As you know from our Careers page, we’re looking for that bright, shining star of an intern who can come to Full Circle PR and help us out with our projects, and learn a lot about public relations in the process.

I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to have the opportunity to work with some really stellar interns — students who you just knew were going to rock their jobs once they graduated.  I’ve also worked with some not-so-great interns, but well, that’s not what this post is about.

image courtesy of www.pursuitofflute.com/

As we’re sifting through the dozens of resumes we received already for our summer internship program, we’ve seen a shocking trend.  Of all of the resumes we’ve received so far, about 20 percent are completely error-free.

That means 80 percent have some form of typographical error, use grammar incorrectly or just show a general lack of attention to detail in the resume or cover letter.  80 PERCENT!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the U.S. is still in the throes of a recession.  Internships are a great way to learn valuable job skills you can use after you graduate, as well as (hopefully) gain some school credit.

So with that said, I’ve put together our top five things you should do before hitting ‘send’ on that internship application.  Hopefully this will help land you into that top 20 percent of job applicants, and ideally get you in the door for an interview.

1. Proofread, proofread and then proofread again. You might say, “I’ve looked at this resume 10 times, there’s no way there’s a mistake in here.”  Trust me – have a smart friend read it for you, read through your resume from the bottom up, send it to a business colleague you know to review – just have another set of eyes read your resume. You’d be surprised what mistakes they’ll catch that you glossed over every time.

2. How can you help the company? Read through the job description and point out ways you can directly benefit the company. If it’s a job heavy on administrative duties, let them know you’re a rock star at answering phones and making copies. If it’s a graphics position, let the employer know you design things in your sleep and still want to design more.  Companies are short staffed and overworked right now — tell them how you can help them.  In other words, it’s not all about you.

3. Make the company feel special. We’ve received many resumes with attachments just titled, “Resume 1.”  That’s great – I can tell you just sent this resume out to anyone and everyone in hopes someone would look at it.

Or worse, someone will allude in their cover letter how much they would love working for a non profit organization, when we’re obviously a for-profit business.

Take the time to customize your cover letter and resume for each company you’re applying. Will it take longer? Yes. But wouldn’t you rather land an interview and hopefully a job because you took the time to do it right, versus ending up in the “no, thanks” pile?

4. You’re not entitled. At Full Circle PR, and most places I’ve worked, everyone works hard. No one is above doing any type of task, whether it’s fetching coffee, cleaning up or boxing up packages.  Here, everyone pulls together as a team to produce great results for our clients.  Offer to help do whatever it takes to get the job done. If you’re already fortunate enough to be interning somewhere, take a look around.  If someone is obviously overworked and drowning, offer to help out.  Trust me: it will go a long way with your managers to show you’re a team player.

5. Don’t worry, be happy. Sure, sometimes it can be hard to get up in the morning and come in to work, and yes, sometimes the hours are late and you’re tired. But don’t be a drag. There’s nothing worse than having a complainer on the set, bringing everyone else around them down. If you’re applying for an internship, put on a happy face and tell your future employers why you’ll be such a breath of fresh air to the team (in addition to the hardest working person in show business for them).

In your interview, make direct eye contact, shake hands firmly and be positive and enthusiastic. Tell them how you’re going to be the best thing that ever happened to the company (in a confident, but not cocky, way).

Some of this admittedly unsolicited advice might seem basic, but you’d be surprised how many intern candidates we see who don’t follow these tips.  Take note and be the one who stands out.  Now, get out there and make it count!

Liza and I get maybe a call a week from a company that “just wants to get a news release out” on a new product, service or event.  And while news releases serve to educate journalists – and ultimately their audiences – on these new announcements, some people think that’s where public relations ends.

Quite the contrary.  Public relations is comprised of developing relationships with so many different audiences: company employees, individuals in the local community, key investors, journalists, bloggers, existing consumers, new prospects, etc.  And the way to build relationships and trust is to implement an ongoing public relations plan to continually keep these different audience members apprised of ongoing news, developments and announcements.  This can happen through media relations, special events, grass roots marketing, social media activities – but very rarely is it a result of sending one lone press release.

For example, we’ve worked with Progress Lighting to execute a strategic PR plan for three years.  We send out news releases to announce new products, awards and company news – but we are successful throughout the year in getting media coverage in key outlets because of ongoing relationships.  I know which publications are working on certain issues – and I try to be a resource to them however I can by sending product information, images and resources for these focuses.  In turn, these same editors trust that when they need an image, information or resources, they can reach me and I will provide requested images as soon as possible to meet their deadlines.  This trust didn’t happen overnight – or because of one press release they received.

Our team conducts extensive research for each client and every opportunity.  We ask questions such as, “Where are key audiences getting their news?  Which messages will resonate with individuals to get the desired reaction (whether increasing awareness, changing behaviors, motivating them to act in a certain way)?  And what is the best way to get this message in front of them?”

When our clients realize that there are so many unique ways we can help them achieve their communications and business goals, a single press release becomes less and less of an option.

What are the best ways you get your news in front of your audiences?  For PR professionals, what is the most creative thing you’ve done to communicate your client’s or company’s news?  Or, how much do you rely on just creating and distributing news releases?

Acknowledge. Apologize. Act.

Well, today must be the day to address apologies.  After reading Robbin’s post this morning, I then started to read PRSA’s March issue of TACTICS and saw another mention on how to “Improve Your Apologies.”

It makes sense that apologies are top of mind today – seeing how the best business relationships, partnerships and friendships are all based on trust. (For more on that, you can see Liza’s recent post.)  And isn’t everyone human? Don’t we all make mistakes?  Of course.

For some, apologizing can be such a complex thing.  But it doesn’t have to be, and the following advice* actually is the basis for a great crisis communications approach:

(*This information was sourced from: “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation and Earn Trust,” by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.)

• Acknowledge – Start any apology by telling the person that you accept something happened. “I didn’t meet my deadline.”
• Apologize - Make sure you clearly and simply say that your sorry, with no excuses tacked on. “I’m sorry, Ellie.”
• Act - Explain what you’ll do to improve or rectify the situation. “I’ve finished the work now and will better scope my time next time.”

Companies and brands alike can benefit from this simple, straightforward advice.  As consumers, we are willing to accept faults – so long as corporate leaders admit to them and tell us how they plan to move forward while addressing them.

What do you think? Is a heartfelt apology enough to correct a wrong? Is there anything else you can do besides Acknowledge, Apologize and Act?  Let us know what you think.

This morning at Social Media Club Greenville‘s March meeting, I found out about Google’s plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country.

This “Google Fiber” will give 50,000 to 500,000 people Internet access at speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today – over 1 gigbit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections.

Interested communities are asked to provide information about themselves and essentially tell Google why they are the best candidates for Google Fiber trial.

The best part – Greenville has put itself in the competition. In less than three weeks, city officials and volunteers from the business community will create a written proposal to Google.

And other dedicated citizens are asked to help get Google’s attention on March 20 during the nighttime community-created event “Google on Main”. That night, volunteers will help make history by using glowsticks to form the world’s first and longest human Google chain. Short videos and petition are also being created so Greenville citizens can tell Google how the Fiber trial would help them personally.

Get more information about Greenville’s united effort at www.wearefeelinglucky.com.

Is anyone planning to attend Google on Main, or have any thoughts on Google Fiber’s impact if it came to Greenville?

Social media. The topic is completely unavoidable in today’s world. Whether its personal or business related, it seems like everyone is trying to find their place in online communities.

At SCPRSA’s February luncheon, I had the chance to get another take on the phenomenon. Unlike my last post, Being Relevant, this recap is focused on the benefits of social media for business. And unlike using social media as a megaphone to shout your ideas to the world, from a business standpoint social media is best used as a medium for back-and-forth conversation.

At the meeting, guest speaker Jon Evans (@bigjonevans onTwitter) laid out a basic, fundamental understanding of social media, as well as steps for implementation.

First, Jon set up the analogy that social media is a lot like New York City – to start, it’s an unavoidable topic that everyone has at least heard of. There are those who really want to go, those who want to if the opportunity is right, those who just don’t want to and those who just have no business going. Sounds appropriate.

Next, Jon proposed a solid definition. Social media is the concept – not entity – of creating relevant conversation and building a community.

So when considering taking a business or a brand into the realm of social media, there are a series of steps that need to be taken.

1. Decide if social media is a good fit. It may not be.

2. If social media is a reasonable concept, set a plan for action. Establish a mission statement, reasonable goals and a process of measurement.

3. Once you get going, don’t be afraid to ask for help – but be sure to research consultants beforehand.

4. There are millions of people there (the NYC metaphor continues). If you want to get noticed, you have to be different. Pinpoint your audience and determine what about you will set you apart to them, and run with it.

5. Social media is not an end. Integrate social media with traditional media.

6. Last but certainly not least when using social media, address negative comments. A definite plus to social media is that online communities will often correct themselves. People who have had good experiences with brands tend to swoop down and tackle those who say negative things. I’ve noticed this in action in my few weeks of helping Facebook fan pages. True supporters of a brand will come to the rescue often before anyone else steps in.

When traditional media was the only communication tool around, information could only be “pushed” to consumers. By integrating traditional media and the “pull” function of social media, brands can now connect with consumers on a personal level and create relationships, rather than just sales. And I think that’s a topic that isn’t worth avoiding.

We love our friends at Brains on Fire. They have been so supportive of our efforts at Full Circle PR, as well as wonderful mentors and inspirational leaders to us.

Liza got a chance to be a guest blogger on their wildly popular blog recently. Read her post and let us know if you think trust plays as much of an important role in your relationships as we do.