Secrets to PR Job Interviews

Interviewing for a job is difficult. The interview process at TriplePoint goes beyond the cookie-cutter question sets you’re used to being asked. Beyond the skills required for a PR career, like superior writing and the ability to make decisions quickly, the ideal candidate for an intern or entry-level position must build a combination of rapport, confidence and trust during the interview process. My goal when interviewing candidates is to determine if I could rely on you to speak professionally in a client meeting, trust you with a project if I get sick, and eventually add you to a variety of client accounts.

Instead of feeling anxious about an interview, think of it as an opportunity to meet new people that have the same interests you do. Your goal should be to inspire your potential employers. For us, interviewing a candidate means we have half an hour to learn everything possible about someone we’re most likely meeting for the first time. Let this interview be a highlight of our day! I’ve included a couple of tips to make this happen, below.

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What Working at a Steakhouse Taught Me about Media Relations

The summer of 2007, I volunteered as a marketing intern at my hometown radio station. My job was to attend local movie premieres (the kindof events you can win tickets for if you’re the fifth caller to the station), check tickets, and hand out swag. I’d even get to watch the film afterward. While watching the best of 2007’s summer movies was a good way to escape the heat, it didn’t pay my college tuition, so I took a part-time job waitressing at a steakhouse.

After a summer in the hot kitchens and a few years working with journalists, it occurred to me that a few months with wood-polished tables and Surf ‘n’ Turf specials prepared me as much for media relations as my more formal training. Beyond learning a few tricks for getting grease stains out of Oxford shirts, my time at the steakhouse allowed me to work with a variety of different people in an environment where each request was time-sensitive. The relationships between customers, restaurant management, and chefs are not unlike those of a journalist, PR staff, and a brand.

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