Julie Kurth, APR

By Amy Fleishans

Tuesday’s meeting featured Julie Kurth, APR, public relations manager for ASU’s Biodesign Institute. With 21 years of experience in the PR industry, Kurth brought plenty of career advice to PRSSA members.
  
You do marry the management

Each business Julie worked for had a distinct culture, set by executives. “When you’re working, you are expected to fit into the culture that the leadership of the company sets,” Kurth explained. “You have to represent that culture when you’re at work.” She advised students to consider a company’s culture before accepting any job. “I know the most important question is how much a job pays—but you have to make sure it’s going to be a good fit, too.”

Immerse yourself in the industry

To make yourself invaluable to a company, be sure to know as much as you can about its industry, Kurth suggested. “I never thought I’d know so much about cells as I do after working at Biodesign.” When you know more than just PR strategy information and can intelligently discuss business operations of your company, you become an invaluable employee.
 
Get your APR
 
In 2005 Kurth choose to earn her APR. She said that it had always been in the back of her mind since a professor told her PRSSA chapter about it when she was in college. She feels that the APR creates an industry standard, legitimizes the profession and builds accountability. Kurth also feels candidates with their APR appeal more to hiring managers that may not know much about the industry. In her experience, she has noticed that people looking for PR executives will gravitate toward those with certifications.

Work for a company that values PR

Kurth also pointed out that potential new hires can see how much a company values PR by who the department reports to. “If the PR executive reports to the HR team or marketing, that company probably doesn’t place a high priority on PR. Try to find a job where the PR executive reports to the CEO; it shows that the company values PR.”

Thanks to Julie Kurth for spending Tuesday evening with ASU PRSSA!