Prompt #3: Interviewing a Professional

Hey everyone! For this week, I have constructed an interview with a PR professional to gain more knowledge about the field. Her name is Nicole Daniel, and she is a corporate communications intern for the Detroit Lions. Here's what she had to say about her career:

What degree did it take to get this job?

I have a bachelor of arts in advertising, a minor in public relations and a concentration in media management. This job specifically focuses on my public relations minor.

What skills do you need for this job?

Strong writing abilities, media relations, interpersonal communications skills, detail-orientation, strategic thinking and the ability to control the message.

What’s the work environment like? Do you work collaboratively or more independently?

I work very closely with my supervisor on most projects, since I am an intern. I do prefer collaborative environment though. More can be accomplished working within a team, bouncing ideas off one another and constant brainstorming of new ideas. The corporate communications department frequently meets to discuss our strategy for upcoming events. We also meet with the executives to ensure the brand is being represented properly.

What is a day on the job like?

It is always different. Our department handles all business inquires with the Detroit Lions including partnership deals and stadium enhancements, stadium concerts and events, and the Detroit Lions community story. No day is ever the same, but we do work on press kits, media events and community events consistently.

What’s an example of a project you would typically do?

One example would be drafting media materials: such as press releases, news advisories and talking points. I also am an assistant to Ford Field’s social media accounts. We plan the media strategy for the accounts.

What are the biggest challenges you face on the job?

Working in the NFL things are always moving fast and changing even faster, you have to be on top of everything and strategic with what is being communicated. The Detroit Lions are a consumer brand so people are always looking for more information, sometimes more than you are willing to give.

What do you write and how do you write it?

I write press releases to advise the media of future events, initiatives and brand-supporting stories. I also write copy for social media posts, draft talking point for executives and recaps of media coverage. I write those pieces with clear and concise verbiage. In public relations, the goal is to write at a level for middle school students to comprehend; this is not because your reader is uneducated but to ensure that your message is interpreted exactly how it was intended. 

What are common misconceptions of your field and how do you use communication--specifically writing- to address these misconceptions?

Working in sports is glamourous. The sports industry is truly the grind, you are working crazy hours, weekends and holidays. You are not watching the games or hanging out with players like people tend to believe. However, a misconception of writing for a sports team is that the media coverage comes by default. For my department we do not cover football operations, so to engage the media we have to ensure the message is clearly depicted and interesting for their audience. We also work to create relationships with the reporters to get an understanding of what they write about and how to present the information to them. 

What are the uses of communication in your field?

Everything is communication. My job entails communicating with the media, the Detroit Lions organization, my co-workers and the public, both fans and critics. We are constantly working to improve the perception of our brand through strategic communications.

I hope this interview gave you as much knowledge as it gave me. Tune back in next week!

-Grace