In January, I’ll be celebrating two years at FIG. As 2015 starts to wind down, I’ve been thinking about my time in the PR field so far, how things have changed since my first six months as an intern at FIG, and the time I’ve spent as an Account Coordinator and now Account Manager in training. I wanted to share a couple key items I’ve learned that might help new PR pros know what to expect.
- Work/Life balance is going to become your constant battle. Learning how to manage a 40-hour work week with maintaining a social life, getting enough sleep and trying to drag my butt to the gym was one of the first things I had to figure out. The sooner you can find a balance that works for and your company, the better. There’s always another email that could be answered or item that could be checked off the to-do list, but luckily, Health & Wellness is one of our core values here at FIG, so I know I’m supported when I strive for more of the ‘life’ side of a work-life balance!
- Listening is much more important than always knowing what to say. Whether on a client conference call or in a meeting with colleagues, sometimes you’re just not going to know the answer — and that’s ok. You may not have much experience yet, but you will learn by listening to your managers and senior counselors. Absorb as much as you can.
- Reading does not stop when you graduate college. I try to carve out at least an hour of my day to read current news articles, an interesting blog on PR or social media, a PR pro’s latest Twitter feed — whatever it may be that helps me stay abreast of the industry and current news around the world.
- Ask for help. Seriously. You don’t have to say ‘yes’ to every request — and you don’t have to do everything by yourself. I am so grateful that FIG is all about teamwork! Most agencies operate in teams per client and that’s for good reason — ask for help when you feel overwhelmed.
- Managing your first account will be terrifying…at first. There’s really no getting around the nerves and ‘what ifs’ that come with managing your first client account on your own. But, I’ve learned to trust myself and my experience thus far, be confident in my work and knowledge base — and turn to my team when I need help.
Are you a new pro in the PR field? What have you learned so far? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!