For my Intro to Public Relations class, we were required to find a PR professional and interview them about their experience in the field of public relations. Finding a PR professional was far easier than I expected it to be. I got in contact with the person that I interviewed through PRopenmic.com, which is a social networking site specifically for public relations and those who work within the field. The person that I interviewed is Joe Cockrell who is the Director of Public Relations at InHouse Assist. He received his undergrad at Simpson College in Iowa. For more information about Mr. Cockrell his LinkedIn page is http://www.linkedin.com/in/joeprguy.
Me: What is a typical week like?
Mr. Cockrell: There is no typical week; every day brings unique challenges. This week I have been managing the firm’s Twitter feeds, a lot of writing and working with our sales team. I am also responsible for the branding of the firm as well as health care recruiting, finding doctor or nurses.
Me: How important is writing in your career?
Mr. Cockrell: Good writing skills are the foundation of this career and I don’t mean just the grammar and the rules, you also have to know how to speak to each individual audience. Writing to nurses is different than writing to physicians and I have to be aware of that. Writing is a key ingredient to success.
Me: What three tips would you offer someone just starting out in PR?
Mr. Cockrell: Network with PR professionals! If you want to work in a specific area, go online and find someone and network. In-person networking is key too whether at a PRSA luncheon or wherever. The second one would be to pick one or two people to mentor you through their blog, you don’t have to know them personally to learn something. And the third would be to know whats going on in the news. Look for news that relates to your field as well as the world. If you are a good consumer of news then you will identify the trends.
Me: What do you do to keep current in the PR industry?
Mr. Cockrell: Read a lot of blogs. I use bloglines which allows me to assign all of the blogs that I want to read.
Me: Did your education prepare you for working in PR? How?
Mr. Cockrell: To some degree, I have a degree in Journalism and actually started out as a reporter, but it refined my writing, I learned how to research and to draw conclusions. It brings different elements to PR. I think that all it takes is personal passion to be successful.
Me: What do you wish you would have known before starting your career in PR?
Mr. Cockrell: Transitioning from Journalism to PR I wish I would have known the importance of connecting to other people to learn from them and getting a mentor. My background with news was actually helpful and I would advise anyone with an interest in PR to be familiar with how a news room works and the response to deadlines, also if you help out reporters then they will love you and come back to you.
Me: How has PR changed since you entered the field?
Mr. Cockrell: As the Internet has evolved so has PR. PR is evolving as a conduit from the company to the public and the public is becoming more and more important. Also responding quickly is important as well, especially in the times of crisis.
Me: When your company is hiring for an entry-level PR position, what makes a candidate stand out?
Mr. Cockrell: Well this is a competitive job market and I would suggest that you do things that show your experience. GPA isn’t all that important, I want to see what you have done beyond the academic. Highlight what you have done and accomplished, like what groups and organizations that you belong to. Internships are a big thing as well. Also use social networking to your advantage, I created a myspace page to show how it [myspace] can be used to market yourself successfully it’s myspace.com/hirejoe.
Me: Is there anything else that you would like to say?
Mr. Cockrell: Yes, remember the importance of ethics and be aware of your digital identity. Google yourself and see what comes up;take down the pictures of you at the keggar. Lastily, approach your goals with all of the resources at your fingertips.
