Can You Hear Me? Podcast’s Post

I can validate this is accurate content from my research on the same topic in my book - The New Employee Contract - How to Find, Keep, and Elevate Gen Z Talent. Grab a copy today to learn more on how to recruit, retain and train this next generation of talent -> https://a.co/d/arv6omf

Last night, I had the honor of joining a panel for EPICS | External Programs, Internships & Career Services to speak with current Northwestern University School of Communications students about careers in communications. In the discussion, I reflected on all that I’ve learned over the last four years and shared the following four pieces of advice: 🏢 There are benefits to working for both big and small companies - There's always pressure for your first job out of school to be big and splashy. From my experience, however, there are immense benefits to starting your career at a smaller organization, such as being able to stretch above your level and work on a variety of high-visibility projects. In fact, although I didn’t remember this until I looked back at my email, I asked my career advisor her thoughts on this exact topic on April 5, 2020 right after I got my full time offer from Spool (and I’m sure glad I listened to her advice)! 📱Not only is it easier than ever to make your own content, but to consume what others are posting - As someone who loves consumer insights and geeking out over PR campaigns and ads, I recommend using social media to keep a pulse on what is trending, how brands are activating, and what is resonating with different audiences. Use what you learn to inform your thoughts on the industry and anything you’re working on, including class projects. 🤝 Approach every ask with a relationship building mindset - Whether you’re looking to network for a job or contact journalists with a pitch, being genuine in wanting to get to know that person before you broach the topic of your end goal goes a long way. ✨ Every experience is valuable - Learning what you don’t like is just as important as learning what you do. It's knowing how to talk about the skills you learned and how you will translate them to a new role that makes all the difference. Plus, it’s being able to bring those unique experiences to a job that helps you standout as a candidate. At the end of the panel, I shared that my favorite part of working in PR is the ability to be immensely creative, and then to anchor those ideas in strategy, data, and insight that make them make sense for the brand and consumer. Thank you Laura Myers for inviting me to join this panel and for allowing me to share my favorite parts of the job and talk about a day in the life of a PR professional!

Early career communicators, don't miss all the great opportunities for employee storytelling this summer! ☀️ One place to start: identify gaps between what early career candidates want to know... and what your career site is telling them. Stories Incorporated visited the career pages of 100 of the best intern programs (as designated by Yello.co and WayUp).  We found so many opportunities to better engage an early career talent audience. Here are a few examples:  🎤 According to a McKinsey & Company study, 45% of Gen Z is concerned about their employment stability... 💡... but we found only 31% of companies offered any information about career or financial stability.  🎤  77% of Gen Z respondents to a recent Deloitte survey said it mattered to work at an organization whose values align with their own. They care about a company's social impact.... 💡 ... but only 22% of early career pages mentioned a commitment to sustainability or social responsibility.  🎤 87% of Gen Z say that learning and development benefits are important when evaluating a job opportunity... 💡 ...but only 39% of early career pages mentioned learning and growth opportunities. If your company supports Gen Z in some or all of the ways above, your early career audience wants to know! And, they want to hear from their peers who have been successful because of your great culture and programs. ▶️ Employee experiences bring your culture to life... 💡 ...but only 42% of early career pages use employee story videos! Check out the link in the comments for the rest of our research. #earlycareer #internships #interns #campusrecruiting #universityrecruiting #employeestories #careersites And reach out to me if we can help your company tell better employee stories this summer to recruit next year's class!

"Answering the question 'What do you do?' can be quite complicated. It is a question that often comes up in conversations with relatives, strangers, or fellow professionals. When I was unsure of my career path, this question haunted me the most. I had just completed my education and was uncertain about what I wanted to do or be. My biggest challenge and privilege was that I had the resources and was highly self-motivated to take on any challenge. It took me numerous discussions, internships, and experiences to finally decide that I wanted to work in PR. Now, when someone asks me what I do, I can confidently say that I work in PR. Not only has it helped me to make small talk less awkward, but it has also enabled me to grow professionally. PR is not only a job for me; it's my direction, my role in the economy, and how I am resourceful. Working in this field has taught me several lessons, but that's for another post. For now, my question to you is, what do you do?"

What passes for a decent PR internship these days? There’s nothing more daunting than walking into an internship. You’re young, possibly haven’t been in an office environment before, and you’re counting your lucky stars – because getting your foot in the door is half the battle! Elizabeth Howlett recently asked a number of PR professionals what they thought made a successful PR internship. Their thoughts: – Appoint a line manager for interns and build a structured work programme that combines essential tasks with valuable learning opportunities – Don’t drag out an internship as a way of getting a cheaper employee – To make the most of internships, it is crucial to identify the right partnerships and ensure a two-way learning process Read more of these in our latest column below 👇 Thanks to Jessica Nazaire, Natalie Luke, Morenike O., Gemma Moroney, Emma Parrish, Archana Shah and Marcia La-Rose FPRCA, CMPRCA for their thoughts on this piece. https://lnkd.in/eZMvxNZV 

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗥... 🌟 Wanna know the story? 🤔 Okay, I don’t wanna put you in too much curiosity... 😉 So basically, it's about toxic environments or cultures in a company. I was scrolling LinkedIn late at night and saw 6 to 7 posts about "𝗧𝗢𝗫𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧" - reasons, types, categories... 😩📲 But we already know the reasons and everything, right? Here’s something I thought I should discuss with you guys... 👇 So, my first day at internship in HR... I didn’t get a grand welcome, but yeah, at that time, even a simple greeting felt like a nice welcome. There was a senior who came to me, he talked very nicely... he really seemed like an HR person, breaking the ice around me to make me comfortable with the company. 🙌😊 I didn’t know about politics or toxic environment stuff, and he made me understand by saying: "𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀, 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹." 👀 (Not sure if he remembers this, but I sure do!) 🤔💭 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻? It means you can prevent yourself from the toxic environment by just focusing on YOU... your responsibilities, your duties. ✊ You don’t need to listen to anyone’s gossip. 🙌 You don’t need to be part of that negativity. 🙏 So if you wanna be happy at your workplace, consider your colleagues as colleagues. Show empathy, sympathy, and support to them, but remember, they are still just your colleagues. 💪🙂 Every single person is responsible for creating a better and more positive culture. Everyone has their own role. Just Spread positivity and focus on your growth. 🌟✨ PS: Posted the first picture on the first day at my very first office! 😁 #hr #workplaceculture #internship #positivity #toxicworkplace #professionalgrowth #empathy #focus #career #linkedin #workplacewellness #growthmindset #positivevibes #colleagues #officeculture

Just spoke with a rising junior who is interning at a fleet management solutions company. He asked me for tips and advice on how to break into the consulting industry. Usually I am asked questions about tech but this one was a throwback to my early career. I was genuinely impressed by his research. He knew exactly what kind of skill sets are necessary, the importance of client service, and what he is passionate for (strategy & analytics). I shared the following advice: ➡ Find a way to stand out. Aside from having good grades, what makes you different than the rest? Can you display moments of leadership? Join a consulting club. If your school doesn't have one, build it. Do your best to volunteer where possible, connect with other leaders, and gain experience. ➡ Never skip on networking events. Often times you will see companies on campus with recruiters and additional staff. That is intentional. They are there with the goal to identify top talent and build a pipeline. You never know who you may meet. Make a great impression! ➡ Use LinkedIn & Other Social Media Channels to connect with employees in the role you want. That is something I wish I did more of when I was in school. You will make a new connection but also learn if it's something you want to do. ➡ Be patient. Today's job market is not the best but that doesn't mean to lose hope. Continue to learn, grow, and enjoy this unique time in life! Students today are impressive and have so much passion. I wish you all the best during your internships!! #EarlyCareer #Tips #Networking

Attention all summer communications interns! Here are four tips to help you thrive this summer and throughout your blossoming careers. 🙋Constantly ask questions: Don't be afraid to seek guidance on specific tasks. Your colleagues don’t expect you to know everything from the start, and many view asking questions as a sign of eagerness to learn.   ✍️Know where your skills can be applied: Consider how your prior education and work experience can be applied to your current tasks. Take note of specific instances in which you can apply these skills as you advance.   🤔Understand the "why": There’s a difference between simply completing a task and truly understanding why it’s being done. Learning the purpose enables you to leverage that knowledge to complete the task in the most effective way possible.   🎯Step out of your comfort zone: Setting high standards for yourself and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone will help you grow professionally.   💬If you’ve been a summer intern before, share some of your personal tips below! #interns #comms #pr #agencylife

It's summer #internship season. ☀️ Over the years, we've had dozens of interns working across different parts of the company here at Issuu. So, I thought I'd share my thoughts with prospective interns on optimizing that next professional experience. 🔗 Internal Networking: Take the initiative to connect with executives from various departments. Invite them for a coffee (or virtual coffee) to learn about different departments within the company and how all the different facets fit together. Ask them what they do day to day, what they love about their job, what they hate about it, key ways they make an impact on the business, and how you can be most helpful. Doing so will showcase your curiosity, interest, and initiative. At the end of your internship, follow up with them to share insights gained and the impact you've made. 🔍 Synthesize: Spend time with your manager and colleagues to understand how your tasks align with company goals and affect different stakeholders. Create a habit of connecting the dots between your responsibilities and organizational success. The better you understand how your work contributes, the more successful you'll be. For instance, if tasked with writing a blog post, explore its broader impact and brainstorm ways to maximize engagement. Employees who can synthesize across different parts of the organization are incredibly valuable. This ability shows care, thoughtfulness, and a desire to connect day-to-day work with longer-term impact. 🏢 Go into the Office: In a time of remote and hybrid work, don't underestimate how impactful a visit to the office can be. You'll get to engage with executives and colleagues outside your usual circle and overhear discussions about the business or product that will enable you to contribute even more fully. Seize the opportunity to gain insights, ask questions face-to-face, spark new ideas, and build lasting connections in smaller, more intimate settings. 💬 Slack and Internal Communications: Immerse yourself in various communication channels to stay informed about company initiatives and dynamics. Observing how information flows within the organization will enhance your communication skills and ability to influence others effectively. 🌱 Embrace Your "Inexperience": Learn the company goals and then leverage your fresh perspective and creative energy to propose innovative ideas. While doing your daily tasks, work on coming up with audacious, original ways to help the company achieve its goals. Don't hesitate to contribute meaningfully to discussions because a lack of experience can often be an asset, offering unique solutions unbound by past failures or conventional thinking. Speak up. National Association of Colleges and Employers Internship, Fresher & Experience Jobs Internship Alert Internship Institute AIESEC internships.com Chegg Inc. Daniel Roth Gianna Prudente Andrew Seaman Indeed Chris Hyams Ami Dar Allison Farber Cheston Heather Huhman The Savvy Grad Lauren Berger

Curious about how to find an internship in the communications field? This blog from Handshake can give you all the tips you need. https://lnkd.in/g6yDz-qG