After you’ve graduated and you’ve settled into your new job, college and your education starts to slip through the cracks of your memory. It may be hard to remember the theories and texts you read in college as it recedes further into the past. Here are some ways to apply your education to your new position, and keep what you’ve learned fresh!

Examine what the brand and messaging are for your company or client, and figure out how it was created.
Every company that has an established public relations staff should have an established brand and message in place. It is good practice to discover how that brand and message came to be, in order to offer educated suggestions later on to keep your work in line with them.

Ask questions and discuss best practices using your knowledge from your education.
The best way to learn is to ask questions. Each company will have its own best practices and methods to use that have been tried and established. Learn what you can from them to do your job better and apply your learned skills to make them even better.

Take the communication skills you’ve learned and be part of the solution to address communication issues, where appropriate.
The biggest problem that humans have – whether it’s in their career, relationships, friendships, and family life, is communication. Having studied how communication breaks down, what causes it, and the theories behind it, you are the perfect candidate to contribute to solving them as they come.

Education is ultimately about learning, and it doesn’t stop once you have your degree in hand. Remember to continue striving to learn as much as you can, stay well-read and up-to-date on what’s happening in the public relations industry and the world-at-large, and make sure you’re always searching for the information that you need to know.

What advice do you have for new professionals looking to apply their learning to their new job?

Samantha Owens is a writer, hobbyist photographer, and grammar enthusiast based in Napa Valley, CA. She writes her own blog, contributes at a literary fiction book blog, and freelance writing work. Find out more about her at about.me/seowens or follow her on Twitter at @sowensphoto.