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The Edge New Voices of the Public Relations Industry Menu Home About Meet the Executive Committee Careers in PRogress Summit Series Mentorship Webinar resources Programming Summits Write for Us My Tips for a Dramatic Career Change: Part 3 July 20, 2022 July 20, 2022 Mikayla Pryor Leave a comment This is the continuation of a three-part series. If you’d like to read my first entry, start here . Hello again! First, we talked about getting in the right mindset, then we talked about preparing for the job search, finally, we will be discussing what to do for interviews and how to deal with it afterward. Rehearse without an interview When you think about it most behavioral interview questions boil down to a few things: Are you reliable? Are you skilled? Are you easy to work with? Look up interview questions online and write responses to them. This will give you a collection of answers to pull from depending on the question. It’s not cheating. You’re exhibiting your thought process and experiences. The only thing that changes is the possible employer. Also, think of previous positions and how they could apply to these questions as well. Remember your past is valuable. For tests and technical questions, after taking the time to learn a new skill your capability should appear naturally. If an interview doesn’t go well think of what didn’t work and review it. Don’t be afraid to ask the recruiter for feedback. Save the Scraps Eventually, you will need a portfolio of your writing abilities to show employers. After an unsuccessful interview or two, you may feel you aren’t getting anywhere but fear not. With every failure, there is always something to take from it. Save your writing tests. Whatever it is, a social media post, press release, or pitch. Save it, improve it, and add it to your portfolio. Don’t let the screener call and 40-minute interview be in vain. This time worked in your favor. Free material in your own words and ideas. You’re welcome. Remember you are doing your best Keep in mind that you are HUMAN. If you don’t get a role it usually isn’t, a reflection on you. The company will put its needs first meaning finding the person who can fill those needs. Just because they don’t think you’re a good fit doesn’t mean you aren’t skilled or have nothing to offer. No one will really know who you are in 40 min interview. Job searching can be challenging especially on your self-esteem. Remember to take breaks during your search. Meditate, exercise, consider therapy, and do things that make you happy. You work to live, you don’t live to work. About: Mikayla Pryor was born and bred in Charleston, SC. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia working for Berlin Rosen on the New York Public Affairs Advocacy team. She is also the Blog Chair for the PRSA National New Pros Committee. Her hobbies include studying aerial hoop, watching anime, and feeding her beagle mix too many treats. April 12, 2022 April 12, 2022 Mikayla Pryor Leave a comment This interview was conducted by current Ball State University public relations graduate student Claire Morrell. The following article is based on that interview with Matt Kelly. Crisis communication has become an integral skill for public relations professionals. Matt Kelly, the deputy market leader at BCW and a graduate of Ball State University’s master’s in public relations , laid out lessons from his most successful crisis communication cases. It’s more about a crisis manager’s mindset than tactics itself – Enraged to Engaged” Matt Kelly has worked on many high-profile crisis cases throughout his career. Most recognizably, Kelly provided his professional assistance in cases such as the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. When asked how a professional communicator could best manage and orchestrate crisis communication efforts in the ever-changing digital and social media environment, Mr. Kelly took a personal approach. He shared an antidote from his experience working with BP during this crisis. When working on this particularly challenging crisis, Kelly reminded himself that the people on the other side of the screen were just that: people. They each have different lives that they lead and different passions and aspirations. The same could be said for the corporation members on the other end of the crisis. Even with everything they were facing, their career is just one aspect of their identity. In this situation, Kelly took a page from Apple TV character Ted Lasso’s book. He created a motto that he and his team of community managers could use as a goal through the crisis, Enraged to Engaged.” He acknowledged that it was going to be nearly impossible to change the public’s mind about the corporation he was working with. Instead, they needed to focus their efforts on creating an environment with people who have constructive or positive insights to contribute. His team would create a welcoming environment to encourage dialogue rather than an argument. By doing this, they were gaining back control over the crisis and were able to start repairing the relationship between the corporation and the public. Mr. Kelly emphasized that it is important as communicators to remember that the job of a public relations expert is to be the conscience of the client while providing sufficient information to all parties involved to make a more educated, controlled decision. During Matt Kelly’s time at Ball State, he was well prepared for the atmosphere of crisis communication where critical thinking, research, and problem-solving are demanded. He mentioned that he benefited most from Ball State’s public relations graduate program that focuses on strategic communications, market research, project planning, and development. Kelly’s experience with Ball State’s master’s in public relations master’s gave him a glimpse into the public relations practitioner’s lifestyle and helped to better prepare him for the rigors of the career environment. More about the Interviewee: Matt Kelly is a digital/social leader and connections strategist. He has worked with top brands like State Farm, McDonald’s, VF Corporation, Discover Card, BP, Dow Chemical, SC Johnson, Conagra Brands, and others to improve their reputation and advance business objectives through smart strategy and creativity. He bridges the gap between creativity and strategy to ensure the brief doesn’t only produce content but moves people toward an objective. He’s a design thinker, brainstorm leader, connections strategist, and channel planner. More about Ball State’s master’s in public relations: If you are looking to further your education and gain experience on the topic, consider pursuing your master’s degree. Ball State University’s public relations graduate program is entirely online, allowing you to further your education while simultaneously continuing your professional experience. During your time at Ball State, you will gain valuable knowledge that can actively be applied in your career environment. If you are interested in Ball State’s public relations master’s program, you can apply today . My Tips for a Dramatic Career Change: Part 2 March 6, 2022 March 7, 2022 Mikayla Pryor Leave a comment This is the continuation of a three-part series. If you’d like to read my first entry, start here . Welcome back! I hope my first set of tips was helpful. Now we’re going to dig into a smaller but more technical bit of the process, learning the skills for your new field and revamping your resume. Learn, Learn, Learn! Time to hit the books! Look for courses and books on the subject you want to learn. My tools of choice are LinkedIn and Coursera. However, there are many more MOOCs that exist besides the two. Taking the time to acquire a new skill set will show that you are qualified when the time comes. It will also familiarize you with jargon and methodical approaches that someone in your chosen field would know, which helps when you want to be seen as a professional. Search the job title and...