You’ve Heard it Once, You’ve Heard it One Hundred Times

Like the first sentence in this FoxBusiness.com article says, being told to “clean up” your Facebook profile isn’t necessarily earth-shattering advice. Yet, so often I see a picture on someone’s profile that makes me stop and think, “Why in the world have they not de-tagged that?” Being poorly judged by future employers or clients is a common consequence of questionable photos on your profile; however, an even bigger issue may lie in what your profile tells police. The above article explains how Facebook landed a few people, even one lawyer, in some serious trouble with the law. Not everyone is lacking the common sense of some of these folks, but  the bottom line is - be discerning, be smart and do something with the advice I know you have been given.

This post was contributed by Shelby Menczer.

You’ve Heard it Once, You’ve Heard it One Hundred Times

New Year Provides Time to Recall Top Five Reasons Why PR is a Rewarding Career

It’s the start of a new year which means a number of things – new resolutions, new media pitches, new contacts, new business…the list goes on. Needless to say this is a great time to review goals and objectives for our agency as well as clients. 

January brings a fresh start with a bevy of ideas for new goals and objectives for media pitching, social media initiatives, new media campaigns, etc. I had an energetic outlook for this year and was ready to kick 2012 off with a bang when my energy level was quickly depleted after reading this headline: “PR is now the seventh-most stressful job in America.” All the media changes and other obstacles from 2011 that I had laid to rest came flooding back after seeing this headline in my inbox. However, after scanning the article I was pleasantly surprised to find that PR practitioner had moved down the list from the No. 2 most stressful job to No. 7! 

Rather than recall all the stressful things about our industry (because let’s face it, all jobs and industries have a stress factor), I decided to recall the top five things about our industry and why I love PR and my job. Hopefully this list will inspire you, helping you start 2012 on the right foot as you recall why you took this job in the first place. Happy New Year!

1.     Growth – It’s refreshing to look back at a client’s business and see how much it has grown after the start of an effective media campaign. It’s even more encouraging when you are at an event (social or business) and someone says, “Have you heard about XYZ company…?” and it’s for a good reason. Translation – you’ve done your job!

2.     Knowledge – We are experts in a variety of fields depending upon what industries our clients are working in, learning about new subject matter on a daily basis. No two days are the same. As an added bonus, it’s fun to be “in-the-know” about our clients’ up-and-coming news before the general public.

3.     Impact – I have a hand in some major company/product launches and other projects in my city and beyond, enabling me to look back and realize the impact I have had on a particular initiative. I  also am up to speed on the latest “movers and shakers” within a particular industry and how they are impacting our communities.

4.     Counselor – Clients look to PR execs for their counsel and advice to help set business strategy. It is great to have a seat at the table with the C-suite as they are deciding what quarterly initiatives to focus on in order to meet their business goals.

5.     People – Finally, it’s the people! Of course this is also one of the most-hated phrases by PR execs when an interview candidate says he/she is perfect for this position because, “I’m a people person.” However, in this case it’s true! PR enables me to work with a variety of people. I can be a “social chameleon,” as I forge new relationships with both clients and media, many of whom are experts in their respective fields. It’s encouraging to know that I’m rubbing elbows with these leaders and can even call some of them my friend. 

Of course there are a myriad of other reasons why I got into and have remained in PR, but these are my top five. What do you enjoy about PR?

This post was contributed by Leah Ekmark, @leahcpc

New Year Provides Time to Recall Top Five Reasons Why PR is a Rewarding Career