No comment.

June 10, 2009 10:40 AM

Resume-filter: I'm a PR consultant, and for the last few years my job has primarily consisted of writing statements, press releases, blog posts etc. for my clients that invariably go out under someone else's name. Now I'm writing a cover letter - can I say that my work was "forward-facing"?

Obviously I don't have "on-the-record" experience from this, since my writing went out under someone else's name. What's the best way to indicate that I wasn't writing internal memos - that my work actually saw the eyes of the public?

posted by downing street memo to work & money (4 comments total)

Just tell it like it is. I'd say something like "Developed PR statements, press releases, blog posts etc" for numerous clients including X, Y, Z."

Isn't it fairly common knowledge within PR that your name would rarely, if ever, be on the materials written?

I would not know what "forward-facing" means. But maybe that's just me.
posted by ecorrocio at 10:58 AM on June 10 [1 favorite]

As a hiring manager, I would understand that press releases and PR statements would be both forward-facing and under someone else's name. I don't think you need to spell out the forward-facing if you're accurately describing where the work you do was sent out.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 11:21 AM on June 10

I cringe whenever I see corporatese like "forward-facing" in application materials (or anywhere, for that matter). It tells me that the applicant doesn't know how to write in plain English, which is a definite turnoff when I'm hiring for writing-related roles.

I would say things like "Drafted public statements" and "Authored blog posts," etc. People are used to ghostwriting, and no one is going to accuse you of making stuff up just because they can't find your name on the blog.
posted by decathecting at 11:53 AM on June 10 [1 favorite]

I agree that "forward-facing" would make me not want to hire someone for a writing position. My resume describes my similar experience as: "Wrote speeches, press releases and other public communications materials."
posted by ewiar at 5:18 PM on June 12