Getting the Best Info from your Informational Interview

As a soon-to-be college graduate, (eek!) the job search is in full-force and I have my first informational interview today. While it could seem self-explanatory, it is important to have a focus so you create a professional image for yourself while getting valuable information about a company/position. Even if they currently don't have any jobs available, show genuine interest and remain engaged so that they may consider you in the future if something does open up. Below I have outlined some tips that have helped me get a well-rounded experience in an informational interview:

• Come prepared. You don't want to waste the person's precious time. Even if you have to write them down in your portfolio, have some questions ready so that the conversation isn't lacking and you're getting the feedback you want.
• Keep it quick. Continuing to respect the employee answering your questions, don't let the session go longer than 30-45 minutes. They will appreciate you coming in, but you don't want to overstay your welcome or keep them from their work. Sometimes the most efficient way for them could be a phone interview, so make sure you allow them to have that option. 
• Be honest. You have obviously done some research on the company if you are genuinely interested in them, so think outside the box and ask what you really want to know. Questions such as, "What does a daily day of work look like for you?", "What are your favorite/least favorite things about the job?" and "What is the biggest challenge working here?", etc. are good starting points. 
• Do NOT come out and ask for it! If they think you would be a good fit for a position there, they will ask for your resume. Asking for a job can make the interview feel awkward and the value can be lost if they are distracted by your inquiry. 
• Follow up. This is a crucial step after your informational interview. Many people disregard thank you notes as unnecessary, but it can really set you a part if they receive a handwritten note in a reasonable time frame after the interview. Try to avoid an email thank you, it is less personable and can be deleted in the time it would even take them to open an envelope to a note. 

Have you had any informational interviews? What worked/didn't work?

You're Hired!

No successful company has reached the top without the support of a great team. But hiring a quality team to help you reach your goals isn't as simple as putting out an ad in the Classifieds. Below are a few tips to guide your employee search via "5 Hiring Tips From the NFL Draft":


Are you filling a hole or drafting the best player available? The saying that power comes in numbers is sometimes true; but be careful that you aren't settling just to make a hiring quota. Remember: quality, not quantity. It's more important to hire one fantastic, driven employee than to settle for two that aren't in for the long run.


Make sure they are coachable. It's one thing to hire someone who is inexperienced, but eager and open to learning new things. A rookie with the drive to take things into his/her own hands or to be the best they can be is more valuable than a seasoned employee who is unwilling to adopt new ideas. Part of hiring an employee is getting a sense of not only who they are, but who they can be.


Find someone that loves your game. Passion is often underrated. Passion excites and encourages people to be creative. Creative team members will take your company far and create an atmosphere of success. 


Don't be afraid to trust your gut. Part of the reason for holding an interview is to get a sense of what a person is like and they will fit into your organization. If your gut is telling you that this person belongs, the great. If you're getting an off feeling, then maybe you should think twice about hiring them. But be weary about trusting your gut, because an interview is only a sneak peak and you may have caught them on an off day.


Look for players who can play multiple positions. A renaissance man is someone who is strong in multiple realms. This is someone you want to hire. A potential employee who can speak French, has knowledge of Photoshop and is qualified for the job will be the person who can jump in at any given time and lend a helping hand. 


What do you look for in a potential employee? Do you value one quality over another? Let us know!

Getting Along with Journalists

As a public relations professional, you will often find yourself clamoring for media coverage to please your clients. Journalists want and depend on good stories. The combination of the two professions should make for perfect harmony, however quite often a distrust can place a void on this potential friendship. So why can’t we all just get along…? Because lets face it, we need one another.

The media absolutely has a dependence on those in the public relations field. More time is spent on processing information rather than heading out into the city to investigate and cultivate a spectacular story. Strict deadlines no longer permit the luxury of time and many newspapers have cut down considerably on manpower. A journalist’s workload is heavier than ever therefore it is about time we start working together. Etiquette and professionalism are equally as important as honesty and accuracy. That being said, these four factors will foster your happy marriage to journalists.

When pitching a story, ALWAYS ask the reporter “did I catch you on deadline” or “do you have a minute to chat?” If they say yes, do yourself a favor and get off the phone immediately. Ask when is a better time for you to call back and then hang up. Chances are you will get an answer similar to, “yes I am on deadline, but what have you got.” Therefore, do not get caught pitching a novel length story. Keep it quick and concise on the phone because your next step is a follow-up email with additional information.

Professionalism should be a no brainer. If you plan on fibbing you and your client’s way into the public eye, find a new profession this instant. If you lie to a journalist, they will make sure you never have another story published again. Not only will you and your client never receive coverage but you will never regain your credibility.

A journalist may not agree but there is such a thing as an honest public relations professional. Their information is always solid and their intentions are clear. So be up front because your accurate and truthful pitch may be the perfect fit for a journalist in need of one more story without the time to gather and investigate the facts.

As a public relations professional, you have information that needs coverage. As a journalist you want stories that correlate with your readerships interests. So lets stop acting like water and oil, because if we both stay professional, respectful and honest then friendship, whether strictly professional or even personal, is inevitable. 

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Emily Storz.

#HowToHashtag

Having recently interviewed for a summer internship, I tried my best to prepare. I had a list of questions I thought I may be asked, especially ones related to the work I do at PRowl Public Relations. Naturally, I was asked an abundance of basic questions about the firm and I went on to happily answer all them with ease. When discussing social media tactics I have used for my account in this past semester, however, there was one question I could not seem to conjure up an answer for. The question was more or less asking how my PRowl Public Relations account decided upon certain hashtag campaigns for the various events we had hosted throughout the year.

This question got me thinking. How exactly does a PR professional, account team, or business leader, for that matter, come up with an effective Twitter hashtag campaign? Is there a science behind it?

Twitter hashtags are a little gesture that can go a long way. Most of the time they produce positive results, but there are instances in which hashtags can go very wrong (think McDonald’s #McDStories, more like #McFail, campaign last January). By including a relevant hashtag in your tweet, it becomes visible to people searching for that specific topic, adding your voice to the general discussion. The probability of your tweets being retweeted is also higher when you use the right hashtag to share your comments or insights about a subject or in PRowl’s case, in marketing an event.

 So I went to my trusty search-engine, Google, seeking the answer. What I found were many articles that all had similar tips for creating a simple yet powerful hashtag campaign on Twitter. Here is a list of pointers to keep in mind when creating your campaign:

 1. Determine the kind of value you aim to derive for yourself and your followers from using the hashtag. Do you intend to crowd source information, create buzz or provoke conversation? Make sure your intention and purpose for employing the hashtag is clear and focused. Formulate a hashtag that is relevant to your purpose and the subject you intend to tweet about.

 2. Check to see if the hashtag you have in mind already exists and is in use. It is also very important to check if your desired hashtag has not taken on some other meaning. Twitter Search, Hashtags.org and Tagalus are some tools you can use to do a quick hashtag check.

 3. Start tweeting your hashtag. It helps to set the context of your hashtag by briefly explaining what it means.

 4. Tweet with moderation. The last thing you want is to be seen as a spammer. For PRowl, we introduced the hashtag once daily up until the actual day of the event.

 5. Set up an automatic alert tool that sends you an email alert when someone tweets your hashtag. Twilert is one such tool.

Do you think Twitter hashtags help to raise visibility for businesses? Let us know your favorite!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Kaitlyn Sutton.

GPTMC Dishes It Up on Foodspotting

As a self-proclaimed "foodie-in-training," it's no surprise an app like Foodspotting would capture my interest and appetite. Started in 2009 and launched in January 2010, the guide was created to help users not only decide where to eat, but what to eat through its rating system and photo-sharing capabilities. Since its launch in 2010, more than 1.5 million foods have been spotted around the world.

One organization taking the food-sharing phenomenon to the next level is the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation (GPTMC - www.foodspotting.com/visitphilly). Recently, GPTMC (@VisitPhilly), in partnership with Foodspotting Philly (@Foodspotting Philly), hosted an "Eat Up" of 25 hungry people. Traveling throughout the city on a bus, attendees were able to visit various restaurants with featured dishes from GPTMC's recently created "Taskykake-inspired Dishes" guide. Foodspotters and bloggers were able to visit Stephen Starr's SquareBurger for delicious Butterscotch Krimpets shakes and then follow it up with Peanut Butter KandyKakes ice cream at 10 Arts by Eric Ripert. The night ended at Square Peg with Tastykake Apple Pie Milkshakes.

TastyKake Apple Pie Milkshake @ Square Peg

With tourists (and locals) always looking for a great bite to eat, GPTMC is incredibly savvy for becoming a leader in the "culinary tourism" trend. It was one of the first destinations to launch a major program on Foodspotting and has gained more than 1,500 followers - more than any other destination. Philadelphia has become a city of fantastic cuisine, from five-star dining to authentic Italian eateries. Guides are added to the Visit Philly Foodspotting guide regularly including Down-Home Eats: Philly BBQ, Finger-Lickin' Fried Chicken and Wings, Gayborhood Grub, and Old-School Red Gravy Italian Restaurants in South Philadelphia.

What do you think of tourism marketing groups' uses of Foodspotting? Let us know!

Making Issue Advocacy Work

Issue advocacy combines my two passions: politics and public relations. If I've learned anything throughout my college career its that the former passion cannot exist without the later.

Issue advocacy is simple to explain but hard to do well. At its crux is the promotion of a viewpoint, political issue, or idea to a public. The intent is to raise awareness and, at times, change opinions on an issue.

Public advocates need to be trained in PR, since PR is basically the building block of all good issue advocacy campaigns. My suggestion to aspiring public advocates: take a class in PR to build a solid future, for you and the world.

What the 100 Most Influential People Means to PR

"They are the people who inspire us, entertain us, challenge us and change our world," stated Time magazine in their most recent special issue, "The 100 Most Influential People in the World"

World leaders such as Barack Obama are no surprise to appear on Time magazines prestigious list along with well-known U.S. celebrities such as Chelsea Handler and Adele. The select few that are featured on this list are opinion leaders. Opinion Leaders are those who the public looks to for direction and guidance for little things such as, “What brand of shoe should I wear?” to big things such as, “Who should I vote for in the upcoming election.” Opinion leaders help individuals identify with their personal beliefs by being in the public spotlight and making decisions.

As PR professionals we should look to this list of individuals to help identify with our publics. As opinion leaders set the status quo, PR professionals should be at the pulse of their most recent endeavors and expand upon their efforts.  

Quote influential people and comment on their efforts in a blog, tweet, or post. Not only are you gauging what others think about your opinion leader but you are also engaging with your publics about a mutually accepted topic.

View the whole 100 Most Influential People list here