Celebrating PR and "September Ethics Month"

Thanks to all of you who shared in making our August NCC Networking Night a big success. For those of you unable to join us, check out the online photo gallery and the Job hunting and Resume Tips below!

Have you heard?? September is PRSA "Ethics Month!" How does one recognize this critical PR element? Go to the NCC Ethics Resource Page! There you will find voices of experience and links to key information that will help you to be a better PR professional. Ever heard of "phantom experience?" The term refers to inflated statements of expertise that often expand on the truth. A person helps to coordinate an event, or helps research background for an article, but that person's resume now claims the person ran the event single-handedly, and wrote the article. What do you do? Ethics has broad applications and no PR practitioner can be prepared for every situation. But the Ethics Resource page can help you get started. Check it out and send us your feedback.

Another way to learn more about Ethics is through the PRSA Accreditation program. Take advantage of the last JumpStart class for the year on Saturday, Sept. 26!

Most of all - PRSA-NCC wants you! Especially as Membership Ambassadors. For more information, see below.

I hope to see many of you soon at our big annual NCC event of the year - our THOTH Seminar and Awards Gala on Thursday, Sept. 24. Please join us in celebrating the value of PR!

As always, if you have any questions, contact me at barbara.burfeind@dma.mil or call me at 703-428-0712.

Sincerely,

Barbara Burfeind, APR
2009 PRSA-NCC President

PRSA-NCC Thoth Seminar and Gala on September 24

Sign up now to attend the Thoth Seminar and Gala. "The Future of News Seminar" will run from 3:00 - 5:45 p.m. and will feature panelists which include: Donna Leinwand, reporter, USA Today and president, National Press Club; Thomas Burr, Washington correspondent, The Salt Lake Tribune; Joie Chen, executive vice president, Branded News Worldwide Alexander Heffner, ScoopMedia.com; and Keith M. Kupferschmid, senior vice president, intellectual property policy & enforcement, Software and Information Industry Association. The afternoon will be moderated by Debbi Jarvis, vice president, PEPCO Holdings.

Starting at 6:00 p.m. the The Thoth Awards Gala is an opportunity to network in a relaxed party atmosphere and honor the best public relations programs in the metro DC area. To register, visit the PRSA-NCC Web site or call (703) 691-9212.

Job Hunting Tips from NCC PR PROS

-- Run your own job search. View this particular search as part of a process to take you where you want to go.

-- Networking is the best source to find opportunities (all panelists). Word of mouth leads many job seekers to find what they want.

-- Don't fear that companies want only young people. They want experience, and job seekers should play up what they have done. Talent is hard to find. Job seekers need to show a steady progression toward greater responsibility and success and to link that experience into the new position being sought.

-- Always write a cover letter personalized for each job you seek to make it clear why you are interested and believe that YOU are the person an organization seeks. Do research, and show how what you can do will help resolve that organization's challenges.

-- Keep your resume to two pages, always in a chronological - not functional - format. Use bullets to highlight the skills and accomplishments relevant to where you're applying and to what you want to do, not just what you have done.

-- Track down the name of the person who will do the hiring (not human resources) and try to contact and submit resumes and cover letters to that person.. It's best to do that through a third party (in person or on LinkedIn).

-- Interviews: be sure to ask as many questions as you are asked: e.g., What are the organization's communications challenges? What are the hiring manager's goals? What do you want this position/the department to accomplish in the next few years?

-- Shifting from one content or subject area to another: Don't worry about that. The principles of effective communication are universal and "transfer" from one subject matter area to another.

-- Employment gap: try to use the time between jobs productively. Take a course. Volunteer to use your PR skills for a community organization. Learn more about social media and how to use it. Add to your skill sets. Become accredited. "How you use your time when you're laid off [from a job] shows character. Think about that time as a gift that allows you to be a better employee." (Ben Long)

-- Have a plan - and ask: Where are you now? Hard to do any trip or have a path without a starting point. From there you can plan and decide how to measure success.

-- Think about and write a seven-word resume; helps you distill your qualifications and assets down to the key points - For example Ned's was: "Retired Naval officer, Eagle Scout, accredited communicator."

Thank you to our JOB SEEKER PANELISTS:
Kate Perrin, president of PRofessional Solutions, LLC, the DC metro area's first and only PR temporary staffing firm; Ben Long, president of TRAVAILLE, an executive level search firm specializing in PR and communications; and Ned Lundquist, ABC, Founder and Editor of "Job of the Week" (www.nedsjotw.com).

RESUME TIPS
o Craft resumes to gain attention. Stress quantifiable, real accomplishments and cite outcomes of the successful work.
o Resumes are often tossed out after a 20-second read, so make the most of the summary and two pages you have.
o If an employer is not interested in a person by the end of the first page of the resume, they probably will not read the rest. If interested, the rest is icing on the cake. So, if your best is not reflected on the first page, it might as well not be included.
o Within each chronological job or position description, don't just explain what you did as your job duties, but tell how well you did them and the value you brought to the organization (such as exceeding company goals or preventing unwanted outcomes - use measurable results).
o Keep your bullets simple and easy to read, such as limiting them to one line and never more than two. No one wants to read whole paragraphs about you before they know you in person. Short, descriptive and goal-oriented summary bullets are much more interesting and digestible, and provide fodder for the interview.
o Format to maximize white space to make it easy to read. In your bullets, feature outcomes, not outputs, and use the short, pithy "summary of expertise" at the top.

Changing careers. One individual wanted to get into [a certain type of] PR. He thought he should focus on the big agencies that might already have a focus on the XX market. But his reviewer suggested that while those might be a place to start, his lack of experience could be a problem when compared to other candidates so he might also want to try to make contacts at some of the boutique firms that may want to get involved in this growing area, but perhaps have never really had a reason or ability to do so.

Informational interviews. These help the individual get a feel for what firms are looking for and contacting their Chamber of Commerce could also result in some contacts. This is often true for many people who are looking to change careers. Lack of experience in a field can make finding a job almost impossible in a tight market so you have to create your own opportunities.

Special Thanks to our Resume Reviewers and Coordinators:
Amy M. Robinson, APR, CAE; Patty Briotta; Suzanne Holroyd, APR, PhD; Aaron Ellis, APR; Samantha Villegas, APR; Ben Long; Deborah Deal Blackwell, APR
Coordinators: Michael Queen and Mark Erwin, APR

PRSA-NCC Co-Sponsors IAOC Lunch with Rick Murray of Edelman Digital

Volunteer Opportunities

PRSA-NCC is looking for members who will act as "NCC Membership Ambassadors" and provide chapter and membership information to event attendees. If you are interested, talking points and material will be provided and in return for your work, you attend the event free of charge. Contact Ufuoma Otu at uotu@macstrategies.com or 202-449-9804.

2010 Host Committee - contact Ivonne Couret or Michael Sheward, APR.

Saundra Lambertsen
Global Manager, PR
Terex Corporation, Cranes Division

1) Why did you join PRSA?
I recently relocated from Europe where I was actively involved in professional organizations but none offered a PR focus the way PRSA does in DC. I wanted the best resource for career development & networking with other PR and communications professionals.

2) How long have you been in the PR field?
I started doing campaign work when I was in junior high school but officially, my PR work kicked-off more than 10 years ago.

3) What skills are required to do your job?
Since most of my experience is in the international market, cultural diversity awareness and foreign language skills have been keys to my success working with press and media all over the world.

4) What's your greatest career achievement?
As a consultant to the Bolshoi/UNESCO Partnership under the auspices of the United Nations, I planned & launched an international media campaign for the restoration of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia.

5) Where would you like to see yourself in five years?
I plan to be right here in DC. I want to be an integral part of the community, personally & professionally speaking.

6) How do you begin each day?
I hit the ground running every morning. It's the best way for me to generate energy & momentum.

7) What's your dream job?
I hope to land in a DC based organization focused on communications with an emphasis in foreign affairs or international business.

8) Tips for maintaining the elusive work/life balance?
Select projects, organizations, & missions that align with your core values. We can’t go wrong if our professional pursuits match our personal interests & passions.

If you have joined the Chapter within the past six months and would like to receive a questionnaire, please contact newsletter@prsa-ncc.org. To view past new Member Spotlights, visit the membership section of the Web site.

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My firm keeps sending around information about H1N1 because they anticipate it will get worse this fall. Maybe you can address how this will affect our field especially since our field relies on contact with others?-AP, Washington, DC

AP: The H1N1 virus-more commonly known as the swine flu-is an emerging public health problem that is likely to affect millions of people this year. It is also an opportunity for public relations professionals to demonstrate their value as communicators, both within and outside the organization for which they work.

According to the Washington Post (September 2), health officials expect that half of Americans could be infected with the virus, and as many as 9,000 people could die, which is more than twice the number of deaths from seasonal flu. The outbreak could lead to as many as 1.8 million patients being hospitalized in the United States.

By now, everyone from President Obama to Elmo have told us what to do to reduce our exposure:
1. Wash your hands frequently (preferably with anti-bacterial soap);
2. Cover your sneezes with your sleeve by sneezing into your elbow; and
3. Get a flu shot if you are at risk (primarily young people and the elderly).

As the professional communicator in your organization, you can make a meaningful contribution to the way your company handles what might become a crisis. For example:
• Check the rest rooms in your office to see if they contain antibacterial soap, and ask for it if they don't.
• Put together posters, fliers and other informational materials that can be posted throughout your office, giving tips on how to minimize your exposure.
• Consider ways you can inform those throughout the organization of new developments in the way senior management is responding to the situation, especially via social media like Twitter.
• Is your organization doing anything new or different to reduce employee exposure? Consider that a potential news story and distribute it to your stakeholders and the media.
• Suggest to your senior management that the organization may face a significant shortage of personnel, as employees and their families are exposed to the flu and may have to stay home from work.
• Consider conducting more meetings via conference call rather than bringing people together in a group.

By taking these simple steps, you will show your organization that a professional communicator does more than simply crank out news releases. We anticipate problems and come up with solutions to deal with them. Stay healthy!

Fred Whiting, APR

Do you have a question concerning the practice of public relations that would be of interest to others? Ask a PRofessional! Visit our Ask a PRofessional page to pose your question and receive a personal reply. Your question and the answer may appear in a future issue of the PRSA-NCC Chapter newsletter.

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