I was recently invited by the Carleton Communications Studies Undergraduate Student Society (CUSS) and the Algonquin College Public Relations program (ACPR), to speak with students and share my experiences as a communications and PR professional. These are the type of events that I personally love to attend, as I find it to be very important to give back to students who are preparing to enter the workforce.

While I had the pleasure to share my thoughts on various topics, many of the questions revolved around career path and work opportunities. I’m summed up my recommendations in the following three points:

1. Get active on social networks. Remember this cliché? ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. In comms and PR, this is amplified by 10. Your networks are crucial going forward so it’s never too early to start making a name for yourself. Web 2.0 is the way of the future for practitioners, and establishing your digital profile is important. Twitter, LinkedIn and blogging are great ways to connect with others and help you develop your skill sets.
2. Get involved with extra curricular. I hate to break it to some of you, but if you’re hoping to land your dream job by browsing Jobboom and Monster, it’s probably not going to happen. Once again, good contacts have to be developed, groomed, and over time, will help you elevate your status. To get there, nothing beats getting involved with extra-curricular activities. For example, volunteering your time with local associations (CPRS, IABC, etc) will give you the chance to meet other professionals. If you do a good job, it will be easy to approach them to discuss work opportunities, and many of them will likely go to bat for you. Remember, most people who are on the board of such associations are usually well connected comms/PR practitioners…wink wink.
3. Make a short list of potential employers. You have to ask yourself ‘Where do I want to work?’ Agency? Non-profit? Public sector? Make a short list and start doing the ground work. If you don’t have the contacts, your first step can be as easy as contacting the HR department and finding out when they will be hiring next. If they say three months, call back in two and half to be sure the date hasn’t changed. The logic behind this is to do the leg work before the job posting goes up. By doing this, you’ll give yourself a running start over other applicants.

While there is no perfect science in successfully landing a PR job or internship, implementing these three points will give you traction and the best chances of landing your dream position.