By Robert Gluckson, M.A.
Fear not. Your time has come.
Your strengths:
You're tuned into the latest training and trends, and can offer your time.
You are qualified to create service packages that you can sell.
Start a Promotion Business: For example, a press release, plus sending it out to local media, could be $150. Posting events on local Ecalenders is another $35. Get yourself a great media list. Write press releases for good cause organizations until one will give you their list, and then promise to update it. This works and can get you in business right away.
Create Social Media Campaigns: a social media campaign costs $100 to set up and $50 a month to research sites and post (or $25 a month for guidance)
Bill $25 or $30 an hour -- but when your work isn't up to professional speed, estimate what it would cost if you weren't learning on the job.
Job Getting Tips:
1. Create a portfolio website with examples of everything you can charge money for.
Use student work as a last resort. If your work was published outside of the school environment, it counts as professional, even if you were in school when you did it.
Artsites.us is a web template program and hosting service that's fast, cheap ($10 monthly), and professional looking.
2. Collect email addresses - "Sign up for newsletter" on website, follow on blog, friend on Facebook. Email everyone pertinent on your email address book and notify Facebook friends that you are in business.
3. Have a volunteer affiliation at a respected non-profit where the person who answers the phone will know who you are.
4. At the end of your emails, have a signature with your website, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn info.
5. Get a business Facebook page, and invite all your Facebook friends who are interested in your business to sign up. And everyone else.
6. Get on LinkedIn
Add business connections starting with those who will forgive any social media mistakes.
Slowly add professional contacts and individually connect. Contact folks who you can either get or give references. Give references to everyone you can.
7. Give value on social media.
Develop content to share that promotes other people while providing something of value for your readers.
Create content that others will share (viral marketing).
You are your readers' research tool.
Your one hour research becomes into two blog and Twitter tips.
Tips include something of value, PLUS the referral for more information.
Give three other people's resources for every one of yours.
Write about whatever you know, too.
Do four favors for every one you request.
8. Your Research Librarian is your friend. Anything you don't know, she can tell you where to find out, like finding a media list or the local non-profit resource library.
9. The Classified Ads and Craigslist are research tools, but NOT the beginning or end of your job search. Don't think that because you've gone there you've done your work for the day. Be proactive. Imagine what you want to be doing, and contact the folks who you'd like to work for.
10. You're in PR. You have the power.
