Whether you’ve recently made the jump from intern to full-time employee, or are a year into your first real-world position after graduating from college, this can be both an exciting and nerve-wracking time in your career.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping to mentor junior team members and getting to see when something really clicks for them. But over the years, many of the same questions and challenges have come up time and time again. Here, we’ll examine six things that can help elevate the career of a junior PR pro.
1. Find a trusted mentor. Whether it’s a current or former co-worker, an industry connection or a family friend with experience in the field, having a trusted resource throughout the early part of your career is invaluable. This person should be someone you can bounce ideas off of – no matter how big or small, who can help you answer tough questions, guide you in the right direction and even give you some tough love when you need it.
2. Ask for forgiveness, not permission (in some cases). Challenging yourself to write a pitch on your own and then asking for your team’s feedback will stretch your brain and help you learn faster than going to your manager first and asking what should be included in the pitch. Just proceed with caution before going directly to the client!
3. Take initiative. Similar to the above tip, try to anticipate as best you can. If there’s a recurring weekly or monthly project, take the first stab at it before being asked. If you have clients who make good resources for expert pitches, list a few good pitch ideas each week and run them by the team. If a client is involved in a crisis, stay on top of news stories and social posts and try to flag anything negative before the client sees it.
4. Be a sponge and ask questions. When a more senior employee takes the lead on a project, watch him or her closely. Try to understand why messaging was phrased a certain way or what the strategy was behind a suggested approach. If it’s not immediately clear, ask him or her why things were done the way they were.
5. Find a niche. If you want to truly become indispensable, find a niche at your company and own it. If you have an interest in SEO, graphic design, photography, Facebook campaigns, etc. – dive deeper into that area and become the go-to expert. Learn everything you can about a particular topic or skill and showcase how much value that offering can have for your client(s).
6. Lose the safety net. Oftentimes, things feel scary only until you do them once, and then the fear is gone. Find opportunities to take a leap and get over any fears. If your manager will be out on the day of a client call, offer to lead it instead of having it rescheduled. Go to a networking event solo. Prepare a case study on a new tool you’ve found and present it to your co-workers during a staff meeting. Whatever it may be, find ways to push your personal boundaries that may be limiting your professional growth.
These are just some of the many ways that junior PR professionals can further their careers and prepare for more senior roles. Any other tips?
And: read everything in sight (media outlets, books, blogs) and write as much as you can!