#4PRQs for: Cameron Craig of Polycom
Cameron Craig, that I'm glad to be featuring in this week's #4PRQs (Four PR Questions), is a communications professional with over 20 years' experience working with Apple, Visa, PayPal, Yahoo, and even Johnny Cash. He's currently heading global corporate communications at Polycom. In the picture above, he's pictured with Steve Jobs, immortalised in wax at Madame Tussauds in San Francisco.
MK: What was your way to the industry?
CC: As a teenager while still in high school I wrote a lot. Originally it was fanzines - free or low cost photocopied publications covering music or youth culture. I graduated to paid writing gigs for teen magazines interviewed whoever was top of the pops. Then I started writing to PR agencies asking if could do work experience in my school holidays. I had one brief stint at a boutique PR firm in the music industry during summer vacation. When I left school that led to a full time job and I stayed with that company for five years.
What is the biggest mistake of junior people you employ, and how can it be fixed?
The biggest mistake is assuming that I or the more senior people have all the answers. The truth is that the world of how people consume information is constantly changing. Junior folks may know more about a particular social platform or what resonates with an influencer than I would. I still love to learn. You have to keep up. I regularly have lunch or a coffee with folks who’ve read my articles or connected on LinkedIn because I want to learn from them, even if they are younger and less experienced. So share your knowledge and your counsel. It’s truly welcome. It’s what enables the senior people to stay relevant and successful.
The biggest mistake is assuming that I or the more senior people have all the answers.
How can PR graduates take advantage of the social and digital platforms, in order to gain attention of the agencies and other potential employers?
Tell your story on social. What motivated you to get into communications? Do you think a particular brand could do a better job with PR? If so, respectfully write an article giving your point of view. Be funny - how did a recent TV show remind you of your aspirations to get into PR? Be authentic - what mistakes have you made along the way and how did you learn from them? My Twitter handle runs non-stop sharing stories like these and I particularly love featuring those new to the industry with fresh opinions. When you go to a job interview you can reference these pieces to make you stand out.
Tell your story on social.
What is the most undiscovered area in the industry that could be used as a dissertation topic?
The wall between internal and external communication has come down. The world of PR people writing press releases and internal communications people writing memos is gone. The successful communicator of 2017 must be well-rounded and employ strategies and channels, internal and external to drive engagement for our companies and brands.
***
Make sure to follow Cameron on Twitter at @Cam_CommsGuy, see his LinkedIn profile, and visit his website.
#4PRQs (Four PR Questions) is a weekly series on the blog. I’m on the mission to help PR graduates (including myself) make right decisions about their future careers, by asking industry leaders for an advice.
Would you like to give me a feedback? Drop me a line to kl.marcel [at] gmail.com or tweet me @marcelkl. Thanks for stopping by, have a splendid day!