenge. I love a challenge! I also wanted to create something from scratch that was infused with my ideals, vision and approach to PR.

Q3. You also hold seminars at the Sydney Writers’ Centre covering PR and media releases. What sort of things do you teach?

After going to so many workshops that only talked about the theory of PR, I wanted to develop a really practical workshop where people could walk away with enough knowledge and confidence to do PR either in their role or for their business.

I teach how to develop a PR strategy, so at the end of the day the participants have at least an outline of their strategy. We talk through how to determine target audiences, how to structure media releases, how to deal with journalists, how to write articles, how to approach bloggers as part and much more.

I love teaching the course, and all of the emails I get from people telling me how much media coverage they are getting!

Q4. As someone who is a prolific blogger and writer on the PR industry, would you say setting up a blog is beneficial for PR professionals?

Absolutely! Blogging is a great way of building your profile within your industry. PR people need to be proficient in social media so taking the time to write a blog is a great way of experiencing social media first hand. I certainly like to employ people that have a clear personal social media strategy such as a blog or Twitter.

Q5. You’ve previously written about the impact of social media on the PR industry, what sort of online / digital skills do you think are becoming essential for PR professionals?

PR professionals need to be just as proficient in social media as they are in PR. To me, social media is another tactic to share your client’s stories just as journalists are. So PR people need to understand the strategy behind social media campaigns as well as being really proficient in the key mediums ie Twitter, Facebook and blogging. They also need to know when to say no to clients – not all social media suits all businesses.

Q6. And lastly, what would be your number one tip for a PR student on a job hunt?

Do an internship. I would suggest that you should get as much ‘on the job’ experience as humanly possible before you start looking for a paid role. I always employ graduates that have taken the time to do more than just their required internship.

***You can check out Catriona’s writing course here or get in touch via Twitter @catrionapollard****

Interview with Caroline La Rose, Consultant at Max Australia

This week for my Interview Series, we have Caroline La Rose talking about her role at Max Australia, the gap between public relations in university and the real world, the importance of social media and improving her PR skills.

1. First off, tell us a little about your career path. What made you choose public relations as a profession?

As an undergraduate uni student, I did my bachelor’s degree in communication science which is very broad and touches upon a little bit of everything – public relations, advertising, marketing, mass communications, journalism, etc.

During my undergraduate course back in Mauritius, I did a few PR internships for not-for-profit organisations as part of my program. And as a result of some fulfilling hands on experience and all the high grades in my PR subjects, I decided to pursue my uni studies and do a Master’s degree in Communication Management majoring in PR at UTS.

Being an international student at the time, I unfortunately couldn’t afford to undertake any PR internships here as I needed a job that would pay my bills. Moreover the legal 20 working hours a week for international students is barely enough to cover all your expenses as a student. As soon as I completed my MA, I got my first real job in the PR industry where I first started off as an intern.

2. You’ve completed a BA in Communication Science as well as a MA in Communications Management. Did you find that your MA gave you any particular advantage while looking for jobs?

To be honest, no it didn’t. Let me explain.

I think experience trumps qualifications in the PR industry. I not only lacked experience but I didn’t have any local experience in Australia. This made my job hunt very difficult and I don’t think my MA gave me an advantage. Qualifications help if you have the necessary experience to back it up. My uni qualifications would have been a plus if I already had 2-5 years experience up my sleeve.

3. Did you find that what you learnt at university differed greatly with what you were doing on the job, or would you say university adequately prepared you for the real world?

I really enjoyed my uni years and I developed a lot of fundamental skills such as writing, research, multi-tasking and problem solving. But while learning the basics of communications and the relevant theories are important in getting a good grasp of what public relations is all about, nothing compares to real hands-on experience. You have to be on the mine field to gradually develop and grow as a PR professional and learn stuff that are not found in books such as learning how to think on your feet, or the realities of media and client relations.

4. Did social networking services like Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. play a big part in securing your first job at Bite Communications?

I got my first job in Australia in March 2009 and at the time the only social networking site I was on was Facebook. I had no idea what Twitter was and I had a profile on LinkedIn but I was not using it very often. As I started out in a tech PR agency, I was thrown into it and that’s when I started to become ‘active’ on Twitter.

The PR industry is fast evolving towards everything digital and especially when working in tech PR, I had no choice but to delve straight into it. Many businesses nowadays want to establish a social media/digital presence and as PRs, it is our job to recommend which social networking sites will be best suited for them and very often it is also our job to disseminate messages, maintain ongoing conversations and engage with our clients’ audiences through the various social media websites.

The importance of social media in PR has grown significantly over the past two years or so. When I secured my first job in Australia, social media definitely didn’t have the same importance as it does nowadays. While it didn’t play a big part in securing my first job, it certainly weighted a lot in securing my second job at Max and I believe it is now a compulsory criteria in the PR industry.

5. What’s your role at Max Australia like?

My role as a Consultant at Max involves a lot of proactive pitching, media relations and client liaison. It is a very dynamic role and I have to make sure I’m across everything happening on the accounts I’m working on.

In any PR agency, team work is imperative and in my current role at Max, I am lucky to work with strong teams and that makes my day to day job so much more enjoyable. As a consultant, I am constantly working with everyone at all levels across the team. This not only helps me to improve my delegation skills but it also helps to work on my upper management skills which are just as important, if not more so. Letting your managers know where you’re at with a job, asking for advice, having them review your work and speaking up your ideas are fundamental to my role at Max.

As a consultant I also get to manage small projects of which I take total ownership. I see every project as a great opportunity for me to develop strong managerial skills in a safe environment. I know that I have the team as my safety net and that I can turn to them if I need any help, guidance or advice. Every project that gets assigned to me is a real challenge and getting strong results provide a great sense of achievement.

6. Where do you see yourself in the future? Any particular sector of the PR field you’d really like to experience?

One of my mentors when I first started out in PR once told me that if you have significant experience in tech PR, you can do any other type of PR you want. At the moment I’m living my newly started career by those wise words. My focus for now is to build on my experience in the tech PR industry and work my way up.

If there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s that I never thought I’d do tech PR but I’m happy I’ve fallen into it. Working in tech is like a never ending steep learning curve because of the dynamic nature of technology. The fact that I’m constantly learning new things everyday keeps me challenged and stimulated in my job. So to answer your question, I think I will remain in tech PR for a while and after that who knows, according to a very wise man, the PR world will be my oyster by then!

7. And lastly, with PR evolving at such a dynamic pace, how do you stay up-to-date with industry news and trends while at the same time improving your skills as a PR practitioner?

To finesse one’s skills as a PR practitioner, it is mandatory to stay on top of industry news and trends. So, in my opinion both work hand in hand. Although agency life is very fast paced, I always make the time to read the news every morning for various different reasons:

• To be on top of industry news and trends
• To seek new opportunities for my clients via rapid response pitches
• To monitor coverage for my clients
• To stay on top of what topics will catch the interest of journalists
• To find new angles to pitch my clients to media
• To flag any articles that might be of interest to my clients –competitor news, industry news, upcoming events etc.

***To get in touch with Caroline say hi on Twitter @carolinelarose or check out her LinkedIn profile***

Interview with Aubrey Hamlett, Intern at Milkk PR

This week for my Interview Series, we have Aubrey Hamlett, an intern at Milkk PR and also founder of “”My Interning Life” – a blog about university students and interns in the media sector.

1. You run a fantastic blog called My Interning Life, dedicated to profiling university students. Where did this idea come from?

My Interning Life came about because of a university assignment. In Online Journalism Production, we are required to create a Twitter account, start a blog and create our own website. The website will also contain the content from our blog and we are required to blog once per week with approx 500 words.

I think the idea came to me just out of discussing it with friends. Or perhaps after waking up, because I have on my notepad on my desk “ideas for blog: interns.” It became the logical decision to create My Interning Life as it was something I was currently experiencing and was interested to hear other stories from students.

As I said in my introductory post, I was shocked to find so few students interned. At my uni, it’s not compulsory to do an internship or work experience, but there is a subject where students are required to participate in a certain amount of work experience.

2. What was it that attracted you to the PR industry?

To be honest, I knew little of the PR industry. I have literally fallen into it. My brother’s girlfriend Eden knew that I wanted to gain experience. Eden is a co-editor of a group of independent magazines and she messaged me one day saying that Milkk PR had an opening for an intern and said I would fit in perfectly.

I honestly thought nothing of the email I sent to my future boss, Shereen. I explained what I did at uni (Bachelor of Media Studies, majoring in Journalism) and said I didn’t know much about PR but was willing to learn.

I suppose PR has always interested me and that’s ultimately why I decided to email Shereen. It’s something that I felt was different and would challenge me outside of my university studies.

3. What was your internship there like?

Milk Kiddle Langmaid PR is not your typical work place. We’re based in Shereen’s home office in Brighton and we all bring our laptops and work together while gossiping, snacking on chips and dip, drinking beyond coconut water and chai tea.

On my first day I worked on updating databases, something which I learnt is crucial to PR. Databases and contacts are key to getting information, press releases etc. out to the media industry and pleasing the client.

It’s a very friendly and relaxed environment. But we are also very hard working. It’s always satisfying knowing I’ve done a good job or have found what Shereen needs on that particular day. I’ve been at Milkk for 6 ½ months now and am just starting to gain more confidence with my responsibilities at Milkk.

4. I’ve spoken to quite a few PR professionals in the past year and the issue that keeps coming up is the gap between what you learn in university and what actually happens on the job. Would you agree with this?

I would have to agree.

There isn’t any hands on experience, it’s all theory repeated in different ways in each subject. My university (La Trobe) has an online magazine upstart which is edited by a small group of chosen students in their third year or are grad students. However, if this subject was run for an entire class semester by semester, I think it would be beneficial to future students to learn how editing and publishing works.

If they made the internship subject compulsory for all media/journalism students, that would be the best thing. Getting out there and interning or doing work experience is crucial to understanding the industry you’re studying. It’s also crucial in deciding if your chosen industry is the right career path for you. Hence why I am going to seek out more work experience in newspapers and sports clubs, to see if those areas are what I really want to work in.

5. Did social networking services like Twitter, Facebook, etc. play a part in securing an internship?

Yes. Eden contacted me through Facebook and I believe Shereen ‘advertises’ on her Facebook page for interns. Twitter is also beneficial, as I have made contacts with media industry people, which I am hoping to make use of in the next few months. I tweeted an article I had written to a professional sports player and he read it. I then met him after a game and introduced myself. He has referred me onto the media manager. Fingers crossed I will be interning with this sports organization early next year.

6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Is there a particular sector of the communications field that you’d really love to work in?

2011 has quite literally thrown me through a loop. I would have never imagined interning in PR, let alone be imagining a career in sports Media/PR. A year ago I would have answered this question as working for ACP, Cosmopolitan in Sydney. Today I don’t know where I’ll be in five years. I have a feeling I’m being nudged in the sports media/PR direction but I really need to find out if this is the right path for me.

In five years, I want to be happy, passionate and successful at my job within the media.

7. And lastly, what are the top 3 blogs you read to stay up-to-date with the PR industry?

I read a lot of blogs, that PR dude is certainly very good and insightful. I find that a lot of PR students are on twitter, but don’t necessarily blog about it. I also read my friend, James Purcell’s blog, The Purcell Report. As I am new to this whole industry, I recommend keeping tabs on Prospect 360 for their PR and media seminars.

**To contact Aubrey say hello on Twitter @aubreyhamlett or check out My Interning Life***

Interview with Jamie Garantziotis, PR Manager of Regional / Corporate Social Media at Southern Cross Austereo

This week for my Interview Series, we have Jamie Garantziotis who is currently working as the PR Manager of Regional / Corporate Social Media at Southern Cross Austereo. Jamie discusses his career path, internships, keeping up with the PR industry and provides some insight into New York’s PR scene.

1. You graduated with a BA (Media & Communications) in 2007 and went on to complete a Master of Communication in 2009. Were there any particular reasons this? Did you find that it benefitted during job hunting?

I didn’t have a straight path into the study of PR. When I finished school I realized that I really enjoyed the world of media and communications but didn’t know where within that broad field I wanted to focus my studies – hence the reason I chose to study Media & Communications  at The University of Melbourne.

I remember that it was during my third year study at Melbourne that I knew I wanted to move in the direction of PR and Corporate Communications. Given that my education to date had been highly theoretical, I wanted to gain practical PR experience, so I headed to Queensland to undertake my Masters study at Bond University. Looking back, the practical training and experience most certainly helped me develop as a professional and to find a job post study.

2. Can you tell us a little about your career path?

During my Masters, I had two internships in PR agencies, working across clients in a range of sectors.

At the same time, I worked part time in Communications for the University’s Executive Education program. After finishing, I returned to Melbourne. The first thing I did was to connect with industry professionals and the local IABC chapter to begin volunteering.

After four months of searching and applying unsuccessfully, I was visiting my brother on the Gold Coast and after re-connecting with a Bond University professor received an email about a PR/Communications role with my current employer – Southern Cross Austereo (then Southern Cross Media). Having been recommended for the role, I stayed on the coast for an interview and within two weeks had been offered the position and jumped back on a plane to Queensland.

After the business merged with Austereo earlier this year, I’ve since moved to work within the Marketing & Communications team back in Melbourne as the Regional PR Manager.

3. What were your internships like? Did you find that they gave you a better idea of which areas of PR you liked / disliked?

My internships were all incredibly different but a lot of fun and excellent learning experiences. No two agencies are exactly alike, and I found that working within different teams and across different sectors did give me a good mix of experience and a better of idea of the industries and practices I enjoyed more than others.

That said; I was only able to find this out by giving everything a go. If I was asked to assist on a fashion account, I would. If I was asked to assist on a legal services client, I would. If I could give current students one piece of advice, it would be to undertake as many internships and gain as much experience as possible.

4. With the online and digital world moving so quickly, how do you find yourself keeping up-to-date with the communications industry?

Seth Godin wrote a great blog post a few weeks ago about the fact that with so many great minds publishing so much content so quickly, we seem to have de-valued this data and information given that it is in such huge supply.

I like to mix up the types of content I consume – most commonly blogs and podcasts. I have a Bloglines account that feeds through all the blogs I subscribe to, and also subscribe to my favourites via email so I can go through them daily and pick the top articles to read. I try to make at least 30-45 minutes each weeknight to read through these, and also have at least an hour or two on weekends to read them.

5. What would be the top 5 blogs that you read?

Okay, the five blogs that I read the most are:

1. Seth Godin

2. Brian Solis

3. Spin Sucks

4. PR Breakfast Club

5. Waxing UnLyrical

6. I read on your blog that you visited New York and subsequently learnt a great deal about their PR and communication scene. Any insights you’d like to share with us?

Ah New York! Yes, I travelled there in May of this year for a holiday / exploration of the communications scene. My friend Harrison Kratz that I work on Engage TV with was based in Philadelphia at the time, and we decided to catch up, head to blog world New York and spend some time meeting fellow PR and social media practitioners.

To be honest, I learnt so much – more than I could put in the answer to this question. In summary, the biggest lessons I learnt can be found in my blog post – What I Learnt in New York, as well as a video interview I had with my friend Des Walsh for Social Media Club Gold Coast. The big lessons / insights were:

•           Lead, don’t follow

•           Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t you’re right!

•           Connect in real life (IRL)

•           The bubble isn’t about to burst

•           The time is now!

7. And lastly, any tips for PR students trying to network themselves into an internship / first job

- Gain as much experience as possible – be pro-active in seeking experience and take the opportunity to try different areas of communications across a range of industries and practices. Even if you’ve recently finished study and are looking for a full-time job, take the chance to intern, network and add to your portfolio.

- Build a personal brand – make sure you have your professional LinkedIn profile set-up to showcase your goals, experience, education and interests. If you’re not already following new media technologies, start to get comfortable with reading blogs / forums and listen to the conversation. Once you’re more comfortable, set up a Twitter account and begin to engage with fellow practitioners. From there – the sky is the limit really. With the barriers to entry for publishing and sharing your own material and thoughts so low, there’s never been a better time to establish your unique brand and voice.

- Connect in real life – take the time to seek out professional events such as networking drinks, social media club meetings, or young professional groups. In Australia, IABC and the PRIA are good associations to follow and attend their events (disclaimer – I am a member of both, and sit on the board of IABC Victoria) – you never know who you might meet and connect with.

- Be authentic and let your passion shine through. If you love what you do (which I hope you do), let that show for all to see.

- Enjoy the journey! Yes, job hunting and networking can be hard – but during my own search I was able to meet some remarkable people that have been so generous, and continue to help me develop personally and professionally. More than that, it was a learning experience that I will never forget or regret.

Best of luck to you all as you embark on the start of your professional journey!

Interview with Adam Boland, Director of Social Media and Strategy at Channel Seven

This week for my Interview Series, we have Adam Boland who is currently the Director of Social Media and Strategy at Channel Seven. Adam has been in media  his whole career and he provides some great insight into the TV industry, social media and his career path.

1. You’re currently the Director of Social Media and Strategy at Channel Seven which sounds like a pretty cool role. Can you describe what a typical day’s like?

I basically hang on twitter all day.  I’m joking!

There’s no such thing as a typical day in television, which I think is what many people find attractive about the industry.

It’s a happy merger of being proactive and responsive.  Every morning at 8:30, we all wait anxiously for the previous day’s ratings and then dissect them down to the minute.  What worked and what didn’t?  That’s the responsive bit.  The proactive element is to try to influence the following day’s ratings.  There’s an old saying in television that you’re only as good as your next ratings – so we are truly accountable each and every day.

I spent ten years running shows here at Seven where my day-to-day was very micro.  I would be across every element of those shows from the writing to the promos to the marketing.  You don’t get much sleep and the pressure gets rather intense.

These days, my focus has shifted to the broader media climate and how our shows can exploit that new world.

So, much of my day is spent learning.  I meet people from all over the world about things they’re doing with social media.  Lots of it is experimenting.  We then figure out what works for us.  I hang with producers and directors – mostly in the news and current affairs department – and develop ideas.  I also spend lots of time with the team at Yahoo!7 which is our sister company.  They are very bright people with so many great online ideas.  We’re developing things now which you’ll see come to life over coming months.  The goal of course is to be ahead of the curve.  The reality though is that this sphere moves so fast, it’s a really big challenge and needs companies to move much quicker than in the past.

2. Before working at Channel Seven, you spent some time working as a producer and reporter at several media outlets, what was your career path like? Have you always wanted to work in media industry?

Media has been my entire life – which is rather sad when you think about it.  Always wanted to be a journo.  Went to university in Canberra to study politics and journalism.  At the end of my first year, my lecturer recommended me for a cadet’s gig in Brisbane.  Even though it meant dropping out of uni, I jumped at the chance.  I couldn’t wait to work – and I never regretted it.

That job at 4BC taught me so much.  The senior reporters there were ruthless with me.  It made me tougher, knocked some arrogance from me and gave me the ultimate crash course.

From there, I went to 3AW in Melbourne before making the switch to TV at Sky News in Sydney. I was one of the founding producers there – which was such a thrill.  We essentially got to write the rules for Australia’s first all news station.

After Sky, I joined Ten as a reporter in Cairns until I got sacked for being an idiot.  Long story.  Seven then picked me up in Sydney and the rest is history.

Seven gave me a chance to experiment.  I surrounded myself with some really smart and energetic people and we got to work on shaking up breakfast and then morning television.  Loved every second.

That said, the media can take over all elements of your life.  It took me way too long to figure out the work-life balance and when I had, I realised that my twenties had vanished.  So, be careful!

3. With digital technology and communication platforms evolving at such a rapid pace, where do you see the TV industry headed in the next 5 years?

Television is changing.  No doubt.  But claims that mainstream TV is dead are just so silly.  I think rather than replacing the big boys, new forms of media will work WITH the big boys – making the experience even better for the user.

So, we’re now seeing shows that integrate social media into their formats.  We’re seeing new apps that allow viewers to have conversations while watching their favourite shows with other fans of the show.  Accompanying content and broader integrated conversations are the way forward.  And that’s really cool.

You’re also seeing more options for users – whether they be online or on-air.  So brands are evolving.  Sunrise is a good example.  Sure – our main game is our broadcast time from 6am to 9am but we now have producers who are constantly pumping content out via our website or the apps 24/7.  It’s about ensuring that users get more out of us.  There shouldn’t be a disconnect at 9am.  The conversation simply continues.

4. You’re currently juggling multiple projects on hand; working at Channel Seven, opening up The Ginseng Baths, on the board of the Griffin Theatre Company – how do you manage your time? Do you find yourself planning everything out?

I think everyone needs to look at their schedules – no matter what work they do.  Sorry about getting philosophical, but life is so short.  I like the idea of jamming as much in as possible so I can contribute as much as possible and gain as much as possible.  I also like variety.

I think too many people fall into a default position: get up, go to work, come home, eat, go to bed. Repeat.  I am probably allowed more flexibility than most – but I also insist upon it.  Variety gives your mind much more energy.

5. And lastly, for students out there aspiring to carve a career in the media industry, any tips on how to make it?

Enthusiasm.  No point getting into this industry unless you have passion.  I meet too many people who expect to be fast tracked to fame.  Firstly, most of the fun happens OFF camera.  Secondly, you need to earn your stripes.  Expecting to simply get work at Sydney’s biggest agency or station is unrealistic – and frankly, no fun.  The journey is cool.

Oh, and everyone in the industry should be getting their heads around social media.  I’m not just saying that because of my role.  Engagement is the future.  Actually, engagement is the present.  So, people need to know how to engage.  Not that frightening really and you could just make some new friends!

***To contact Adam say hello in Twitter @adamboland7 or on Google+ ***

Interview with Abby Stollar, PR Student and Intern at Inside Out Creative

This week for my Interview Series, we have Abby Stollar, a senior at the University of Delaware, majoring in Mass Communication and minoring in political science, political communication, and journalism. Abby discusses working at Inside Out Creative, her determination to stand out in a competitive job market and how she manages to write great content on a consistent basis.

1. First off, tell us a little about yourself – why PR?

I’ve always had a love for communication, especially writing. When I was younger, I thought I wanted to be a novelist and then later a magazine journalist. Once I was old enough to understand what “public relations” was, I knew that was a great way to combine my love for writing and communication and decided to pursue it in college. Soon, I loved anything and everything PR-related!

PR is all about symbiotic, two-way communication, and I love that aspect. It brings people together; it encourages conversation. Good PR is never selfish; it’s all about what’s best for a key audience or public.

2. You’re studying a combination of communications, journalism and political science. Where do you see your career path headed? Any plans for government communication roles?

 I am very interested in the public affairs part of public relations. Ultimately, I would like to be a legislative advocate for some type of non-profit organization. PR professionals are essentially advocates for their brand, and this advocacy concept translates nicely into the public affairs arena. I love to see how communication can help aid change, and the best legislative advocates can construct and communicate messages to help bring change to a group or community.

3. What was your role at Inside Out Creative like?

 This summer, I interned at Inside Out Creative, a full-service public relations, marketing, design, and social media agency, in York, Pa. Although I am back in Newark, Del., for my senior year, I am still a freelancer and work as on projects as needed.

My main responsibilities included developing and executing social media strategic plans for clients in the education, hospitality, and service industries. In addition, I did a little bit of everything – event planning, press release writing, speech writing, newsletter writing, and yes, more writing!

4. You seem to juggle a lot of roles; Director of Public Relations for the StUDent Government Association, a University Teacher’s Assistant for the Journalism Program, and an Events/Legislative intern at Autism Delaware, plus all those uni classes! How do you manage your workload?

The key is organization and sticking to a schedule! In addition to using my a planner, I use the “stickies” function on my computer and constantly keep to-do lists on my desktop. It’s also important to schedule far in advance; I always look at my schedule at least two weeks at a time so that I can proactively finish assignments and projects when necessary. And finally, I always schedule some “me” time by working out in the mornings. It helps de-stress me and start off each morning refreshed and ready for the long day ahead! I also drink a lot of coffee…honestly, what PR professional doesn’t?

5. You created a fascinating presentation about “My Journey to Avoid Unemployment” – what were the reasons behind this?

I’m really trying to explore more “digital” media and brand myself as a creative PR professional. I learned about Prezi a few months back and always wanted to try it, so I spent a few weeks this summer trying it out and developing this “digital” resume for myself. In a competitive job market, it’s always important to stand out, so that’s exactly what I’m trying to do!

6. Lately I’ve spent more time staring at a blank screen than actually typing, yet you seem to continually churn out great content. Any advice?

Well thank you for your compliment!  The best advice I can give is to always be looking around you for ideas and write them down when you have them!

For example, I got the idea for my latest piece about whether or not social media can ever be a 9-to-5 job, when I needed to contact Vistaprint’s customer service and realized that their PR team managed their Twitter account only from 9am to 5 pm.

Also, I’ll write about topics that I’m currently researching/interested in using for projects and in classes. My post about “Making your social media pitch” is based off of a presentation I gave in my upper-level PR management class. The presentation took me a long time to prepare and included doing a lot of research, so I wanted to maximize that by including it on my blog.

The other thing I’ll do is write blog posts whenever I have time (which honestly isn’t all that often, haha!) and save them to post at a later date. This way, I have a steady stream of content rather than posting a bunch during one week and then none the next. Over the summer when I had more time, I wrote a few posts to use over the course of the fall semester. However, some of my posts have to be timely (especially the political ones), so that “prepare ahead of time” mentality doesn’t always work out

7. And lastly, any tips for the communication students out there looking for their first internship?

Be proactive. That’s the best advice I can give. I feel like many students get overwhelmed and maybe even intimidated at the application and interview process for internships, but it’s not always like that. I always encourage students to look to non-profit organizations as a great place to start your internship career.

Non-profits are always looking for free help and will usually take on an intern who is willing to learn and to work. Those are great places to gain experience and will give you an edge later when going on to apply for bigger, more competitive internships. Seek out opportunities and you will be successful!

***To contact Abby check out her blog http://abbystollar.com or say hello @abbynicole1204***