student connection

Career and Industry Library

IABC strives to provide student members with resources and skills to research, apply for and land the most exciting jobs out there. Our Career and Industry Library features general information for job seekers, plus tips, techniques and career profiles for students preparing to enter the communication profession.

Career and Industry Library

• Job search tips and techniques
  Our articles and how-tos will help you find, apply for and land the job you want.
• Professional development
  Supplement your classroom learning with real-life opportunities and exclusive feature articles from industry experts.
• Communication career profiles
  Our members work in the coolest jobs out there. Get the inside scoop on life as a communication professional and what it takes to get there.
• Member spotlights
  Learn what's on the minds of your fellow IABC members.

Job search tips and techniques

Exploring Work Environments in Communication

Gillian Silver-Rodis, ABC, Ph.D., has generously offered to provide a series of articles for IABC students on what it is like to work in communications in a variety of industries. Check back often—more to come!

• Professional Communicator Reflects on Educational Setting by Gillian Silver-Rodis, ABC, Ph.D.
  Increase your responsibility in a campus communications office
• Smaller Firms May Be Ideal for New Grads by Gillian Silver-Rodis, ABC, Ph.D.
  Diversify your experience in a small marcom firm

The Art of Networking: Leveraging your professional contacts to help you get ahead

• Power Networking Tips by Barbara Gibson, ABC
  11 easy tools to help you tap into the hidden job market
• "A Pebble in a Pond, by Jan Thibodeau, ABC
  Relationship networking for career success
• Utilize Your Network: It’s bigger than you think
  How to build and use your professional network
• Get Out There and Volunteer! by Jane Doku, IABC/Toronto student member
  Gain experience and grow your network by volunteering

Marketing “Brand You”: Conduct your job search strategically and creatively

• Tell me, who are you? ’Cause I really wanna know, by Brad Whitworth, ABC, IABC Fellow
  How to manage your personal online brand
• Diving in to Social Media, by Angelo Fernando
  Use Web 2.0 to help get you a job
• A Student’s Guide to Self-Branding, by Leanne James
  Set yourself apart from the crowd by crafting your unique personal brand
• How’s Your Résumé? Marketing ourselves in writing
  by Natalie Canavor and Claire Meirowitz (CW Bulletin, March 2008)
• Assessing Your Personal Skill Set, by Stacey Thornberry
  Evaluate your strengths and interests to gain direction in your career planning
• Your Interview Checklist, by Rich Young
  You’ve gotten the interview, now what?
• Interviewing is a Two-way Street: Questions to ask in every interview
  Impress your future employer with meaningful dialogue
• Perfect Portfolios: The ultimate tool to get the job you want and deserve, by John Trybus, IABC/Washington student member
  Set yourself apart from the crowd by creating a stellar portfolio
• Personal traits that help PR people be successful (external link)
  Les Potter's students on the ideal PR personality

Internships: How and why to find one

• Internships: 101, by Katherine Jenkins, ABC
  No matter how well we plan, conflict arises in the workplace.
• Getting Your Foot in the Door, by Tamara Gillis, ABC
  It’s a catch-22. How do you get a job without experience, and how do you get experience without a job?
• From Classroom to War Room, PR Internships Offer Value, by Keith Sheldon, ABC, APR
  From a grammatical perspective, the word “intern” has several meanings.
• Working 9 to 5: A Dose of Reality, by Kelly Ponce
  IABC intern Kelly Ponce on the benefits of internships
• Increase Your Chances of Being Hired: Get an internship (or two or three)
  Highlights online resources and directories

Professional development

Feature Articles

• With a Little Luck by Don Ranly, Ph.D.
  Today's communication students have a myriad of options
• Communicating Successfully Through Press Releases in the Web 2.0 World by Lisa Davis
  How to target your messages in the world of social media
  
• How Well are Your Communications Working? by Angela Sinickas, ABC, IABC Fellow
  Use measurement to connect your work to the bottom line
• Communication Planning: The difference between leading and following by Tudor Williams, ABC, MC, IABC Fellow
  Strategize and execute an A+ communication plan
• How Will You Make Time to be Creative in Your Thinking? by Ed Bernacki
  Thinking creatively on the job isn’t as easy as it sounds
• Managing your Time: How to juggle multiple responsibilities, by Wilma Mathews, ABC, IABC Fellow
  Prioritizing and the balancing act of time management

Other Resources

• IABC Student Mentoring Program
  Get paired with a professional member working in your field of interest to advance your knowledge of the industry.
• O’Dwyer’s PR articles, directory and more
  The “Bible of PR” provides exclusive content to IABC student members.
• Communication World and CW Bulletin archives in the online library
  Supplement your academic reading or research a project with articles by and for communication professionals
• Student Connection archives
  Tips, tools and news just for IABC students

Communication career profiles

• Communication Manager: John Mink at Harley-Davidson Motor Company
• Communication Manager: Jenny Nielsen at YouTube
• Corporate Responsibility Communication Specialist: Jessica Laiti at Cox Enterprises, Inc. (Student Connection, October 2007)
• Executive Search Consultant: Laketa Poindexter at Ropella & Associates
• Marketing Executive: Kate Bingham at Staging Connections
• Senior Policy Consultant: Doug Wolch at Alberta Justice
• Vice President of Communication: Aimee Boyd at the Kentucky Derby Festival
• SPECIAL: Working Perspectives | Communication and Education (various contributors)

member spotlights

• Sally Byun of Humber College and DDB Public Relations
• Laura Capp, co-president of IABC/Pittsburgh
• Daniella Cross, Gold Quill Award winner, of University of Guelph-Humber
• Sheng Huang and Charles Zhuang of University of California-Berkeley
• Chizzy Igbokwe of American University of Paris
• Mandy Marks of University of Pretoria
• John Trybus of George Washington University
• Christina Wu, Gold Quill Award winner, of Simon Fraser University