KirkHazlett-APRofessor's Thoughts

Your Career and You: "New Year...New Beginnings"

2012-01-27T08:54:00.001-05:00

Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m the eternal optimist.

For me, there’s always something new and exciting around the corner. All I have to do is move in the right direction and I’ll find it.

That attitude has carried me through close to a half-century of life as a Public Relations practitioner that has encompassed more than a dozen jobs.

I realize that I’m not wired like most people, but I refuse to accept any other way of living. Keeps me “young” mentally and spiritually.

This is an attitude that I try to convey to my students these days, both at Curry College, where I oversee the undergraduate PublicRelations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, and at Regis College, where I teach graduate courses in the Organizational and ProfessionalCommunications area.

Not everyone “buys” my optimism. There are those who think I’m unrealistic, unaware of the cold hard facts of today’s working world.

That neither bothers nor surprises me. I’ve wandered through life doing what interested me (usually) and having a ton of fun in the process. But I’ve also been closely associated with folks who neither felt like I did nor had the slightest interest in what our mission was.

Looking back on it, I’m able to see the outcome of their attitude…they’ve either stagnated in their jobs or they’re no longer doing what they disliked…they’ve moved on to something equally unpleasant in their mind but at least “not the same as before.”

Sorry. That doesn’t work for me. While I’m not totally into the “if life deals gives you lemons…” concept, I do believe it’s within my power to change my circumstances. (Got fired from a job I hated once…probably a little radical for a solution, but quite effective!...wound up doing something that absolutely resonates with me…teaching.)

The point to this is that you truly do…or should…have control of your destiny. But it takes some introspection…you have to have a heart-to-heart conversation with yourself about what it is you really would like to be doing. Then you have to chart out a path to that goal.

But you don’t do this alone. You do, of course, have to have that “conversation.” But you also can and should be talking to friends, significant others, teachers, mentors…anyone who can listen to you and offer an opinion.

Good decisions are usually made based on the input of others important to you. They often will be objective…not always…they’re your friends. But they will be a good sounding board against which to test your thoughts.

As I write this, I am (sort of) observing the Chinese New Year…the “Year of the Dragon.” According to my Chinese wife, it’s not going to be a stellar year…lots of cautions to be mindful of. But, you know, that, too, is “life.” A bagful of lemons out of which to create some delicious and refreshing lemonade!

Optimism lives large in my world, and this is an opportunity for it to strut its stuff. Here’s to a great year filled with new beginnings!

Your Career and You: "Falling in Love"

2012-01-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

Then...

It all started with a chance encounter...we were introduced by a trusted advisor.

We both thought it would be a short-lived experience...we could only meet once a week in the evening. How could it possibly work out?

But we were wrong...I was hooked from the first...loved the talk of "relationships" and "mutual understanding." This was a commitment I was ready for.

And I was right! We've now been a "team" for more than 40 years...

And now...

I just received a "Google Alerts" notice that the second of two guest blog posts I wrote for two friends, Shonali Burke and Larry Thomas, had been published.

Got a rush kind of like when I used to, as a kid on Christmas morning, sneak into the living room to see what Santa had left under the tree!

Yeah...there's an ego-trip-py feeling to it. But more important, in my mind, it's a reminder of why I wandered like a nomad into...and earned my citizenship in...public relations.

I absolutely love being able to use words and actions to deliver messages, spark interest, and generate reaction.

Not everyone agrees with what I say. I've been called some pretty neat things..."dilletante" is my all-time favorite!

But I know, from the comments I get on my blog and other places, that I've caused someone to stop...to read...to think...and to react.

If I've accomplished what I intended, people have acted.

They joined the Army when I worked as a Public Affairs Specialist for the US Army Boston District Recruiting Command (now New England Army Recruiting Battalion).

They gave lifesaving blood when I worked as Communications Services Director for the Blood Bank of Hawaii.

And they get interested in and study public relations in my current role as Associate Professor of Communication at Curry College, where I teach undergrad PR courses and constantly tweak the PR concentration to ensure that our students are fully prepared for "life after graduation."

I didn't start out this way, though.

The story...

Thought I wanted to be a civil engineer building highways and bridges. Discovered you actually had to be able to draw straight lines! Bummer.

Wound up as an English major with a focus on 18th-century British lit.

A few twists and turns, two more degrees (in business management), eight years active duty in the Air Force...and a public affairs internship with the Army's Training and Doctrine Command. The rest, so they say, is history.

"Love" struck with an elective I took for my undergraduate business degree..."Introduction to Public Relations."

The course put a name on stuff I had been doing when I was in the Air Force...working with community groups, publicizing activities my unit was involved in, writing promotional pieces for the base newspaper.

Until I took the course, I honestly had no idea what I was doing...I just knew I loved doing it!

Jumping ahead to the present, I've had a very cool, if somewhat zigzagging, career. Made a difference to some important organizations.

Loved every minute of it...and still do!

And that's the point of this chat today...

When you discover what it is that you really enjoy doing, it turns into a love affair that lasts forever. You can't wait to get to it when you wake up in the morning...and you're reluctant to leave it at the end of the day.

"To business that we love we rise betime,
And go to 't with delight."
William Shakespeare, "Antony and Cleopatra," IV, iv, 20

Your Career and You: "The Art of Kissing Frogs"

2012-01-07T18:34:00.001-05:00

For some misguided reason, I thought the winter break from Curry College, where I ride herd over the undergraduate Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the PR courses, and Regis College, where I teach graduate Organizational and Professional Communications courses, would be one of solitude and meditation.

Nope…things were (characteristically for me) mildly insane. Tons of reading and writing, which, in addition to ironing clothes, tend to be my “therapy.”

Also, though, lots of talks with students, current and former, undergrad and grad, as well as other friends and professional colleagues, mid-level and senior-level.

Most of these chats revolved around job or job search dissatisfaction. Either the search wasn’t going as anticipated, or the job itself has turned out to be not so great.

This isn’t a new topic for me, but it is a new year, so let’s dive in.

My sage advice…not necessarily said exactly this way, but implicit in my conversations…was that “you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince (or princess for the male gender).”

Career transitions…college to the fulltime, professional workforce, or job to job…are a baffling mix of timing, luck, research, and perseverance. Doesn’t matter where you are in the food chain; it applies at all levels.

The learning point here is that, no matter how carefully you plan your search, once in a while the train’s going to jump off the tracks. And there’s usually nothing you could have done about it.

What you can do is reassure yourself that it’s not a genetic flaw. Bad things happen to good people. Sadly, this was your time in the barrel.

So what do you do about it?

First of all, in my (sort of) humble opinion, you examine the frog’s warts. What makes them “warts” and not 18th-century “beauty patches”? In other words, is what you perceive as not pleasant actually par for the course and just not something you’re comfortable with?

Case in point. One of my friends, with whom I’ve been having a long-running dialogue, works for a PR firm…a very good PR firm, I might add…and is going through, to put it mildly, “mental and personal hell.”

The job has its good moments, but these are overrun by some totally suck-y moments. (“For every ‘action,’ there’s an equal and opposite ‘RE-action’”?)

Whatever the case, she’s miserable and wants a change. But she’s concerned that the “warts” she thinks she has identified as associated with a potential new opportunity might be too gross.

Hence the quandary. “Kiss or no?”

Another friend is just embarking on her maiden voyage into professional life. She’s open to either internship learning opportunities or entry-level jump-in-and-do-it positions. She’s not completely sure what “warts” are, but she intuitively understands they’re there…and she really isn’t too keen about the frog-kissing part!

There are no magic answers to these dilemmas. What you can do is what I have advised time and again…do your research…network…talk to your friends, teachers, whoever you can use as a sounding board.

Then you make a decision…pucker up…and kiss the frog.

If it’s meant to be, it will turn into your prince(-ess). I totally speak from experience here both from my previous life as a public relations professional and from my current life as public relations prof.

In both universes, I took a chance with opportunities that, on first glance, were absolutely not what I had envisioned myself doing. And in both instances, I found myself doing something that absolutely resonated in my soul.

Now, just to be completely clear, I also have vivid memories of a couple of swamp-reeking toads in my past, so it’s not a perfect world.

But I learned from those experiences, and I used that knowledge in other, future transitions.

And that’s the final, final learning point…learn from your encounters of the frog kind. Learn to distinguish warts from the mere bumps. And, when in doubt, listen to Three Dog Night!

“Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
And this our life exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.”
William Shakespeare, “As You Like It,” II, I, 12

Your Career and You: “Seize the (Online) Day!”

2011-12-29T11:08:00.000-05:00

We’re on our winter break now at Curry College, so I don’t have the daily interactions with my Communication students that are so often the spark for my musings.

But I’ve been able to maintain a pretty steady flow of conversation via Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn that led this morning to this thought… “Carpe diem!”

Yep… “seize the day.” Take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. Follow up on leads. Dust off and refurbish the resume’. Take control of your destiny.

Granted a lot of folks are on vacation…or at least they're out of the office surroundings…for a few days. But I’ve noticed that the majority of them are still online…a little more relaxed in their tweets and posts, but still there.

I’m assuming, of course, that you’re active on social media as well, so you already have a presence of some sort (not talking about the keg party photos you put up this morning!) and that, if you were to reach out to me through one of the platforms, I could do a quick check to see “who” you are and, perhaps, respond to your message.

So this is your chance to act. The old year’s hobbling toward its end with some pretty remarkable events chalked up; the new year is just around the corner.

Get the momentum started. Do some research first; then do some outreach.

Why? Because I’m not looking for you. You are looking for me for a job, an internship, or simply an informational interview.

The virtual ball is in your court. As Nike so famously says, “Just do it!”

“Knowledge must come through action; you can have no test which is not fanciful, save by trial.” – Sophocles, “Trachiniae,” l. 592

Your Career and You: "Looking Back to Look Forward"

2011-12-14T20:17:00.001-05:00

As we tiptoe into the final weeks of 2011…a year that definitely has presented a boatload of challenges and opportunities…a few thoughts...

First, on the challenges, not the least of which has been the continuing train wreck that is our economy and its impact on my students’ ability to find a job post-graduation.

Some of them have beat the odds and found positions where they’re using the knowledge and the entry-level (or higher) skills gained through classroom studies and (often) multiple internships. Others are still on the hunt, and I’m doing my dead-level best to cheer and guide them on in the process.

I’m tempted also to say a challenge has been these folks’ “stick-close-to-home” mentality, and I totally that realize I’m not the best person to broach this topic.

Had it not been for a little skirmish known as “The Vietnam War,” I would very likely be winding down a “nice but not challenging” career as a college-level English prof somewhere in my home state of Georgia (“Go Dawgs!).

Didn’t happen that way, though. Spent two years in Saigon teaching “English as a Second Language” to the Vietnamese military, a total of eight years in the Air Force working in audiovisual services and public affairs, seven years as a civilian working in Army public affairs, and the remainder in private sector public relations.

So don’t do as I almost did…widen your horizons in your search for a job.

Today, as I inch closer to that mysterious “retirement age,” I’m teaching what I learned and did for all those years to undergraduate Communication students at Curry College as well as to graduate Organizational and Professional Communication students at Regis College. And, I’m having the time of my life!

And…I’m thinking about the immediate future and what’s next!

Still loads of things to learn and to share with anyone willing to listen. Still a burning desire to accomplish something “worthwhile” that will leave an indelible mark on the PR profession, either as a professional or as an educator.

As Leonard Cohen so aptly described it in his London concert warm-up, I’m “just a kid with a crazy dream.”

So what does this have to do with you and your own burning desire to move onward and upward?

Lots…not the least of which is reflecting on what you have accomplished and seeing what makes you smile on reflection and what you would like to take one more swing at.

This is where “opportunities” come into play…

I had a chat earlier this week with an advisee who had just learned that her application for a full-time position with the PR firm where she’s interning is basically dead in the water due to a recent loss of clients.

We talked for a while, and I asked her where else she had applied (I ask this regularly of my advisees just to keep them focused on the target…a job…with a dozen other “must dos” flitting around them).

Turns out she really hasn’t been doing much outreach; she’s been pinning her hopes on this now-defunct opportunity. But as we talked more, we realized that she had actually made and maintained some pretty solid contacts through her internships and family. Add some of my references...she’s off and running!

And this is the point of all this reminiscing…looking back on what you’ve done and who you know…and moving confidently forward in your job search.

It sometimes seems like your job search has hit a sandbar and is stuck. But when you stop and realize that high tide (aka: “a lead”) will lift you up and off, the future becomes a bit brighter.

So take a moment to look back and reflect on what you’ve done; then look forward to what you’ve made possible!!

“The Future…something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.”
Clive Stapes Lewis, “The Screwtape Letters” [1941], 25

Your Career and You: “A Passion for Perfection: Do You Have It?”

2011-12-08T23:00:00.001-05:00

I have experienced two distinctly different levels of performance recently that got me to thinking about careers.

The first was presentation last week to one of my Curry College PR superstars of the “2011 PRSA Boston Educational Scholarship.”

The second was the all-too-typical shoddy service provided by Boston’s MBTA mass transit system, a sub-standard insult to commuters.

But I digress. My superstar, Jessica Brandi, a Communication major with a double concentration in Public Relations and Corporate Communication in addition to a Sociology minor, is the first Curry College student to receive this important recognition.

What did she do that caught the selection committee’s collective eyes?

Simple…sort of.

Since her arrival at Curry, she has settled for producing nothing less than her best. She has excelled at her studies, and she has equally excelled at her (now two) internships. She devotes 110% of her energies and efforts to everything she undertakes.

I have a vision of shining success on her horizon, and I fully intend to devote my own energies and efforts to helping her achieve that success.

The opposite example is this morning’s commute on the MBTA’s Red Line…the first leg of a three-stage ordeal that I endure each day to get to Curry College, where I oversee the Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the PR courses.

In modern cities, public transit is a marvel, moving you from place to place smoothly and comfortably.

Not the case in Boston. Every day’s commute is a giant crapshoot…sometimes you get lucky and your commute is only mildly annoying. Others…today, for example…what would be a 30-minute ride by car takes you an uncomfortable one hour by mass transit…with minimal attempt by MBTA personnel to inform you of what’s going on when delays occur.

I use these two contrasting examples to drive home a point for my PR students in particular…Others look to and rely on you to help them move forward and succeed. Don’t let them down.

What I have witnessed with my young superstar is the good example. She gets it. She understands that it is up to her to work hard…do her best…and realize the positive results.

I’m not suggesting that you will get scholarships, promotions, or special recognition every time you do something extraordinarily well.

Sometimes the reward will be internal…your own sense of pride and accomplishment for having proven the high level of performance that you’re capable of achieving.

But feeling good about yourself is a huge part of the game called “life.” If you are proud of what you’ve done, that pride will motivate you to even higher levels of achievement.

Sociologist Abraham Maslow referred to this as “self-actualization”…or as we used to call it when I did public affairs for the US Army Recruiting Command... “Be all you can be.”

So don’t settle for just “getting by” in your daily life and your pursuit of a fulfilling career. Set your standards high, and shoot for the stars.

It’s called a “passion for perfection.” Do you have it??

“You will find rest from vain fancies if you perform every act in life as though it were your last.” - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, “Meditations,” II, 5

Your Career and You: "Dodging the 'Dumb' Question"

2011-12-01T12:46:00.000-05:00

I’ve been thinking lately about meetings I’ve attended over the years and how, in nearly every one of them, the speaker(s) would say, “There’s no such thing as a ‘dumb question.’”

And then some poor soul in the audience would open his or her mouth and out it would come.

Friends, there truly are dumb questions, and they usually are a reflection of the asker’s not having a clue why he or she is actually at this particular meeting.

I’m not a big question-asker personally (professionally’s a different story). Never have been. Why? Because I’ve always tried to make myself at least reasonably knowledgeable about the topic of the meeting I was attending before going to the meeting.

Why?

So that, in the meeting, I would be able to fill in the blanks…flesh out the details on the subject and be better able to fit it into my daily work/life routine…myself.

How does this apply to careers…job searches…and your success?

As I constantly remind my students both at Curry College, where I oversee the undergraduate Public Relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, and at Regis College, where I teach in the graduate Organizational and Professional Communications area, research (fact finding as well as fact checking) is a key element in any public relations plan. That’s where all program planning should start...and end (as “evaluation,” another form of research).

Any career development initiative should have a fact-finding element. What does a company or a potential job position offer? What skills and abilities do you currently have that would interest that company in you and/or qualify you for that position?

And fact-checking. What’s the company’s reputation? How about others who have held this position? Where are they now? Why (a little trickier to find out but incredibly valuable information) did they leave?

Now…back to the “dumb question.”

The truly dumb question is the one you don’t ask. The “why” question…the “what’s next” question.

Odds are, there’s someone else in the audience thinking the same thing as you. And, the sad thing is, both of you are going to walk out without the answer…leaving you just as uninformed as when you walked in.

Same holds true with job interviews, and I fit nicely into the “been there; done that” category here.

Did that with a previous job. Didn’t do my research before accepting the position. Blew it big time. Wound up getting fired because the fellow who hired me held totally different views about the role that I was to fill from what I thought I was going to contribute to the organization. I didn’t dig deep enough. I didn’t ask enough questions.

The good news is that I went on to better, more rewarding, opportunities afterwards. But the question will always be there… “What if…?”

So what we have learned here, as my friends on South Park like to say at the end, is that the truly dumb question is the unasked question.

“It appears to me that...difficulties and disagreements, of which history is full, are mainly due to a very simple cause: namely to the attempt to answer questions, without first discovering precisely what question it is which you desire to answer.”- George Edward Moore, Principia Ethica [1903], preface

Your Career and You: "Jobs Don't Wait for YOU"

2011-11-23T11:15:00.000-05:00

As we hobble toward the end of the fall semester at Curry College, where I ride herd over the Public Relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, I seem to be having more frequent conversations with students who are desperately trying to secure an internship for the spring.

It’s not like this is a new thing…I’ve been bugging them since September to get their stuff together and start planning for the future.

“Go online and look at what’s listed in Career Services”… “What are you interested in?” … “Stop by my office for a chat.”

Wishful thinking, Kirk. For the most part, this advice fell on stone-deaf ears…

…until spring course selection time rolled around.

Suddenly the air was filled with the panic-tinged wails of would-be interns who had nada.

Nothing. Zero. Zipperoonie.

Yet, when asked if they had looked online at possibilities, the response was “Oh, no. I haven’t gotten around to that yet.”

When asked if they had given any thought to areas of interest, the response was “Oh, I really don’t know…anything, I guess.”

Comes the killer question: “How’s your resume? Do you have that ready to go?”

And the response, “We’ve been working on that in our [internship prep] class.”

In other words, we’re sitting here now talking about something that should have been done yesterday, and you’re saying you’ll probably get it done tomorrow!

Here we go again…Where’s the disconnect?

I’ve been doing a lot of online commentary about the immediacy of communication today. Things are moving at warp speed, especially in the public relations area.

(Sidebar: I actually had a student last week who was planning to mail her resume and cover letter to potential internship sites! How quaintly Emily Dickinson-ish!)

So back to the “triggering event.”

One of my troops…with whom, by the way, I’ve been having pretty regular chats about applying for internships…informed me that the internship that she really wanted (or so she said nearly a month ago) was “already filled.”

When did she send in her application??

Two days before this revelation!

Not a month ago, when we first chatted. Not two weeks ago, when we chatted yet again.

Nope…two days ago!!

So now she’s scrambling once again since she has set up her spring course schedule to leave room for this crucial step in her preparation for a future career in public relations.

Don’t know what else I can do. Nagging doesn’t seem to have much effect. I’m not into out-and-out yelling, although I probably should start training.

We’ll sort this quandary somehow. But we shouldn’t be in this position to begin with.

The solution is a two-sided remedy.

First, I’m going to morph from the nice guy who gently urges you to take those actions that I know from personal experience will benefit your search to the fire-breathing pain in the tuchus who will haunt your every waking moment.

Second, you’re going to start reporting weekly (at a minimum) on your outreach activities starting the second week of the new semester.

Comes the plaintive whimper, “Why?”

Because life…and good opportunities…don’t sit around waiting for you to act.

Tomorrow isn’t 24 hours away anymore.

The future, whether you want it to be or not, is now.

“Often do the spirits
Of great events stride on before the events,
And in today already walks tomorrow.”
Schiller, “Wallenstein” [1799-1800], pt. II, act V, sc. 1

Your Career and You: "Write Right. Right?"

2011-11-17T11:19:00.001-05:00

Had a heart-stopping email chat with a student earlier this week. I won’t throw this individual totally under the bus, but…

…An “honors student” at a local college. (I teach at a couple…Curry College and Regis College; have taught at several others; stay in touch with former and current students from all.)

…A self-identified “scholar,” implying a high level of already-demonstrated excellence in academic studies and desire to do even better.

This particular student wanted to start applying for public relations intern-ships and figured I would be a good person to turn to for advice…and editing assistance.

I’m okay about helping you find the occasional errant comma or misplaced verb phrase. We all miss things from time to time.

But GIANT typos…that’s a whole ’nother issue.

Especially when you’re looking for something in the communication field…my turf.

What set me off on this?

In my first quick glance at the student’s resume, I found four major errors.

Not one…FOUR. HUGE. WRONG. GLARINGLY INCORRECT. ERRORS.

What really set me off?!?

The student’s response when I pointed them out.

And I quote…

“Oh, haha. Thanks. I’ve always had trouble with spelling.”

Nothing in there about “OMG, I am so sorry. I should have caught those mistakes and fixed them before sending my resume to you. It won’t happen again.”

Nope.

“Oh, haha. Thanks. I’ve always had trouble with spelling.”

As I ask so often in my posts, “Where’s the disconnect? What is it that you don’t understand about the need for attention to detail and a sincere desire to do your best?”

Would-be bus drivers are expected to exhibit a certain level of proficiency if they wish to secure permanent employment.

Carpenters have to be able to hammer a nail into a piece of wood without (a) missing the nail and damaging the wood or (b) bending the nail.

Communication professionals are expected…at the very minimum…to be able to write coherent sentences and spell words correctly.

This obsession with accurate and error-free writing should live deep inside your soul. To get all CSI-y on you, it should be in your DNA.

It should torment you every time you put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard. Check. Double-check. And then…as a back-up…run spellcheck…just in case!

As much as I inherently distrust spellcheck programs, regardless of the creator, they do offer some “red-flag” services to draw attention to potential problems. Among these is the seemingly ever-present red underlining that indicates either a misspelled word or a nonexistent word. Another is the green underlining that indicates a possible incomplete or grammatically incorrect sentence. I tend to get a lot of both because of the way I write.

In either case, when you see one of these warning signs, check it out!! You might be correct in your intended use of a word or structure of a sentence, but at least check it out to be sure you wrote what you intended to write.

And that, my ever-attentive friends, is my diatribe for today. I invite you, when you think you see a boo-boo in my own writing, to call me out on it. Lord knows, I’m not perfect (except in my own fuzzy mind!)…and I will know you actually read my post!

Sneaky, no?!? J

"Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." - Gene Fowler, Attributed
[Also attributed, in a variant form, to sports columnist Red (Walter Wellesley) Smith]

Your Career and You: "Holiday List-Making"

2011-11-10T13:45:00.000-05:00

Okay…I know you’re still munching on leftover Halloween candy. But now’s the time to start on this important part of your career development or job search…holiday networking.

I’m constantly on my students both at Curry College, where I head the undergraduate Public Relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, and at Regis College, where I teach part-time in the graduate Organizational and Professional Communication area, to do this one thing and do it well…network.

If you’ve kind of been letting your outreach to folks you’ve met at professional and/or social functions lie fallow, now’s the perfect time to ramp up activities.

It’s not rocket-science, friends. It’s a simple direct message on Twitter or Facebook or whatever social media platform(s) you’re on…please tell me you’re on several!! It’s a (legibly) handwritten holiday card or simple note. It’s an invitation to get together for coffee. It’s networking at its simplest and finest!

Now…today…this weekend…is the ideal time to comb your contacts and identify those individuals on whose radar screen you really, really, really should be seen. (Even as I write this, I realize there are two people with whom I haven’t communicated in eons and with whom I must reconnect…
so this post has already been of value to me!)

Then plan your outreach. Who via Twitter? Facebook? Snail mail?? Sort it out…the task won’t seem so daunting.

When? Make it an organized operation…not hit-or-miss. Set aside an hour two or three days a week (early morning/evening…whenever you can without throwing your regular work or school routine into a tailspin).

Finally, keep track of your efforts. Sounds simplistic, but if you’re reaching out to a boatload of people, you want to make sure that (a) you do and (b) you don’t duplicate…kinda makes you look disorganized if you contact me through Facebook and snail mail at the same time. I tend to think “okay, mass mailing…not personal.”

Of course face-to-face is the best way to do your networking, but that’s obviously not always feasible. The energy that I always gain, though, from having sat and chatted with a friend or professional colleague over a cup of coffee is sooo worth the extra effort.

And that’s your assignment for the short-term. The holiday season, when everyone is all about friendships and giving and camaraderie, is an ideal time to re-kindle relationships.

Granted, you should be doing this all year long. But, just in case…start now making your lists!

“There are many ways to increase your knowledge of people through personal contact…Talk to people beyond the confines of your own business, social, professional, or even community group. Get new points of view.”
Edward L. Bernays, “A Definitive Study of Your Future in Public Relations” [1961], p. 122

Your Career and You: "Be Proud of What You Do"

2011-11-03T12:00:00.002-04:00

I had the honor recently of emceeing PRSA Capital Region Chapter’s 4^th annual “Empire Awards” program. Flew to Albany, NY, in rain, arrived in snow, and had a ball.

The attendees represented all facets of the communication as well as the education world...from senior PR practitioner to senior PR student. The energy pervading the event was enough to light up the western hemisphere.

I had a chance to chat with some of the folks both before and after the program, and one common thread bound us all together...a firm belief in the power of PR to influence opinion and more audiences to action.

What I found particularly interesting was in chatting with the more seasoned practitioners whose entries had made it into the finalist category. They were the epitome' of "cool." Been there; done that...for years.

But looking into their eyes, I saw excitement. They wanted to pretend this was just “business as usual.” But the eyes gave it away…they were excited to be there, and they were proud of their entries…of the accomplishments realized through the program’s success.

In my introductory remarks that evening, I cited this quotation from Edward L. Bernays, who many of us regard as the “Father of Public Relations”...

“Public relations does not mean selling a product, an idea, or a personality. Instead, it depends fundamentally on doing – action and deeds that are geared to public understanding and acceptance. Words are only incidental to the process.”

And this was the reason for the pride that I saw glimmering in these folks’ eyes…the pride of having done something on behalf of an employer or a client that truly made a difference…that changed opinions or motivated people to take action.

Public relations is a wonderful science. It takes into account individual perceptions and behaviors in the development and implementation of programs that result in groups acting in a desired manner.

PR practitioners recognize that, while no two people are exactly alike, when presented with rational and persuasive reasons to act in a certain way, groups of people will, in fact, do just that.

This is something I try to pass on to my undergraduate Communication students at Curry College, where I both oversee the Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the PR courses.

Public relations is a powerful tool that can be used to inform, inspire, and motivate individuals, societies, and nations to consider and, if appropriate in their minds, adopt a particular course of action.

In my various previous lives as public relations representative for organizations ranging from the US Army to Honeywell Electro-Optics Division to the Blood Bank of Hawaii, I have developed and managed communication programs that got attention and helped accomplish our mission.

I would never claim that everything I dreamed up was a screaming success. Some things actually went up in spectacular flames. But, at the end of the day, what I did (we…sometimes I actually had accomplices in my schemes!) made a difference…to the organization…to the people served by the organization.

And that’s the point here…to make a difference by doing the best you can do for your employer or client…and to take pride in what you do.

“He [Columbus] enjoyed long stretches of pure delight as only a seaman can know, and moments of high, proud exultation that only a discoverer can experience.” - Samuel Eliot Morrison, “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” [1942], ch. 49

Your Career and You: "Rule Number 1: 'Write It Down'"

2011-10-28T14:35:00.000-04:00

“Of all the things in life I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.”

I was walking back to my office at Curry College last week when I caught up with a student who, interestingly enough, chose us as her place to study in part based on a mock class that I taught and in which she was a participant.

I say “participant” because, when you come into one of my classes, you kind of get sucked into the whirlpool and become an unwitting member of the conversation whether you planned to or not. Well, she did, and we had a ton of fun!

But…back to our chance meeting. She had been planning her spring semester classes and had tentatively signed up for my “Principles of Public Relations” class.

After some exploratory chatting, though, she and I both agreed that perhaps she should take another course first, “Introduction to Mass Communication,” in which she could get an overview of the whole “world” of communication and better identify where her interests lie.

Her parting words have stuck with me ever since: “I’m getting so much good advice from everyone. I really should start writing things down.”

Oy.

So we had just spent an invigorating 15 minutes parsing her nascent communication studies, and my carefully-considered advice will most likely have floated past the ozone layer before I’m even out of sight.

We’re all busy. We all have three more things on our respective plates than any sane human being could hope to accomplish in his or her allotted lifespan.

Stuff gets lost in the shuffle. Good intentions fall by the wayside.

But that doesn’t have to be the case. In just three words, there is a remedy. Write it down.

I’m not offended if you ask me to hang on a sec while you find a piece of paper and a pen to jot down a note. In fact, I’m impressed that you are engaged enough and interested enough that you want to make sure you capture the essence of our conversation.

But that “capture” isn’t going to happen unless you take the proactive step of recording the information.

That “memory” that you’re so proud of is going to bail on you, and you’re going to be left with that uneasy feeling that something is missing. You can’t remember what. You just know it’s missing.

I tried for a very brief period carrying a miniature tape recorder (you do remember tape recorders, don’t you?!?) so that I could capture thoughts, ideas, recommendations, etc., for future use.

The exercise was simply too weird for me. Talking to myself…or in this case, talking to a machine…didn’t work.

So I started carrying a pocket-sized notebook and made sure I always had a pen…just in case.

Can’t tell you how many times I pulled that puppy out to jot something down…and then referred to it later on.

It’s the mark of a professional to be attentive to detail, which includes capturing information and ideas as they arise…not trying to “reconstruct the scene of the crime” hours…or days…later.

So consider this conversation today as the first step in your professional evolution.

Then, put yourself in situations where you are having conversations that are valuable and filled with information you need to move ahead.

Then…write it down!

"I remember the way we parted,
The day and the way we met;
You hoped we were both broken-hearted
And knew we should both forget."
Algernon Charles Swinburne, "A Match" [1866]

Your Career and You: “Passion is the Un-Secret”

2011-10-20T16:20:00.002-04:00

I’ve just returned from my usual invigorating experience at the Public Relations Society of America’s International Conference where 3,000-plus PR professionals and PR students converged on Orlando to learn, network, and get inspired.

I did all three…very well. Not much sleep as a result, but a TON of contacts, new ideas and information, and “energy boosts.”

Teaching as I do at Curry College, where I ride herd over the undergraduate Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the PR courses, and at Regis College, where I teach graduate courses in the Organizational and Professional Communications area, and PRSA programs and conferences are mandatory in my opinion.

Why? Because I must…not “should”… I must…be at the top of my game.

Why? Simple…my students depend on me to introduce them to and help them become reasonably knowledgeable about or proficient in the communication tools and tactics that they will be required to bring to an employer’s table after graduation.

So I spent a boatload of time over the past few days soaking up the collective knowledge of some of the nation’s leading communicators.

“Social Media Policy” with Deirdre Breakenridge and a panel of social media gurus. “SEO and Social Media Marketing” with Lee Odden. “Regaining Trust amidst a Crisis” with John Deveney. And “Leading Communication Teams to Success” with my friend Rear Admiral Vic Beck, Vice Chief of Information for the US Navy.

General Session speakers included CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, social media wizard Chris Brogan, and idea generator extraordinaire Peter Diamandis.

My take-away from every single event was the blatant enthusiasm that each speaker projected in his or her presentation. The overriding sentiment was total and complete passion for public relations as a means of communicating with stakeholders and building relationships with them that will lead to understanding and support.

I also had a chance to chat with some of the Public Relations Student Society of America members who were attending their own awesome conference and getting just as excited about their respective futures as I am now, have been for centuries, and will continue to be for eons to come.

I’ve said it a bazillion times. “Passion is key if you really want to make your mark in this world.”

Most of us can learn the “tricks of the trade.” We can become, as I often discuss in my PR classes, “public relations ‘technicians.’”

And that’s okay to some degree. We need people who can organize and micro-manage events of all sizes. We need folks who can take written copy and turn it into eye-catching print or online material.

But we also need those of us whose forte’ is interacting with others and persuading/convincing them to embrace our employer’s or client’s reason for being.

And that requires an extra skill that these other folks either don’t have or haven’t figured out how to exhibit…a passion for what we represent.

In my own case, it’s a simple matter of “get out of my way; I’m on a mission” when I’m talking about my employer or my profession.

As one young lady commented when I started talking about my love for public relations and, now, public relations education… “My God, you really do believe in what you do.”

Yep. I do. And my hope is that you, too, will embrace the essence of your own chosen career field and will become a card-carrying, rabid disciple with the mission of helping others understand and support you and your client/employer.

It’s no “secret.” The secret is passion.

"We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion." - Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, "Philosophy of History [1832]," Introduction

Your Career and You: "Never...Ever...Stop Learning"

2011-10-06T17:09:00.000-04:00

I’m gearing up for a marathon Public Relations Society of America commit- ment next week. Two days of PRSA Board of Directors meetings followed by a day-long PRSA National Assembly. Then three seminar-packed days of the PRSA International Conference.

When it’s all over, to use one of my favorite expressions, “my brain is going to explode.”

Why? Because I will have spent roughly one week in the midst of the collective wisdom, experience, and expertise of 2,000-plus public relations professionals from around the world.

Some of these people I have worked for. Others I currently am serving with on the national board. Others are friends I haven’t met yet.

And I will learn something from each and every one of them.

Sometimes it will be tangible “lessons learned” advice and information in the course of casual conversations and/or program-related seminars. Other times it will be the nuances of a remark or an action.

Whatever the case, I will have learned how to address a situation, solve a problem, or conduct myself as a professional.

Now if you’ve been following my posts and done the math, I’m not exactly a newbie at this business.

I’m a newly-minted, card-carrying, certified “senior citizen”….sort of like being 21 all over again. And, after having worked in public relations for something like 35-plus years, I’m now teaching the next generation of PR practitioners at Curry College as full-time Associate Professor of Communication as well as at Regis College as part-time Lecturer in Communications.

It’s a ton of fun, and both gigs require that I stay on top of my game…keeping current in the latest trends in public relations and making sure that I pass along that knowledge to the students who trust me to provide them with at least the basic skills and abilities they need to make their own marks in life.

“Never stop learning” has been an ongoing theme in my writings and my classroom lectures. It comes from having “been there and done that.” It comes from having figured out that you’re only as good as those skills and abilities that you currently have.

This applies to “seasoned” professionals as well as to recent graduates who think that, having gotten the sheepskin, they’ve finished their responsibilities in the “student” arena.

Learning should be an integral part of your daily routine. Whether it’s in the workplace, where opportunities to acquire additional career-enhancing attributes usually are dripping off the wall, or on the homefront where new challenges pop up regularly, be proactive in enhancing your knowledge.

In other words, “learn from your mistakes.” Ask yourself what you’ve learned from your experiences, good…bad…or both.” Then ask what you would do differently the next time around.

Don’t get too cocky, though. Just because you “learned a lesson” this time is not your “get out of jail free card” for the future. Things will change...often.

The public relations profession…my home for the past umpteen years…changes seemingly by the day/hour/minute. Which means that you need to constantly be looking for and learning new things.

Which means you have to keep on the lookout for new trends, new challenges and opportunities, and new learning moments.

So my challenge to you is just this… “Never…ever…stop learning.”

“Leadership and learning are indispensible to each other.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Remarks prepared for delivery at the Trade Mart in Dallas [November 22, 1963]

“It’s Your Life…How Will You Spend It?”

2011-10-02T15:01:00.000-04:00

As much as I love to just dive in and get things done, once in a while I have to stomp on the brakes, slow it down a smidge, and remember the old “Rome wasn’t built in a day” thing.

When I actually do “slow it down,” I’m always fascinated by what’s going on around me and how some folks are living their lives and spending their time. On the surface at least, most seem to be enjoying themselves and doing some pretty cool things.

I see others, though, who seem to be bogged down, slogging from one day to the other without any motivation to perk things up a bit.

It’s easy for me to get reflective at this point in my career. Been there and done it. Had some great successes; had some equally catastrophic disasters. Learned from both extremes.

If you’re just starting out, the question of “How will I spend my life?” can seem overwhelming. You’re more focused on getting through school with minimal damage to your ego and grade point average. You’re hoping against hope that, two minutes after you accept your diploma and shake the college president’s hand, an awesome job opportunity will fall out of the sky and land in your lap.

For those of you who are a little farther along in your career, the question morphs into “What’s next and how do I find it?” You’re focused on moving onward and upward, snagging that great once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will validate your existence as a professional.

In both cases, the “end” is really just the beginning. You’re stepping out of your comfort zone in most cases, and there’s no absolute guarantee that whatever you choose as that next great adventure is going to work like you’re planning.

But that’s part of the deal. As I tell my students at Curry College, where I oversee the undergraduate Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the PR courses, and Regis College, where I teach part-time in the graduate Organizational and Professional Communication area, nothing is guaranteed in this awesome safari known as “life.”

But you have to be willing to take those chances, to try the unknown, to fall backwards with confidence into the waiting arms of your “buddy.”

This doesn’t work for everyone, and I’m not suggesting you should throw all caution to the winds as you plan for your future. You need to really get a handle on who you are, what you want from your career, and how you are going to achieve what, in your mind, is success.

How do you do this? You talk to people…your parents (yes, they actually do have a clue!); your teachers; your close friends (who actually have a view of you that others don’t…they’ve seen your up days as well as your down days); networking contacts (I’ve talked about this in at least one previous post).

It’s all about preparation…laying the groundwork and getting a handle on available resources that you can draw from. Yes, there’s work involved here, but it’s work that can and will pay off.

Hate to put it like this, but you don’t really have a choice. After all…when all’s said and done, it’s your life…how will you spend it?!?

"We should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there." - Charles Franklin Kettering, "Seed for Thought: [1949]

Your Career and You: "Fall Harvest Time"

2011-09-24T15:50:00.003-04:00

Once in a while you have to sit back and take stock of where you are in life. What you’ve accomplished. What still needs to be done. What you would like to do when you have the “time.”

What got me thinking about this was a chat I had with my Mother this weekend. 89 years young and still chugging along in spite of an unfortunate tumble a couple of years ago that left her unable to walk and dependent on others for just about any semblance of mobility.

Yeah, she went through a period of “Why me? Why did this have to happen to me?!?”, but she has come to grips with the reality of her situation and has regained much of her vim and vigor.

She realized that she has been blessed with a family…loving husband, doting sons and daughters…most of whom are within driving distance and can pop in somewhat regularly. Unfortunately, I’m a two-hour flight plus three-hour drive away and can’t match them…and don’t try.

I beat myself up some early on…eldest son and all that…not doing my “duty.”

But then I gave it some thought, took stock of things, and realized that what I have chosen as my lifestyle and life choices don’t match those of my parents and my siblings.

I’m very happy, though, with my situation, and I am in no rush to change it.

And that’s what these thoughts are about today…taking stock of your own situation and all that you have going for you…and taking action when...and if...necessary.

No surprise to anyone who has ever read anything that I’ve written…I’m a card-carrying optimist. Like the “optimist” described in the closing quote of my last post, I “see the doughnut,” not “the hole.” I believe that good things come to deserving good people, and I also believe that the majority of humanity are “good people.”

Back to you and the harvest…do some personal “harvesting.” Take a look at things you’ve done…papers you’ve written…books you’ve read…projects you’ve completed. What, on this re-visit, do you see that you’re proud of? And, by the same token, what would you do the next time to make whatever it is better?

I’m often pleasantly surprised when I chat with students at Curry College, where I oversee the Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the undergraduate PR courses, and at Regis College, where I teach part-time in the graduate Organizational and Professional Communication area, at what these young…as well as not-so-young…people are doing and accomplishing.

They’re involved. They’re committed. They’re focused. They’re hell-bent on making their respective marks in the world. And I am delightedly riding beside them on the roller coaster!

But I also spend a bit of time with many of them reviewing where they are at a particular point in time…what skills, knowledge, and abilities do they have that will prove an asset when their studies are done?

Many times…not all the time, mind you…we uncover some pretty cool stuff. Awesome internships. Active on- and off-campus involvement. Part-time jobs where they’ve been given authority and responsibility that tags them as a “professional.”

They’re busily positioning themselves for the future either consciously or unconsciously.

And that’s the value of the “fall harvest.” As the Biblical saying goes, “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

These folks are sowing the seeds of future success. And I am determined to do what I can to help them realize a bumper crop of good fortune!

"The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future."
Plato, "The Republic" [bk. I 425-B]

Your Career and You: "Love Hurts"

2011-09-18T15:40:00.002-04:00

I had coffee with a friend yesterday…one of my budding PR superstars from Curry College, where I oversee the public relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses…who has been out in the “real world” for about three years now.

She wanted to talk through her plans to re-purpose her business, and she figured, I guess, that since I’ve left more jobs than most people have actually held, I might have some wisdom to share.

Aaahhh, the innocence of youth!

We chatted for an hour or so, and I got more excited as the time passed.

Why?

Because I found myself talking with an incredible young entrepreneur who has a heartfelt passion for what she’s doing and the willing curiosity to explore new ideas.

What does this have to do with “love” and “hurting”?

Quite a bit, actually.

I’ve said time and again that I want you to go out and find something that you are passionate about and can’t picture yourself not doing.

Finding your passion isn’t a clearly-defined thing. Sometimes we don’t know what it is that gets us excited and makes us want to jump out of bed in the morning and dive merrily into.

For me, it was a 10-year quest that got its focus when I accidentally took a course called “Introduction to Public Relations” as an elective for my second bachelor’s degree. Read the book, realized that what it was talking about was what I actually had been doing for the past six years…just didn’t know that was what it was called.

Flash forward some 34 years, and I now am teaching the next generation of public relations professionals as much as possible of what I have learned over the course of my career.

But it wasn't easy. There were some tough decisions along the way…a lot of moves (some voluntary; others not so much) in pursuit of a satisfactory “relationship.”

Which brings me back to my young friend. For the past three years, she has been up to her ears in what, at first, was the career of her dreams.

And she has had a fabulous time in the process.

But she has now realized that what she has been doing isn’t exactly what she wants to do. She has refined her list of interests and identified a more specific area in which she wants to make her name.

And now she’s off and running…again…totally charged up…eager to realize the success that she knows is waiting.

Success in life…in work…in love…takes determination, limitless patience, and absolute belief in your ability to achieve that success.

But it’s going to put you through some gut-wrenching exercises in the process. It’s going to make you doubt yourself on occasion. And, once in a while, it’s going to slap you in the face.

That’s called “life,” and everyone, regardless of his or her perceived strengths and weaknesses, has to go through it and learn to accept the “hurt” along with the warm glow of a job well done.

“Twixt the optimist and pessimist
The difference is droll:
The optimist sees the doughnut
But the pessimist sees the hole."
McLandburgh Wilson, "Optimist and Pessimist"

Note: On a totally unrelated but immensely personal note, as I write this today, my wife Margaret and I are celebrating the 39th year of our undying commitment to each other. The road hasn't always been smooth; there have definitely been some challenges. But it has all been worthwhile. :-)

Your Career and You: "Check Your Voicemail"

2011-09-10T14:02:00.000-04:00

Okay…today (Thursday) got off to a rollicking start with rain coming down in buckets, me with a splitting headache…and a 10 a.m. dentist appointment on the books. Bus was 15 minutes late, but I walked like the proverbial “bat out of hell” and made it to the dentist’s office just three minutes after 10.

Only to be gently asked… “You do know your appointment’s for 11:00?”

As anyone who reads this blog from time to time knows all too well, I readily and somewhat cheerfully admit to not necessarily being the most organized and focused human on earth.

Margaret (my long-suffering and relentlessly-understanding wife) told me on Tuesday when I got home from school that she had saved a message from the dentist’s office reminding me of my appointment.

I looked at my Outlook calendar and saw that I had dutifully entered the appointment back when it was scheduled…for 10:00 a.m.

No need to check the message. I had it scheduled.

Which brings me to today and the fact that I’m sitting in the waiting room writing this…since I have an hour to kill!

What’s the point of all this, Kirk?

We’re all busy. We all have more on our respective plates than we can sanely handle. But that’s not someone else’s problem. It’s ours, and we have to take control.

Simple…sort of. “Baby steps.”

Keep a calendar…with you at all times!...and make sure you enter your appointments, to-dos, classes (regardless of whether you’re a student or a teacher).

And, if someone follows up to confirm an appointment, double-check your calendar to make sure you have the correct date and time. (Note: This is a “do as I say, not as I do” piece of advice!)

Why is this important? Couple of reasons, one of which should be obvious based on the fact that I’m now at 45 minutes and counting on my “early-ness” for my appointment.

More and more, we are relying on electronic communication to schedule things. The obvious problem is that there is no longer a “paper trail” that we can use to double-check. It’s either stored in our fuzzy little brains or stored in bits and bytes on a computer.

The inherent danger in this virtual existence is that, sooner or later, the chipmunk’s going to get tired, the computer is going to crash, and life, as we have comfortably gotten to know it, will come to a screeching halt.

It’s okay if you blow off a get-together with friends or family (not really, but I’ll let you have a “gimme” on this one).

It’s NOT okay to blow off a meeting with your boss, potential internship supervisor…professor (listening, Curry College PR students?!?).

Being on time…for classes, for meetings, for just about anything (Margaret and I were late for our own wedding!)…is an indication of professionalism and goes a long way toward creating a favorable impression that will pay dividends in the future.

So…organize your life. Get control of your calendar.

Check your voicemail!

’Nuff said.

“The horror of that moment,” the King went on, “I shall never, never forget!

You will, though,” the Queen said, “if you don’t make a memorandum of it.”

Lewis Carroll, “Through the Looking-Glass” [1872], ch. 1

Your Career and You: Enthusiasm Rocks!

2011-09-03T15:28:00.011-04:00

Fall semester at Curry College, where I oversee the Public Relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, has gotten off to a rocking start. Great classes. Engaged students. It's going to be fun!

I've also had a series of invigorating conversations as well with friends, some now-graduated and working as well as others just on the brink of graduating, that really got me going. The takeaway for me was the energy and enthusiasm all exhibited during our chats.

Bobby has been out in the working world for a little more than three years, and his resume already displays some very cool experience as a public relations professional. He currently works for an international hotel/resort chain and is having the time of his life.

Erika and Katie are seniors, both (to my dismay) graduating early and heading off to make their respective marks in the world as budding PR pros.

Erika is closing out her time at Curry College with three awesome internships and as president of the Curry College Public Relations Student Association.

Katie, as I learned during the Communication Department’s “New and Transfer Student Welcome” event, will embark on her sixth internship this semester. O.M.G.!!!

What all three have in common is a budding yet already unbridled passion for the public relations profession...its many challenges as well as its numerous opportunities,

They’ve all experienced enough to sense that PR…as much fun as I say it is in our classes…can be maddeningly frustrating as well as deliriously exhilarating. Every day is different with the various situations that pop up; every day is the same…ditto.

What remains a constant for me as a PR professional-turned-PR professor is the love that I have for the field of endeavor that has been my life’s work and the passion that I try to share with my students…all of whom I view as the next generation of communicators.

Not all of the folks who pass through my classes will work in public relations. In addition to those who have gone into pure public relations positions, others are making their respective marks in television or radio or on the stage as budding actors and actresses or in higher education administration…the list goes on and on, with me smiling all the way!

I keep up with these wonderful people through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email, phone calls, lunches…you name it. But we remain connected, and I continue to be amazed at their enthusiasm for and pride in what they are accomplishing.

And that’s the “secret” to success in this life…enthusiasm for what you’re doing and pride in what you’ve done. Of course, it helps to be reasonably good at what you’re doing, and I’m happy to report that these young superstars are just that…good at what they do.

Make mistakes? Of course! I manage to thoroughly bungle things once in a while (a LOT according to some sources!). But they…and I…learn from these boo-boos and move on.

I hope you will be this lucky at some point in your life...doing something you really enjoy doing, working with people you really enjoy being around, and making a difference.

And when you do...let me know. Enthusiasm rocks!!

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Essays: First Series, Circles" [1841]

Your Career and You: "There is no 'I' in 'We'"

2011-08-20T15:53:00.001-04:00

The thought hit me tonight as I was mentally reviewing projects that I'm involved in that I'm not the only person with some "skin" in one or more of these "games."

The reason I mention this is my feeling that some of my own friends are feeling a little lonely as they pound the pavement in search of a job or an internship or whatever.

It's easy to feel like there's no one else in the immediate galaxy who you can turn to when you either are unemployed after having worked a while or are just embarking on that foray into the professional working world.

But you're not in this alone, as I try to reassure my students both at Curry College, where I oversee the undergraduate Public Relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, and at Regis College, where I teach part-time in the graduate Organizational and Professional Communication area.

Don't get trapped in the "I can't find/don't have a job" quicksand. Instead, try to think of it as a team effort in which you can and should turn to your friends/teachers/mentors for some help/advice/reassurance...how can we help you get through this?

Why? Because, again as I've said a bazillion times before..."We care."

I love it that a friend/former student connected with me a couple of days ago to ask my advice on a cool job offer that she's considering. It's moving her into a little higher level of involvement on the PR side of things, and she just wants to make sure she's heading in the right direction with some ideas she has.

Sure, she could just wing it and hope that she gets it right...and she most likely would. But she's thinking like a professional and asking others... members of her extended "team"...for advice.

It's funny (not "funny ha-ha"..."funny strange") how we so often tend to think after completing a major life-step like graduation from college that the connections we made...the friends we so treasured...the teachers for whom we developed respect...are no longer valid.

They belong to "then," not to "now."

Nothing could or should be farther from the truth. In my world at least, a "friend" is someone I can turn to half a century later for advice. Should be the same for you.

So get out of the "I am in this all alone" syndrome and accept the "Together, we can get through this" mantle of reassurance.

We're a team here...and there is no I in we!

"You don't live in a world all alone. Your brothers are here too."
Albert Schweitzer, On Receiving the Nobel Prize [1952]

Your Career and You: "Do the Right Thing"

2011-08-11T12:03:00.004-04:00

I've been doing a lot of writing lately...letters to the editor, blog posts, online comments...about the importance of ethics in life...in business...in public relations.

It's a topic that my undergraduate Communication (and Management) students at Curry College, where I oversee the Public Relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, as well as my graduate students at Regis College, where I teach courses in the Organizational and Professional Communication program, hear almost daily.

Although some folks like to wax eloquent on the "deeper meanings" and stuff of the term, I tend to be pretty pragmatic and realistic.

"Do the right thing"...for society, for your organization, for those who have an interest in your organization, and for yourself.

I'm a public relations professional. Belong to the Public Relations Society of America and serve on the Society's national Board of Directors.

We have a Code of Ethics that I embraced when I joined PRSA back in 1981. The Code provides clear guidelines on what constitutes "good" public relations practice, covering interactions with the client/employer, the media, and the many publics (stakeholders) who have an interest in what your client or employer does for a living...and how you, as the public relations "go-to" person, should communicate with them.

Is it easy abiding by these standards? No!

Why? Because not everyone with whom you will come in contact understands or accepts them. For some folks, it's like Admiral Farragut... "Damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead."

And that's ok...in general. You should be focused on the goal..."eyes on the prize."

But don't let yourself be tempted to "bend the rules."

Why? Because I've been around and doing this stuff long enough to know that it will come back to haunt you. Don't know when. Don't know where. But it will.

Many professional associations (I would encourage you to research the associations representing your area of interest and join the one that best meets your needs) have a Code of Ethics that identifies the actions that should and should not be taken by professionals in that field.

I've looked at a number of Codes over the years and, while the language in each is specific to that particular area or industry, the overall message is the same: "Do the right thing."

But it all ultimately comes back to roost on your shoulders. You will be the one faced with the situation. You will be the one responsible for action. So you will be the one who has to decide whether or not to do what the situation suggests doing.

I know that sounds vague as hell. But ethical challenges don't come charging in on a mighty steed all dressed in shiny armor. They're hiding in the closets of your professional life, waiting for you to turn out the lights and start drifting off to sleep. THEN they pounce!

It's at that moment that you have to make your decision...and you have to be able to justify it, both to yourself and to those to whom you ultimately are responsible...client/employer, media, publics (for those of us in PR).

You have to be able to say, with confidence, "I choose to take this course of action because I believe it's the right thing to do."

"It appears to me that in Ethics, as in all other philosophical studies, the difficulties and disagreements, of which history is full, are mainly due to a very simple cause: namely to the attempt to answer questions, without first discovering precisely what question it is which you desire to answer." - George Edward Moore, "Principia Ethica [1903], preface

Your Career and You: "Placing the Blame"

2011-08-01T09:58:00.000-04:00

The chain of events on Capitol Hill these past few weeks provides a good, if unfortunate, lesson in "grown-up-ism." Or, sadly, how not to be seen as such.

From my own perspective...a slightly crabby (today) soon-to-be senior citizen who would like to someday retire...our elected representatives in Congress have demonstrated to an excruciating degree the lack of professionalism that can...and does...derail countries and companies.

'Nuff said. The takeway whether you are just starting out in your career or are well past the novice stage is this: Don't attribute your own shortcomings to someone else's actions.

Blaming "the other guy" has become a national pastime for our country's leadership. "I'm blue, you're red; therefore you're wrong."

"Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle." *

I'll readily admit I'm a peacemaker. Always have been; always will be. And I'm occasionally (ok...I'll admit...according to my all-knowing spouse... "often") wrong in my sense of direction. But, as soon as I figure out I'm wrong, I look for ways to straighten things out.

Maybe I misunderstood. Or maybe I chose the wrong course of action.

Whatever the case, it's up to me to get back on track.

This is where our kindergartners down in Washington are right now...they appear to have lost sight of the reason they were meeting which was/still is to resolve the nation's debt crisis.

Instead, they're spending a lot of time pointing fingers at each other and doing their level best to shift the fault for this mess that they all have caused on someone else.

Too bad we haven't yet found human-type life on another planet. How cool would that be?!? "It's those damned Martians; they just don't think like us!"

This implies, of course, that you know where you're heading with your actions which also requires being realistic.

It means knowing and accepting your own weaknesses. If it's something out of your range of abilities, let someone else who can do it get the job done and get the credit. You'll have your chance later.

Life is too short, and the world too small, to let your ego take control and cause you to do something you may not be up to at this point. Don't blindly push on, botch it, and then point your finger at someone else.

"Alice said afterwards she had never seen such a fuss made about anything in all her life - the way those two bustled about - and the quantity of things they put on - and the trouble they gave her in tying strings and fastening buttons..." *
* Through the Looking Glass, Ch. IV, "Tweedledum and Tweedledee"

Your Career and You: "Count Your Blessings"

2011-07-27T14:02:00.000-04:00

Over the past few weeks, I've witnessed or been involved in some life-altering events. Nothing, thank goodness, majorly traumatic. But things that really got me thinking about how lucky I've been throughout my life.

Wandered blithely through more than half a century doing stuff that I truly and deeply loved doing.

Met fascinating people along the way...Edward L. Bernays, Chester (Chet) Burger, President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan (none of whom, by the way, would have been able to or can tell you who I am!)...and had a chance to draw "teachable" moments from each. Great experiences!

Today, I teach undergrad public relations courses in the Communication Department at Curry College as a full-time faculty member, and graduate courses in the Organizational and Professional Communication area at Regis College as an adjunct faculty member. In both cases, I'm doing my dead-level best to give back some of what I've learned from my life's experiences... the good as well as the not-so-good (don't you love that "pr-speak" term for "BAD"?!?).

It's easier, sometimes, though, to focus on the things that have gone wrong or completely derailed in life than the really cool times.

> Got fired one time! (There's a milk-curdler!!)
> Almost got blown up one time...fortunately the bomb didn't go off. (Extra beer that night!)
> Been in a half-dozen major auto accidents. Except for an occasional ache from a once-broken rib, still walking...and driving!

The point is (somewhere!)...life sucks sometimes. But you can't let the negatives take over.

There is good in everyone's life. Even Joe Bfstplk from my childhood "L'il Abner" comics days had an occasional "not-horrible" experience.

But you have to look for the good sometimes. It's there, just coyly hiding under a pile of dirty socks or someplace equally "I don't wanna know"-ish.

> Maybe it's a casual exchange with a checkout clerk at the supermarket that makes you smile.
> Maybe it's watching your significant other's eyes glow with sheer joy because of a surprise gift.
> Or maybe it's just waking up and smelling the wonderfully clean, fresh morning air.

Whatever it might be, allow yourself to smile. Take a minute (or more) to simply let the good feeling wash over you.

> Yeah, there's still work to be done, and/or the client/boss is cranky.
> No, the phone hasn't rung today or the email hasn't arrived scheduling that job interview.

But...you're reading this, aren't you? So you're still alive and functioning.

That's a very good start. So count your blessings!

"For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed." ~ Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, "Friendship"

Your Career and You: "Help!"

2011-07-18T11:04:00.000-04:00

I'm staying on my "golden oldies" theme from last week thanks to an exchange of emails I had with a few former students over the past few days.

This week it's the Beatles...yep, the "Fab Four"...I was a fledgling engineering student when they exploded onto the U.S. music scene, and I dutifully went nuts along with the rest of my teenaged friends.

The Beatles' chart-busting "Help" debuted in 1965. I was unhappy with my major and was considering changing to something else...which now leads me back to my students/friends.

No one was asking for any life-altering advice, although they all know that I'm always available if needed.

One simply asked if I would pass along some information about an event that her firm has arranged for a client. The second was updating me on some recent changes in her personal life. And the third just needed a sounding board as she proceeds with a professional career-change opportunity.

The one who wanted my assistance in promoting her event got my promise to spread the news via my Facebook and LinkedIn connections. The one who updated me on her life changes got my assurance of a follow-up, in-person chat. And I spent about a half-hour with the third on the phone exploring the various positives and negatives of the opportunity she is exploring.

The take-away, in all three instances, is that the "system" worked. And that's the idea with friends and "help."

As the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu said, "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Sometimes you're facing a challenge, or a decision, or a life-altering event, and you know you have to do something, and you kind of know what to do.

I'm always advising/admonishing/counseling my undergrad communication students/advisees at Curry College as well as my graduate communications students at Regis College to not be hesitant about talking to friends/teachers/ colleagues when they're faced with a decision. Don't go it alone!

You just need to take that first step of voicing your need or your decision...of taking that first step. You get the momentum started...the thought processes rolling. Then you're off.

So do like the Beatles. Ask for "Help"!

Your Career and You: "Three Little Birds"

2011-07-11T14:47:00.001-04:00

Ok, I'm in my Bob Marley mood today. Just finished ironing a pile of clothes, which always leaves me with the satisfaction of having actually accomplished something! Beautiful day; gorgeous weather. What more could you want?

Well, based on a couple of online conversations I've had recently with newly-hatched college grads...a job seems to be high on the "want" list.

Can't say that I blame them. Four years of tears, tests, teachers, and textbooks. And a substantial chunk of change invested.

And what for? A non-response to a letter of application for a job. A "thanks; no thanks" letter following an interview. As an old (really old) song said, "Just sittin' and waitin' gets so aggravatin', so ring, telephone ring."

One thing I try to communicate when I run into a situation like this is the need for patience. The fact that you have graduated and want a job yesterday is a bare blip on my radar screen as a hiring manager. The heat is on for me to find a more senior communicator to fill a higher-level and potentially more productive position; entry-level gets done whenever.

My undergraduate advisees at Curry College as well as my graduate students at Regis College hear variations of this message constantly when we're talking about "life after graduation." I try to help them understand that expectations (theirs) have to be tempered to meet realities (the hiring companies').

The main thing to remember, in my opinion, is that you will find a job. It may not be exactly what you dreamed about every night at school after cramming for tomorrow's exam, but it will be a job that launches you into the professional working world.

I've said at least a zillion times that my first full-time job after graduating from college was as a short-order cook in my Father's soda shop in my hometown of Dublin, Georgia. I wasn't called on to make use of the knowledge I had gained studying 18th century British lit at the University of Georgia. But I made one heck of a hamburger and a world-class chocolate milk shake!

And I discovered my nascent public relations abilities...built an awesome following of high school students who flocked to the soda shop after school and on Saturdays to munch on my burgers and slurp my shakes... business flourished, my Dad was happy...and I got a raise.

Later on, I took a job as a record salesman (you do remember records, don't you?!?) and learned the value of primary and secondary research (talked to customers and friends about what their favorite current songs were and diligently combed Billboard for clues to future hits) in helping me make sure I had what customers wanted today...not tomorrow.

I ultimately, after a few career twists and turns, wound up working in public relations, but it was a circuitous path that took me through eight years of the Air Force working as an English Language Instructor, then an Audiovisual Technician, and finally a Command Briefing Specialist.

The convoluted point I'm driving toward here is that everything I did along the way was beneficial experience that prepared me for immersion, thanks to the US Army's public affairs internship program, into PR and my lifetime career.

You're doing the same with your current job, whether it be full-time or part-time, and regardless of what you're actually doing. You just have to take a step back and look at what you're learning.

I did a very short...two days...stint as a package sorter for UPS down in Virginia right after I got out of the Air Force. Learned very quickly...my supervisor was not impressed...that mind-numbing, backbreaking work is not my forte'. Note to self: No more physical labor.

So...why "Three Little Birds"?

Because the song encourages you to look on the bright side of things...to not give up...to find joy in the small pleasures of life.

Not a bad way to go, is it?

Your Career and You: "Believe in What You Do"

2011-07-04T14:04:00.000-04:00

I spent a remarkable July 3 on Boston's City Hall Plaza volunteering my time to work at Boston Harborfest's annual Chowderfest.

These two amazing events (the weeklong Boston Harborfest and the one-day Chowderfest) are the result, first, of one person's vision back in the very early 80s and, second, the belief of a small army of volunteers in that vision which is to present a "Fourth of July Festival that showcases the colonial and maritime heritage of the cradle of the American Revolution: the historic City of Boston."

We celebrated our 30th anniverary this year, a clear sign that both the vision and the beliefs were...and are...right on target.

And that, to me, is the key ingredient in achieving success...you have to believe in what you do...in your personal as well as your professional life.

This is something I try to pass on to my undergraduate Communication students at Curry College as well as my graduate Communications students at Regis College.

I've had a couple of short-lived jobs in my somewhat disorganized past that, upon reflection, were the exact antithesis of what I just said. I took them because, at the moment, they seemed "interesting." But when I got inside and learned "how the sausage is made," I realized that I did not fully embrace their way of doing business...especially from my position as their public relations person.

But this was a "me" thing rather than a "them" thing. Both organizations are chugging right along, thank you very much, albeit so incredibly under the radar that I wonder if anyone other than me knows they exist!

The lesson here, to use one of my favorite phrases from "South Park," is that you have to take a look deep inside yourself when you're considering an employment opportunity.

You have to look clearly and closely at the sausage-making and decide if this is something you can support with all your energy, enthusiasm, and professional abilities.

Beliefs are like ears. Everyone has them. It's how well you use them that counts.

You have to understand how yours work for you and then pay attention to what signals they're sending to you. As you get better at reading those signs, you will find that you're pinpointing and seeking opportunities that truly are in keeping with your hopes, desires, and aspirations. You will be doing something you want to do, and you will believe in what you do.

"All true believers shall break their eggs at the convenient end: and which is the convenient end, seems, in my humble opinion, to be left to every man's conscience." - Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels [1726], Voyage to Lilliput, ch. 2

Your Career and You: "Take Some 'You' Time"

2011-06-25T15:59:00.004-04:00

I had coffee this morning with a friend whose project management abilities scare me. She's so focused and organized that I often come away from our meetings feeling like a clueless beginner.

She recently made some adjustments in her work arrangements and is now operating out of her home office two-to-three days a week.

When we talked about her plans several months ago, everything looked great. She would go in to the "real" office a couple of days a week to collaborate with her teammates and participate in scheduled meetings, but the bulk of her time would be spent working from home. Minimal commute; maximum productivity.

But...

Something has happened since those blissful "planning for the future" days, and she's feeling overwhelmed. Not by the work per se; by the fact that her workdays...and the days she scheduled for personal activities... are blurring together with no downtime anywhere.

If it's not "work-work," it's "household-related-work." One piling on top of the other, day after endless day.

Now I'm probably not the best person to be weighing in on matters like this...I was online at least four hours a day while I was on vacation recently, checking email, updating my Facebook status, tweeting about God knows what, and writing a blog post (which prompted a comment from a former student/current friend).

But I felt like I needed to at least offer an alternative for her since it looked like she was in the fast lane heading for a meltdown. Nothing mind-boggling; just simple "been there, done that" reality.

"You need some 'me time,'" said the wise counsel. "Take a day and go 'play.' Do fun things. Walk in the sunshine (if we ever have any), eat ice cream, and relax."

"Congratulations, Kirk," you mutter. "That's a no-brainer for most of us, but it's not going to work for your friend. She's not wired that way."

"Probably so," I respond as I savor my tiramisu from Mike's Pastry in Boston's North End. "But it had to be said. She's so focused on her work and her home projects that she's losing her enthusiasm for both."

I realized a long time ago that, as important as my work is and as much as I absolutely love what I do for a living, I have to take some "me" time to clear my head and reenergize.

Sometimes it's as simple as a walk in the park. Other times it's extended vacations during which the most strenuous thing I do is choose which pastry I want with my morning cappuccino.

But it's "me" time. And, when I return from whatever I have chosen as the remedy for impending burnout, I am recharged and eager to get back into action.

In my days as a public relations professional, my clients or employers benefited from the change; today, as a public relations professor, it's my students at Curry College or Regis College.

To counter the unsaid but implied "It's not that simple for those of us who are either unemployed or under-employed," I respond thusly (love that word!): "Yes it is. In fact, it's even more important that you do this. If you don't, you'll burn out even more quickly and lose the will to forge ahead with your job search."

This sage advice is from one who once spent two years unemployed, living on paltry savings when the benefits ran out. Unemployment is no laughing matter, and it's with you 24/7.

You can't leave it on your desk back in the office...there is no office.

So you have to learn how to kick back and enjoy the moment...or the day. Trust me. You'll feel a heck of a lot better afterwards, and you'll dive back into whatever challenge you're facing with renewed energy and determination.

"If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it." - Herodotus, "Histories," bk. II, ch. 173

(Note: My friend emailed me later in the day. After we parted company, she went home, slipped into some comfortable clothes, and spent the day wandering blissfully around town window-shopping. The upbeat tone of her note said it all...she took some badly-needed "me time.")

Your Career and You: "Where's My Gold Star?"

2011-06-18T22:53:00.000-04:00

I went down to Curry College for our annual staff/faculty barbecue and awards ceremony. Always a ton of fun...it's great to see hard-working, dedicated people getting well-deserved recognition for their contributions to our success.

While gnawing on a very well-done hamburger, I had a chance to chat with a new employee who just a few short years ago was (and still is!) one of my "rising stars." Filled with ideas; eager to make her mark. And she will. Of that, I am confident.

She made an interesting comment, though (which I will paraphrase), about some of her classmates...young professionals now...that really got me thinking about the challenges we, as educators or mentors or parents or bosses, face in the workplace today.

"A lot of my friends...people I graduated with...are disappointed with where they are [in terms of jobs/job titles, etc.]. They thought they would be directors of programs and doing higher-level work than they actually are."

You might ask, rightfully so, "How long have they been graduated?"

To which I respond, "Three years."

Three years..."directors of programs"...

Wow. Expectations...

Now, before you start throwing rocks at me, bear in mind that I'm the guy who worked for the US Army Recruiting Command back when we told young people to "Be all you can be."

I believe with all my heart in the ability of many of my students at Curry, where I oversee the Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the PR courses, as well as at Regis College, where I teach graduate Communication courses, to become genuine superstars.

Of course they can. They've made it this far, haven't they? They're doing well in classes. They're mega-involved in on- and off-campus activities. They're completing two, three, four internships.

But there's more to it than this, and, somewhere along the way, someone, somewhere failed to mention it along with the gut-wrenching difficulties of job hunting anyway.

It's called "earning your stripes" to use some military jargon. Prove to me you know what you're doing. Show me you've got staying power. Make a difference.

If you do all this...in time...you will move up in the ranks. You will be given more responsibility.

But you don't get a gold star just for showing up.

You have to work for it. You have to earn it.

It's that simple...and that difficult. It's called "life."

"Never were abilities so much below mediocrity so well rewarded; no, not when Caligula's horse was made Consul." ~ John Randolph, Speech [February 1, 1828]

Your Career and You: "Be Excited about What You're Doing"

2011-06-14T12:14:00.001-04:00

I just returned from participation in back-to-back Public Relations Society of America events: the 2011 Silver Anvil Awards ceremony on Thursday evening followed by the Association's 2011 Leadership Rally.

The Silver Anvil Awards recognize the "best of the best" in public relations practices. This was my first opportunity to attend, and I was blown away by the energy and enthusiasm of everyone (close to 500 attendees) there... winners, contenders, spectators. I came away with the realization that there are a LOT of folks out there who really care about what they're doing.

The Leadership Rally...a separate activity held Friday and Saturday (and, ironically, again my first although I've held chapter and district leadership positions with PRSA both in Boston and in Hawaii since the mid-80s)...is designed to introduce incoming officers from PRSA's 10 Districts and more than 100 Chapters around the country to the "art of successful leadership."

A series of breakout sessions on everything from "Creating Programs that Engage and Enlighten" to "Fiscal Leadership" offered these incoming leaders "how-to" guidance that will help them as they take on their volunteer roles.

The "take-away" for me from the Rally was similar to my impression of the Silver Anvils...the high level of excitement and commitment that every one of these soon-to-be leaders showed.

Why am I talking about this?

Simple...I feel like a "newbie" after these experiences although I've been a member of PRSA since 1981 and have been actively involved as a volunteer since that time.

I'm excited about having the opportunity to serve on PRSA's Board of Directors. I'm eager to work with the Society's national, district, and local chapter leaders to move our organization, which is the largest of its kind representing the public relations professional, forward.

I'm also and equally excited to be preparing for a new year as Associate Professor of Communication at Curry College, where I oversee the undergraduate Public Relations Concentration and teach most of our PR courses, and as a Lecturer in Communications in the Graduate Communication Department at Regis College.

Why am I talking about this??

Because I'm creeping up on that mythical time of life known as "retirement age." I could easily fold my tent, saddle my camel, and ride off over the dunes into oblivion.

Been there...done that. Or so I thought until this past weekend.

Nope...got a lot of things I still NEED to do and still CAN do.

Public relations is changing dramatically as a profession, both on the tactical side in the ways in which we provide services to our employers and clients and on the strategic side as we provide advice and counsel to guide these individuals or organizations through the minefields of the business world.

I want to play a part in the changes that we as a professional organization implement to assist our 20,000-plus members in doing their jobs.

And I want to play a part in the changes that we as academicians must implement to insure that our students are prepared to enter the workforce and succeed.

You should feel this way, too, about activities you're involved in either professionally or as a volunteer. Take a look at what you're doing and identify the ways in which you, as an individual, are making or can make a difference.

Take pride in what you're doing, and don't be shy about letting others see your pride. Be excited about what you're doing!

"The more you do, the more you can do. The busier you are, the busier you can be." ~ Dharma Thoughts of Master Hsing Yun, "On Life: The Everlasting Light"

Your Career and You: "Do Your Research...THEN Network"

2011-06-06T15:34:00.000-04:00

I know it seems like I spend a lot of time talking about "researching" and "networking" in the course of my ramblings, but I keep getting reminders as I chat with students...AND professionals...about their job search.

This morning was no exception. The call was from a professional acquaintance who has focused his interest...but, or so it seems, not his attention...on an academic job search.

I say it like this because this fellow is not new to the job search world...he works in human resources. But our conversation this morning left me with the uneasy feeling that he's as clueless about how to go about looking for a job as are many novice job hunters.

First off...and today was the continuation of a conversation we had a couple of months ago...he knew absolutely nothing about Curry College (in which he professes to be interested) including not even knowing how to find us!

Now this latter part...the finding...isn't rocket science. It's a simple matter of going on to our website and looking under "About Curry" at "Our Campus." Maps and everything, including some great pictures of a beautiful campus.

But the thing that really got me was he had no idea what he really wanted to do. In the course of a very rambling chat, he bounced from "volunteer work" to "adjunct teaching," from "unpaid" to "paid." Nothing I could pin a definitive "here's what your next step should be" response to.

And that's the point of this monologue: We (aka "professionals") would love to help you in your job search...to give you feedback on your plans. Can't do this if you don't give us something to work with!

So do your research into organizations, job opportunities, areas of interest (or not). Then come to me for advice and guidance. Because then I will be able to go foraging in my address book and extract a name or two of colleagues who will be able to talk to you about jobs and places you are interested in.

It's simple. Do your research first to get a sense of the things that catch your attention and get you excited. Then do your networking with the ability to describe to your contact what you really are looking for and why.

Since I would rather make of him [the child] an able man than a learned man, I would also urge that care be taken to choose a guide [tutor] with a well-made rather than a well-filled head."
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne. Essays, bk. I [1580], To the Reader, ch. 26

Your Career and You: "Kneejerk Actions Won't Work"

2011-05-28T03:43:00.001-04:00

I had an unexpected...but totally unsurprising...email from a newly-graduated senior earlier this week relating to his job search post graduation. Basically, he had no clue how to start (and apparently has done zero preparation for) this new phase of his now-adult life.

He's posted his resume on Monster.com (now there is a giant waste of time!), is (finally) on LinkedIn, and is following me on Twitter. Oy!

I say "unexpected" because this fellow has not once spoken to me in the four months I've known him...including the two classes he took with me this past semester!!...about his interests or intent after graduation.

Now the reality has set in, and he asks "which companies should I apply to?"

Nothing about "here's what I'm interested in" or "I've done a couple of internships and have found that I like/am good at..."

Nope. Just "which companies should I apply to?"

As perfect an example of "kneejerk" job search planning as I have come across recently.

I also said "unsurprising" earlier because I am constantly nagging my PR concentration troops at Curry College, where I oversee the Public Relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses, to start their planning early...like NOW...in their sophomore year, junior at the latest. Don't wait until final semester of your senior year!

Most of them are starting to listen to me...some not so much. And there's not a whole lot I can do other than keep on nagging.

And a few...like this fellow...choose to ignore my advice.

So be it. As the old saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." The same holds true with some college students and life preparation. Just like doing assignments ahead of time rather than 10 minutes before class.

Back to my young feller and his now-jerky knee.

I suggested (two days ago...haven't heard "boo" since) that he venture over to Curry College's Career Services office to look through their excellent database of job opportunities and other information and get his thoughts focused on areas he might be interested in or jobs that sound like something he would like to learn more about.

Then, I suggested, he should get back to me with a better focus on what he'd like to explore. I'm delighted...as are many of my PR (and other fields) colleagues in the Boston area and elsewhere...to help young people out with their initial foray into the working world. But we're not mind-readers; nor are we miracle-workers.

The bottom line, as I sit here in rainy downtown Taipei, Taiwan, on vacation(-ish), is that, particularly in today's highly competitive job market, planning and preparation are crucial to success. Kneejerk actions simply will NOT work!

"Amid a multitude of projects, no plan is devised." ~ Publius Syrus (42 B.C.)

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Your Career and You: "On to the 'Other' Side"

2011-05-13T21:03:00.001-04:00

The past two weeks have been filled with activities and emotions that, while normal...especially in academia...still manage to raise stress levels to astronomical highs.

End of semester. End of year. End of college life. On to the "other side" for my senior student friends at Curry College and my graduate degree friends at Regis College.

If it's possible to be "fearfully intrepid," they're doing it. I can tell in part from Facebook updates, scattered emails, and ad hoc meetings in the Student Center and elsewhere.

The training wheels are off and the water wings stored away. Resumes are undergoing...again...review and edit.

To put it in the words of the inimitable Phineas T. Barnum, "It's SHOW TIME!"

And it is, my young friends. You're moving on into what is, for most of you, the third ring of the circus that is life. The first was high school; the second, college.

I call it "circus" for good reason. There will be thrills; there will be chills; and, occasionally, they will send in the clowns when things don't go well.

But you will always have the safety net beneath, even if you don't see it. It's your family...your friends...and, yes, your professors...all of whom will be there cheering you on and ready to pick you up and dust you off when you trip...as you will once or twice...along the way.

But you will succeed. Why? Because you can, and I believe...deeply and fervently...that you can.

You've made me very, very proud...as your professor, your friend, your mentor, your nagging conscience. You've discovered the spark that will light the way to your future.

You're ready to move on to the other side of life...as an independent, capable, promising young professional.

Life is good.

"Farewell to you and the youth I have spent with you.
It was but yesterday we met in a dream.
You have sung to me in my aloneness, and I of your longings have built a tower in the sky.
But now our sleep has fled and our dream is over, and it is no longer dawn.
The noontide is upon us and our half waking has turned to fuller day, and we must part.
If in the twilight of memory we should meet once more, we shall speak again together and you shall sing to me a deeper song.
And if our hands should meet in another dream we shall build another tower in the sky."
Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet - "The Farewell"

Your Career and You: "Talk to Me!"

2011-05-08T16:57:00.000-04:00

It's the end of yet another semester and another year, and all kinds of thoughts are racing through my head.

"What difference did I make this year?" ... "Will my superstars continue to shine post graduation?" ... "What did I learn?"

These thoughts started bubbling after a chat I had with a student at Curry College...a graduating senior, I learned...who had switched her major to Communication and found that she really enjoyed the field, in particular the Public Relations aspect.

My response upon learning this? "I wish we had had this conversation a year go, when we could have worked out a plan of action for you."

We parted agreeing that we would continue this dialogue over the summer and that I would work with her to help identify some potential avenues to pursue for employment.

To put it mildly, I was surprised that this student had just now floated onto my radar screen. Am I the only faculty member with whom she has come in contact who has urged her to explore her options...her strengths...and her passions?

She's a very good communicator. Didn't this strength show through in any of her other courses?

She's very focused and organized. Ditto.

She loves thinking through and solving problems. Hmmm...

But that was then...and now she and I have a plan. And maybe these attributes simply didn't rise to the surface previously.

That's what makes this gig I'm doing now so much fun...opportunities to uncover, usually by accident, budding PR superstars. Not only that, but being able to work with them to sort out the myriad possibilities available to them depending on their interests and their strengths.

It's often a pleasant surprise for both of us, as in (me saying) "I had no idea you were interested in that area. Cool! Let's figure out where you should start looking!"

And, from the other side of the conversation: "I've always been interested in that area. I just didn't know that I would also become interested in public relations and that I could combine those two interests."

Your basic "win-win."

It all starts with simple but meaningful conversations, though, and you, as a student/soon-to-be graduate, have to take the lead. I can't read your mind. Talk to me.

Mention to me, even casually, things that you enjoy doing...hobbies, leisure activities, books you've read...stuff that gives me a clearer picture of you the "non-student," the human being.

Then I can start mentioning to you things that fall into one or more of those areas of interest that have a public relations (or other...I really don't expect everyone to want to go into PR!) focus.

Talk to me!

"And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand." - Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, "On Talking."

Your Career and You: "I Appericate It"

2011-04-22T23:04:00.000-04:00

Nope...not my typo. Belongs to a student (graduating senior, I might add) who asked me if I would be so kind as to provide a reference on LinkedIn.

And for those of you who wonder why I take great pleasure in banging my head against cement walls...

It seems like I've been on this rant forever...it definitely (or defiantly according, apparently, to some students' versions of SpellCheck) feels that way to me!

And I've now taught at five Boston-area colleges, finally landing at Curry College where I head up the public relations concentration and teach most of the undergrad PR courses. I also teach, though, graduate communication courses at Regis College...similar problems lurk there as well.

But I can't let go. Not when I get something like this: I was wondering if you could write me a recommendation for Lindkin? If you can that would be great I appericate it alot!

Not all requests made of me are of this caliber. Most are actually professional-looking; a few not so much.

I keep telling my young disciples, "Attention to detail is a defining characteristic of a professional communicator."

I've seen water slide off a duck's back slower than this advice is ignored.

Then I had the pleasure of reviewing a student's resume this afternoon. He had already had it vetted by two different faculty members, neither of whom caught the error in his 15-word-total address block at the top.

I don't know where their minds were during the resume review process...don't want to go down that alleyway!

But the question remains: "When are you ("student") going to learn how to write properly? What do I need to do to get your attention as you're preparing to enter the professional world and your cover letter and resume are going to be your initial introduction?"

I'm tired of hearing the banalities like "Well, you need to understand that they grew up texting and Facebooking... grammar, punctuation, and spelling haven't been a part of their formative years."

To use a quote from 4077 M*A*S*H (one of my all-time favorite TV programs) Commander Colonel Sherman T. Potter: "Bull-hockey."

As the communication profession continues to evolve, certain factors remain unchanged, among them "accuracy of information."

Ivy Lee, arguably one of the "Fathers of Public Relations," had this to say in his Declaration of Principles: "In brief, our plan is...frankly, and openly, on behalf of business concerns and public institutions, to supply...accurate information concerning subjects which it is of value and interest to the public to know about." (This was 1906, folks.)

Telling me you "appericate" my help doesn't cut it.

"I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon, I put it back again." - Oscar Wilde [1854-1900]

Your Career and You: "Minorities, Masses and Internships"

2011-04-17T15:27:00.000-04:00

Yep, it's that time of the year again when the soft breezes waft gently, squirrels play "chicken" with oncoming cars, and students get all googley-eyed at the thought of summer... as well as, for some, their future.

The inspiration for this week's ruminations was a chat I had with a student in my "Principles of Public Relations" class at Curry College where I oversee the COM Department's public relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses.

This particular student...a sports-enthusiast (no surprise there)...had learned of possible job openings at ComCast SportsNet in the communications area (BIG surprise there).

Why?

He's a senior. I've known him for about a year. Never a peep about interest in communications as an actual career field.

How can this be, you ask?

Easy. Not everyone who pursues a Communication major actually plans to work in communication. That's the beauty of this particular major...the knowledge and skills that you acquire in the process prepare you for an amazing variety of work environments.

You pick up, of course, writing and speaking skills. You learn the intricacies of interpersonal communication. You fine-tune your presentation skills. You learn how to communicate both in a business and a social environment.

Take all this and combine it with that particular area of professional life in which you truly have an interest...finance, education, criminal justice, you name it...and you have a leg up on your entry-level competitors who specialized in just one of these areas with no communication exposure.

But, back to my student. He indirectly was asking if I would grease the skids on his application for a marketing position reporting to a friend of mine. I didn't have a chance to grill him on his motivation, but I fully intend to do so.

Why? Because he will have zero qualifications other than a diploma and a love of sports and hasn't done anything to differentiate himself from the herd of other applicants who will be vying for this very same position.

It's a smidge late in the game to turn the clock back and start all over again. Other folks have been racking up internship after internship, homing in on their strengths, preferred work environments, areas of interest, etc.

And it's not like I haven't been yammering on and on about the importance of internships in all my classes.

That's how I got my start in public relations...as a Public Affairs Intern working for the US Army Training and Doctrine Command at Ft. Monroe, VA. Learned virtually everything there was to know about the career field. Took to it like a duck to water.

I was late to the game myself, having entered the world with an English degree and an unnerving interest in 18th century British literature.

Eight years in the Air Force had given me a chance to (accidentally, I hasten to emphasize) develop basic PR skills including writing, public speaking, event planning and management, crisis communication, and a myriad others. Thus to the Army as a civilian public affairs guy.

So, back to the student. I have to get clear in my own mind what it is he hopes to accomplish here. Does he think he is going to waltz into an interview armed with a shiny-new sheepskin and a smile and nail a coveted entry-level job?

I obviously don't have the answer to this puzzle yet, but I will have before I offer to intervene on his behalf with ComCast SportsNet.

But this episode lends even more credence to my ongoing mantra of "internship, internship, internship." Why?
> The economy is still faltering along...optimism is dawning but not fully in place.
> Competition even for entry-level jobs...especially for entry-level jobs...is brutal.
> You have to differentiate yourself from the rest of the flock.
> Successful internships make a difference...a big difference.

I hope I will be able to report in a future post the successful resolution of this situation. I'm not filled with great hope, but I'm also not always right. Fingers crossed on this one.

"Minorities are individuals or groups of individuals especially qualified. The masses are the collection of people not especially qualified."
Jose' Ortega y Gasset, The Revolt of the Masses [1930], prologue

Your Career and You: "It's OK to Say 'No'"

2011-04-10T15:09:00.006-04:00

This past week, I had conversations with a couple of my students, one in the graduate communications program at Regis College, the other in the undergrad communication program at Curry College, about “volunteer overload.”

Both have hit that “eyes rolling back in the sockets” stage where they’re wondering if their heads are going to explode from all that they’re handling.

And, in both instances, I was able to assure them that they will survive but that they need to learn how to pronounce a very powerful two-letter word.

“NO.”

Now you can utter this little jewel all Louisa May Alcott-y sweetly and gently. Or you can roar like King Kong when he figured out that his Empire State Building escapade was going to end really badly.

Either way, you have to learn how to say it.

I also would love to say that I’m speaking as one who has mastered this fine art. Can’t.

I, like my students, am at pretty close to maximum overload. Between graduate thesis reading, book reading/review writing, exam grading, and new course development, in addition to the ever-evolving responsibilities that came with my election to the Public Relations Society of America’s Board of Directors…my head is going to explode.

Not looking for sympathy (unless you just happen to feel so inclined…hint, hint!). Just stating the situation.

We do this to ourselves for all kinds of reasons. A feeling of obligation. A desire to belong in some way. A worry that “if I don’t do it, it won’t get done.” A fear of being ostracized for not being “a team player.”

The list can go on for pages. The bottom line is…we do it because we don’t know how to say “no.”

The obvious and very real danger…in addition to our own mental/physical self-destruction…is that, inevitably, something either doesn’t get done, or it gets done poorly.

Either way, we let someone in addition to ourselves down. We disappoint someone we care about. We embarrass ourselves. Or worse, we embarrass others.

There’s not a secret solution to this conundrum (I’ve used this word twice in the past week; has a cool sound to it, yes?). There’s only your (or my) facing up to reality and realizing that you can’t possibly take on another project. You’ve hit your upper limit on effective, efficient productivity, and it just isn’t going to turn out well.

You then have to look the requestor squarely in the eye and say, “Thank you so much for thinking of me for this project, but I really can’t take it on at this time and deliver what both you and I would feel is a product we both know I’m capable of.”

Note that I haven’t said “boo” about helping find someone else to fill the void.

Unless you truly have just had a conversation with a friend or colleague who expressed a desire to do exactly what you have been asked to do, don’t offer to help. Because if you do, you will have done just what we’ve been saying not to do…you’ve said…albeit indirectly… “yes.”

So take stock of where you are in projects, both mandatory and voluntary. Do a realistic calculation of how much of your time is going to be consumed in total.

Then form your lips into a circle and say… “No.”

“‘Yes,’ I answered you last night;
‘No,’ this morning, sir, I say:
Colors seen by candlelight
Will not look the same by day.”
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, The Lady’s “Yes,” [1844], st. 1

Your Career and You: "Ask Questions and Be Accountable"

2011-04-03T15:12:00.000-04:00

Two separate incidents within the last couple of weeks have given me cause to reflect on what seems to be a growing trend in "responsibility avoidance."

The most recent was an article in the April 3 Boston Sunday Globe about the state's Transportation Secretary who apparently was...or chose to be..."out of the loop" on matters relating to falling light fixtures (yes..."falling," not "failing") in a heavily-traveled Boston tunnel.

The other cause for reflection was a meeting with an internship advisee who is having problems with his internship; he puts the blame squarely on the person in charge of the organization he's interning with.

The similarity between the two events was what caught my attention. Basically, neither individual is admitting that the problem might really be his fault.

While I'll give the student a little leeway on this matter based on his youth and relative inexperience, I have a little problem with the guy at Transportation.

He's not a "newbie." He was a successful attorney for quite a few years (hmmm...lawyer...transportation secretary...I won't wander down that path!), so he theoretically has some business management smarts.

This fellow admits he didn't consider the public's "need to know." To which I ask, "What is it about 'public servant' and 'public's need to know' that isn't connecting?"

For the student...what is it about communicating with your supervisor that you're not getting? Why aren't you sitting down for a serious conversation about your needs as a student-intern and the organization's needs?

In both cases, I would offer that the root cause in both cases is fear of being held accountable. "If I don't ask, I can't be blamed."

That works maybe once in a blue moon, but rarely more often than that. As we see more and more, in the media and in daily life, people are being held to their responsibilities. They are being evaluated on what they are supposed to do.

So, to use a phrase from my favorite television program, South Park, "what we have learned here" is you have to ask questions...you have to make sure you have the answers... and you have to hold yourself accountable for your actions and your responsibilities.

It's called "being grown up."

"When a member of my family complains to me of having bitten his tongue, pinched a finger, or the like, he does not get the sympathy he hopes for but instead the question:
'Why did you do that?'"
Sigmund Freud, "The Psychopathology of Everyday Life" [1910], ch. 8

Your Career and You: "Lord, What's a Cubit?"

2011-03-27T16:24:00.002-04:00

It seems like at least once a week that I have a conversation with a student about a problem he or she is facing either at Curry College, where I head up the Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the PR-related courses, or at Regis College, where I teach graduate Communications courses, in which I wind up asking a student, “Did you ask?”

To which the response usually is, “Well, no, not yet.”

I’m reminded of a very old Bill Cosby skit about the conversation between the Lord and Noah about building an ark.

The segment that always sticks in my mind is toward the end, after the Lord has told Noah how many cubits in length, width and height to make the ark, where Noah pauses and asks... “Lord…what’s a cubit?”

Simple question, but absolutely critical if anything is going to be accomplished according to the Lord’s instructions.

Now unless I’m seriously mistaken, most of us don’t have one-on-one conversations with the Supreme Being. But we do, or will, have occasion to talk with teachers, advisors, supervisors, and the like.

The idea, if this is to be a successful interchange, is for a dialogue to take place, not a monologue as is so often the case.

You need to ask questions. You need to offer opinions. You need to show that you are capable of holding your own in interactions with other human beings.

This seems particularly important in light of a recent series of pieces in the Kalamazoo (MI) Gazette written by three high school students entitled “Has social networking led to a decline in social skills?”

The bottom line, according to these three young people, is that too much of a good thing can be bad for you; self-control is the key.

We’re comfortable chatting with our friends on Facebook and elsewhere, but when it comes to a real in-person dialogue with someone who we don’t know well, I’ve seen clams being more vocal.

I’m by nature a card-carrying introvert, and I’ve known myself long enough to know what I would prefer to do…hole up in my den at home or my office at school with a book, shunning any and all human contact.

I’ve also worked in the public relations profession long enough to know that that is totally unacceptable. Gotta show your face, Kirk. See and be seen. Talk and be talked to.

It’s a struggle, but I’ve kind of gotten used to the butterflies (this has been going on so long some of them have gotten married and have children!) in my stomach when I step into a room filled with people, many of whom I don’t know or just barely know.

You can and should do the same. If you’re living on campus, don’t eat in your dorm room every day; go to the cafeteria and mingle. Or drop in on one of your professors for a chat. If you’ve graduated and are more-or-less on your own, get out to the local coffee shop or diner. Be with people.

As you do this more and more, you’ll find that you’re more comfortable interacting with people who you don’t know. And you’ll find that you’re more at ease in conversations that don’t relate either to (a) tomorrow morning’s homework assignment or (b) the project that’s due on the client’s desk two days from now.

In time, you will find yourself, without hesitation, asking questions about things that you don’t understand or would like to know more about.

And you’ll be comfortable in the knowledge that you’re not asking because you’re not smart enough…you’re asking because you want to learn…you want to understand…you want to do the very best that you can and, to do that, you have to ask the question… “Lord, what’s a cubit?”

“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” - James Thurber

Your Career and You: "It's a Bumpy Road"

2011-03-13T14:52:00.002-04:00

My ride to New York City from Boston on our version of “high speed rail” (aka: Acela) got me thinking about career moves and job searches…especially the moment when we hit some sort of bump and my laptop did a mini-bounce.

Here’s the deal…Job searches are not smooth, fast-moving processes. There are bumps in the road; there are delays along the way.

I’ve had a couple of conversations recently with students at Curry College, where I teach undergraduate communication…primarily public relations…courses, and at Regis College, where I teach graduate communications courses, about their job searches.

In all instances, students questioned the perceived length of their searches and the process, wondering if this was “normal.”

My response in all cases was, “Sadly, yes.”

This isn’t to say that all job searches are going to take two-and-a-half lifetimes. But the fact of the matter is, they’re going to take time.

Why? A number of reasons, starting with the increasing caution that hiring managers are taking when reviewing candidates’ resumes and support materials.

Unless you’ve been living under a giant mushroom for the past couple of years, you’re well aware that the economy is just now slowly creeping up out of the sewer. Many companies’ budgets have been trimmed…not down to the bone…down to the marrow inside the bone!

As a result, they’re being extra diligent about vetting applicants before getting into the review/interview process. Which includes checking out your activities on the various social media platforms like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

What this does for hiring managers is allow them to speed up the process on their end by either identifying or eliminating applicants and bringing in just those who pass the “smell test.” (This, by the way, means “Does what you say in your resume/cover letter match up with what you ‘say’ online, etc.? Does my ‘gut’ tell me you might be right for the position I’m trying to fill?”)

All this takes time for both of us…but it saves time in the long run for me, the hiring manager.

So what should you do to monitor the process?

You wait…impatiently…for a week or so (this really depends on the method by which you applied, the size of the company, the bureaucracy of the company, and a number of other factors) and then follow up via phone or email.

“Wait! Whoa, Kirk!!” you shout frantically. “Who do I follow up with??”

Here comes another “depends.”

If, in your Sherlock Holmes-ian sleuthing into the company's information, you came up with the actual name of the hiring manager (the individual directly responsible for filling the position you’ve applied for), that’s who you follow up with. Otherwise, you go with the Human Resources or whichever department you sent your stuff to.

I, for one, am impressed when a would-be candidate goes online or elsewhere and figures out that I’m the dude he or she needs to know. I’m a PR guy, though, and a big part of effective public relations centers on conducting research to learn as much about the situation as possible. Other people may have different views on this, but you can’t know this upfront, so be proactive but not creepy-stalky.

Having gone through all this exercise (and a job search is a mental and spiritual workout), be prepared for the bumps in the road.

I once conducted my own search for a job in a similarly bleaah economy only to be told, after having gone through the first round of interviews for a job that I really wanted, that the position for which I was applying had been “put on hold” and wasn’t going to be filled in the foreseeable future. (More like hitting a brick wall than a bump in the road!)

So there you have it. You’ve read all this and are now filled with immeasurable hope and confidence as you prepare for or continue your job search.

Here’s the takeaway.

Your cover letter and resume are pristine. You’ve made an irrefutable case for why you should be one of the chosen few called in for an interview. You’ve followed up to show that you truly are interested in this opportunity and aren’t just “dialing for dollars.”

It’s out of your hands, now. If everything matches up (your qualifications vs. their needs), you probably will be called for an interview. But there is no guarantee, and anyone who says otherwise needs to do a serious reality check.

You have to have confidence in yourself and your abilities, and you have to believe that there is the “right” opportunity waiting for you. It’s a bumpy road, but others have traveled it successfully, and so will you!

“But in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it, and rough at first. But when you come to the top, then it is easy, even though it is hard.” Hesiod, “Work and Days”

Your Career and You: "You Can't Know Everything"

2011-03-06T16:19:00.003-05:00

I have come to the realization, having been battling all day with Windows 7 on my new computer, that I, alas, am human. Kinda didn’t want to face up to that fact at this point in my life/career, but Windows 7 has won.

Which, not surprisingly, got me thinking about the young men and women who come to me, both at Curry College where I head up the public relations concentration and teach most of the public relations courses, and at Regis College where I teach graduate communications courses, for advice and guidance as they nervously set out on their initial (or, sometimes, continuing) search for the "right" job.

We all have the time-tested gems like "Do all the research you can on the companies you're interested in." and "Be able to describe your strengths in a couple of short sentences." But I've found over the years of my own ventures into "alternative employment" that I've rarely been able to anticipate everything that's going to be asked of me.

And that, I've also discovered, is ok.

As much as we all would like to have total control over the events that shape our lives, there's a limit, and "knowledge" falls into that pile.

Is this to suggest that you shouldn't make an attempt to learn as much as you can about a potential employer before going in for an interview? Absolutely not. What I am suggesting is that you not make yourself crazy in the process!

Gather your facts. Prepare your "self-disclosure" pitch. Make sure your buttons and zippers are buttoned and zipped. And dive into the pool.

One thing that I, as a former hiring manager and, in another life, as a member of an executive recruitment firm always looked for in addition to basic knowledge of my organization's or my client's business, was poise and confidence...a sort of "I may not know that answer right now, but I guarantee you that once I am a member of your team I will become the walking expert on that subject" aura.

So gather ye rosebuds...and pertinent information...while ye may. Learn as much as you can about each and every organization you're invited to interview with. And be comfortable with the knowledge that, inevitably, you're going to be asked a question to which you absolutely have no response.

Then, for future interviews, add that question to the preparation pile and charge ahead. You will gain in confidence with each session. And, ultimately, you will land a position where you will be comfortable in your abilities as a communicator.

“No one can draw more out of things, books included, than he already knows. A man has no ears for that to which experience has given him no access.” Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, “Ecce Homo” [1888]

Your Career and You: Job Search Bungee-Jumping

2011-02-27T15:09:00.000-05:00

I was struck the other day by the conservative (aka: safe) approach that some of my students (both Curry College, where I teach undergrad communication courses, and Regis College, where I teach graduate communication courses) take in their job and internship efforts.

This post is sort of a continuation of last week's "goldfish bowl" musing, but I've had two different conversations in the past few days that tell me to talk more.

Not only do you have to think outside your familiar and safe boundaries, both geographical and professional; you have to be willing to dive headlong into unfamiliar territory, exploring new industries, and considering different entry points into your career.

One of my grad students was talking with me about her search for a field experience opportunity. Apparently she had gotten some email addresses from another professor, but nothing more for contact information.

My sense was that she had done nothing more than simply fire off a "To Whom It May Concern" email and was now sitting and waiting for a response.

One of her classmates, as we were chatting, offered some very viable suggestions on other places to look. The first student basically blew off the recommendations as they weren't exactly what and where she wanted.

I then offered to do some address-book-diving to see if I knew someone at any of the institutions she was interested in. I told her that my contacts would be the public relations people, but they certainly would be able to provide her with names, etc., for the areas in which she was interested.

Ditto.

As I was driving home after that class, I thought about the sequence of events and realized that this particular student, anxious as she was to find something, was not going to take the risk of following a circuitous route to her goal.

So be it. We're not all cut out for the often nerve-wracking ordeal of diving into unclear career waters...and I'm certainly not suggesting that you must. But...you have to be open to taking some risks.

It's terrifying, and it's exhilarating. And you learn something about yourself...your capacity for risk-taking...your openness to new ideas...your willingness to adapt.

The goal is for you to get a toehold on your future, and if the standard avenues aren't working, you might have to try something different...some job search bungee-jumping.

"It is only by risking our persons from one hour to another that we live at all. And often enough our faith beforehand in an uncertified result is the only thing that makes the result come true." William James, "The Will to Believe [1897]. Is Life Worth Living?"

Your Career and You: "Changing Fishbowls"

2011-02-21T14:00:00.009-05:00

Conversations with a variety of current and former students over the past couple of weeks gave me cause to think about just how we tend to stick within the real or imagined walls of our "universe."

I was reminded of the time we bought a new aquarium for our goldfish...the equivalent for the fish of moving from a studio apartment to a three-bedroom penthouse with roofdeck.

The guys totally freaked.

For the first week, they wouldn't venture beyond what they remembered as the boundaries of their old "apartment." They would be chasing each other (playing, I hope) and, when they reached what used to be the side...screech!!! A dead stop.

Took nearly two weeks for them to figure out that they actually could explore "outside the walls." (One of them...not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree...knocked himself senseless once, apparently figuring that, since the original wall was no longer there, no walls were there! He only did this once, but it was a lesson painfully learned!)

Which brings me back to the students' plights...all job-search related.

It's not that they haven't been looking. It's just that they've been looking right around their familiar stomping grounds. Those who live south of Boston are looking south of Boston. Ditto for north and west.

I understand the natural urge to stay close to home, and some of them have real reasons for doing so. But...

Common sense (and a quick conversation with their former professor) should help them realize that the odds are stacked against them... after all, I'm the guy who has lived and worked in five states and two foreign countries...and that's not counting internships and training in three other states.

If you've been looking for a job for a year or so and nothing has come up for which you had a shot, maybe it's time to change your fishbowl...broaden your search horizons.

Just because you move away for a few years doesn't mean that you've forsaken family and friends. It should be...and they should realize this...a sign that you've grown up and are making grown-up decisions!!

This isn't to say that searching elsewhere is the magic potion...that it's going to be the solution to your dilemma. But at least, at the end of the day, you can say to yourself and to others, "I took full advantage of the opportunities that were available to me in my job search."

And you don't have to be alone as you venture into those uncharted waters. Think back on the things I've mentioned/ urged you to do/preached about over the years...

1. Expand your network...Use LinkedIn, Facebook, Happo, Brazen Careerist, and the dozens of other social networking sites to make connections, establish new relationships, and ferret out job opportunities.

For my Public Relations students, I remind them constantly of the value of professional organizations like the Public Relations Society of America, the International Association of Business Communicators, the American Marketing Association, and others.

2. Call on others for advice...Even at Curry College, a small private college just south of Boston, faculty are from all over the place...and have contacts all over the place. Talk to them; find out who they know where and what they know about various cities around the country (or world, for that matter).

This is a start, and you will build on your resource base as you move forward. But first, you have to take that one step that moves you out of your "same ol'-same ol'" routine. You have to change your fishbowl!

"Nature--that is, biological evolution--has not fitted man to any specific environment...His imagination, his reason, his emotional subtlety and toughness, make it possible for him not to accept the environment, but to change it." Jacob Bronowski, "The Ascent of Man" [1973]

Your Career and You: "Read Between the Lines...and TALK"

2011-02-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

As usual, I was having an interesting conversation with a couple of my Communication students at Curry College last week.

One of them is a Public Relations concentration disciple; the other is Theatre. Both are bright, driven, and full of optimism when it comes to their respective futures.

We were talking about internships, and the subject of "internship scams" came up. Seems both of them were singed...they caught on before getting burned...by less-than-forthright "internship" ads.

Both had conducted their own searches for internships, just as we encourage them to do. The idea is to promote self-sufficiency, with the knowledge that you can always come back to us...Career Services... faculty advisors...professors with industry connections...for more guidance.

Both had come across what sounded like the most amazing internship on earth! Not only would they "gain valuable marketing experience"; they would "earn while learning!"

I'm salivating myself as I read these words!!

But...as my version of the old adage goes: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't!"

To both these young future professionals' credit, they decided to do a quick online "background check" on their respective companies. And, in both cases, the first ten or so hits were warnings to beware the scammer.

Now I would love to get on my white horse and crusade throughout the land chastising those companies that prey on unsuspecting young college students and others.

Since that isn't going to happen, though, I take the alternate route of making sure that our Career Services folks are fully aware of the scammer and that each and every one of my own advisees (academic AND internship) is aware of the potential risks.

So what to do, you ask? Simple...TALK!

> Tell your advisor/professor/Career Services rep what company you're looking at.
> Ask what he or she knows about the company or if he or she has heard anything about it.
> Look online to see what others may have said, positively OR negatively, about the company and their own experience.
> Keep a record of your search results and share them so that others won't be scammed.

Internships, as well as entry-level jobs, are opportunities for you to learn or to perfect the skills that you need to succeed in your chosen career field. Unfortunately, there are those who see you as "cheap labor" and will take advantage of your perceived innocence.

The good news is that you have a network of resources (mentioned above) that you can turn to. Use them...use them all.

The goal is for you to learn...both in the classroom and the workplace... and not be taken advantage of in either. You already check out your professors pretty thoroughly...do the same with your potential intern-ships or jobs!

It's all a learning experience. And the more you experience, the more you will learn.

To repeat one of my favorite lines from Charles Lutwidge Dodgson's (aka Lewis Carroll) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:

"That's the reason they're called lessons," the Gryphon remarked: "because they lessen from day to day." [Turtle's Story, p. 145]

Your Career and You: Have a Reason to Connect

2011-02-05T20:03:00.004-05:00

I just "inherited" another follower on Twitter...checked her feeds and didn't find anything obscene (I won't get into the gazillion typos I found in her tweets), so didn't block her.

The occurrence sparked the idea for this week's post, though...along with a chat that I've been following on LinkedIn about "introductions."

When I get notice of a new follower on Twitter, or a friend request on Facebook, or an invitation to connect on LinkedIn, I always ask a simple question: "Why me?"

I'd like to pamper myself with the notion that perhaps my thoughts are regarded as interesting or worthwhile by these folks. But I'm not convinced...in fact, kinda doubt it most of the time.

I'm nowhere near as erudite as my colleague Todd Defren at SHIFT, who writes a great blog on topics near and dear to my PR-prone heart. Nor do my topics have as great a significance for senior management as those addressed by Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross at Weber Shandwick.

So why do you want to follow/friend/connect with me? The answer to that little question seems to be where the real connection isn't being made.

At first I was grateful that someone wanted to share a common social media link with me...until I checked up on a few and found some "interesting" photos or comments...blocked and reported those puppies immediately!

Now I'm more cautious. If I don't recognize your name, I'm going to do some quick sleuthing. Who are you? And what common connection do we have in our backgrounds?

So, to speed up the process and increase your chances of my complying with your request, tell me why you're reaching out!

What mutual friend recommended that you connect with me?

What organization do we both belong to?

What job are you applying for that I have some connection with?

Tell me!!

This applies in all aspects of your job search. Don't assume that I'm going to do your homework and find out who you are.

And this applies equally to your resume and cover letter. When I've been part of search committees over the years tasked with slogging through piles of resumes from everyone from highly-qualified communication professionals to laid-off cab drivers, the most annoying part of the process has been reading the cover letter and resume of someone who assumed that I was going to know what he or she wanted to do.

We always had three piles: (1) definitely talk to this person ASAP; (2) hmmm, let's think about this one, and (3) naah.

Want to guess where the ones that I was just talking about wound up? Without being read fully and discussed??

Especially in my world of public relations, the ability to communicate is paramount. And if you can't make your case right up front in your initial introduction, your chances have gotten way smaller.

So back to reasons. Here are a few that I used in my job search in Hawaii:

1. Before moving from Massachusetts to Hawaii..."I'm writing as a fellow member of the Public Relations Society of America..."

2. After relocating..."We met at a recent meeting of the PRSA/Hawaii Chapter..."
or

3. "I'm writing at the suggestion of XXXX at the Bank of Hawaii who, after chatting with me about job opportunities, thought that my background and experience might be just what you're looking for to fill your open XXXX position..."

Three short but clear reasons/connections, all of which resulted in informational or job-specific interviews. No guesswork involved.

I'm constantly reminding my Communication students at Curry College, especially my Public Relations concentration disciples, as well as my graduate Communications students at Regis College, of the importance of results-oriented communication with target audiences.

Your target audience in this case is someone who either can point you in the direction of a job opportunity or might consider you for a specific job. Give him or her a reason to connect!

"A man always has two reasons for what he does - a good one, and the real one."
John Pierpont Morgan, "From OWEN WISTER, Roosevelt: The Story of Friendship" [1930]

Your Career and You: "Brand Who? Brand YOU!!"

2011-01-29T16:03:00.002-05:00

I attended an event yesterday for seniors at Curry College...resume review, interview advice, job search tips...designed to help them get a leg up on the competition that faces them as graduation inches closer and closer.

An audience of nearly 100 sat in rapt attention, nodding in agreement and jotting down thoughts, as keynote speaker and Curry alum Matt Winkler shared his insights on the critical issue of personal branding as it relates to looking for a job.

Matt's comments got me thinking about the job search challenge and how you can best prepare yourself to dive headlong into the rushing waters of "life."

Finely crafted resumes and cover letters are crucial. Networking and subsequent interviews, both informational and job-specific, are vital. But how you present yourself...who you are...what impression you leave on those with whom you meet...is the "make-or-break" factor.

Branding is a lot of stuff that goes into making you who you are in the eyes of others.

What do others think about the way you dress? How do you present yourself both in writing, in your speech, and in your appearance?

As I like to describe it...and say often in my Communication classes at Curry...especially my Public Relations classes...what's the "take-away"? Once you've walked out my door, and I'm left with your resume and the aroma of your perfume or aftershave...what do I remember?

I helped a client a few years ago conduct a job search to fill a senior publications position in her organization...a very conservative healthcare trade association. This individual would interact with other high-level staff members as well as members of the association who were highly educated, serious professionals.

We winnowed the applicants down to a half dozen and set about conducting interviews. The first few were good but not spectacular, but we were encouraged because we had one scheduled whose experience was exactly what we were looking for.

But there were some problems with this one already. First...remember this was a senior publications position...the ink on the resume and cover letter and resume smudged when you touched the paper. And, the printing cracked in areas that were folded. Hmmm.

We decided we had to see this fellow if only to confirm our suspicions.

And in he walked. Dressed reasonably nicely. Clean and neat. But his ears gave us a problem.

We concluded the interview and escorted him out thanking him for his time. Then we practically dashed back to the interview room to compare notes.

She: "How many holes did you count on your side?"

Me: "Three. And you?"

She: "Two."

Observation: The fellow had taken the five rings that he normally wore in his earlobes out for the interview.

Conclusion: Not a match for the brand that is our association.

"Dear Mr. XXX, Thank you very much for meeting with us today. While we were impressed with your background and experience, I'm sorry to inform you that we have identified another candidate whose qualifications are more closely aligned with the mission of our association...Sincerely, XXX"

It's a small detail, but an important one. The problem was that, while he had the talents that we really wanted for this position, we were concerned that his appearance would be a distraction both to our own staff and to association members with whom he would inevitably have to meet.

Not saying he was wrong. Just saying that his brand was wrong for us.

So take a close and serious look at yourself. Who are you? How do you present yourself? How do you express yourself? How do you impress others?

My late Father once made an irritated, negative comment about the way I laughed. I had never noticed. I did then...I don't laugh like that any more! (Note: Still laugh, and laugh a lot...just not the way that annoyed my Father!)

A tip or two...start making either mental or literal notes.

What impresses you most about those people you really admire? Your peers, your family members, others with whom you come in contact?

What about them makes you say to yourself, "I wish I were like that."

Or conversely, what really turns you off about someone? Now...ask yourself and ask others: "Am I like that?"

Your personal brand is your flag...it identifies you as who you are, who you represent, who you wish to be remembered as. It gives a hint as to what you're capable of accomplishing. And it indicates what you're not.

Inventory time.

Stand in front of a mirror and look at what's looking back at you (assuming you're not a vampire and have no image at all!).

Round up your best friend and ask him or her to critique you. (Note: Friends will lie to you to remain your friend; best friends will tell you if your breath smells like day-old sardines.)

Then go to work on fine-tuning and polishing your appearance, your way of speaking, all the aspects of you that leave an impression on others. When you feel that you've made any changes that are needed... and you're comfortable with those changes...you have the start of your "brand."

"It's this simple: You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand. There is no single path to success. And there is no one right way to create the brand called You. Except this: Start today. Or else."
Tom Peters, "The Brand Called You" [Fast Company, August 31, 1997]

Your Career and You: "The Power of One"

2011-01-23T14:31:00.000-05:00

Being snowed in for a couple of days gave me a chance to think about career moves and job searches...basically, I was bored out of my gourd, had solved every available crossword and Sudoku puzzle in the house, and was thinking about writing my "memoirs."

THAT was the proverbial "straw"! First, I don't feel I've accomplished very much thus far. And, second, I feel like there's so much more I need to do!

Started feeling a bit overwhelmed. THEN I recalled conversations I've had with friends/students both at Curry College, where I oversee the undergrad public relations concentration, and at Regis College, where I teach graduate-level communications courses.

Some of these folks were feeling a bit overwhelmed as well. And, as we chatted about everything that they were doing both academically and elsewhere, I understood their feeling of being swamped.

And that led to the thought for this post..."The Power of One."

It's so easy to sit down and draw up ginormous lists of things we have to do in "X" amount of time. The problem with this exercise, though, is that we often wind up feeling discouraged...that we can't possibly accomplish all this and maintain some semblance of sanity.

So here's a thought.

Start off easy. Decide on ONE thing that you are going to accomplish in the coming week as part of your job search.

Maybe it's to schedule an informational interview. Or to revise your resume. Or to attend a networking event.

Whatever you decide...settle on that one thing...and DO it!

Some critics will no doubt say, "You're setting the bar too low, Kirk."

And I will counter with, "A job search is like exercising. You have to limber up first, or you'll wind up hurting yourself and not wanting to continue."

So "warm up" with one job search activity. Then, when that starts feeling comfortable, increase the "reps"...slowly and carefully.

Soon you'll find yourself in a regular pattern of activity...networking, interviews...that will greatly increase your chances of landing that way cool job that you've always wanted.

There you have it. Now put on your mental workout clothes and hit the job search gym with "one"...one day devoted to finetuning your resume...one networking event with business cards in hand...one informational interview with resume AND business cards.

You can do it...it's the "Power of One!"

"You cannot conceive the many without the one."
Plato, "Dialogues, Parmenides" [129]

Your Career and You: "Three-Two-One...Job Hunt!"

2011-01-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

For several of my PR superstars at Curry College, we're now in the countdown phase of their education.

Courses required for the Public Relations concentration are out of the way as well as most other courses. We've managed their studies so that they can devote as much time as possible this semester to a final internship and the serious beginnings of their job search.

A few are farther along than others...back-to-back internships at a leading PR firm in the hopes of that developing into a full-time job offer...more frequent attendance at PR-related events in the area as part of their nascent networking initiatives...frantic and frequent meetings with me (and others) to fine-tune resumes and cover letters.

So here's a little "countdown" advice as you either get started (a smidge late, if you are) or are revving up the activity.

Number Three...Resume and Cover Letter. It's now or never...you want people to actually look at your stuff, don't you? Well, you gotta' get their attention first! And you do that by presenting a professionally crafted and professional looking set of introductory materials.

Get others' opinions. Show the pieces to your parents, to a professor whose opinion you value, to your Career Services professionals. Get more than one person's opinion.

If two or more people agree that everything looks good...and there are no grammatical or other errors...you're close to ready.

If you get different feedback from everyone you talk to, there's probably something wrong with the way you're presenting yourself. You need to (a) figure out what it is and (b) fix it.

Number Two...Networking. As I said in a recent blog for SMartPR, nearly three-quarters of all job openings are never posted. They're filled through referrals..."someone who knows someone."

And before you go stomping off muttering "That is SO not fair!", get over it. In your eyes, it's unfair; in the eyes of the person filling the position, it's a time-saver and assurance of finding the right "fit" for the job.

Referrals come with built-in initial reference checks...when I refer someone for a particular position, I do so because I know that person and have confidence in his or her ability to succeed. I'm putting my professional reputation on the line with the referral, so I'm not going to play games in the process. And that takes a little of the burden off the hiring manager.

Number One...Informational Interviews. The more you know...the more you know.

Although I had worked for a gazillion years in industries ranging from federal government to high tech to service sector, I really had no clue what it was going to be like working in Hawaii. So I scheduled and went on more than 100 informational interviews immediately after moving to Honolulu.

Picked up some valuable tips on "Hawaiian-style" worklife, social life, professional relations, and everything else that goes into creating a society.

Conversely, when I moved back to Boston and jumped into the jobsearch stream using those skills that I had perfected in Hawaii...hit a wall and had to start all over. I had to re-learn how to act in the Boston business world...very different!! And it took a while to find the right opportunity.

It's been said time and time again..."Looking for a job is a job in itself."

It is.

But if you are serious about wanting to find a great entry-level (or other) position where you can make the most of your education, your interests, your skills, and your desire to succeed, you have no choice. The Tooth Fairy isn't going to leave a job under your pillow. You're going to have to find it yourself.

So start your countdown now...pull out your resume and your cover letter and get to work! Then move on and out!

"The beginning is the most important part of the work."
Plato, "The Republic," bk. I, 377-B

Your Career and You: "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over"

2011-01-08T10:57:00.000-05:00

I realized something this morning as I was cranking out a letter of recommendation for a former student who wants to go on to grad school (a good thing, by the way!)...

Somehow I was doing all the work...not she!

First off...she sent me an email last night at 11:30 p.m. asking if I would do her a "special favor"...that had to be done no later than the next day!

Oooh-kaaay. I'm a chronically last-minute guy myself...work a LOT on adrenalin rushes, so this sort of fit my own M.O.

Then, when I jumped up this morning and got started on what I had promised, I discovered TWO "tiny" problems.

First, the email address that she had provided for sending the letter was wrong, so I had to go online to track down the correct one.

Then, since I'm a notoriously nosey type (and, because of the above, a little suspicious), I decided to double-check the name of the graduate program she was applying for. Turns out she had that wrong as well!

I corrected all the errors and sent off the recommendation...mostly because I believe this young woman really wants to get this degree, and I also believe that she will be fabulous in the career field for which she is studying (not public relations, by the way!).

But..

I sent her a message telling her about the errors and what I had done to correct them. Took nearly six hours to get a response!

Apparently she figured her part was done and it was up to me to make sure everything else was taken care of!

And this inspired the thought for today. As the eternally-famous Lawrence Peter ("Yogi") Berra is credited with having said, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

This observation holds true as much in life, career progression, and continued educational aspirations as it does in baseball.

You don't just haphazardly throw stuff together and wait for someone else to clean it up for you...you take responsibility for your actions and do your utmost to make sure that what you are producing is as close to perfect as possible.

I'm constantly reminding my undergrad PR students at Curry College and my grad Communications students at Regis College of this simple but vital step. Some day...

There you have it...short and simple. "It ain't over 'til it's over."

Keep your trigger finger away from the "send" button until you have revisited your work at least two or three times with a critical eye.

Then you share it with the world.

Make yourself...and me...proud!

"The reward of a thing well done, is to have done it."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Essays, Second Series [1844], Nominalist and Realist"

Your Career and You: "The 'Experience of Being Served'"

2011-01-02T15:50:00.000-05:00

My wife and I met for our New Year's Eve lunch at a rather posh hotel restaurant in Boston. Won't mention names, but the hotel's headquarters is in Hong Kong!

Bottom line...worst dining experience in ages. We left, after having a long conversation with the manager on duty, vowing never to return.

A learning point came out of this, though, that I want to share.

My public relations undergrad students at Curry College, as well as my graduate communications students at Regis College, hear this from me constantly by the way.

That point is about "service"...what your client or boss or customer experiences as a result of your activities on his or her behalf.

After noticing that no one was paying any attention to our table... we hadn't eaten yet, so I couldn't possibly have had a piece of spinach stuck in my teeth!...I decided to time how long it would take for someone to notice that my water glass was empty.

Thirty minutes later, our waitperson wandered by and, as kind of an afterthought, asked if we needed anything. I had to point out the fact that spiderwebs were forming in my glass! (Prior to her arrival, by the way, various hosts and hostesses had passed by our table a total of 15 times...not one single person even acknowledging that we existed!)

"So what," you ask? "They probably were busy doing their jobs."

Sadly, you are absolutely correct. They were busy just doing their jobs!

And that's the whole point here. Service, as I define it, is doing what it takes to ensure that your client, boss, guest, friend...whoever...feels that he or she is the most important person in your life at a particular moment.

Note that I haven't said one word about your "job description.

Job descriptions tell you what is expected of you as an average employee...one who gets his or her job done in the required number of hours with a minimum of mistakes.

"Service" is what you add to the equation.

Now I'm not talking about sticking your hand in a meat grinder or throwing yourself in front of an oncoming car. I'm talking, purely and simply, about anticipating what it takes to create "the experience of being served."

What am I talking about? A "Kirk story," of course.

Part of the "routine" each year when we're on vacation in Taipei is that I get one of my (noticeably, according to some) infrequent haircuts.

I've been going to one particular stylist for five or six years, mostly because I've gotten used to the place, and she, for whatever reason, remembers how I like my hair cut even though she only sees me once a year!

This year, we got settled in earlier than usual, and I decided to go that afternoon for the ritual.

Settled into the chair; looked like hell (14-hour flight, maybe?!?). She took one look and asked, "When did you arrive?"

"This morning," I mumbled.

What followed was the most amazing half-hour neck and shoulder massage I have ever had. Hurt so bad and felt so good I wanted to cry!

Then on to the regular spruce-up.

The point of this story?

She didn't have to provide that extra bit of service. I would have been satisfied with the usual great job she does with my rapidly-vanishing hair. But she recognized how bone-tired I was and knew there was one thing she could do that would help a little.

In return, she has now converted me from a satisfied customer to a raving, deliriously loyal client who tells anyone he runs into about the experience.

Another point? It doesn't matter what your job is. What matters is the pride you take in the performance of your job. And customer service is part and parcel of every job that exists on this earth.

But this is the difference between doing your job and providing quality customer service. You take yourself out of your job description box and put yourself in the shoes of the person you are working with or for.

Don't get wrapped up so tightly in your job description that you forget the people with whom you interact.

Success, in my book, comes from delivering, as often as you possibly can, "the experience of being served."

"Small service is true service while it lasts;
Of humblest friends, bright creature! scorn not one:
The daisy, by the shadow that it casts,
Protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun."
William Wordsworth, "To a Child, Written in Her Album" [1835]

Your Career and You: "Five End-of-Year To-Dos for Your Future"

2010-12-26T16:16:00.002-05:00

We're in the final countdown now to the tottering end of 2010 and the teetering start of a brand-new year.

But before you send this first decade of the new millennium packing, though, here are five things you should do to ensure that 2011 truly is a winner.

1. Cover Letter and Resume

By now, the eggnog-induced euphoria of the Yuletide season should be drifting gently away. Pull these two puppies up on your computer screen and give them the icy glare of Father Time being booted into the closet.

Is what you see what you want to say and would like to be remembered as? Not only from the content aspect but from the appearance as well?

Format organized and professional? Font readable (minimum 11-point; maximum 12-point)? Your name/address/contact info the same for both pieces? Margins even (1 inch for the sides)?

2. Network

It's the start of a new year, and you're actually allowed to reach out to folks who you may not have been in contact with in a while as well as to recent contacts to wish them good fortune in the coming year (and remind them you're still around...hint...hint).

Short email is best. ("Dear X - As we prepare to enter the new decade, I wanted to send you my best wishes for a success-filled 2011. My own resolution for the coming year is to find a/an new opportunity/entry-level position that will allow me to fully use my communication skills (etc., etc.). Wishing you a Happy New Year! - (you)")

3. Schmooze

'Tis the party season. Take advantage of the many opportunities to gather with friends, family, casual acquaintances.

You never know. Uncle Fred, who you haven't seen in dog years, may know "someone you can talk to." As I noted in a recent guest-post I did for Sidney Maxwell Public Relations, talk to "family, friends of family, family of friends." You never know where the connection might lie.

4. Navel-Gaze

As I sit watching what has been billed by eager-voiced weather-prognosticators as "THE BLIZZARD OF 2010!!!", I'm finding myself thinking about my own skills and abilities and mentally making note of places that could use a little touch-up. You should do the same!

Do some prioritizing. Looking back on the past year, what have you done that you're really, really proud of?

Make a list. It might be one or two accomplishments; it might have been a remarkable year, and you have four or five! Whatever the number, take note of what you've done...they're "previews of coming attractions"!

5. Be Proud of Who You Are

As a college freshman, I had a summer job working in a woolen mill in my hometown. I remember meeting and becoming friendly with a fellow whose job it was to operate a cloth-folding machine. He pushed a button to start the machine. When the container into which the cloth was being folded was full, he pushed a button to stop the machine and get another container. Then he pushed the button again...

What has stuck with me in the ensuing 46 years was the visible pride that this fellow took in his work. He was the maestro of this machine and had a mission of producing containers filled with immaculately-folded cloth.

Where I saw "mundane," he saw a masterpiece. Where I saw blinding boredom, he saw beautiful bundles. He was...rightfully so...proud of who he was...a professional in his field.

The year's coming to an end, and a new beginning is right around the corner. If you follow these five simple pieces of advice, you'll be prepared to dive in and make a difference...to yourself, and to the lucky organization that recognizes your enthusiasm and potential.

"'Twixt the optimist and pessimist
The difference is droll:
The optimist sees the doughnut
But the pessimist sees the hole."
McLandburgh Wilson, "Optimist and Pessimist"

Your Career and You: "Your Internship...Putting It in Perspective"

2010-12-19T15:12:00.000-05:00

We're wrapping up internships at Curry College, where I oversee the Public Relations concentration and teach most of the PR courses offered in our Communication major.

A couple of students whose internships I supervised from the faculty side absolutely outdid themselves, garnering rave reviews from their site supervisors and indicating in their post-internship "Reflection Papers" just how excited they are about ultimately working in my chosen career field.

Other students...not so much...and a couple stand out.

One thinks she wants to work in events planning, and she chose to get her "experience" in one of the major restaurants that specializes in weddings, corporate functions, and other big-crowd mob scenes.

On the "plus" side, she definitely experienced the behind-the-scenes insanity that goes into staging a large event, including how to properly arrange a place setting and what kind of shoes are appropriate if one is going to be working an event. (Hint: Your Manolo Blahnik high heels won't cut it!)

But she didn't learn a thing about promoting events...about planning events as a means of accomplishing corporate objectives...about getting corporate buy-in to even stage an event.

Was this internship a waste of time?

No. There were some lessons learned in the course of the semester.

But I would argue that the time could have been better spent working with a public relations firm learning all the ins and outs of dealing with clients, media, bosses, underlings, would-be dictators...

Another student was talking with me about an internship that he wants to take on in the spring. He's having difficulty finding the "right" one.

It's not that there are no internships...I've given him easily a half-dozen possibilities along with the names and contact info of friends who head those organizations.

But nothing has happened...he informed me that "none of those are 'good enough' for me."

Hmmmm.

Let's see...you want to learn about a particular segment of the business world because you kind of know what you want to do post-graduation... but none of these organizations "are good enough."

Yowza.

This one has all the makings of a genuinely rude awakening, and I'm going to be standing on the sidelines watching.

Which brings me back to "perspective." Real life is made up of two pieces: aspiration and reality. The "trick," if that's what you choose to call it, is to line those two puppies up as closely as possible...know what you want to do with your life...and know, at least in starting out, what you can do.

My wife Margaret once drove a salesman to the point of exasperation in the course of buying two matching table lamps...a two-hour exercise, I might add. She kept finding and pointing out microscopic flaws in one or the other of the lamps until finally the guy gently chided her with a "Nothing's perfect, little girl." (We bought the lamps and enjoyed them for nearly 20 years!)

The same holds true in professional life as well. Counting my current relationship with Curry College, I have had two nearly-perfect jobs in 40-plus years...the other (check with any of my students; they can tell you about it in a heartbeat!) was the Blood Bank of Hawaii.

Did I "settle" with either of those opportunities? Absolutely not. Would I take on either of those challenges again knowing what I know today? You better believe it.

Why? Because I knew what I wanted to accomplish in my own life, and I knew from experience that only special environments would make that possible.

And I have been right in both cases.

So my advice, for what it's worth, is this. Figure out what it is that you want to do with your life...what makes you proud?...what do you enjoy doing?...for whom?

Then set off on a march through life toward that goal. Accept that you will hit some potholes along the way. But keep a clear focus on what, at some point in the future when you're sitting on your verandah in Key West watching the sun set, you want to look back on with pride.

As was sung so eloquently by the Rolling Stones:
"You can't always get what you want,
But if you try sometimes, you just might find,
You get what you need."

Your Career and You: "Count Your Blessings"

2010-12-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, I get whacked up side the head (a "southernism") with the realization that I wouldn't be where I am today had it not been for the belief that a legion of friends and colleagues had and/or still have in my abilities as a public relations professional and now as a public relations professor.

The foundation of this support is Margaret, my amazing wife of more years than she will allow me to publicly herald, who seems to be convinced that my casually strolling across Lake Superior is not only imminently do-able, but probably is going to happen some day soon.

Other believers include professional colleagues, many of whom I have known for better than a quarter of a century, family members scattered from here to Georgia and the Far East, and students whose paths have crossed mine and who have become inextricably tangled in my web.

And I'm not alone in this happy situation. I would offer that you are in exactly the same place, whether it be through family or friends or both.

We all have a tendency to beat ourselves up psychologically from time to time...it's part (or so I believe) of taking responsibility for our own actions...of "growing up."

But it's not really necessary. If you find yourself slip-sliding into that dark abyss called "self-pity," put on the brakes and take a minute to reflect...on the encouragement that you got from a colleague for a job well done...on the thank-you note that you got from someone who you spent some time chatting with about careers in public relations...on the good feeling you got when you slipped a dollar into the Salvation Army kettle when you were leaving the grocery store.

I've heard from a couple of Curry College and Regis College students over the past week thanking me for making this past semester a fun learning experience. My response to them was "thank you for giving me a reason to get up in the morning."

That is my "blessing" at this stage in my professional life...to be able to get up every day and go into the classroom where I can share my own knowledge and experience with young future professionals eager to learn and willing to work hard in the process.

If you take a minute to reflect, you have these moments as well. Learn how to appreciate them. Take the time to bask in the warmth of a laugh shared with a friend or the comfort of a quietly-spoken "I understand."

Linus has his blanket. These moments can be yours. Enjoy them. Revel in them. Count your blessings!

"For this I bless you most:
You give much and know not that you give at all.
Verily the kindness that gazes upon itself in a mirror turns to stone,
And a good deed that calls itself by tender names becomes the parent to a curse."
Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet" [1923]