Scripps PRSSA was delighted to have Shara Glickman from Weber Shandwick. Shara is a senior vice president who works with government, corporate and technology clients to promote their brands and business objectives on the national, local and industry level and increase their partner and community engagement. After more than 15 years as a communications strategist, Shara knows that building collaborative relationships through strategic, intentional and consistent communications creates coherent and sustained outreach.
Shara was born and raised in Boston, MA. She received a BSJ in journalism – public relations at Ohio University in 1998. After graduation, she moved to New York City and started at the Weather Channel in the sales department. Then, she worked at an Internet startup, also in sales. Shara worked as a media specialist in New York City handling strategic media for Hearst Magazine titles Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Seventeen and Redbook pitching and securing placements with national media outlets. She started her PR career at PMK/HBH Public Relations managing publicity for celebrities, TV shows, movies and events. Left for Casper, WY, to manage a health club. On to DC work at Powell Tate, the pubic affairs office of Weber Shandwick, for over 12 years.
“A typical day is coming to work and checking your email and knowing you have to deal with A, B, and C, and you know D, E, and F are going to pop up.” – Shara Glickman
On the topic of emails, Shara shared this: “Don’t check email in the morning.” As PR a specialist, one might find that impossible. But what she took away from that was to block off time to not check emails for half an hour. It’s important to set up time for yourself to be away from work.
Shara is a part of the OU Alumni Association Board, which she says is great for networking and finding new business or partners. Shara encourages us to continue extra curricular activities — they’re only going to help you — both personally and professionally!
US Army and Hawkeye 360
Shara told us how she worked tell the story of the army, helping people make decisions as to whether the army was right for certain young adults. She was tasked with connecting school counselors and principals with helpful resources connecting young adults with the benefits of the army. To help facilitate these connections, Shara put together a symposium at the “college of the army” in Leavenworth, Kansas. Some of her tasks included reaching out to local media and drafting articles for principals and counselors for them to share.
That’s something they do often — drafting media for others to share as a form of endorsement. This is a form of brand awareness and outreach.
Knowing Your Basics
Everything changes. If you’re paying attention to the media landscape since COVID, there are less reporters, have become general reporters, and there are not as many reporters. The field is always changing. Even the workers themselves are changing. Everything will always change, and you must be able to be flexible to these changes. Shara says, however, “Basics are important.”
Shara’s List of Basics:
- Networking – Your network can be ANYWHERE. Reach out to a Bobcat on LinkedIn, Twitter, or email. Networking comes in all shapes and sizes, and it is clockwork. And plenty of the time, it is going to be awkward (and that’s OK!)
- Long-form writing – New hires who just graduated who couldn’t write beyond 280 characters – couldn’t write sentences longer than that. Even if you go to the social media route, you still must be able to know how to write. Press releases, overviews, having writing skills is very important.
- Social media presence – Just watch what you’re doing on social media – potential employers are looking.
- Collaboration – “I don’t have a single client I work on by myself,” Shara said. I want her opinion on things, I want her to draft things, and she isn’t an order-taker. It’s an effort of collaboration! And you must be able to tweak to the client’s interests and wants.
- Be prepared – Be able to speak off the cuff.
- Financial awareness – Staffing plans, budgets,
- Spellcheck, spellcheck, spellcheck – Read over what you’re sending.
What’s important to Shara:
What she looks for in teammates and things she holds accountable to herself.
- Proactive/initiative – Bring ideas to the table, but it can be simple. Sometimes when people think they have to contribute in a huge way, they don’t.
- Attention to detail
- Managing up and down – be able to work in the best ability to people above you and below you. Satisfy them, but keep your integrity.
- Navigating clients and relationships – Sometimes, you work on clients where the relationship is not a good fit. It’s not a failure, it’s just difference in personalities.
- Forward thinking – Look at the tasks your given and see how it relates to the bigger picture.
- Relationships – Working people within the company, outside the company, run the gamut. Burning bridges is never a good idea.