l-r: moderator Blodwen Tarter with Dennis Wilcox, Karen Shevlin Mahoney and Beverly Butler.

Your success relies on finding the PR stars of tomorrow.  Beverly Butler, Dennis Wilcox & Karen Shevlin Mahoney told us how.  Plus how to fix the looming skills gaps that threaten both The Great Recession recovery - and the future value of the public relations profession. Blodwen Tarter set the pace. 

We asked each to summarize their Major Messages, to benefit those unable to attend-- 

Corporate Perspective

by Beverly Butler, APR

VP Wells Fargo Bank 

"The most important thing for anyone looking to have a PR career is strong writing skills: features, news releases, email pitches, and speeches. The core of what we do is communicate to people, so how can you be successful if you aren't able to put your thoughts creatively and articulately into words?  Being current on pop culture and emerging trends, reading a variety of blogs and newspapers, and engaging in social media are all important. Clients expect you to be able to tell them where their story can fit into the conversation, so it is imperative you keep on top of the current dialogue, be it on Facebook, Huffington Post, or Bill O'Reilly. You don't have to like it or agree with it to read it, but you can't have blind spots if you expect to be able to give your client 360-degree advice."  

"(Butler suggests) writing coach Ann Wylie' workshops, tip sheets, and newsletter at click here as a source for learning and improving writing skills."

Educator perspective

Dennis Wilcox, APR, PhD 

Professor Emeritus of Public Relations

School of Journalism and Mass Communications

San Jose State University

"(1) There is no shortage of talent; the challenge is attracting the best and brightest to the field because they have other opportunities in related fields.   Today's job applicants want more than a pay check; they are want the opportunity to expand their expertise and have a reasonable expectation of advancement in the career."

"(2) The key to successful recruitment is not particularly asking your friends and relatives for referrals,  but actively recruiting on college campuses where there is a strong public relations emphasis in in the curriculum. Offering internships is a good way to "test-drive" a prospective employee."

"(3) Employers should realize that their undergraduate major is not a template for hiring today's graduates.  An Engllish major is fine, but why settle for this when you can get a college graduate who already knows the basic concepts and principles of public relations and even social media?    In today's curriculums, employers with liberal arts degrees should realize that PR and journalism majors still take 75 percent of their coursework in the liberal arts and humanities." 

"(4) Employers always complain about applicants not doing their homework, but employers often fail to do their homework by (l) giving a writing test, (2) asking applicants to solve a problem, (3) asking for a grade transcript, or (4) directly contacting a professor for his/her evaluation of the applicant."

"Attracting talent is major problem.  Paul Holmes, a long-term PR pro and publisher of the Holmes Report, said, 'It seems obvious that the shortage of smart, well-educated people interested in PR as a career remains the biggest long-term obstacle to the continued growth of the profession.'"

Moderator

Blodwen Tarter, MBA, PhD 

Associate Professor and Chair 

Marketing and Public Relations

Ageno School of Business, Golden Gate University