Public relations professionals, marketers and communicators cannot go it alone. PR is the hottest category in the fast-changing communications world.  The U.S. Department of Labor expects it to be the fastest-growing profession in America in the next 10 years.

Collaboration, partnership and teamwork serve as a force multiplier that can lead real change in our industry, and new professionals are helping to lead this change. New professionals are also driving a shift in how PR as a profession thinks about diversity.

By getting involved with PRSA Chapters, new professionals can facilitate this change. We encourage new professionals to identify opportunities to serve on their Chapters’ executive boards or serve on various committees within their local area. Being in a leadership role within the Chapter truly provides new professionals a wonderful opportunity to develop professionally and leverage skills and expertise outside of the workplace.

As active members of the PRSA New York Chapter serving on both the Executive Board and Marketing Committee, we became actively involved in assisting PRSA-NY to implement programs that support PRSA’s commitment to diversity as well as attract diverse professionals to the Chapter.

On Tuesday, April 2, PRSA-NY New Professionals Committee hosted the 2013 PR Career Forum with the NYU PRSSA Chapter with a grant from the PRSA Foundation and support from the Council of Public Relations Firms. The mission of the PR Career Forum was to attract top talent to the PR profession and help introduce, develop and prepare students and young professionals for a career in PR.

PRSA NY has hosted this event for the past several years; however, for the 2013 Career Forum, the Chapter placed a special emphasis on attracting diverse talent in support of its 2013 Diversity Initiative. As a result of this new emphasis, this unified mission  resulted in attracting 150 diverse students from different ethnicities, genders, ages, backgrounds and university settings to the Career Forum to hear about and plan their next steps toward a career in PR.

The PRSA-NY New Professionals Committee also leveraged partnerships with local PRSSA Chapters for the Forum, including strengthening the relationship with the host Chapter at NYU. Additionally, some of the top PR agencies in New York that exhibited at the Forum commented on how impressed they were with the quality of students who attended the event.

As a new professional, establishing and leveraging strategic partnerships is an invaluable skill to develop. By doing this at a local Chapter level, PRSA New Professionals can own these skills to make a valuable contribution at work and influence change within the PR industry as a whole.

 

Brandi Boatner is the Digital Experience Manager for IBM’s Global Technology Services in New York City. In this newly created role, her responsibilities include working to develop and drive the implementation of a C-level facing digital experience and engagement model to enhance the way IBM engages with CXOs in the digital world (including Websites, blogs, social media sites and mobile devices). Boatner is also the former national president of PRSSA from 2008-2009 while attending graduate school at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, Hawaii. She holds several leadership positions within in PRSA on both the local and national level serving as a member of the Board of Directors for the PRSA Foundation and PRSA New York Chapter as Secretary; the Co-Mentoring Chair for the PRSA New Professionals section; the Chair for the PRSA Diversity Committee; a member of the PRSA Membership Committee; and the New Professionals Chair for the PRSA-NY Chapter in Manhattan. Outside of PRSA, Boatner is an advisory council member for the LAGRANT Foundation, an organization that supports minority students in marketing, advertising and public relations.

 

Jessica Noonan currently works within Burson-Marsteller’s Corporate practice in the New York office, providing strategic communication support to numerous key clients. Her active aspiration to become a PR professional led to her role as the 2012  national vice president of professional development for the Public Relations Student Society of America. She is now a member of the Public Relations Society of America where she is Membership Co-Chair on the New Professionals committee and serves on the PRSA-NY Marketing committee. Jessica serves as the President of the board for the newly developed non-profit the LittleBigFund. Jessica  holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Communication and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specializing in marketing from American University.

When I began my first full-time position, I was prepared to earn overtime and prove I was devoted to my job and my clients. Three months in, I sat down to breakfast with one of my team supervisors. When she asked me what I did in my free time, I laughed and responded, “What free time?” She answered, “We need to fix that.” When someone five positions above you points out the need for a work/life balance, you take it seriously, and since that meeting I have valued seeking one.

As a new professional in the public relations world, a work/life balance seems like a luxury that is far off in the future, but focusing solely on work can lead to early burnout and, ultimately, lower quality of work. Here are some tips to find balance as a new pro:

Stay focused during work hours. If a project is not due until tomorrow, it can be easy to procrastinate during the day. While a quick mental break (reading your favorite blog, watching a YouTube video, etc.) is good, spending 30 minutes looking through your friend of a friend’s sister’s fiancé’s Facebook photos doesn’t help your project or the possibility to get out on time and meet up for happy hour.

Aim for quality, not long hours. Remember, you are evaluated by the quality of your work, not how many hours you’re in the office. Drawing out a project does not make you look better; turning in high quality work is what makes a true impression.  Finish your projects efficiently and take on more tasks as possible.

Minimize after-hours Blackberry usage. While checking your Blackberry may seem like your only priority after leaving the office, stay focused in the moment of whatever you’re doing. Check it as you’re leaving dinner or after you’ve watched your favorite show, not during these activities.

Remember that you will be back tomorrow, and work will still be there. As an intern, my responsibilities were project based, and I was used to leaving each day with every project complete. As a full-time employee, I learned long-term projects could wait a day, so it’s okay to go home and eat dinner.

You earn vacation for a reason. Vacation is earned, so take it. Utilize your vacation wisely to make yourself feel like you’re taking a break. You’ll be much more interesting to your co-workers if you talk about your recent ski trip instead of that time your client was featured on Good Morning America.

Seek a work/life balance by following the example of balanced co-workers around you. Need guidance outside of the office? Meet with a PRSA member of your local Chapter. While it may be a guarantee in PR that you will have some long nights, it shouldn’t be every night. Keep work a priority among other priorities, and you’ll find your stride.

What are your tips for maintaining a sense of work/life balance? How do you take time for yourself?

 

 Jessica Noonan currently works within Burson-Marsteller’s Corporate practice in the New York office, providing strategic communication support to numerous key clients. Her active aspiration to become a PR professional led to her role as the 2012  national vice president of professional development for the Public Relations Student Society of America. She is now a member of the Public Relations Society of America where she is Membership Co-Chair on the New Professionals committee and serves on the PRSA-NY Marketing committee. Jessica serves as the President of the newly developed non-profit the LittleBigFund. Jessica  holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Communication and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specializing in marketing from American University.

We’re public relations professionals. That means we’re expected to be connected, accessible and consuming a steady stream of news and content. Yet, with information coming at us from every direction, it can be difficult to know which sources are the best ones to follow.

So let us point you in the right direction. If PR is your career of choice, you have plenty to glean from each Twitter account on this list – be it a brand, media member or industry expert.

• The Associated Press (@AP) – As PR pros, we’re expected to have a pulse on what’s going on in the world, across industries, so we can identify trends and be well-rounded, knowledgeable professionals. Following The Associated Press on Twitter is one of the best places to start.
• Jonah Peretti (@peretti) – Having co-founded The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed and Contagious Media, Jonah Peretti knows a thing or two about the media industry. His Twitter followers can expect plenty of entertainment via his BuzzFeed links, as well as a peek inside the world of a successful, millennial media tycoon with a “work smarter” attitude.
• Laura Ries (@lauraries) – If you’ve ever read anything about PR, chances are you’ve been influenced by the work of Laura Ries (alongside her father, Al Ries). This witty researcher, author, speaker, brand strategist and media personality keeps her Twitter followers engaged with the perfect combination of style and substance.

• Mark Ragan (@MarkRaganCEO) – Want access to the mastermind behind PR Daily, Ragan.com and many of the resources we use every day? Following Ragan is like getting your own personal digest of top trends, best practices and industry-specific career advice.
• Mickey Nall (@mickeynall) – Not only is Mickey Nall the fearless leader of PRSA National, but he also helps to keep Ogilvy PR running. On Twitter, Nall serves as a link to some of the most insightful thought leadership in PR.
• Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) – When it comes to striking up a consistent chatter in the Twitter community, Oreo is best in class. The social team regularly tweets back at its followers, always using creative messaging that captures the classic, tongue-in-cheek tone of its ongoing marketing platform.
• PRSA New Professionals (@PRSANewPros) – We may be a little biased, but we’re confident that the PRSA New Professionals Twitter account delivers the most relevant, targeted content available to you as an emerging professional in our field. Learn more about opportunities for you as a PRSA member, keep up with the latest industry trends and hear from peers who are experiencing similar challenges and scenarios as those you’re going through. If you have something to say, we’re listening – and we’ll get right back to you.
• Scott Spirit (@shanghaispirit) – Recently named one of Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40, Scott Spirit works as the chief strategy officer for communications holding company WPP and is based in (you guessed it) Shanghai. In other words, this guy has a unique take on the agency world, the business of media and the global consumer market.
• Stuart Elliott (@stuartenyt) – Who doesn’t love the New York Times’ most renowned advertising reporter, Stuart Elliott? Rather than just pushing out his own content, Elliott’s Twitter feed provides a running commentary on top brands– with humorous blurbs about his day-to-day scattered throughout.
• Whitney Johnson (@johnsonwhitney) – A regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, Whitney Johnson’s Tweets are practical and career-oriented. Want to learn how to find your passion and leverage it for professional success? Follow this powerhouse.

Who would you add to this list? Let us know!

 

Keri Cook is an assistant account executive with Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ consumer marketing practice in New York. She graduated from Liberty University with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and writes on topics ranging from media relations to marketing trends, to corporate strategy and crisis communications. While completing her undergrad, Cook was named PRWeek’s 2012 Student of the Year.

As we close National Mentoring Month, we must remember mentoring is a year-round commitment by mentors and mentees. But we must also think about the concept of reverse mentoring.

Reverse mentoring is a concept that was first introduced by former General Electric Chairman Jack Welsh more than a decade ago. With the advent of rapidly increasing social technologies, the practice of reverse mentoring is becoming more popular at organizations. Just as new professionals in the industry have a lot to learn and should align themselves with a mentor, more seasoned practitioners can learn a lot from the socially savvy new professional.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article companies like HP and Cisco as well as PR agencies like Ogilvy have launched formal reverse mentoring programs. The beauty of a reverse mentoring relationship is that it shares nearly the same principles of a traditional mentoring relationship, such as building mutual trust, formalizing the relationship and being open to new ideas. However, the difference lies within the benefits of a reverse mentoring relationship or program and the sustained growth, retention and innovation it can have on the company and the industry.

Here are some tips for selecting a mentor or reverse mentor to help you on your professional path.

• Finding the right match: Forging an effective mentoring relationship falls into the hands of the mentee. When looking for a mentor, take into consideration your goals and where you see your career path going before you make the ask of a seasoned professional.
• Shorten the learning curve: For reverse mentoring, if you want to sharpen your social media skills or get basic education on a particular social channel (let’s not boil the ocean), ask someone who has a particular skill set around the social channel so they can share lessons learned. Or if you want to apply a social media plan to crisis communications, consider those in your organization or network who are very comfortable with leveraging multiple social networks.
• One is never enough: Think you need just one mentor? Think again. Young professionals should consider two to three mentors who are at different stages of their career, including mid-level to a seasoned veteran in another field who can give you an outside perspective without bias.
• Build morale and increase productivity: For reverse mentoring, people enjoy being asked for their opinion, especially new professionals. When new professionals are asked for their knowledge and input by a valued senior practitioner or management professional, they are motivated and inspired to do better work. Practitioners can help use their knowledge to drive the return on influence from social networks.
• Driver’s seat: As a mentee, you are in charge. Mentors are kind enough to dedicate time and effort to helping you succeed. Take advantage of this and be mindful of their time, meaning scheduling convenient locations and times to talk, thanking them for their efforts and making the conversation as efficient as possible. Come prepared with questions, concerns and ideas to get the most out of your relationship.
• Increasing retention: Reverse mentoring allows the seasoned practitioner to set their comfort level for the relationship, while also allowing the new professional to learn the long-term goals of the company, fostering collaboration between multi-generational employees in the workplace. This relationship also reveals to future leaders within the company to the seasoned professional.
• Mentoring goes both ways: We all learn from each other. Just because someone might have more work experience does not mean they can’t listen to great perspective and advice from a young professional. If the sharing of knowledge goes both ways, the mentoring relationship will thrive.

Stay tuned for big news on the PRSA New Pros Mentoring Initiative! Feel free to share your ideas about mentoring below. Have you had a great mentor in your life? Have you ever participated in reverse mentoring? We would love to hear about it!

 

Brandi Boatner and Kate Enos are the PRSA New Professionals Section mentorship chairs.

We’re excited to introduce your 2013 PRSA New Professionals Section Executive Committee! This team has committed to a year of helping you develop as a public relations professional. We’ll do this by connecting you to valuable industry resources, providing thought leadership across disciplines and offering opportunities for you to network with peers across the country.

To kick the year off and get to know them a little better, we’ve asked our Committee members to share the best career advice they’ve received. Check out their responses!

Always work and dress like you’re auditioning for your ideal position. You never know who’s watching, or what connections they have. – Elizabeth Greenaway, Section chair

I was told to distinguish your personal brand with a specialty. Choose something that provides ongoing value and it will help elevate your career. I specialize in social media strategy, measurement and reporting. I developed a social media reporting dashboard in a previous role. This led to a promotion and later helped me land my current position. I would advise everyone to find a specialty to enjoy, develop and continue to learn about. – Brendan Hughes, programming co-chair

The best career advice I’ve been given is “under promise, over deliver”. – Whitney Winn, programming co-chair

The best career advice I’ve ever received is to find a job with a company or organization that is mutually beneficial for everyone involved – not just for you, personally and professionally, but also for the organization. I think a lot of young professionals can get hung up on being the perfect candidate for a certain position and overlook how they fit into the larger company/organization from a cultural standpoint. – Janelle Huelsman, newsletter co-editor

I think I’ll share something that my boss told me back when I was only her intern (about four years ago): Don’t be afraid of learning new things or trying something different. Even if you think you know for sure what you want to do, you may find that you enjoy something else even more and the only way to do that is to know about it firsthand. – Michael Canty, newsletter co-editor

My top three: 1. Your best work will utilize your individual skills and experience. If what you are doing could be done by someone without your skills and experience you are working below your potential. 2. Always keep learning. If you’re the smartest person in the room you’re in the wrong place. 3. Don’t dream about success. Work for it. – Amy Bishop, social media chair

The best advice I ever got was to “be proactive, flag work and clients you are interested in. Many opportunities exist; you just need to ask for them.” – Jessica Noonan, membership co-chair

Saying “thank you” can go a long way. I’m a huge advocate of handwritten thank-you cards, but even the simplest appreciation for someone’s help is memorable. – Nicole Bersani, membership co-chair

Don’t be afraid to take a risk and try something new. It shows initiative, leadership, and a willingness to embrace constant learning. – Kate Enos, mentorship co-chair

The best piece of career advice I’ve been given has two parts- listen twice as much as you speak and never stop learning. In this industry, with our roles constantly changing with the advent of technology, a PR professional can never stop learning. There is so much information, data and knowledge to be attained for our clients, the communities we serve and for ourselves as professionals. – Brandi Boatner, mentorship co-chair

The best advice I’ve ever received is to build a network before you need it. It’s much easier to build solid connections and relationships with other professionals when you’re not looking for an immediate gain from that person. When you look for a new job or need new clients, your network will be much stronger and will be able to help you. – Nick Lucido, PRSSA liaison

My favorite—and most frustrating—intern supervisor once explained to me the difference between “classroom work” and working in the real world. In college, you finish an assignment, turn it in to your professor and get a grade—A, B or whatever. In the real world, you turn in an assignment, and it gets marked up by a proofreader/client and handed back to you. You correct any errors and turn it in again. This process continues until it’s considered “A+” work. It can be incredibly frustrating, but at least I have a clear conscience knowing that I’m producing only the best work for my clients. – Scott Thornburg, PRSSA liaison

The best career advice I’ve ever received was actually something I read in an article. Simple, but amazing advice: “Work like you own the company.” – Keri Cook, blog co-chair

The best advice I’ve ever received from a high school journalism teacher was to write what you know. To this day, whether I’m writing a personal blog, a newsletter article or a press release for a client, I always find my best writing comes from my own experiences and knowledge. When working with a new company or client, I voraciously research and seek to understand the topic so I can communicate effectively with experts in the industry. If I’m writing for my own enjoyment, I find that sharing personal experiences and being transparent makes for a much more engaging and relatable piece. – Heather Sliwinski, blog co-chair and Section chair-elect

 

We’d love to hear from you: What has been the best career advice you’ve received?