<strong>The job: </strong>Public relations account supervisor.</p><p><strong>The employer: </strong>Based in Kansas City, Nicholson Kovac Inc. is an integrated marketing communications firm with a specialty in business-to-business communications. </p><p><strong>My role:</strong> Day to day, I assist my clients with their public relations opportunities and strategies. This means I assist them with sharing their stories to their relevant local media contacts and customers, and I consult with them should a crisis or other communications challenge arise. Our team also is very focused on PR via social media, working with our clients to navigate the nuances of social media networks like Facebook and Twitter and engaging with bloggers.</p><p><strong>How long have you been in this position?</strong></p><p>Since March 30.</p><p><strong>How did you find your job?</strong></p><p>I worked with Landa Williams, a recruiter for LandaJob, based here in Kansas City. She had been introduced to me by someone else I know. In fact, she called me last year about an opportunity, but I wasn&rsquo;t wanting to move at that time. She was one of the first people I called when I heard the news that my firm was cutting back positions, and I was one of them. I think Landa is a master &ldquo;matchmaker.&rdquo; She has an extensive network and has a good instinct about placing people in positions where they will thrive.</p><p> I had three rounds of interviews at Nicholson Kovac, including with the PR department lead, some of the account supervisors and the client with whom I work.</p><p><strong>What helped the most in the job search? </strong></p><p>Fortunately, the world of PR and advertising here in Kansas City is pretty small, so I put my network to good use, as well as using LandaJob. I also did my homework during the job search. I looked at Nicholson Kovac&rsquo;s past work and relevant awards and talked at length with other colleagues in the industry.</p><p><strong>Did you reach a low point in this process?</strong></p><p>Sure. There was a point when I thought I might be searching for a job for six years instead of six months. I kept myself out of the house as much as possible, meeting peers and friends for coffee during the day and going to Loose Park or the Plaza to stay outside. It&rsquo;s so important to keep a positive attitude during a job search, as everything usually works itself out.</p><p><strong>What is your best advice for others in the job search?</strong></p><p>Persistence and follow-up are key. But you must pace yourself to avoid burnout and to avoid giving the same answers to the same interview questions. I tended to search the job-posting sites, work on my writing samples and make phone calls for about four to five hours a day, then I would take a break and do something creative or go work out, to work off nervous energy.</p><p>It&rsquo;s important to put your personal and professional network to use during this time. Ask your friends and colleagues to spread the word that you are looking. Take people to lunch. Don&rsquo;t be afraid to call on people you haven&rsquo;t seen for six months and ask them if they know of anything.</p><p><strong>What is your educational and work experience?</strong></p><p>I graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia in 1998 with a degree in journalism, with an emphasis in broadcast news. I spent eight years producing newscasts, in Columbia and then in Nashville and Chicago. Most recently, I was a producer at NBC Action News here in Kansas City. After that, I joined a local PR firm, and the rest is history. </p><p><strong>How does this job fit into your long-term career plans?</strong></p><p>I enjoy working with clients and helping them overcome their communication challenges. Top-notch client service is a personal passion of mine. In the long term, I would enjoy the opportunity to lead an external communications team at a midsize company and act as its spokesperson, if possible. As a news producer, I often called companies asking for interviews, and now I&rsquo;d like the challenge of being on the other end of those questions.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> </div>