How do I make myself stand out in the Public Relations Industry?

Write, write, write! Being able to concisely communicate ideas in a compelling manner is the most important fundamental skill in public relations. Anyone can become a better writer through practice, so look for opportunities to help you improve. Many small local newspapers and online publications will let high school and college students write for them. If you join an organizations or club, you can volunteer to help write the newsletter. While I was in college earning a degree in journalism, I wrote for the student newspaper and student-produced TV news show, interned with a news station and put together a newsletter for a nonprofit, all of which helped me get a job in PR. Write and read as much as you can and you'll be better prepared for any career you choose, even if you don't end up in PR!

Before you do anything, make sure that PR is the industry you want to establish your career in and ask yourself, why? Once you have determined that PR is the industry for you, think about a couple of industry sectors that appeal to you - consumer, technology, healthcare. Then, you can begin your search and I would recommend starting with looking to PR agencies. The agency world is the ideal place for you to start your PR career. Agencies will give you the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the PR business and will help shape you into an effective PR professional.

I have three pieces of advise I wish someone had told me at the onset of my nearly 25 years in this profession:

1. Decide what you have a passion for or how you want to live your life. Where you start your career will in many ways determin who and what future employers/clients see you as. If you love the arts, try to get a PR gig at a museum early in your career. If your goal is to make money or to have greater job security, do whatever you can to get on the communications team for a Fortune 500 company. Where you start will in many ways guide where you go.

2. Try to gain a broader skill set. Writing and public speaking are your bread and butter, but also learn social media theory, design, journalism, website design, advertising, and marketing. Early on in your career, employers will try to pigeon hole you by a skill that you can bring to their team. Make sure whatever they need is something you can do.

3. Be confident in everything you do (or at very least, learn how to fake it). The most important thing any of us have is our reputations. Your employer/client is relying on you to keep the perception of them as positive as possible. They must always know that you have the confidence and ability to do this.

What will make yourself stand out in the Public Relations Industry and the following:

• getting to know yourself well enough to determine where in this vast industry your personality traits most fit
• working hard in school to get the best grades possible
• developing networking connections that will allow you to confirm your choice of this field and get to know people who are doing what you think that you might want to do.

Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .