I worked in a couple of PR agencies before I went to graduate school and as I transitioned to being an “academic,” freelancing paid the bills and evolved over time into my current agency. I think freelancing can be a great alternate if jobs are scarce. Companies are looking for less expensive ways to get the same things done and a freelancer might be just the ticket.

The downside to freelancing is that, as a recent grad, you don’t have much depth of experience. So price yourself right and don’t oversell what you can do. Remember, you’re still learning. I have learned many hard lessons as a freelancer and as a small biz owner – most of them in trial by fire. It’s not always an easy road.

The tips in this post and in the comments will help, for sure.

Good luck to you!

At the beginning of the econ crisis I wasn’t afraid. But now I’m starting to feel a strange emotion that makes me uncomfortable.

I think one way for new grads to make it work is to go the freelance route.

ZM

One PR professional I spoke to suggested I take a feature writing class. She said editors love it when you can write a feature story that they don’t have to touch.

She also suggested business, marketing and accounting courses to strengthen a resume.

All the best, Don B

I was lucky enough to find an internship right before graduating, but because of the economy I am only working part time and will be until June.

I know some other recent graduated who have scored interviews (and a lot of the time that interview turned into a job) through other graduates and peers who were already in the PR job market. Eventually, your peer will be hired on or will move on to another internship or opportunity…that means a job has opened and you will be one of the first to know about it.

Also, I know everyone hears this over and over but networking really is how you get your foot in the door.

One other thing that I have learned, from Tom Hagely, http://thagley.blogspot.com, is that you have to tell people that you want to work there. Don’t rely on your attitude or experience to speak for you. If you really want to work for a specific company, tell people, especially those who work for the company.

If you’re determined as I am to remain in a professional industry like public relations, it’s important to constantly learn what you can, making yourself more marketable in the process. If that means working part-time in the field then hold onto that position and continue blogging, Tweeting and reading up on advancements in new media.

Integrate a few different industries and interests into the mix. My personal interests in political strategy, sustainability and corporate social responsibility fuel my online efforts in researching emerging trends in new media. If I can’t figure out what to blog about, I can always resort to writing about these subjects because they’re constantly changing.

Whether I end up interviewing with an agency or somewhere in-house, I can explicitly list interests pertaining to my abilities, demonstrating to potential employers that I can conduct research and apply it to my work.

Sure, I realize you want to take it easy your last semester of college but I’m afraid that may cost you if you want a good job straight out of college (as many of you will to pay your bills). By getting a head start, you’ll be 10 steps ahead of your fellow peers when you graduate and will be much more likely to stand out to prospective employers (that is, if you demonstrate the skills Kelli mentioned in her post).