My Interview with a Public Relation’s Professional

I had a great experience getting a chance with one of my fellow classmates to interview Jaimie White. She had the opportunity to work for Cox Enterprises in Atlanta. She graduated with a masters in PR from UGA.

Q: What was your typical week like?
A: Writing press releases and media advisories, posting press releases to the intranet and internet, monitoring media stories, clippin articles and compiling everything in a media tracking folder ,dealing with people that work for various media publications, dealing with media deadlines to place ads and also updating the media library.
Q: What project were you most proud of?
A: (while working at Cox Enterprises), I was most proud of planning and executing the employee giving campaign which is a month long campaign that encourages employees to dontate to EarthShare GA or United Way organizations. I also planned the kick-off event which hosted many of the non-profit organizations employees could donate to. I learned how to roll out a campaign and plan an event. we raised around $100,000, $30,000 more than the year before.
Q: What do you think was the most challenging thing working in a PR firm?
A: The most challenging thing is writing a press release that is catchy and will attract the eye of a journalist or editor. Its hard because many journalists throw press releases aside that dont seem interesting or relevant.
Q: When hiring do you think your employers look at online sites?
A: Yes, I have been told that many employers look at personal sites such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. An employer has also told me once before that they “Google” people’s names that they are looking to hire.
Q: How important is written communication?
A: Extremely important. Much of PR consists of writing and verbally communicating. Being a strong writer is imperative. It’s also important to understand and be fluent in AP Style since that is how journalists write. Without proficient writing skills, it may be hard for someone to succeed in the PR industry.
Q: Whats the strangest thing thats happened in your job?A: It’s always strange and fun to finally meet people you communicate with regularly through e-mail and phone. Sometimes it’s strange because they don’t look or appear the way you imagined in your head. I always love meeting people I only have an e-mail or phone relationship with. It’s great to put a face to a name and that’s important in PR. It’s all about building positive relationships.
Q: Do you have a linked-in profile?
A: Yes. It’s a great way to network and connect with other people in the industry.
Q: Do you have a blog?
A: I don’t have a personal blog but I know many people in the field do. I think it’s a good way to be known and get heard.
Q: Do you have twitter?
A: No, that’s another thing I need to get on! Many people use Twitter these days, especially in communications. Facebook and LinkedIn are enough to keep up with at times!
Q: Did you enjoy working for a PR firm?
A: Yes, I love working in the Public Affairs and Corporate Communications department at Cox Enterprises. I enjoy working on internal and external communications as well as interactive for the Web. Every day is different and I’ve made a lot of great contacts along the way. I also get to do what I love, writing.