#MarcPR

(A compact speech delivered to #PR students in Toronto's Allan Gardens.)

Oscar Wilde, who delivered a lecture at this very site in 1882, once said, “Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.” All around us plants and flowers are provided with the climate they need to flourish. Their colours are captivating and their scents are sweet because they have been carefully conditioned for success. 

But outside this conservatory, for professionals such as yourselves, the science of success is less about having conditions and more about making conditions.

“How?“ you ask. In four very simple, personal ways. You sow the seeds of success in your beliefs, your thoughts, your words and your actions. What you believe, what you think, what you say, and what you do in life form your character.

And so it is your character that expands or limits your potential for success. It is your character that encourages or discourages your pursuit of success. It is your character that welcomes or rejects support from others in your success.  Success is a byproduct of your character.

Talk of success often inspires talk of  failure — a dreaded word.  But we shouldn’t fear failure! If you have known Sister Success, you have also known Brother Failure. As siblings, they quarrel but they have one common understanding: success is only ever achieved through persistence and courage in spite of past failure. Success proudly says, “I have learned from my failures!” And so, today’s success is a tribute to yesterday’s disappointments. 

In your pursuit of success, you are challenged to continue your whole-hearted journey despite your failures and called to shape a character that beckons opportunity.  It is my hope that each of you will create conditions for success in your life.

Once you've secured an information interview with someone working in your organization or field of interest, it's time to gather your questions.

You wouldn't want to show up unprepared. The expectation is that you have armed yourself with interesting and meaningful questions for the interview. It is not the responsibility of the practicing professional to blab on and on about their life. You need to sharpen your questions to bring forth the professional's insight and tales of experience that will help you to make an informed  decision on:

whether you can visualize yourself doing what they do; and

whether this is an organization for which you see yourself working

Without further ado, here is a solid list of information interview questions which I have compiled, inspired by a variety of online sources and my own class notes. Enjoy!

About your interviewee's job:

What is your job?

When did you first start working for this organization?

What precisely do you do? What are the duties/responsibilities of your job?

Is your work primarily individual or is it predominantly team work?

Are there busy and slow times or is the work activity fairly constant?

Who is the department head or supervisor for your job? Where do you and this person fit into the organizational structure?

What projects have you worked on that have been particularly interesting?

Describe some of the toughest situations you've faced on the job?

What particular skills or talents are most essential to be effective in your job?

What part of this job do you personally find most satisfying? Most challenging?

If you could change anything about your job, what would it be?

What sort of decisions do you make?

What sort of issues do you deal with?

What do you do if you can't solve a problem on your own?

What hours do you normally work?

What are the salary ranges for various levels in this field? Is there a salary ceiling?

Why did you decide to work for this company?

What changes are occurring in your occupation?

How does a person progress in your field? What is a typical career path in this field or organization?

What do you find unique about your job/career field?

How is the economy affecting this industry?

What are the typical entry-level job titles and functions?

What entry-level jobs are best for learning as much as possible?

What current events are impacting the industry?

Would it be possible to gain access to your organization's annual report? About preparing for this career:

Does your work relate to any of your College/University experiences or studies?

How well did your college experiences/courses prepare you for this job?

If you were a student again, what would you do differently to prepare you for this job?

What kinds of experiences, paid or unpaid, would you encourage for anyone pursuing a career in this field? About your interviewee's career path:

In what way did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?

What was your major in College/University?

How did you get your job?

What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?

What kinds of things did you do before you entered this occupation?

What were the keys to your career advancement?

If your job progresses as you like, what will be the next step in your career?

Where do you see yourself in five years?

If you work were suddenly eliminated, what kinds of work do you feel prepared to do? Why, Yes! I'd be delighted to tell you more about myself and my organization when you come prepared to an information interview with intelligent questions! About the culture of your interviewee's organization:

What do you like most about working at this organization?

Has organization made any recent changes to your role or department?

What does your organization do to contribute to its employees' professional development?

What systems are in place to enable employees to give management feedback and suggestions?

How does your organization make use of technology for internal communications?

Do people in your department work fairly autonomously or is there plenty of supervision/direction?

Does your organization organize, or do employees organize any social activities for co-workers to mix and mingle socially?

Does your organization partner with any community organizations?

Is there a basic philosophy of your organization?

How would you describe management style?

Is there flexibility in work hours, vacation schedule, place of residence?

Does your organization offer employees training of any kind? Is it highly structured or more informal?

Does the company encourage and/or finance employee employees seeking graduate degrees? Is there a tuition reimbursement program?

How does your organization recognize the outstanding accomplishments of its employees?

Does the company observe any rituals, traditions or ceremonies?

What does the organization do to foster innovation and creativity?

Do you have to put in much overtime or work on weekends?

Does does your organization measure success?

What does a successful day/week/year look like for you? About the organizational needs:

In what areas do you see your organization/department expanding or shrinking?

What challenges do you see obstructing the organization's growth?

If you needed someone to assist you in your job, what tasks would you assign to your assistant? About opportunities for advancement within the organization/field:

What are the advancement opportunities in this organization/field?

How rapidly do people advance in this organization/field?

What incentives or disincentives are there for staying in the same job? Seeking general advice and referrals from your interviewee:

Do you have any special words of warning or encouragement as a result of your experiences?

What qualifications would you be looking for if you were hiring for an entry-level position? For a position such as your own?

If I wanted to obtain a job here, what would be the best way to learn of job vacancies? Who would be the best person to contact?

Would you be willing to answer more questions by phone or in person if I have further questions or need additional advice in the future?

What abilities or personal qualities do you believe contribute most to success in this field/job?

(If you feel comfortable and it seems appropriate) Would you mind taking a look at my resume? How would you react if you received a resume like mind for a position with this organization? Additional observations:

What is the morale of people who work here?

What is the atmosphere of the organization? (i.e. formal, laid-back)

Final Notes

Of course, you would never attempt to ask every. single. question. on this list. They're really only guidelines. Use this list as a springboard. Hopefully it will inspire you to include more targeted questions

I say follow the flow of the conversation. Spark the discussion topics, but give your interviewee the freedom to share their knowledge of themselves and their organization in their own way. Follow their lead, follow their interests.

Happy interviewing,

I was particularly touched by Jeff's comments:

Yes, success does have a price. Unfortunately, you may not realize just what the cost is until it's too late. As an older guy who has two kids recently out of the house, I may have some perspective. I always made time for my kids. Always, always, sometimes at the cost of some professional advancement... and I don't regret it for one single second. The time I spent with my kids -- which included annual trips with them, together and separately -- are the most cherished moments I ever had. Work memories? They don't even come close. Not even close. You know that old saying that on your deathbed you won't be wishing you'd spent more time at work? Take it seriously. There are, of course, times when it is impossible to keep things in balance. Make sure those times are as short as they can be. Don't let the vice become a habit. Don't romanticize the long hours and sacrifices to the office. Understand that your most important legacy is not a plaque on the wall of some company.... it's your kids. And what you do with them when they are small -- the time you spend, more than anything else -- will in large part determine who they are as adults, and what your relationship with them will be. Don't mess it up.

Jeff later sent Arik Hanson, author of the article, the following email:

If you'll indulge me for a moment, I want to tell you about the time my daughter (she's now 22) was old enough to go into Dairy Queen and stand in line by herself.... I dunno, she was maybe three or four. I was in the car right outside, so it was OK. But as I sat there and watched her, I realized that that kid I was looking at it would soon be gone. Yes, "replaced" by another kid, a little older, a little smarter, a little different... but not the kid I saw in front of me. I knew, instinctively, that I needed to appreciate that kid, right then and there. Because she would be gone before I knew it. And she was. Every year, to this day, that kid and I spend a few days together... hiking and backpacking, or canoeing in the BWCA, or traipsing around Scotland or Ireland... because she is still changing and growing, and I want to know the kid that is there right now.

I also remember the time when my son (who is now 18) was singing in a pre-school holiday event, and I was not planning to go... too much to do at work. But at the last minute, I said "screw it," and went. Seeing him sing, and what it meant to him for me to be there -- they could have fired me and it still would have been the right choice.

My son is now in his first months in the U.S. Marines Corp. That's a whole different story. But I have realized that the time he and I spent together -- braving the backcountry in Alaska, for example -- was a critical element in making him the man he is today, someone capable of enduring the rigors of the most difficult boot camp in the U.S. armed forces, and becoming a young man that makes me, simply, burst with pride.

To me, there was never a "difficult decision to scale back." I worked the 60 hour weeks before I had kids, and I knew when my wife and I started a family, that they would always take priority. I knew what would happen professionally would happen.... I was never conflicted. What I did just felt natural and right. That may not be the case with everyone. To each his own.

My wife and I have been empty nesters for only a few months now (although since we're still paying a hefty tuition bill, I'm not sure we are officially empty nesters yet... : )), but during that short time I have thought a lot about this kind of stuff. And I have realized that the most important, enduring relationships I have are with my family... and that the joy and pride I have with my kids is something I wouldn't trade for anything. Simply... they sustain me, day after day, no matter how good or bad everything else is going.

Now don't get me wrong. I never missed a work deadline in my life, the companies I worked for knew they could always depend on me to get the job done, to be able to take that media call, or write that speech, or whatever, whether it was on a Monday afternoon or a Saturday night. It was sometimes a real balancing act, but I was always efficient and fast and organized, and it worked out.

Maybe it's my age. Maybe it's my shock at how quickly this program is flying by. Maybe it's my routine 3 a.m. full-body flops on my bed and and my refusal to believe the real world is anything like this program.

Whatever it may be, I can't shake the recurring career thoughts and dreams popping into my head on the regular. Specifically, I find I have many (often conflicting) thoughts on what I should do with my life post post-grad ..and where.

When I finally square my focus on the practice of public relations as a field of work that has the potential of both challenging and satisfying me, I'm caught between pursuing a corporate or not-for-profit path. Or maybe it's government work that I'd like. No, healthcare communications..

It's a perfectly internal monologue that often evolves into a draining internal debate.

To escape this no-good, unproductive cycle, I've been taking advantage of the "information interview", a tool introduced to me and my peers by some of the fine Seneca alumni.. the "success cases" that returned to campus in the fall to shake us up and give us hope.

Essentially, information interviews are about meeting people in the field and getting to know what PR path "fits" and what sure as heck doesn't. Recent experience with information interviews have shown that they also serve as personal reminders that the insanity and intensity of my current program is but a temporary phase.

Here's the approach I took to setting up information interviews.

I developed a list of companies I think I'd like to work for. Some of my faves appeared on lists here.

I then dug up as much information as I could on company communications  plans and programs through official web site. I tried to find the contact information for at least one person filling a position or working in a department I would love to know more about. Having trouble finding a communications contact? Here's a tip: try googling company press releases. PR contacts should be included at the bottom of the release. Interested in learning more about the Ontario government's communications? Contacts for each Ministry's Communications Branch can be found within its Deputy Minister's Office. Choose which Ministry you'd like to learn more about here.

Then, I centralized all my information into a nifty spreadsheet under the following headings:

Contact name

Job Title/Department

Organization

Industry/Specialization

Email/Phone

Interview Request Status S=Requst Sent C=Request Confirmed

Scheduled Meeting Date/Time/Location

Additional Notes (points of interest)

And finally, I sent out some lovely emails (in the a.m. not p.m. -- chances are they have a blackberry and it's my opinion that PR practictioners shouldn't be bothered with an interview request after-hours). These e-mails should be as concise as possible but warm and personalized to the PR practitioner and their company.

More details on my information interview journey to come. But for now... this little Lou Reed gem (courtesy of Jaclyn Travis' lovely blog).

Keep that head held high,

Despite my weakness for a beautiful aesthetic, I must be clear in my views that substance most definitely wins out over style.

A man may look dapper in a suit, but he can only be labeled a gentleman by the way he treats himself and the people around him. What one chooses to cover their body should not distract us from the content of their character or the value of their message.

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

Thank you Steve Jobs for inspiring me to think and be different.