Back to School: Why PR Professionals Should Obtain a Master’s Degree

Most PR pros would rather take that first full-time job offer over going back to school for another couple of years. School just isn’t an enjoyable experience for many individuals. 

Honestly, at one point or another, people come to the point in their lives where reading boring text, memorizing words and phrases, writing papers, taking tests and giving presentations lose their appeal.

So, why should you go back for two or more years after receiving a bachelor’s degree? I have wondered the same thing, and am currently in a position where I am trying to decide if I need one myself. 

I want to share some important things from my own research while weighing in on the value of a master’s degree.

Job Competition

I remember when an associate degree was enough to nab a great job. Truthfully, little schooling was needed to nab a long, sustainable career—especially in PR. 

However, there are higher-level degrees available for up-and-coming PR professionals, and many employers are becoming more aware of all that these programs have to offer students.

We’re currently living in a period where a bachelor’s degree is the standard for most college students. But with the stability of the American economy in constant limbo, employers are in need of more from job seekers. 

Needless to say, considering said circumstances, a master’s degree is quickly becoming a very attractive option for companies looking to fill a variety of top-tier positions.

To be able to confidently say you’re an official master of something—especially PR, mind you—and proudly place such an accomplishment on your resumé will make you much more competitive when vying for meaningful employment after school. 

Simply put, you’ll be ahead of the game.

A Better Understanding of PR

Four-year degrees take four years for a reason. You have the opportunity to learn about numerous areas of academia and gain a basic understanding of a self-selected field. But if you want more learning, there aren’t nearly as many options.

Master’s degrees provide a more in depth look into your field of choice and allow you to understand it on a more personal level. 

You are also given many real world experiences before actually stepping out into the unforgiving mix of things. For a PR person, this is key.

Additionally, a greater and deeper knowledge of PR will make you more confident and will show future employers and co-workers that you belong in the competitive, unforgiving field of PR. 

Who knows? In spite of what the naysayers might vocalize, it may also give you a winning edge or earn you a promotion or two.

So Fresh and So Clean

In reality, there is a huge need for PR-savvy people out there, and recent graduates know it. Why? Well, they’re all competing for the same jobs. 

If you have the time and resources, it wouldn’t hurt to head back to school for two more years to gain an advantage over your peers. 

They are precious years, and receiving as much education as possible will put you ahead of the herd. After all, there’s no such thing as too much education.

So what do you think? Am I correct in planning to head off to graduate school following the completion of my undergraduate degree, or is my head stuck in the proverbial clouds? Share your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.

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Rhett Ahlander is a PR student at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. After graduating this coming April with a bachelor’s degree, he plans to pursue a master’s degree and continue learning more about PR. When Rhett isn’t studying, he enjoys writing, running and playing soccer. Follow Rhett on Twitter to keep the conversation going.

The Importance of Writing Like You Talk

Sounding smart while writing is a gift that few people possess. Seriously, if you can incorporate words like “cornucopia” into your writing outside the month of November, you’re bound to impress a few people. 

Well, on second thought, no you’re not. If you’re a technical writer, this skill might be seen as an asset; however, in the world of PR, nobody really cares how intelligent you are. 

Whether it’s producing web copy, sending an email pitch or even drafting a social post or two, your job is to be relatable, not to come off as one of those arrogant PR tools. 

Want to really take your PR writing to the next level? If so, focus on one key skill: writing like you talk. Seems easy enough, right? Wrong. 

In reality, few are the PR pros who can consistently do this. To the surprise of nobody, the very publicity gurus who’ve tapped into the powers of the aforementioned are also those who see staggering levels of success.

Why This Works

Regardless of the specifics of a writing project, it’s extremely important that an audience be kept in mind right from the beginning. By so doing, the likelihood of boring content coming about is greatly minimized. 

Why? Roles are reversed and you’re in a different set of shoes. Knowing what an audience wants, you’re much more inclined to properly deliver.

Think about it—how much more excited are you to read an interesting email or witty text message from a buddy than an entry in one of Harvard’s many medical journals? It’s not that the information isn’t accurate in an academic publication, it’s just that it can’t be consumed.

Save the killer vocabulary and editorial genius for the journalists you’re pitching. It’s their job to sound like a robot, not yours. The more digitally approachable you are, the less the stereotypical stench of PR annoyance will be present.

Learning to Write Like You Talk

There’s a two-part secret to this. The first part is to do the necessary research to actually know what you’re writing or pitching about. If you understand the subtle ins and outs of what you’re covering, your voice is going to make itself known without you even realizing it. 

It’s when your totally BS-ing an audience or reporter that Thesaurus.com is used in abundance. You’re trying to sound like you know what you’re talking about because you literally have no idea what you’re talking about. 

Fortunately, in the end, if you bypass doing any research, nobody will know the difference. Unfortunately, it’s because they will have stopped reading your writing and moved onto something more interesting.

Now for the second part—stop thinking. That’s right. Don’t think. The more you think, the more you question. Go back to the last time you had a conversation with your best friend or significant other. 

Didn’t have to think much before making a point, did you? Therein lies the beauty of writing like you talk. When the pitching or posting ceases to become about sales and focuses solely on developing long-lasting relationships, real PR genius can happen.

Be real. Be yourself. Write like you talk.

Let’s hear what you have to say—how do you keep your writing from coming off as overly advertorial or promotional? Jump on down to the comments section below and have your voice heard by Echelon’s loyal body of readers.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

5 Characteristics of the Ideal PR Professional

If you’ve heard me say it once, you’ve heard me say it a thousand times: PR isn’t a career for the faint of heart. By no means do I have the experience of many of my peers, but even I recognize that the field isn’t for everyone.

However, just because it’s not for everyone, doesn’t mean its not for some. In fact, if being completely honest here, there’s a sliver of society that dominates the industry. Who are they? What are they like? Are you one of them? 

To find out, read each of the following five points to see if you and the magnificent field of PR have a bright future together:

1) Friendly

PR isn’t what it once was. While traditional PR practitioners were constantly engaging in face-to-face interactions, unless you’re a PR representative for a large sports franchise or booming enterprise, you’re probably primarily limited to digital interaction. 

That being said, being a friendly person can take you a long way in the profession.

2) Honest

Seems like an obvious one, right? Wrong. Innumerable are the PR pros who fail to disclose affiliate relationships when interacting with journalists or even go as far as forging results so clients will stay onboard for another contract. 

Regardless of religious affiliation, karma is very much a part of what PR people do. Simply put, what goes around comes around. Stay honest and success will find you.

3) Urgent

In my opinion, urgency is one of the most overlooked of desired attributes. Urgent people don’t run around like wild men; moreover, they’re efficient in their promptness. 

Additionally, they don’t wait to be told what to do or how to find a solution to a pressing issue. They simply act for themselves and are continuously engaged in the betterment of a client and employing agency or firm.

4) Deadline-Driven

On a resumé, it’s not uncommon to see people list “attention to detail” as one of their top skills. Likewise, a startling majority of people also claim to be “deadline-driven.” Let me set the record straight on this one—few and far between are those who live for the thrill of meeting deadlines. And yes, it’s really a thrill.

I’ve interviewed quite a few up-and-coming PR people and few of them have actually understand how important this is. Why do you think most agencies force an internship on you before offering employment? While not the sole reason, this is a huge part of it. 

5) Thick-Skinned

Not big-boned, but thick-skinned. Trust me, there’s a difference. Anyway, this is tremendously impactful, believe it or not. Whether it’s a harsh comment from a client, coworker or even your boss, no matter how talented you are, throughout the course of your career, you’re going to be blasted for your work. 

Sometimes you’ll be in the wrong and will rightfully receive what you deserve. Other times, however, you’ll think you’re in the clear and will still catch some flak. Either way, you’ve got to suck it up and keep going. People pay way too much money for PR services to have you over in the corner pouting.

Now it’s your turn—what’s been left off of my list? If you feel the need to add something to what I’ve already presented, hop on Twitter and tweet at @EchelonCopy. As always, Echelon will respond in a timely manner to keep the conversation going.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

What My Parents Think I Do All Day as a PR Professional

My father works in oil and natural gas. My mother is a speech pathologist. Neither of them has any idea whatsoever as to what I do for a living.

While I might not understand the subtle intricacies of either of their jobs, growing up, my friends and their parents, from time to time, would ask things like, “Lucas, what do your parents do for a living?” 

My answers probably weren’t perfect, but I could generally give people a ballpark idea as to what they did to make money.

What’s Taking Place All Too Often

Now, flip the roles of the aforementioned situation and things get a bit more complicated. Seriously, as a PR person, my parents literally have no idea what I do all day. I’m not guessing here—I’ve seen them try to tell others about this. 

Needless to say, I’m not too thrilled about hearing things like, “Oh, he’s usually just making Facebook posts and things like that.”

Doesn’t sound too important, does it? This image sums things up rather nicely, I think:

* Source: Ragan's PR Daily

Even worse, I’m fairly certain my parents have actually given up any hope of ever understanding what PR is and how it’s practiced. That said, I haven’t fully give up the fight.

My Best Efforts to Set the Record Straight

The following are a few one-liners I’ve come up with over the years to help my grandparents, parents and any other old person try and understand what PR is and how I make it happen on a daily basis:

• “I create media.”
• “I sell story ideas, asking for no cash in return.”
• “I build and maintain industry-specific communities online.”
• “I make certain my clients don’t look bad.”
• “I help journalists do their job in a timely fashion.”

And my personal favorite:

• “I sit at a computer and send an unhealthy number of emails.”

Listen, I realize that my short-hand answers aren’t doing much for my professional reputation with my parents’ friends, but they’re the best I’ve been able to come up with. 

Come to think of it, the whole, “Oh, he’s usually just making Facebook posts and things like that” thing might not be so bad after all.

Clearly, I’m doing more harm than good. For that very reason, I’d be interested in knowing what you have to say. When your parents—or friends, for that matter—ask you what you do for a living as a PR person and you’re pressed for time, how do you respond? 

Tweet your best one-liners to @EchelonCopy. We’ll make certain to retweet the best of ‘em for all of our devoted followers to see.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

6 Career-Saving Tips for Surviving Your First Years at a PR Agency

Working at a PR agency is tough, even if you’ve been in PR for a good while. However, if you’re just now getting tangled up in this mess, things are bound to be all the more hectic. Fortunately, you’re no pioneer in this craft. Many have come before you and, undoubtedly, many will come after. If others can do it, so can you.

Needless to say, it’s always nice to get a bit of help along the way to numb the growing pains that innately accompany initiation into PR. If a bit of a novice or looking for some help to get through a rough patch, the following points are sure to help:

1) Earnestly Seek New Learning Opportunities

In particular, from those who tower over you in the hierarchy of your agency’s leadership ladder. What’s great about PR is that it’s rarely about how many degrees or certificates you hold; moreover, it’s about what you’ve managed to do or experiences you’ve had in the past. 

When your boss or coworker needs help with something you feel might be just outside your comfort zone, choose to become involved, as opposed to sitting on the sidelines. Participate in all that the industry has to offer. Soon enough, this sort of thing may very well form your future.

2) Decide to See the Good In Failure

Yes, this is actually a decision that you must consciously make. Believe it or not, this is easier said than done. If ever there was a career path filled with repetitive facepalms, it would be PR. At least initially, if you’re not saying something incorrect, out of turn or stupid, you’re not trying hard enough. 

Journalists will refuse to open your emails, your writing will be criticized and a boss or two might rip into you every now and again. Don’t let this get you down. It’s all part of the fun. Embrace these happenings. One day, when you’re the one doing the yelling, you just might miss them. Okay, so probably not, but it was worth a shot.

3) Stay Active On Twitter Throughout the Working Day

This might seem like an unusual one, but it’s crazy how many positive, professional interactions take place on Twitter. It’s not that you need to be going crazy with this, but show your real self. There are already far too many “thought leaders” out there with strict editorial calendars and an agenda to push on Twitter. Don’t be one of them; furthermore, don’t act like one of them. They’ll do their thing and you’ll do yours.

Ultimately, what you’re looking to get out of this whole Twitter thing is a series of strategic connections. Journalists and other influential PR people already have far too many “cookie cutters” coming after them. Instead, just be yourself. The results will surprise you.

4) Beware of Too Much Social Media

While Twitter is great, moderation is good in all things—social media included. PR is one of the few careers which, in large part, is composed of things that people do for fun after their day jobs have been wrapped up: social media, news reading, blogging, etc. Because of this, it’s extremely easy to get distracted. Even worse, PR is infamous for the amount of task juggling that takes place on a daily basis. 

So as to avoid becoming slave to an endless to-do list, simply focus on one thing at a time. Once a given task is done, move onto the next. When it’s time for social media, do social media. When it’s time to respond to email, respond to email. Be disciplined. Truthfully, your efficiency alone will take you places.

5) Build a Personal Brand Through Individual Projects

There’s always going to be some PR know-it-all who thinks that building a personal brand is a grand waste of time. Usually, this person is super vocal about how stupid all of this is. Why? Well, ironically, it’s a part of his or her personal brand. 

Give everything you’ve got to your place of employment, but make sure that you’ve got a project or two that you can call your own. It might be a website, blog, podcast or e-book, but you need to have something to keep you on your toes.

6) Develop and Maintain a Passion Outside of Work

PR is an all-consuming career. Emails never cease. Coverage is always in high demand. Cell phones are never at ease. Heck, push notifications are even rumored to have been first created within the fiery depths of hell to keep PR people in line. 

Make sure you set time aside to develop or nurture relationships with people around you. If you’ve got a special hobby or talent that makes you happy, work to improve it. There’s a time for work and there’s a time to relax. The best of the best certainly spend a great deal of time working, but they also know when it’s time to give things a rest.

If you’ve made it far enough to realize how difficult this whole PR thing is, you’re doing better than most who try to make a worthwhile job out of PR. Hang tough. With the help of a few of the aforementioned tips, you’ll soon be glad you did.

Now it’s your turn—how does this list of tips rank when compared with others that you’ve read in the past? What worked for you when you first got started as a PR pro? Help all of Echelon’s younger readers by sharing your thoughts on the subject in the comments section below.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

You’ve Got Mail: Why Any PR Person Worth His or Her Salt Quickly Responds to Email

Don’t lie—on multiple occasions you’ve received a text message, read who it came from then subsequently placed your phone back in your pocket or purse. Even worse, sometimes, later on, you’ll run into the very person who you went out of your way to ignore. This is the pits. Seriously, it’s a pretty bad situation. 

However, if you think that’s bad, think of how it’d feel to be the guy or gal who’s on the opposite side of this interaction. Pain, heartache and an unavoidable desire to crawl into a hole and hang out for a long while is often the end result.

There’s Blood On Your Hands

Now, let’s turn this to PR. Believe it or not, this exact situation occurs all day, every day. No, I’m not referring to you shooting an email pitch to a top-tier journalist only to not even get a friendly rejection email in return. Nope, I’m talking about a different kind of culprit: it’s you.

Any time you get an email and do nothing to respond in a timely manner, you symbolically spit in the face of the sender. If you’re a PR person, you’re a professional communicator. Like, people actually pay you money for your ability to interact with other people, regardless of medium. For Pete’s sake, you work in communications—remember? It was that college major your parents told you to think long and hard about before getting into? Ring a bell?

No Excuses for Not Making Email a Priority

Heck, you’ve even got a smartphone, tablet, laptop and desktop computer with enough push notifications to kill a small mammal, reminding you of your responsibility to speak with those trying to get ahold of you. As a communicator, your number one goal is to interact in a prompt, concise and efficient manner. 

I’m aware that the list of accomplishments a PR person can have associated with his or her name is a lengthy one; yet, as far as I’m concerned, the more quickly you respond to my emails, the more seriously I know you take your job as a communicator. 

Respond to email and see success. Ignore it and, most assuredly, you’ll miss out on some great work-related opportunities. So, what are your thoughts on the matter? What’s the current state of your inbox: filled to the brim with unopened emails or completely up-to-date and organized? Hop down to the comments section to share your thoughts and feelings.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.

Down and Dirty: the Nitty Gritty of Entry-Level Work at a PR Agency

Literally, if I had a nickel for every time I went out of my way to tell young, up-and-coming PR professionals about the insane stress levels associated with PR, I’d probably have just under a dollar. Figuratively, I’d be a millionaire. You see what I did there? I’m a riot. Anyway, it’s that kind of wittiness, in addition to a few well-timed puns, of course, that’ll keep your brain from turning to mush while working in PR. 

Sadly, in reality, what you’ve learned about PR from “Sex and the City” couldn’t be farther from the truth. Exchange the posh, glitz and glamour for a numb buttox that’s been sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day long. However, if you can manage to pull your head out of the proverbial clouds and set some realistic expectations, you’ll have a much better shot at making it in the hectic, but also rewarding, field of PR.

Prepare to Type Your Fingers Numb

This is by far one of the biggest stumbling blocks for new PR professionals. They honestly have no idea how much writing is involved in the daily activities of a PR person. Whether it’s a press release, email pitch, digital promotional, strategic social post or bit of web copy, writing—in one way or another—is going to occupy nearly all of your time while in the workplace. 

Basically, if you still haven’t managed to obsess over editorial perfection, you need to strongly reconsider whether or not a job in PR is something your going to enjoy.

Multitasking Is More of a Skill Than You Think

Remember that stress that I’d previously mentioned? Yeah, this is what’s responsible for a huge part of it. You’d think that a desk job wouldn’t come with too many workplace surprises and drama, but in PR, that’s certainly not the case. 

Someone gets fired, deadlines are missed, project funding gets cut—whatever it is, there’s always something that’s going to push responsibility from someone else’s plate onto yours. Think you’re already full? Too bad. Adapt and survive. Burst into tears and find yourself heading back home with your tail between your legs.

Some Clients Really Suck to Work With

If I’ve learned anything during my career, it’s that I should’ve taken the babysitting responsibilities my parents gave me when I was younger more seriously. It’s not that project managers or your points of contact at your accounts’ headquarters aren’t intelligent or that they aren’t capable of doing hard things, it’s just that they think they know more than they actually do. 

Seriously, hop on LinkedIn sometime and see how many people put “marketing,” “social media” or “public relations” on their list of hard skills. Now, of those people, how many of them have actually worked in any of the aforementioned fields? Truthfully, very few of them. Needless to say, you’ll work very closely with those who haven’t, but are painfully vocal about the fact that they still have a firm grasp on the way things should be running down at your shop. The short of it all? It sucks way hardcore.

Forgive the blunt nature of my comments, but they’re pretty spot on, if I may say so myself. The time is now yours. Am I making sense or completely casting an unnecessary shadow on my industry of choice? Let’s take this conversation to the comments section below.

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Lucas Miller is the Founder of Echelon Copy. When not writing, editing or running, he's working tirelessly to perfect what he claims is the "World's Greatest Pompadour." Additionally, for what it's worth, his editorial works have been featured on Social Media Today, Business2Community, Ragan's PR Daily, Spin Sucks and many other top-tier PR publications.