Great Advice for Emerging PR Practitioners

I recently conducted an email interview with Kriya Benich, Development Officer of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

I asked her a series of five questions hoping she could shed some light on PR and help me with job searching. Read below to see what she says...

1. Do you think PR is something that is taught? Or is it an innate ability?

I think it is a combination. You have to be taught the basics to show the scope of what's out there. You must learn the terms and practices that make-up media, campaigns, journalism, communications, etc. But if you really pay attention, 99.9% of PR professionals are very similar - creative, energetic, charismatic personality, troubleshooters, works well in groups, feed off the energy of others, and love to dive into new projects. Obviously, the field attracts people with certain innate abilities. If you like to work solo with minimal distraction, you probably won't enjoy the PR world. But if you enjoy the synergy of great minds working together for a common goal, you'll find a place in PR. It's a balance of the two.

2. What is the best part of your job? What is the worst part of your job?

The best part: I get to do great work for a great cause. I'm able to work on projects and with people I enjoy on behalf of children I deeply care about. In other words, I get to see the fruits of my labor in the face of our wish kids....instead of a paycheck :)

The worst part: No matter how well you do in my area of fundraising/PR, there's always more work to be done. Unfortunately, there will always be more sick children to help.

3. What personal characteristic do you possess that makes you successful in the PR world?

When I took all the personality tests that tell you what your learning styles are, what your major should be, and what your weaknesses are, they all confirmed what I already knew - I need to work with people. And because I enjoy most interactions with people (pleasant, horrible, or indifferent) I can use them to be better in PR. I also thrive in an environment when I can work hard for something I believe in.

4. What advice can you give upcoming PR practitioners? (Especially regarding job searching)

You should know what you're good at and focus on areas that will let those qualities shine. Ask questions of the employer to make sure they fit your requirements. Even though you're desperate to find a job and obviously need to be open-minded, don't settle.

5. As an employer, what qualities do you look for in applicants?

Personality, diverse skills/experiences, and passion for the project

Thank you, Kriya for such great insight!!! I'll heed these words as a future PR practitioner!

Rat Poison: It's What's For Dinner???

The love of my life is a nine-year-old chocolate lab named Cole. The thought of something happening to him is terrifying, which is one of the reasons the outbreak of rat poison in pet food horrified me.

Even though the poison is blamed for the deaths of 15 cats and one dog, scientists still do not know how the poison contaminated the food.

According to an article by the Associated Press, the company that produces the animal food extended the recall to 95 types of "cuts and gravy" food and also said they would compensate pet owners for the medical expenses the pet food may cause.

As a soon-to-be PR practitioner, I think the company responsible for producing the pet food is being smart in how they handle the situation. Recalling the questionable product is a must, and the fact that the company is assuming financial responsibility for medical costs is smart, too. Although the company can't erase what happened to their customer's pets, they're doing what they can to make the situation right.

If I were working for this company in their PR department, I would recommend that the CEO send a personalized sympathy card/letter to the customer's who have lost pets due to the rat poison.

As a PR major, I recognize that the company is doing all that they can to make such a horrible situation manageable; but, as a pet owner, I don't know that I could forget that dog died unnecessarily because of poison in his food.

Peanut Butter and Salmonella Sandwich???

As an avid eater of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I was completely bummed to learn that my favorite type of peanut butter was a hazard to my health.

In February of 2007, Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter was recalled for Salmonella Tennessee contamination.

According to the Food and Drug Association's website, 290 people in 39 states were affected by the bacterium.

Even though the FDA initiated the recall, ConAgra foods agreed, which from a PR standpoint, I think that was a smart move. Like the Tylenol recall in the late 80's, I think it is important to remove all of the product that could cause potential illness in order to reduce the company's liability and to the reduce the risk of illness to the customers.

I, like many others, had contaminated peanut butter and found the process to return the food was simple, and I got all of my money back. ConAgra and retail stores that sell the peanut butter made the process as painless as possible.

Overall, I think what was a nasty situation was handled promptly and effectively.

M.I.A.

So, I have been completely MIA, and I haven't posted in forever.

But in the time I've been non-existent in the Blogoshpere, there has been some interesting developments in the Public Relations world.

I have been paying attention to the news, and now that I have time, I can finally comment on these situations.

Read some of the posts and let me know what you think!