PR Start by Nick Lucido

Though I don’t consider myself a lucky person, I really landed the jackpot nearly one year ago when I applied for and received the Daniel J. Edelman/PRSSA award. The award contains a monetary scholarship as well as a three-month internship in one of Edelman‘s U.S. offices. For a broke college kid, that’s pretty much the best thing anyone could ever ask for.

As it’s the season for the application, I wanted to offer some advice for those hoping to apply. By no means it is a particularly difficult application, yet there are many ways to separate yourself from other applicants. The most important thing to remember is that you’re only as qualified for the award as you believe you are. Confidence is key and it should show in your application. What are you waiting for? Get your application together!

Here are my tips:

Think internship over award

While the Edelman generously offers some cash for the award, don’t get distracted by the dough. Consider this an internship application more than anything else. That means submitting your best work, meeting the deadline and being prepared for a phone interview if you land in the top.

Your portfolio should have a lot of depth

The award requires you to submit 10 samples of your best public relations work. That means 10 of your best and most diverse work samples. Don’t just include press releases and media advisories; make sure to include your digital work, bi-lined articles, brochures, event summaries… you name it. If you need some more advice on constructing a portfolio, I recommend you check out Karen Russell’s post. Whatever you submit, make sure it is clean, organized and navigable.

Demonstrate the Edelman values

If you’re going to apply, make sure you show in your application that you demonstrate the Edelman values. I’ll let you do your own research on these, but I will say Edelman folks take these values very seriously and demonstrate them in their work. You can be one step ahead if you show similar values.

Apply

Yes, I said it. Do the work and submit your application; you won’t regret it. At the very least, you will have your portfolio put together for future applications. If you win, Edelman is a phenomenal place to work and launch your career, so take advantage of the opportunity.

More advice

In addition to my advice, I’ve compiled some links and posts that will be of great interest to anyone considering applying. Check them out:

• More information and the award application can be found here.
• Meg Roberts, the 2008 runner-up of the award, writes about her experience in the application process. Her advice: just apply already. Also, take note of the comments in the post.
• I interviewed Heather Crowley, a recruitment specialist from Edelman in Chicago, for the PRSSA Blog this summer. She offers some advice for future and current interns, and it’s definitely worth a read if you are planning on joining the company.
• This interview with Natasha Avery, senior recruitment manager for Edelman’s western region, goes into some great detail about how to land a job with Edelman. Key takeaways from this post will definitely help you in the application process.
• CEO Richard Edelman writes 6 A.M., a blog about public relations trends and insights. Make sure to read the blog, as well as other public relations news sources and blogs, to be a knowledgeable citizen in the industry.

*For the purposes of full disclosure, I am currently employed by Edelman.