New Blog Helps PR Students and Recent Grads Get Career-Ready

 
 

kevin.saghy@ketchum.com

 
 

Chicago, Sept. 17, 2008 - As college students head back to campus this fall, many of those majoring in public relations or communications already have begun taking advantage of a new career-focused resource: Culpwrit. This new blog, launched this summer, recently saw its ranking on blog tracker Technorati jump more than one million spots in less than a month as aspiring PR professionals logged on for answers to their questions about starting their careers.

 

Culpwrit provides PR students and young professionals with career advice and industry insights that go beyond most textbook and classroom settings – and that are available around the clock. Ron Culp, Partner and Managing Director at Ketchum and a 35-year PR industry veteran, launched the blog to provide information that he hopes will enhance the professional development of millennials. He shares his experiences, features posts from other industry leaders, and personally answers questions from readers.

 

“Whenever I meet young people in school settings or at conferences, they ask me the standard questions about my personal career path,” said Culp. “Then when I interview young people – either for a job or informational purposes – there are always questions I wished they had asked but suspect they were afraid to. My hope is that Culpwrit will be a key resource for the things young people really want and need to know.”

 

As more and more millennials turn to blogs for information and advice, Culpwrit responds by providing quick and direct feedback. Students and young professionals post questions that range from “Corporate or agency . . . or nonprofit?” to “How long should I stay in my first job before switching to another firm?” No matter what the question, industry veterans weigh in with answers, creating a forum-like discussion.

 

Guest bloggers have included Bob Kornecki, a seasoned PR agency professional and author of How to Thrive in the Public Relations Business; Kim Hunter, head of the LaGrant Foundation, which seeks to attract more minorities to PR; and LTC Paul Swiergosz, a public affairs officer in the U.S. Army. Young professionals who are new to the field also share their experiences in a regular feature called “Day in the Life.”

 

“Young people today are accustomed to getting information fast and at their fingertips, and many of us who have worked in public relations for a long time are eager to share our knowledge,” Culp said. “Blogging is a great way for us to come together.”

 

For more information on Culpwrit, visit www.culpwrit.com or contact kevin.saghy@ketchum.com  at (312) 228-6924.  

 

Culpwrit is designed to provide useful career insights and direction for individuals pursuing careers in public relations. Posts on the blog are divided into categories that include “Career Capsules,” “Day in the Life,” “First Day on the Job” and “Q&A.” The blog was created by Ron Culp, a senior public relations executive with 35 years of experience with Fortune 500 corporations, government and agencies. After beginning his career as a journalist, he worked in New York state government prior to beginning his corporate career at Eli Lilly and Company. After Lilly, Ron held senior PR positions at Pitney Bowes, Sara Lee, and Sears, where he headed PR, community relations, and government affairs. Ron is currently a Partner at Ketchum and Managing Director of Ketchum Midwest.

 

A communications innovator, Ketchum ranks among the largest global public relations agencies, operating in more than 50 countries. With five global practices – Brand Marketing, Corporate, Healthcare, Food & Nutrition, and Technology, and specialty areas that include Concentric Communications (experiential marketing, events and meetings), Ketchum Entertainment Marketing, Ketchum Global Research, Ketchum Sports Network, Stromberg Consulting (change management and workplace communications) and The Washington Group (lobbying and government relations), Ketchum leverages its marketing and corporate communications expertise to build brands and reputations for clients. For more information on Ketchum, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC), visit www.ketchum.com.