Comments on: Eight Tips for Newly Minted Public Relations Professionals

By: Lauren

Lauren — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:46:51 +0000

These are great suggestions to take in mind as we begin out professional careers. I will probably print them out and put them on my desk at my first job, and probably the bathroom mirror in order to get me going in the morning… Anyway, my favorite is number 6 “Never come to me with a problem unless you have a suggested solution.�? Proactive workers generate options, be proactive.” I am a very self-sufficient person and therefore try to work out all of my problems without help form others. I know that this is not always the best choice, but I feel that it will help me greatly when I begin working. Thank you so much for these tips.

By: Rachel Alice » Blog Archive » Advice for the New Kids

Rachel Alice » Blog Archive » Advice for the New Kids — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 03:42:08 +0000

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By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:22:14 +0000

These tips will be helpful in the coming months when my internship begins. I will be in a totally new environment where I’m not extremely sure what is expected of me. Sure, things will fall into place, but it is reassuring that others are going through it as well. Learning to question everything will be something I will have a hard time doing. Asking questions at the right time will also be a struggle, but they are things I understand need to happen at the right time.

We are all somewhat nervous about the coming months, but with advice from our peers and experts, it seems like the coming months will hold a lot of excitement as well. Hopefully these steps will won’t disappear and other helpful tips will arise along the way.

By: Derek T.

Derek T. — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:00:38 +0000

Kami,
Thanks for the advice. As an upcoming PR grad, I am always looking for tips to help me stand out. I loved Leo’s comment about listening; something I am always needing to work on. I think this may be the most valuable tip because it is always so tempting to speak right when ‘that’ thought enters our head, but we all know how valuable it is to wait it out. As a communicator, I can think of nothing more annoying than someone who is already talking before I have made my point. The response is already deemed null and void because I am so bothered that I haven’t finished my statement.
I was also enlightened by the problem/solution tip. This runs a tight race to the listening tip. I am notorious for asking a question and answering it myself before the other person answers me. This tip gets your wheels spinning in a proactive mode so that you are already focused on the solution. Great personal and professional advice. Thanks for sending it down the line Kami.

By: Kami Huyse

Kami Huyse — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:27:07 +0000

These are really great comments and questions. Let me say that one of the most important things I have learned in my career is that the more you know, the more you realize you really know nothing at all. What I am trying to get at is that the eagerness to learn is something that will serve you in whatever you take on in your career.

As for asking questions and seeking advice, this always must be tempered with the the third spoke, which is critical thinking. I always suggest that you listen carefully to your assignment, asking questions and taking notes as you do so (to make sure you understood). Then, take the assignment and run with it. If you see a way to make it incrementally better, don’t fear doing that, but make sure you hear how the organization has done it in the past and incorporate that. The person you are working with probably originally put the process together, so honor that while making any improvements you see would make the project more successful.

The only caution I have about questions is to make sure you have used up all of your resources before you ask questions. without making a guess and a possible error requiring the work to be redone. It is a balance for sure.

I once had a co-worker who asked me how he could find the number for a flower shop we wanted to use for an event. I showed him how to use Yahoo Yellow Pages. I didn’t mind doing it, but it made me realize that he didn’t have very strong critical thinking skills, and I assigned his work accordingly.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 06:12:22 +0000

I agree, we should use all resources at our disposal and we shouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel every time… however, I find that difficult when we are always told to be original and come up with something on our own, always question everything we’re told, start a trend, be a leader not a follower. How are we supposed to be all these great things all the while not reinventing the wheel?

You make a good point as to why there is a reason we were given two ears and one mouth. I think our generation is taught to, like you said, question everything and come up with a new strategy. We’re always wanting to invent something new and different, and I think a lot of times we jump ahead of ourselves just trying to get our name out there, or talk before we truly understand. I think if we just stopped and listened every once in awhile, we could learn a lot more and stop reinventing the wheel.

As Ferris Bueller so greatly put it, “If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

By: Katherine L.

Katherine L. — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:52:36 +0000

I’ve recently been wondering if there is merit to the idea of asking too many questions. Your post is helpful in answering that. Those first day on the job jitters only intensify when faced with a task you’re not quite sure how to do, but you don’t want to seem ignorant or uncapable by asking a question. So your tips about questioning situations or duties are a great help. Going into my internship I know that I will feel overwhelmed with a sense of the unknown, and I don’t want to seem undereager or overeager by not asking the right questions, not asking them at all, or asking too many. Is there a science to knowing exactly when to ask a question? How far into a project should we continue blindly until we seek assistance from a boss or coworker? Your expertise is greatly appreciated.

By: Hollon

Hollon — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:26:57 +0000

Thank you for sharing these tips with everyone! I am a junior majoring in public relations and I need all the help and tips I can grasp. These eight tips are completely useful and doable. This is one of several reasons I am liking the idea of blogging and social media. I never thought I would, but blogging is a great way to read advice from professionals who know what they are talking about. I will take these tips and put them into my practice of becoming a successful pr practitioner. Thank you again and for all the advice you and so many others are generously sharing to us “junior public relation professionals.”

By: Evyan M

Evyan M — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 03:58:53 +0000

I am new to the Marcomblog community and am very excited about all the resources on this website. The first thing I was exposed was Josh’s recent question “what do you want to know?” and the idea of using this type of resource to get answers from real PR professions was really exciting to me. So today when I was exploring the Marcomblog website, I see this post with eight REALLY useful tips for new PR professionals. I want to thank all of the contributors for giving us good advice and posting real life useful information and allowing us to ask questions.

By: Chasity

Chasity — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:47:30 +0000

These tips are really useful. Thanks! I began my internship in December and the first tip is extrememly helpful. I went into my internship thinking I had to be extrememly creative and come up with fresh new ideas every day. But, thank goodness that’s not the case. There are so many resources and as long as people aren’t copying word or word. Work from the past that has been successful is a great starting point for many projects.
I also really like the part about really listening. It is key to listen not only to what is said to you, but you must listen to what is going on around you as well. Becoming a part of your office culture is important to the success of your internship experience.
Again, great tips!!