Good news- Bvisible is expanding its team. Bad news- uninspiring applications can make the job of choosing suitable interview candidates difficult.
There are plenty of sites and blog posts on this topic but, since we are advertising for roles to be filled presently, we thought it might be helpful to offer some tips on increasing your application’s visibility.
Find the human being in the company
Dear Human Resources Manager, Dear Sir/ Madam, Dear jobs@bvisible.ie….. Who? Most PR agencies are not giant corporates so it’s easy enough to get the name of the person you should direct your application to. If you take the generic approach you’re already breaking one golden rule of media relations- address your pitch/ press release/ photocall notice to a human being.
Check, double check and triple check
Make every word count, spell them right and get your grammar in order or your application won’t be given a second look. Sloppiness never bodes well for a career in communications so it’s imperative you give a good first impression.
Get creative
While a well-worded application letter and CV will always be considered, why not demonstrate some creativity? It’s not hard to make your application a little different to stand out from the rest. No hints here- creativity and originality go hand in hand . (Ok, one little hint: if you’ve checked out our Twitter account you may find some ideas in an old post- and no we don’t condone standing outside with a sign!)
Do your Research
Another golden rule when working with the media- know your journalist! The same goes for a job application. Know the company you are applying to and tailor your application accordingly. With blogs, Twitter and Facebook accounts it’s not that hard to get a feel for a company, the clients it works with, campaigns undertaken etc. Demonstrate the effort you put into this task and tailor your application accordingly.
Follow up!
PR is a frantic job- we are very often so busy looking after clients that the amount of time we can dedicate to checking applications is very limited. However, one thing that struck us as particularly odd is that we rarely receive follow up calls from applicants. No phone follow-ups when this is a crucial part of your daily job in PR? All PR roles require the kind of person that’s not afraid to pick up the phone and ask a question or to fight their case. If you don’t have enough confidence in yourself to push your candidacy how can you be expected to do it for our clients?
Follow-ups not only put you on the radar, it shows eagerness, determination and even curiosity: qualities every PR professional should possess. If current work commitments prevent you from making a personal call, a reminder email is also good to send.
Be Social, Be Up-To-Date
PR has changed and is continuing to change more than at any point since the arrival of television. PR is not just about understanding and engaging with print and broadcast media, it’s about all media where people get their information.
The best PR candidate in 2010 is the one who is tuned into this. Show us what you know about social media, about developments in PR and where you think our clients should be seen.
Go that extra mile
Fresh ideas and ways of thinking are always welcome in Bvisible. So, if you are granted an interview you should come armed with ideas about what you think we are doing well and what you think we should consider to make things even better. It’s essential to research what our clients are up to as well. This knowledge and what you do with it can be a tremendous advantage to you in an interview.
Hopefully the above pointers are helpful. Any other ideas, experiences, helpful advice from job hunters or businesses? Just weigh in below.
