I recently quit from my job in customer service to move toward corporate communications. I have even finished an online certificate course to gain knowledge.
Since public relations is part of corporate communications, how can I develop myself further in the field without academic knowledge? I took up journalism as a major and broadcast communication as a minor.
Sincerely,
Cheska de Ocampo
Dear Cheska,
Thank you for your letter and your interest in our column. Your background shows that you have much potential to do well in a PR career. Your journalism major means you can write, which is essential in communications, and your prior job in customer service means that you are good with people, which is another plus point in PR.
The fact that you took an online course means that you are very interested in pursuing a PR career and that you constantly update yourself. You will find many interesting articles and trends about PR and communications that can help you.
You will be surprised how many topnotch PR practitioners did not have any formal training in the field, but had good communications, were good with relationships and were able to strategize and think forward.
But how do you build on your initial strengths? I came across an article “15 Easy Ways to Transform Your Career This Year” by Diane Schwartz in the PR News Blog. You can apply these to further build your career, and my International Public Relations Association (Ipra) colleagues and I wish you the best of luck.
“We are fortunate to be in a field that is constantly changing and therefore, challenging our skills and patience,” Schwartz says. “As far as career resolutions go, there is no shortage of things we can do better.” Here are some that we can all apply to become better PRs.
- Tell a good story. “That’s one reason why we’re in PR, to tell great stories,” Schwartz says. Reread your favorite classic novels to remind you what great storytelling is all about, and look for great stories to share within your company.
- Foster a relationship. PR is all about good relationships. And whether “it’s a coworker, a reporter, a client, or a customer, get out there and know someone new.”
- Look up. Manners matter, and Ms. Schwartz says that, “it’s good to practice proper protocol, and be in the moment by not staring down at your phone while in a meeting or social interactions.”
- Find a mentor. We are sure there is someone in your organization—a colleague, superior, or even a friend in the industry who can navigate the increasingly complex areas of PR. This is invaluable and priceless knowledge.
- Measure twice, cut once. Sometimes, we are asked to measure how effective our PR efforts are. Schwartz says that “it’s best to know what the key metrics are before you launch a campaign or initiative and use those as your guide; it saves you much time and heartache in the long term.”
- Write something. Practice writing every day. The more you write, the better you get at writing. Volunteer to write a blog post for your company or to guest post for a client; write an article in your company newsletter or update your group or clients with a well-crafted memo.
- Switch jobs for a day with information technology. This will allow you to gain a better understanding of what your digital team does every day and help you with your campaigns.
- Get your policies and plans in order. Do you have a social-media policy? An employee handbook? A crisis plan? Have you read them? Now is the time to brush up on the dry stuff, Schwartz says.
Audit your assets. Take stock of your content libraries if you have them, your photo archives, press release templates, review your About Us web page, and other assets that could come in handy in the event of a crisis, merger, acquisition, corporate change, or last minute request from a reporter.
- Drop a social-media platform. Review where you are in social media and check whether it is wise to stay in stagnant platforms that may make your brand look bad. No need to be there if your audience is not visiting.
- Adopt a social-media platform. Try out a new platform to test new social media waters to develop a stronger sense of where you should invest time and resources.
- Handwrite a thank-you note. Gratitude is always in trend. A few times a month, thank a customer, a client, a colleague, or anyone who has done something wonderful for your company. Your letter will stand out and all parties will be grateful.
- Advocate for PR. Share your best practices and spread the word about the power of public relations.
My Ipra colleagues and I wish you all the best in the PR field. Please do not hesitate to e-mail us if you have further questions.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the UK-based International Public Relations Association, the world’s premier association for senior professionals around the world. Millie Dizon, the senior vice president for marketing and communications of SM, is the local chairman.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.