5 Ways to Act Like a PR Professional

Back in 2016 I completed an internship with The Barjon Group through their UpTern Accelerate program. This program has been a blessing to me. I have learned so many things thus far. These are the things that made me into a PR professional.

Being Aggressive vs. Abrasive

Public Relation practitioners need to be aggressive. This past week, I knew I really needed to kick into gear. This is my shot to actually show my skill and help clients this week. One campaign in particular. I am taking a lot of this upon myself because it feels important and urgent. This is real world work. This is WHY I signed up to be a part of UpTern Accelerate. 

Competence vs. Commitment

Clients want to feel important. They need to know you are committed to doing what they need done. Reliability is huge here. Clients won’t call you back if they can’t depend on you. Sure, the client will want the most competence you can give them, but if you don't show up, who cares what work you put out anyways?

90 degree or 360 thinker

Employers want a 90 degree thinker at this point in my professional life. If you are working for a PR firm and are given a specific client, your firm expects you to focus solely on the client to put out your best work possible. As a young PR practitioner, I need to be able to focus at the one task at hand, not outside projects. That will be for the day I own my own PR Firm. ;)

Fake it til you make it

It’s been a while since I have done a media list. As my boss suggested, pull things from the internet. You will never be lost. It is always easy to find how to do something. I was reminded how to professionally do a Target Media List, while being accurate. 

Know the Trades 

Read the trades. Follow them on social media. Connect with the Public Relations world. Know what is happening in the work around you. If you know what is going on in the PR world up against your competition that doesn't-- you will beat the competition. 

Get involved!

If you are a student, sign up for PRSSA. If you are a graduate, join PR Facebook Groups, PRSA and more.

Thanks for reading!

Follow me and hear my thoughts @brookejorgensen