The PR industry is very broad and can cover just about every industry. Since the PR field is so diverse, anyone who is looking for employment in PR needs to have certain skills. They need to be confident, proactive, able to talk to clients, be able to hand tight deadlines, work hard, but most importantly, communication.
Here are some tips on how to stand out and last in the PR world.
CONFIDENCE.
When appropriate, don't be hesitant to voice your opinions and ideas. But do not be arrogant. Sometimes new employees can be so certain in their abilities that they can come off arrogant. That can damage relationships with fellow workers and employers. The trick is to provide thoughtful information but not coming off as a smarty-pants.
MISTAKES WILL BE MADE. BUT DON'T MAKE THE SAME ONE TWICE.
Learn from your mistakes when you make them the first time and be sure not to repeat the same error again. Handle your first-time mistake with professionalism and grace. That will show your maturity and you will gain respect.
KNOW THERE IS MUCH TO LEARN.
Although the ones who are fresh out of college have gained academic knowledge, but there is still the education that comes from actually joining the industry. You will gain humility and the will to gain as much experience as possible.
BE PROACTIVE AND USEFUL.
Being proactive and useful will help with the relationships with media, clients and co-workers. The more you're useful, the more trusted you will be.
KNOW YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
Properly know how to work different social media channels, such as blogging, Twitter and Facebook.
And lastly...
L.E.A.D.
According to Jody Koehler of Coopr, she says to L.E.A.D. which stands for, "Listen, Experience, Ask and Dare."
Starting a new job in PR is definitely very intimidating. But, there are definitely certain ways to get through it smoothly. Have confidence, learn from your mistakes, learn as much as you can, be proactive and useful, know your social media and L.E.A.D.
I love the distinction between confidence and arrogance. It's a delicate balance and you HAVE to walk the line in order to keep from burning bridges and coming off as a jerk. A cocky attitude is most harmful to a younger job applicant because it makes you look disrespectful to the experience and knowledge of older members of the company. Young people often have a difficult time meeting the right balance between being confident enough and not being too confident. You don't want to appear unsure of yourself, but appearing too sure of yourself is almost worse!
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