Archive for January, 2008

Social media: hurting or helping your job search?

January 31, 2008 at 6:28 am · Filed under Commaricator on communications ·Tagged , , , , ,

Joseph Thornley writes:

I do not hire entry level people without looking at their blog, following their twitter stream and checking their Facebook presence. I want a sense of who they are over time, not just when they are in my office. I want to know what they think on the issues they care about and how they express themselves. I want to see whether and how they connect with others. And I can find out all those things from their social media presence.

What happened to the days when employers looked over your resume, did an interview (or two) and then made their decision based on information and observations gathered from the process?

I’ll tell you what happened.

Facebook. MySpace. Blogging. Twitter.
You get the picture…

I’ve read several articles about the effect social media now has on the hiring process. Most of the articles looked at this trend negatively, but I disagree.

It’s a win-win situation for employers and employees.

Before social media took over, employers relied solely on resumes, interviews and references to help them decide whether or not a candidate met all of the requirements. They only got to see the sugar-coated, polished, dressed-up version of candiates.
Now, they have the tools to help them scratch the surface a bit to see if the nut inside is as fetching as the shell.

If you have common-sense (which, funny enough, isn’t very common at all), you know employers are looking at Facebook profiles, MySpace pages and blogs to help them figure out who they should and shouldn’t hire.

Having said that, you should think twice before posting or writing anything on the World Wide Web.

Remember that picture of you after a couple of tequila shots from last Friday’s pub night?
(note to self: take pictures from pub night down)

Probably not something your potential employer would like to see.

I think if you keep in mind that your audience consists of more than just classmates and friends, having a strong and active presence in the social media world means:

  • you can showcase your strong communication and writing skills
  • employers can verify that the nut inside the shiny shell is just as admirable
  • you can paint a very positive and accurate picture of yourself
  • you can set yourself apart from the other candidates (involvement in/with companies, organizations, etc.)

One more thing. If you have ANY of the following listed under “interests” or “activities”, you may want to consider revising that list:

  • Drinkin’ wit my pples and havin’ a hella good tyme
  • Rollin’ fat ones
  • Moochin off my ‘rents
  • Just chillin’ and veggin’ out

Why did I mention that? Please read this article.

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Engineering of Consent

January 28, 2008 at 7:04 pm · Filed under Uncategorized

Edward Bernays’ theory was instrumental in shaping how
public relations people influence, affect and shape the public. It’s a
powerful tool that changes people’s behaviours, opinions and
point-of-views. Though we may all agree that the public is not as naive and as
gullible as it was during the days of Phineas Barnum, I believe the “Engineering of
Consent” theory can still strongly persuade today’s “audience” into making
them want things they don’t necessarily need.

For example, some women flock to pricey department stores and high-end boutiques
to buy themselves an outlandishly expensive purses. Some women even walk out
with their accounts in overdraft just to have a piece of pricey cloth or
leather to throw over their shoulder. Why? Because of the art of
manipulation. The Super Bowl is also a good example.
A purse is a sign of class and it’s probably one of the first things that people notice on a woman. Just as the Super Bowl is promoted as the “most watched sports event in North America”, the lavish purse is promoted as “the must-have wardrobe piece”.
If you aren’t watching the Super Bowl you are out of the loop and if you don’t have
something from the shelves of Gucci, for example, thrown over your arm you’re also not included in the imaginary circle of acceptance.

These two examples prove Bernays’ theory of “Engineering of Consent” is still highly
effective in making people want what they do not need by linking those products/ideas to their unconscious desires.

Bernays’ theory has actually made me more aware of the choices/purchases/actions I make. I now stop and think if my choice/action/purchase was done or made because I was manipulated into doing so or if it was purely decided on my own.

I’ve also learned that a major part of being successful in the field of PR is knowing how to convey a certain image/message to your target audience without them knowing you are doing it (as bad as that may sound). I don’t think it is the only way of effectively getting your point across but it is an important practice. Instead of worrying about how to influence individuals  I’ve learned that focusing on the majority or the  leaders in the group is an efficient way of influencing the people surrounding them.

One student in class gave the example of how Red Bull uses the visible leader in the group to influence their peers into drinking the beverage. By mentioning he/she had a great
time partying on the weekend while gulping down a couple of Red Bulls the link between a good time and the beverage is embedded in their minds.
Now, when someone in the group is at a club, bar, etc. they’re obviously looking
for a good time and the reference to Red Bull will pop-up.
 
I am moving into a profession as a PR person and cannot expect to be any good at it if I don’t know anything about the earliest theories surrounding it or the people who started the whole thing! When Bernays set out to make green a fashion statement in order to raise sales of Lucky Strike cigarettes he was extremely successful because he knew how to change his audience’s opinion and how to effectively change their behaviours as
well. The “Lucky Strike” example has taught me that I should always be
thinking of different and unique ways in which I can persuade my audience
to agree to buy a certain product, act a certain way and think a certain
way.

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Crossing over to the darkside…

January 24, 2008 at 4:48 am · Filed under Commaricator on communications

I ran into one of my journalism professors earlier this school year and when she found out that I was in the Corporate Communications and Public Relations program she jokingly said, “Oh, so you’re crossing over to the darkside?”

Yes, I guess I am.

As a former journalism student I know what it’s like to be at the other end of the rope. There are certain stereotypes about PR people that I have run into on several occasions:

  1. They never call you back on time and if they do, your deadline has already come and gone
  2. For people whose job it is to communicate with the public it’s hard to get a hold of them
  3. When you finally get them on the phone, everything they tell you can be found in the media kit or news release

Now, at first I thought PR people weren’t getting back to me because I was a student, but even when I call them saying I am writing a story for a reputable radio station I still have trouble getting an interview on time – or getting one at all!

Another thing that bugs me is when PR people call the newsroom and start pitching stories to me.
I am not the editor and your story isn’t going to get any coverage if you continue to do this.
I don’t mean to come off as condescending – I’m still a student learning the ropes of communications and PR – but it’s someting my professors have taught us not to do and it’s something that really annoys me because you should at least know who you should be pitching the story to if it’s you want coverage. Come on!!

I digress.

 Now that I’m in the process of crossing over the dark side, there are a couple of things I do as a journalist that can act as PR repellent.

  1. I ask questions that have been answered in the news release
  2. I haven’t done sufficient research about the issue or the organization and then expect the PR person to provide me with an overview
  3. I call/e-mail more than I should
  4. I want to talk about everything except their key message

The great thing about having a journalism background is I know what it’s like to be in both positions and I can use this my advantage. For example, when I am calling a newsroom to pitch a story I will make sure I know which reporter/editor to ask for.

As annoying as one may find the other, at the end of the day the communicator needs the journalist to report the story (properly and accurately) and the journalist needs the communicator to provide them with more information about the issue in a timely fashion.

You know what they say, you can’t live ‘em and you can’t live without ‘em.

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Popping the cherry…the first time is always awkward

January 15, 2008 at 4:25 am · Filed under Commaricator on communications

Coming up with a name for my blog was easy, actually posting something I’m proud to say I am the author of is a completely different story.

I wrote two posts prior to this one and deleted both (obviously) because I felt they weren’t good enough for the rest of the world to see.

Before finally getting up the nerve to post something and leave it I thought about forgetting about it altogether, but realized two things:

1. I will fail my Online PR class if I throw blogging out the window
2. Failing to catch the blog bug could hurt my career

Knowing that millions of people will be able to read my thoughts, feelings and opinons about everything and anyhting I choose to write about is a bit intimidating.

What if I don’t sound intelligent? What if I rub someone the wrong way?
Potential employers may come across my blog and place me on the do not hire list.

But there are benefits to blogging – and doing it regularly…

At least I will get my name out there and it’s a great way to network.
Also, the comments on my posts offers me feedback that I can use to improve what I put on my blog.

My first post may not be a piece of blog art, but I’m trying.

Popping the cherry is never easy, the first time is always awkward.

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