They Don’t Teach Everything About PR in College
To all college students studying PR: I’m sure this will shock you, but you don’t learn everything you need to know about working in public relations from that expensive text book. Now, I’m not saying you’re not learning something valuable; in the “real world” of public relations you need to understand key concepts to grasp the industry as a whole. But as a recent graduate who is now working at a PR agency, I’m here to tell you that what you learn in college doesn’t prepare you for everything.
Before I joined MMC I was something of a professional intern. I had worked at several agencies, dabbling in different specialties of PR. While I took away something valuable from each internship, there were still a few things I didn’t truly grasp until I got a full-time job. Here are a few things you should know that you may not learn in college:
Professional Emails
Sure, we all know how to email. Type. Send. End. Right? Wrong. You know what I wish they taught in school? How to send client emails. You’d think this would be a no brainier, but actually there’s a lot of thought involved. You need to be clear and extremely concise yet provide enough information so the client understands the rationale for your decisions. I’m already exhausted. Maybe it’s just me – but this is a fairly simple task. But my first client email was revised multiple times and took a solid 30 minutes just to pull together.
Time Management
You thought you were multitasking in college by updating your Facebook status while simultaneously glancing at the index cards for your next final – but that was child’s play. Multitasking in the real world is no small feat. When you are managing four different projects throughout the course of a day it may not seem too overwhelming – until you realize that all their deadlines are EOD, or mid afternoon, or yesterday. Take a deep breath, make a list, and then plow through it.
Powering Down
Close of business may be 6 p.m., but we in PR know this is rarely the close of the day. Something pressing is always looming and needs taking care of. It’s difficult to power down, as much as you’d like to, but it’s essential if you are going to maintain the fresh thinking you were hired for. So turn off that Blackberry when you can!
Say No
This is something I struggle with, especially as an entry-level person. As interns we’re trained that the answer is always “yes.” “Yes, I can do that.” “Let me get that for you.” You will do anything for the opportunity to knock one out of the park. At entry-level in PR you still need to maintain this attitude. You may have made it through the door, but how will you continue impressing people? But be smart about saying , “No, I can’t handle this. My plate is full.” Assess what you really can accomplish and don’t say yes when it will mean missing deadlines for other projects.
Speak Up
Your managers want to keep you happy and challenged, so don’t be afraid to tell them about your interests or what projects you’d like to work on. At MMC it is not unusual to see a junior level employee working with those in the corner offices on a new business pitch – or for someone to split their time between Health & Well-Being and Food & Beverage clients because they are passionate about both areas. Speaking up about what else you want to do will allow you to have a more well-rounded experience professionally.
These are just a few of the things the “real world” taught me that college didn’t. Keep them in mind as you transition from college senior and intern to entry-level employee. Doing so will put you one step ahead when you begin your first full time position. Good luck!
