September 28, 2016
If you’ve read our blog post on how to land your dream job in PR, and you have since landed that job, congrats! Welcome to the industry. But now what? The freshly printed business cards are on your desk, you have a shiny new planner, and it is time to open your inbox (which likely already has 10 meeting invites waiting for you) and get started. But, what does is it really take to excel in the hyper-speed world of public relations? Below are five tips for mastering your role as a junior executive at a PR agency.
- Do your homework. Thought you were done completing homework assignments now that you have graduated from college? Think again. It takes some serious digging to get up to speed on the complexities of your client’s industry (for example, all my clients work in healthcare IT – talk about complex). Taking a deep dive into trade publications, subscribing to newsletters and following relevant social media pages will help you better understand what your client is all about, which in turn will help you connect successfully with reporters. Which leads us to our next point…
- Form meaningful relationships. For both clients and reporters, communication is crucial. I mean, that is the core of PR, right? The trick is to be professional, while also allowing your true personality to shine through. The more comfortable your clients become with you, and vice versa, the easier it is to communicate and work together to achieve results. On the flip side, the better you understand reporters’ beats and editorial requirements, the more likely you are to land a pitch. Basically, being a communication wizard equals e-smiles (and e-smiles rock).
- Learn to juggle. I hope you like espresso, because the truth is, you have to turn around work quickly in PR, sometimes, the morning after a red-eye flight home from a conference. Time management is essential to success for account executives, so write down everything (seriously, everything) and learn how to prioritize your to-do list. Once you get the hang of your new routine, you will be able to manage tight deadlines without batting an eye.
- Exude confidence. Skinnygirl founder and marketing queen Bethenny Frankel said it best – never assume someone is smarter than you. Whether you are leading a discovery call, a media briefing, or a status meeting, it is important for everyone in the room to know that you’ve got the situation #handled. This is especially important for younger PR pros – you’ve got what it takes, so speak up and show off your stuff.
- It’s PR, not the ER. There are going to be days that everyone is running around like a chicken with their head cut off. The work you are doing is important to both your company and your clients, but truth be told, you are not saving lives – at least not directly. When something goes amiss, remind yourself that tomorrow is a new day, and move on. Strike a work-life balance that is healthy for you, and make the time to completely log off every once in a while.
To wrap it up: read, learn, grow and have fun! Becoming a public relations expert takes a lot of hard work and persistence, but it can be extremely rewarding. With these tips in hand, you are on the road to success. Want more content like this? Check back on our blog regularly, we add a new post each week.
