Transcript Experience over Education - Austin Peay State University

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Turn the classroom into onthe-job communication
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Communication Industry Careers:
Experience over Education
Frank E. Parcells, Ph. D., Professor,& Graduate Coordinator
Department of Communication – Austin Peay State University
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Experience Versus
Education
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Education is important for entry-level positions in the
communication industry. A Bachelor’s degree in the
appropriate area of communication is expected in today’s job
market.

Experience wins! Experience is valued in the communication
industry more than education as a hiring factor.

Leading experts recommend a minimum of 3 to 5 internship
experiences for college students before graduation with a
Bachelor’s degree in some area of communication.

Communication majors must begin professional networking by
their Sophomore year in college to be prepared to find a good
paying position in the communication industry upon graduation.
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Experience Through Internships: Make
It Communication & Make It Pay
Always Gaining Experience!
Internships in Major Markets

Local internships are valuable,
but nothing replaces work
experience in a major market.

Major markets are generally
considered the top 50
metropolitan markets (ranked
by Nielsen DMA) in the U. S.

These are major cities and
immediate surrounding areas.

Nashville is the 29th DMA in the
U. S., Memphis is 49th and
Louisville is 50th.
+ Atlanta is the New Communication
Hub of the South
No Other Southern Market is
More Important Than Atlanta

Atlanta is now the 8th DMA
area in the United States.

It is of ultimate importance to
the communication industry.

This importance includes
satellite programming
networks, news networks,
sports networks, broadcasting,
marketing and PR firms,
marketing communication
boutiques, and advertising
agencies.
No Better Location for a
Communication Internship
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Be Prepared When You Graduate:
Start Networking Now!

Keep contact with as many communication industry
professionals as you can.

Generally LinkedIn.com is the best way to begin networking
with professionals in the communication industry.

Meeting communication professionals by attending as many as
possible Nashville IABC meetings is very helpful.

There’s also the Nashville PRSA, AMA, and AAF that offer
important communication contacts to you.

Attend national conventions or conferences for professional
communication organizations like the AAF, AMA, IABC, NAB &
BEA, NCA, PRSA and more.

Index your network contacts by entering their business card
information into your Address Book.
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Professional
Communicator
Networking &
Experience Pay Off as
Most Jobs in the
Communication Industry
Are Filled This Way

Constant interaction with your contacts.

Tell them about your communication
experiences, send updated resumes,
and samples of your work.

Always build and maintain an
electronic portfolio of your best work.
This portfolio can be gathered from
news releases and commercial copy
you’ve written, campaigns you’ve
worked on. It doesn’t matter if it is for
class. Always keep a copy!

Maximize your college experience in a
communication sense. If you join a
sorority or fraternity, become the
communication coordinator. Whatever
college experience you have with
student organizations, get involved and
apply your communication skills.
+ Make Every Opportunity Count to
Gain Communication Experience &
Promote Your Own Notoriety
Join Student Affiliate Organizations
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Noticed

Become involved in a
communication organization
chapter (PRSSA, IABC, BEA, NBS,
AAF, or AMA) while in college.

Introduce yourself to
communicators at professional
functions of major
organizations.

Be certain that your organization
has a professional organization
sponsor like AAF, AMA, IABC,
PRSA and many others.

Ask for business cards from
communication professionals.

Have your own “business
card” ready for distribution.

Ask to keep in contact with the
communication professionals
you meet at events.

Become a liaison to that
professional organization for
your student chapter.
+ None of Your College Summers Should
Go By Without Gaining Communication
Experience
Find Appropriate
Communication Work

Do newsletters for some
worthwhile organization.

Build a website and rework all
of the content information for a
nonprofit organization.

Display your skills by helping
some group gain local
notoriety by planning and
managing a special event or
fund raiser.
Make a Name For Yourself in Your
Community
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Establish a Website, Professional
Email Account, & Resume

You should have a website which is used to display your work
that is relevant to the communication industry. Use it for
internship hunting and to promote yourself professionally.
No stupid jokes or funny college drinking stories. This site
is just for job hunting.

Among your many other means of communication create a
free email account (yahoo.com, gmail.com, hotmail.com) for
yourself and use it only for professional communication
with communication industry professionals.

Build yourself a resume, put it in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format
so that you can distribute it via email to your professional
contacts.
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Your Resume Should Contain
Certain Types of Information

Provide your name, street address, city, state, zip code. Make this an address where they can
write to you and you will receive it.

List a telephone number where you wish to be contacted but be certain you answer this
phone professionally. No games as it could cost you an internship or job offer.

List your professional email address for contact.

First is experience which should come before education in your resume. Include not only
paid work experience, but also internships and organizational and nonprofit experience that is
relevant to a communication career.

Then, list your education. Keep it simple. Do not include high school in your resume!

Finally, provide a bulleted list of communication skills you possess, relevant communication
awards you’ve received, and any other specialized details or information that will help to
enhance your communication value to a recruiter or interviewer.

References should always be available upon request. Do not include references in your
resume!
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Think of Your Resume as a Tool to
Get You an Interview

Your resume is nothing more
than a tool to help you get an
internship or job interview.

It is your ticket to get in the
door for an interview and
nothing more.

Make it good as many times
there will be no second
chances.

This job market is tough, but
people are still hiring
communication professionals.
+ Electronic Communication is
Necessary But It Alone Will Not Get You
The Job!

Email and the telephone are
great tools to help you get
noticed, but they are no
replacement for one-on-one,
face-to-face communication
with an interviewer.

Meeting face-to-face with
potential employers and
communication
professionals is what will
really make the difference in
an internship or job.
+ Good News, Ladies! The Communication
Industry is Female-Friendly Including
Major Management Positions

A great number of managers,
including executive management, in
advertising, broadcasting, IMC,
marketing, marketing
communication, and public relations
today are women.

These women are paid well!

Executives in the Nashville
communication industry include
Debbie Turner (President of News
Channel 5), Wendy Pearl (VP
Communication for CMA), Aileen
Katcher, Partner in KVB-PR, and
Paula Lovell of Lovell
Communications.
+ Get Your Communication Experience
In Order Now for Your Internships and
Future Employment
Develop Your Electronic Portfolio

Prepare a CD or DVD that
contains your best work
samples.

Always save and archive
samples of your best work
from your classes.

If you do any special
communication projects for
student organizations or
nonprofit agencies, save those
too.
Build Your Professional Network

Begin immediately to build your
network of communication
professionals.
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This will help you to know about
job opportunities before others.

Always keep a solid record of
your professional communicator
acquaintances.
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List them in your “Address
Book” with full contact
information.