I’m returning to a topic that I seem to be addressing more and more often…writing.
I just read a piece by a blogger who claims to be a PR professional as well.
He was holding forth with “expert” observation on how we public relations professionals should be communicating with him as an “online resource” for getting publicity for clients or employers.
I quit reading after the first couple of paragraphs.
Got tired of seeing misspelled words, improper punctuation, and just generally sloppy writing.
My students at Curry College, where I head the Communication Department’s undergraduate Public Relations Concentration and teach most of the PR courses, have heard my opinions on the need to write well.
They also have learned to expect a lot of red ink and snarky comments, especially in senior-level courses, about the third-grade level of their writing if, in fact, it is such.
Sorry, folks. I don’t appreciate, like, or condone crappy writing.
I’m not impressed by the fact that you can dump a bunch of words onto a piece of paper or a computer screen.
What I am impressed by is your attention to detail, which, for me, implies that you are meticulous in your fact-checking and research and that what I am reading is accurate, truthful, and something I can “take to the bank.”
That the fellow I mentioned in the beginning would take such a holier-than-thou attitude when he, himself, obviously didn’t bother to proofread his own work or (perhaps?) is willing to accept shoddy products as long as they are his own is worrisome.
If he represents (and I don’t believe this to be the case…at this point in time at least) the next generation of communicators, we are in deep yogurt.
Communication…both from the public relations perspective as well as from the journalistic point of view…is about delivery of news and information accurately.
To me, that means checking and double-checking facts, rumors…whatever the source…to ensure that accuracy.
When I see obviously incorrect grammar, really sloppy punctuation, or glaring typos in an article or blog post…or news release, I immediately suspect the producer of that work as well as the reliability of the information.
If you didn’t take the time to proofread your own work, what does that imply when it comes to your having verified the source of the information you’ve communicated?
And, contrary to the statement of a young lady in one of my PR classes very early in my teaching career, “someone else” isn’t going to fix the mistakes for you. It’s on your shoulders.
For students who are reading my thoughts today, consider this piece of advice that applies equally whether in the rapidly-evolving online communication arena or in more traditional written communication.
Here it is…I don’t know who you are when I review your written work. All I know is what I perceive about you based on the quality of your writing.
Well-written, concisely-worded work implies that you have devoted thorough research and professional thought. It tells me that you have given your work your full attention and are presenting me with your best.
What does your written work say about you?
"Achilles exists only through Homer. Take away the art of writing from this world, and you will probably take away its glory."
Francois Rene de Chateaubriand, Les Natchez [1826], preface
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]
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]
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
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"
We had a meeting of the Curry College Public Relations Student Association last week with guest speaker Whytnee Bush, Events & Media Coordinator for Boston Harborfest.
Whytnee is an up-and-coming PR superstar who came into the field somewhat by accident and discovered to her delight...and to mine as a Director of the world-renowned organization...that she loves the challenges of nonprofit public relations.
She shared her experiences getting started in an organization that, for going on 30 years, has been attracting nearly two million visitors annually to Boston from around the globe for a week's worth of family-oriented, affordable entertainment and education.
Advice flowed fast, furious and factually, with attendees chiming in with questions to learn more about actually getting a start in public relations. One recommendation, in particular, resonated with me and gave me the idea for this posting.
Among her "lessons learned," Whytnee advised listeners to "be willing to change things if you think you have a better idea." She followed up with examples of how she had revamped the news releases that were sent out regularly and often by Harborfest to the media.
"They obviously had not been updated in years," she said. "Interns working at Harborfest just plugged in new dates or other information but didn't do anything to the basic copy. I rewrote just about every one to make them sound more 'fresh.'"
The end result? An increase in media interest and use of the materials in publicity about Boston Harborfest.
While this advice from a "junior" practitioner might cause some of my more "traditional" colleagues to swoon, I am totally behind the concept. Something might not be "broken," but it very likely could be improved with a little tinkering.
I did this as an intern myself. Back in the dark ages, I was assigned to the US Army Training and Doctrine Command's Editorial Branch to get some experience editing training materials.
One step of the editing process required that we calculate reading levels for individual manuals, and I noticed right off the bat that my more experienced colleagues were painstakingly creating columns of numbers and then transcribing calculations onto a second piece of paper...a long, drawn-out process.
Being somewhat "labor-averse," I decided that there had to be an easier way, and I experimented with a couple of templates into which I simply plugged numbers and performed calculations. It was the same amount of adding and multiplying, but the process was more orderly and less likely to produce errors.
End result? When I completed my assignment with the Editorial Branch, the commander presented me with a letter of commendation citing my proactive approach to simplifying reading level calculations...that was now an official part of the editing process.
I didn't ask for permission. I simply looked at what was there and identified a simpler, more effective way of accomplishing the task.
This is one thing I try to instill in the minds of my Communication students at Curry College...that it really is okay to be proactive and change things.
I'm not advocating going in willy-nilly and trashing everything that's ever been done. But I am championing the idea of questioning the status quo. Just because they've "done it that way forever" doesn't mean it's the most effective or efficient way.
Experiment on your own time with your own concept of how something could be done more quickly or easily. Once you've proven to yourself that it can be done your new-and-improved way, propose it to your supervisor...or try it out on a colleague to get his or her feedback.
Bottom line...change truly is good, as long as it's done with thought and consideration for the results. "It's okay to change things!"
"God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other."
Reinhold Neibuhr, "The Serenity Prayer" [1934]
Today has been one of those really cool days when I've come to realize that the things that I've been writing about in this blog are valid and meaningful.
First, the Boston Globe had an article in the "Money and Careers" section entitled "For the ambitious, entry-level jobs are far from a dead end." The advice, as provided by Globe staffer Katie Johnston Chase, was dead-center what I wrote about back in June.
Then, I received a tweet from Valerie Simon at BurrellesLuce about a blog ("Culpwrit") written by Ron Culp, a Ketchum PR exec who has some very keen insights into the quagmire known as "careers and job searching." Ron has provided some great observations on the importance of "passion," a topic I examined in August.
I can hear you asking: "So what? What does this have to do with my situation?"
Well, for one thing, it should reassure you that you're not in this all by yourself. If people are offering advice in national publications and on global social media platforms, there's a reason...and that reason is that others, just like you, are asking for advice and guidance.
Another more to-the-point reason is that Ron and I, and countless others, are writing blogs, articles, memos...you name it...putting in words our experiences and our opinions in the hope that we will offer some tidbit of advice that will help you.
I can't tell you how many times one of my students at Curry College or at Regis College has come to me asking for advice on how to better position him- or herself to stand out among the hordes of similar job seekers trying to get a toe in the door of a PR firm or in the PR department of a company or nonprofit organization.
Guess what? You've all taken the same courses....often studying the same texts! You've all done two or three (or more) internships. You've all excelled in your studies. And you've all been involved in a gazillion on- and off-campus activities to help flesh out your knowledge and experience.
So what's left? Well, here's a suggestion. Put your thoughts...your experiences...your observations...down in written form.
Blogging is one obvious way. Writing for your college newspaper or some other publication is another. Even updates on Facebook or Twitter...something besides the fact that you partied way too well last night and are paying the price today...can be valid. If you read (you do read, don't you?!?) something that catches your attention, post a link and a comment on Facebook. Or fire off a Tweet.
Why? Because professionals like Ron, Valerie, me and countless hundreds of others pay attention. You apply for a job; I'm going to pop your name into Google to see what bubbles up.
What would you rather have me see? Your most recent blog about your very cool trip, describing the scenery, the ambience, the excitement of visiting and learning about a new location/culture? Or a photo on Facebook of you getting up-close-and-personal with a trashcan after a party???
Read other people's blogs, and get a sense of how they're expressing themselves. Then think about it and decide what topic you might like to write about. Sports? Cooking? Travel? Art? It doesn't matter. Just put your thoughts down...demonstrate interest.
Set yourself a schedule. I do this blog weekly simply because I seem to encounter enough people and situations to always have at least one topic to sound off on weekly. Just try to be regular about it... demonstrate consistency.
And, finally, keep at it. Don't do one or two and stop, telling yourself, "Ok, I did what Kirk told me to do." Demonstrate dependability.
See what you've accomplished? In addition to having now established a written "picture" of you, the individual, you now have answered three of my top questions as a hiring manager!
So now you're a couple of notches up on the job search chain. Your resume looks good because of all the cool things you've accomplished. And now you and I have had a virtual mini-interview thanks to your having written your blog or whatever published form you choose. I've "heard" you!!
"'Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know.' So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there."
Ernest Hemingway, "A Moveable Feast" [1964]
I've just finished reading two graduate thesis drafts, and the cheery spirit with which I undertook the exercise died a quick but painful death.
Where did we lose control? When did attention to detail...not minute detail; the bold and glaring stuff!...get discarded as an unnecessary requirement?
It's bad enough that the grammar was ungrammatical, and the sentence structure was unstructured. Some sentences weren't even sentences; they were (sort of) phrases with missing pieces that left me questioning my own reading ability.
The thing that sticks in my craw (never used that word before and always have wanted to!) is that these aren't grade school dropouts, nor are they undergraduates at some matchbook-cover "online college." These are graduate students at a well-respected, real higher education institution.
So who dropped the ball? Who said, "Close enough; I'll pass you."?
The kicker in this rant (I'm allowed one rant per semester!) is that, to add insult to injury, these are communication majors!
My undergraduate students at Curry College...particularly those who have declared Communication as their major...more specifically those who have declared Public Relations as their area of concentration...know my "thing" about writing. They know...or learn very quickly...that I am death on grammar, punctuation, syntax and everything else relating to correct writing.
They also learn quickly that "I didn't have time" or "My printer ran out of ink" (the 21st century version of "The cat ate my homework.") won't work either. Sloppy writing and editing are just that...sloppy writing and editing. Good writing...correct writing...takes time and patience.
Hopefully, and I do cling desperately to that ever-so-elusive hope, what these future professionals take away...other than a recognition that life is all about learning...is the knowledge that attention to detail is paramount. And, regardless of the medium that one is using to communicate, writing clearly, concisely and correctly is nonnegotiable.
I actually have turned away a couple of would-be adjunct faculty members because of errors in their cover letters and/or resumes, so it's not just confined to the student side of the picture. But, or so I believe, the students are, for the most part, salvageable if only we, the professionals, take time to show them the right way to write.
The take-away here, for students in particular but truly for anyone whose livelihood includes writing of some form or fashion, is the demand for good, accurate writing will not go away. A misspelling is a misspelling, and your credibility as a communicator or as a business person will be tarnished.
"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all." - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (preface)
