4 PR tips for getting hired in any field
Want to stand out from the crowd of applicants?
Steal these strategies from public relations.
by Lucy Schultze
Red Window Founder and CEO Lucy Schultze works with intern Taylor Fields. Schultze is a former journalist and instructor of writing for integrated marketing communications.
Job application season is underway for new college grads. When you’re applying for your first job, especially in the era of remote work, it can seem like the opportunities are endless. But so is the competition.
Depending on your field, you could be competing with applicants from all over the world. Many will have connections, credentials or experience that you don’t.
How can you stand out? Try taking a page from public relations.
The work of PR pros includes pitching stories to media outlets to get news coverage for their clients. With six PR pros for every journalist these days, there’s plenty of competition for busy content creators’ attention.
Some PR pros are like the job applicants who click any “apply” button they can find. They take a shotgun-style approach and send their stories to every media contact in their database, regardless of whether it’s really relevant to that outlet.
Other PR practitioners home in on the specific outlets that would find their story relevant and timely. They research the type of content the outlet publishes, then take time to craft a tailored pitch that leads with what’s most relevant to that publication.
As a former reporter who is now an employer, I’d recommend the latter approach. You can save yourself a lot of time and get better results by focusing on quality over quantity.
Here are four PR strategies that you can steal for faster success in your job search.
1. UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE.
In media outreach, we start by focusing on the people who are creating or editing content for the outlet we want to pitch. We understand that these folks are busy, and we have to earn their attention.
Before reaching out, we ask ourselves: What readers or viewers are they trying to reach? What topics do they cover? We look at the type of content they share. How can we tweak our story so that it fits in with what we see?
Likewise, start your job search by putting yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes. Presumably you’ve never hired someone before, so find someone who has, even if they work in a completely different field. Ask questions and learn about what it’s like on their side.
What gets their attention?
How do they choose whom to interview?
How do they compare one resumé to another?
What red flags will they avoid?
You can also listen to podcasts on management to hear leaders talk about how they hire.
Seeing the process from the employer’s point of view will help you communicate as someone who is not only interested in what you can get from the opportunity, but also in helping the employer find a good match for their needs.
2. DO YOUR RESEARCH AND TARGET.
Any desirable employer today is marketing not only to their potential customers, but also to potential future employees. On their websites and social media profiles, they are talking about what they do, how they work and what they value. They consider you a key audience!
Take advantage of how much companies are sharing today. Rather than submitting your resume for every job listing you can find, identify companies and opportunities that are likely to be a good fit.
Targeting your job search starts with being realistic about whether your experience and skillset are truly a good match for the opportunity. Like trying to pitch a political piece to a lifestyle magazine, sometimes it’s just not going to work.
If your qualifications are a match for the opportunity, spend time absorbing what the company says about itself before you apply. Reflect this awareness in your cover letter:
Call out company values you personally share
Articulate specifically what about the company you find attractive
If possible, address your letter to the hiring manager or team
Taking this extra effort pays off by signaling to hiring managers that you are serious and deserve their attention.
3. SHOW, DON’T JUST TELL.
Just like hiring managers, journalists and editors sift through lots of incoming messages to discern what’s relevant — and what’s not.
Journalists can spot salesy or fluffed-up PR pitches a mile away. The worst ones are awash in vague, effusive adjectives that attempt to “convince” them of the story’s value, rather than just giving plain, specific details that make the relevance clear.
See which of these PR pitches you would pay more attention to if you were a journalist:
Entergy has worked tirelessly to achieve outstanding results in countless areas that affect important issues.
Over the past five years, Entergy has invested $22 billion to modernize its fleet to reduce emissions and upgrade its transmission lines to make its power supply more reliable.
It’s obvious, right? Likewise, in job applications, don’t let your pitch to the employer rest on bold, vague statements like these:
“I have perfected my skills in _______.”
“I can guarantee that if I’m hired I will not disappoint.”
“I am confident that I am the best choice for this position.”
Instead, let your confidence show through specific callouts for how your experience and abilities fit the employer’s need.
Prove your skills by sharing high-quality, relevant work samples.
Tell a short story to demonstrate a strong personal trait like perseverance or creative problem-solving.
Quote numbers that show the results from efforts you’ve led, including as part of student organizations.
4. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE LONG TERM.
For PR pros who work in specific industries or regions, consistently getting good coverage for clients involves building relationships with journalists and content creators.
As PR practitioners, we also share ideas or contacts when they need one for a story — including when it’s not for our clients, just to be helpful and invest in that relationship.
Likewise, look at the job search process as more than transactional. You’re not just trying to land a job. You’re building a professional network in your field. You’re building a career.
As part of your research and targeting, you will probably run across companies that you would love to work for, but who don’t seem to have any entry-level openings right now.
Keep in mind: The best opportunities aren’t necessarily advertised. They may not even exist yet.
In certain fields, regions or stages of growth, companies hire primarily through word-of-mouth. If they’re growing quickly, they need to hire quickly. Rather than taking the time to advertise and wait for applicants, they would rather have some promising applicants waiting on deck for when the timing is right.
If you find a company you would like to join, the question might not be how best to land the current job posting — but rather how to get on deck, so you’ll be in position for the next one.
Figure out who does the hiring, even if there are no current openings advertised.
Reach out and keep in touch.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back.
Find out whether the talent manager keeps resumés on file and how to submit yours.
Connect on LinkedIn and cheer on the company’s successes.
What if you apply for a job and don’t get the offer? Shake off your disappointment and respond with a gracious thank you to the hiring manager.
It’s a simple way to set yourself apart as a real professional — and as someone they should keep in their professional network for years to come.
