Part 7: Nail the Interview

Want to become an online pr and communications professional?

 

Here's how in part 7 of my series: How to: Become an online pr and communications professional!

 

Now a days, everything has changed! Online communications and pr has taken a total change. Online interviews are a huge craze? SAY WHAT? Yes you heard me, online interviews!

 

An online interview is any form of interview for a job by which you are not present for a formal interview. As we all know, interviews can be terrifying, sitting in a waiting room waiting for your name to be called, shaking hands with someone you wish would hire you, questions that put you on edge and often meeting your competion on the way out. NO MORE!

 

An online interview takes the stress away, many companies now call interest subjects using media tools such as skype and apples face time. This allows them to see the interviewee without them seeing the employer. The employer has the oppurtunity to ask the questions they still want to ask without having the scary in person shaking (we all get it)

 

Often the questions refering to the company will be asked on the spot on video interviews and does not give the person being interviewed the chance to hide.

 

The one good thing is you only have be dressed formally on your top half, who says a suit and tie with pj bottoms wasnt comfortable?!

 

Online interviews are fantastic! There fast, easy and best of all from the comfort of your own home! Whats not to enjoy?

 

Hope you've enjoyed this blog :)

 

Happy online pr and communication days!

 

Part 5 How to: Be an online communications and pr professional

Catherine here again!

So heres part 5 to my series. How to: Become an online pr and communications professional.

Part 5 of the series is to polish your cv!

Your cv is one of the most important parts to getting a professional career.

Whether your have tons of experience or not! The dream job is still in reach for you!

Think about it carefully and look through all relevant experience you have. Bet your glad you did those public speaking classes, public debating and english studies in college eh?

Add anything that you think will help your future employeer! I personally think it is important to include anything that will make you look as good as you can.

Being an online pr and communications professional having online skills and tools are vital to include on your online cv, as many online communications and pr firms demand interested people to send cvs online.

Heres some helpful tips to get that perfect cv for you!

 Keep it real!

Never ever ever ever ever lie on a CV!!! Saying your amazing at online communications and pr is vital for your future career. Lying and saying you've years of experience when you don't, you will get caught out. Lying about things never looks good if you get caught out. It will always be found out. "Im fluent in online french language classes" "I've taken them for years". What if your online communications and pr agency use you to contact their french sister company and you can't speak a word of french? Getting out caught could reveal your lies and end up with you loosing your job.

Make it look good

Professional, Professional, Professional!!! As you are mastering "online communications and pr". Everything is about ONLINE! Keep it up to date with information and use a smart design that shows you would be perfect working online. Trying to stay in the online state of mind is difficult but make sure to keep it looking as technical and good as you can!!

Tailor it

A Cv should be different for every person, make it your twist and show your personality through the CV. Try and make it unique and stay with a professional touch as much as you can!!!

Include a personal statement

 Keep it current

Any relevant information about previous work, or skills you have put them down! Try and keep it as relevant, sadly in an online field old skills will not help you get any job you wish to get!

The errors

Spelling mistakes looks sloppy, they make you look unprofessional, you have no excuses as all word programmes have a spell checker and word processor, YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE! Keep it clean and keep them keen!

 

Make it keyword friendly

 

Depending on the job you are applying for. Keep including words that a relevant to the job. If I was applying for an online communications and pr job, I would keep inserting the word online, "Previous experience in online software" "Studying online media and pr tools". This will catch the attention of the future employer and you could get the job you want!

 

The maths

 

Include figure, 90% improvement in online communications and pr sales in the past 3 years for previous company. It makes you look professional and intune with what you are doing online.

 

Enjoy your future online communications and pr days :)

 

 

 

 

 

Part 6: Research Potential Employers

Research Potential Online Employers

 

Hey guys! Back again,

 

How do you plan on becoming an online communications and pr professional without research your employer?

 

The best way to research is ONLINE ONLINE ONLINE, as you are going into an online field, make sure to look at any media sites they have, Facebook, Twitter, Instgram, Google+, Blogger, Pintrest! Anything, even follow them but make sure to NOT connect any personal sites with their business sites as they have full access to all of your personal information. They do not need to know where you are, who your with or what you've been drinking down the pub last weekend. Remember what goes online, STAYS online.

 

Make sure to research everything, they could ask you in an interview what you like about their company, Saying something whitty could help you grab that job! :)

 

I personally feel if I research a company online before going for the interview you get to know the business and therefore it becomes easier to understand it.

 

Happy online pr and communications days!

 

New media tools in online communications continued

Hey guys.. Catherine here again.
As I've already talked about New types of media i taught i would share more.. Cause Im nice like that!! :)

When i say Google googles what do you think of?

Personally I vision a huge Google pair of glasses. Yes they are real but not Google googles is actually a new media tool to help online communications and pr professionals. Google goggles is a downloadable app that uses image recognition to connect peoples images to the internet.

For exsample if someone takes a picture of the londons eye it would show up on google goggles and give information about it!

For more information click here!
https://www.google.ie/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=what+is+google+goggles+&oq=what+is+google+goggles+&gs_l=serp.3..0l2j0i20j0l2j0i20j0.5194.18386.1.19716.9.4.0.0.0.2.1278.2714.4-2j1j0j1.4.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.5.serp.JITq70bCzTs&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=4d789b57a10d1fdf&biw=1365&bih=675

What are the hidden benifits of google goggles? :)

Well of coarse its a great idea, a company could use it to connect their product to a company. They could take a picture of somewhere and if there business was close by it could promote it to them.

Also, if someone took a picture of lets say for exsample, a can of coke, it could bring them to a page advertising coke, selling coke and even suggesting the nearest place to buy it.

The internet can be scary in so many ways! It connects people to worlds of online communications that they never imagined!

Have a think about it
Happy PR days
Catherine!

Part four: How to be an online communications and pr pro

Heys guys!

Back again with part four of my series how to: Become an online pr and communication professional!

This time I’m using a topic not usually associated with online pr or communications but it helps greatly!

Network! Network! Network! Network!

In this blog I will be talking about the process of networking!  Long gone are the days of texting, emailing your whole contacts list! These days one of the main ways to get in touch with new people network!

How do you network you ask?

I’m not going to spend my time talking about superficial, insincere, fake stuff that we all can smell a mile away. Smiling across a party or making a gesture to say hello. THAT’S NOT NETWORKING! Your job is not to be a social butterfly, sticking with the people you know, but to spread your wings and fly to new people! The art of networking is to grow respectful and caring relationships that can help you in your future career!

Often in life we network to have a relationship with someone, use these skills in your professional world to try and promote yourself as the best you can!

 Margaret Wheatley once said: "Relationships are all there is. Everything in the universe only exists because it is in relationship to everything else." So why not take a book out of her leaf? Put as much effort into networking, as you would any other relationship.

Never make the mistake that people make when trying to build networking contacts. Do not mix business with pleasure. Your future boss does not need to see you drunk on your facebook page, tweeting where you’re going on a Saturday night, try to keep it professional and don't add them on these social sites!

Contradicting the last statement, Make sure to relax around the people you are networking with, if at a party yes of course you can relax, if out at a business meeting yes relax. Relaxing can be seen as many different things, not just the relaxing many of us do at the weekend!

If your relaxed around people, they will accept you for who you are and not a robot with no feelings who never mistakes! Think about it, if you made a mistake your friend would forgive you quite easily? Yes?
Well think of this when working, if you make a mistake and they know something about you they may forgive more easily. Don’t cross this line too much, keep it professional. Of course you can relax but there is a line to professional and personal. Make sure not to make your boss or future boss your friend. The friend zone can become vicious when you do make a mistake. Try to keep it as professional as you can but relax and go with it.

Part 3: How to become an online pr/communications pro

Today im writing my third part of an eight part series.

How to become an online Pr and Communications Professional.

What exsactly is online pr and communications?

According to Dennis Rotzou Public Relations firm it is "Online Pr is a very important source of news and information for people and organisations. It is therefore crucial for any organisation to increase its visibility through online public relations."

In normal people terms, it is vital for an organization or business to run to have online pr and communications.

In this part im talking about "Finding Your niche"

The online pr and communications circle can be very competitive.

Things you need to remember are to target your exsact audience. Without a business finding its niche audience, to capture the eye of their audience or to even get in contact with an audience is vital in order for the firm or business to run.

A product, service and client can make or break your business. Also the same ideas can be applied to your future career. Getting the right niche is crucial to your business. If you can zone in on an area that you have potential in your career can take off.

By picking a niche for you (ie. Online pr and communications in ireland) The more variety you have to sell yourself as a business professional. Showing your niche, your talents and skills will show that you are confident and sure of yourself even within the competive circles.

Their are six main niches within the pr and communications world.

1. Investor Relations
2. Healthcare PR
3. Music Pr/Communications
4. Lifestyle Pr/communications
5. Community pr
6. Technical Pr/Communications

Investor Relations

This side of public relations is very finance orientated, but perfect for those who love finances and numbers! Its alot of work but vital in every sort of Pr firm.

Healthcare PR

As healthcare pr is growing with health crisises, advertising health specialists and health products healthcare is one of the best paying Pr jobs at the moment.


Music Pr/Communications

Advertising and communicating up and coming artists is vital to run a music PR firm.

Lifestyle Pr/communications

Many of the lifestyle bloggers/vloggers have become stars due to their up and coming blog/vlogger followers. Lifestyle Pr has become such a strong niche as many people are now more aware and in touch with lifestyle topics.

Community pr

Community PR effects everyone, no matter where they live in the world. Developing relationship and connections within this niche is vital. A good relationship with a good client could rocket your career in months!

Technical Pr/Communications

Of coarse I couldnt forget to mention the technical side of the world. Technology is not only used to promote pr and communications but without technology the world of online pr and communications would not be online. Lets not brush technology away, yes it is comlicated but once educated properally in it. You could easily become a professional in no time.

So to round up, Pick the niche your strongest in. Stick with it. Have confidence and work on it, Grow yourself, and who knows?

YOU! Could be the next online Pr and Communications Pro

Part 2: How to become an online communications/pr pro

Part two of how to: become an online communications and PR professional. 

A serious to help you become an online communications and pr professional.

We all know how tough the online communications and pr world can be.

So heres my helpful tips to get you set up and on your way!

Today is the second part of eight in the series!

Appearance

So your probably wondering like me, Why in gods name does my appearance matter when I'm online?

Ever taught about the image your sending to the world?

I never taught of this when trying to learn the ropes of a pro!

In recent years many companies have set up pop up stalls at conferences, photo shoots and Public relations events taking professional head shots for online media sites.

A good photo:

Professional

Cleverly dressed

Neat hair/Makeup

Respectable pose

Natural looking

Up to date

A bad photo:

Something used from a personal site (Facebook drinking photos)

Heavy make up

Unprofessional clothing

Group shots

The aim to get the perfect head shot or profile photo can help be the decision why a cooperation will hire you or not! 

While tweeting you may be snuggled on a couch with your hair up in a track suit, but sadly your profile can not portray this image. In the privacy of your own home you can stay that way, the online media world does not need to see that! 

The online media world can be vicious! It is judge mental, with a professional look and respectable appearance you can be taken seriously and stay on top of the competition!

Other helpful tip:

Use work pages as work pages

Do not mix personal and professional information on one page (IE: At Starbucks with john)

This can send an unprofessional signal to potential clients/employees/employers etc. Keep a professional state of mind

While being online remember every thing you post, tweet, link in etc will always be there regardless if you delete it or not.

Future employers/Other online professionals will watch you, Keep it fresh up to date and professional.

Stay up to date and recent. Try stay appealing to your audience. Keep your client/employer/media in mind. An up to date appearance is crucial. 

So why not try it out? Change your picture, Make it simple, professional and respectable and who knows you could be on your way to being an online communications and PR professional in no time! 

Happy Online Communications and PR searching!