Must Know Tips for Young Professionals
By: Christina Roman, Intern
One of the many positive things that I’m getting from my time here at Fusion is the knowledge I’m soaking up just by searching and reading through Public Relations news articles. I’ve become all too familiar with many of the PR sites that offer great advice, as well as news that is important in the world of PR. My favorite types of articles are “list articles”; articles that break down different topics in lists so that they are more comprehensive and easy to follow. As you’ve seen, I’ve written two posts in list format because I’m able to organize my thoughts and you can read them and understand them. But like all things, moderation. This is going to be my last list format blog post so I’m going to make it a good one.
Articles that went into detail about how to survive in the work world as a new, young professional were the most helpful. There are so many that I decided to weed out the ones that were obvious and concentrate on those that were most useful.
- Picking your battles. We’ve all had a boss or co-worker that has the ability to drive you up a wall, but cool down. There are fights that are worth it and some that aren’t, you can’t win them all.
- Use tact at networking events. This should be a no brainer but there are a lot of people who lack tact. Don’t hand out your business card to random people and walk away, strike up a conversation. Also don’t indulge in the alcohol, it’s not a party. One more thing, don’t be obviously fake, we all know the fake work laugh. Just don’t.
- Communicate. One of the best qualities you can have is the ability to professionally and articulately convey your thoughts and ideas as well as dealing with problems with bosses and co-workers. It’s the strongest asset you can have. If you don’t say anything, nothing will happen.
- Don’t dwell. Made a mistake a work? Were you already reprimanded? Good, then let it go. Dwelling on past errors can affect your judgment.
- Live within your budget. So your job pays you a decent livable wage. Manage your budget, it’s OK to treat yourself every once in a while but keep it under control. This is for those who don’t have to keep their jobs and can keep their options open.
- Work attire. Another no brainer right? Well not everyone has the ability to know the difference between work place casual and hanging out casual. When you start a new job just ask what the attire is and tailor your wardrobe that way.
- Responding to criticism. Not everyone can respond to criticism without wanting to do some damage. Practice taking it, have a friend give you some constructive criticism and work on your response. Taking criticism with class and tact will go a long way. And as always, never take it personally.
- Set Professional Goals. Create an outline of what you would like to achieve career wise. Otherwise you’ll start to feel like you’re stuck in a rut and then before you know it you are. In that outline put how long you want to stay in a certain position, when your timeline is coming to a close, get a move on it.
- Unplug/ Go off the grid. Don’t answer phone calls or emails after a certain time. Politely send a mass email to your co workers/boss saying you’re unavailable after a certain time. If you start answering emails/phone calls at midnight or 2 AM you’re giving them the impression you’re available 24/7. Everyone needs their downtime.
I found these to be the most helpful, there are a ton more that you can check out, my favorite is on PR Daily, which you can find here: http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/12049.aspx.
As a 25 year-old, I feel like I have a few of these down but have such a long way to go. I’m a little behind where I would like to be but I’m working hard to get there. After all there’s nothing wrong with a little sweat and tears.
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