Student PR Blogs, at least give it a try

Most of the PR bloggers that launched blogs as part of their degree courses last year, didn’t keep them updated after the module ended. I don’t think you can force people to blog. People should want to blog, blogging should be something you get to do. Once you understand the benefits of blogging (Learning, Networking, Fun), it’s more difficult not to blog.

This blog gets me work. A mighty part of my freelance ambitions are dependent upon the drivel I extol here, and you deep-pocketed folk who read it. Every now and then someone will drop me an e-mail, often about something quite innocuous, sometimes those e-mail discussions become person to person meeting, sometimes those meetings turn into work opportunities. It’s an informal discussion based sales funnel.

Really though, blogging is like networking for people hate networking. It can be selling for people that are sick of playing the numbers and believe enough to forget the phone and find the keyboard – maybe even in their spare time. It’s a way of opening impregnable doors (and having some slammed permanently shut). It can be where an Account Executive can discuss a marketing campaign with a CEO or discuss PR angles with journalists.

I’ve always wanted a student out there to launch a blog with the target of getting a job at one company, say, Edelman. Imagine, a student launched a blog about trying to get a job at Edelman. Imagine regular posts the student could suggest PR/Marketing ideas for their clients, demonstrate their knowledge of the Tech/PR business and how he’s getting to know some of the staff who already work at the agency. Wouldn’t that be interesting? Would it work? I’ve no doubt it might get their attention at the very least.

Finding the time, and often ideas for content, can be a struggle. Yet between writing another blog post, and another job-application essay, I’ll pick the blog post every time. It pains me to hear of students who between University assignments, writing job applications and “living the lifestyle” can’t find the time to blog. Why not combine them? Why not blog about something you’ve just been taught at a lecture and get some broader opinions? Why not blog about careers and begin networking with people that might be able to help? Why not blog about the observations from the lifestyle? (Why do so few companies use MSN to speak to student customers?)

This medium isn’t perfect, every young PR blogger still going from a year ago has taken a backlash at some point. Stephen was criticised for creating a top 100 uk blogs list, Alex was attacked by fellow students, Chris Clarke was slated for commenting on Crayon, and I was doused in flames for this gem. It happens, it’s one of the best character-building moments you can experience (I met with TWL in London yesterday). You take the criticism, learn to handle it, and use the experience in the future.

The student blogging situation is pretty dire, Wadds mentioning me proves the point. It’s a pity that University’s haven’t tried giving blogging advice alongside their standard career advice. But I think it will improve. I suspect student PR bloggers are like snowflakes, the first few flakes might fade away, but in time they will stick.

Comments

[Chris Clarke]

Richard,

I like your idea of a student blogging with a focus, say with the intent of working for Edelman. I think that would set a student apart from the field at this point, as there are quite a few young PR bloggers up here in Canada looking to differentiate themselves.

And thanks for the link - I wondered why some yahoo left me an odd comment on that post today.

[Richard Millington]

Heh, sorry about that. Far too many 'yahoos' reading this site I expect.

I want a student to try it. Starting a blog focusing on a single job position. Any volunteers?

[Sarah Stimson]

I'd like to see more student bloggers too. As a recruiter looking to hire grads for PR companies, reading their blogs shows me two things vital for a potential Account Exec - they can be creative and they can write. Which would put them 100 steps ahead of the other grads all attempting to get their first break in PR.

[Andrea]

Great post, I completely agree. Blogging can be a huge asset to graduating seniors, if even only to give them a talking point during interviews. It is also a great networking tool and a reason to follow trends in PR. I didn't start my blog during college, but I started it immediately after (thinking I was way ahead of the trend, of course) only to find that the graduating class below me is blogging as a class project (for comparison, I wrote white papers and annual reports in my PR writing classes! Don't get me wrong, good stuff to know, but not until I am doing corporate PR at the very least). I think that's really neat that instructors are beginning to teach blogging practices in class because, as social media is constantly growing, it can provide students extra value when job hunting.

[Charles]

First of all we need to understand that what is blog. Blog is a comment on an article which is post after reading or viewing it by any reader of viewer who is called blogger. The blogger is supposed having good knowledge about that particular subject for which he posts the blog. Here as Richard has admitted students as bloggers don't seem to be as per aspect of blog's viewer. It is a good effort that students should start blog writing but after a little training of it otherwise there will be traffic and rough material on the net and it will ruin the job bloggers.
Charles
get that job uk

[charles]

First of all we need to understand that what is blog. Blog is a comment on an article which is post after reading or viewing it by any reader of viewer who is called blogger. The blogger is supposed having good knowledge about that particular subject for which he posts the blog. Here as Richard has admitted students as bloggers don't seem to be as per aspect of blog's viewer. It is a good effort that students should start blog writing but after a little training of it otherwise there will be traffic and rough material on the net and it will ruin the job bloggers.
Charles
get that job uk

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[Alloleengaw]

My Runpolls poll (the one I added to my site) showed me some surprising stuff Today. Did you guys know that most blog readers rather have images in the main posts?