What are the most important things to avoid when starting a career in Public Relations?

In starting a PR career, avoid neglecting networking, underestimating the power of research, ignoring the importance of digital skills, overlooking the need for adaptability, and failing to stay updated with industry trends. Focus on building relationships and continuous learning for long-term success.

In starting a PR career, avoid: 1. Assuming it's the glamorous life of Samantha from "Sex in the City." (The shine wears off quickly, after holding a clipboard at events.) 2. Assuming you'll be able to live in an apartment like Serena has in "Gossip Girl." (You may, but you'll be sharing it with six others!) 3. Using abbreviations in press releases... lol. 4. Assuming that no one actually reads press releases. 5. And truly avoid thinking you know so much more about (fill -in-the-blank) than senior members on your team. They've been in the business for years. Use them as mentors to guide you to future success!

Avoid talking more than you listen--you learn so much from observing. But avoid shying away from asking questions; you'll 100% regret it later and your managers will appreciate your attention.

Understanding the client's goals, audience demographics, industry dynamics, competitors, and reputation is crucial. Equally important is knowledge of the media landscape, including journalists' interests, preferences, and current trends. This research enables the creation of relevant, timely, and impactful messages that resonate with both target audiences and media outlets. Moreover, it helps prevent avoidable errors like misinformation, misquotation, or unintended false claims, which can be damaging to both the PR professional's and the client's credibility.

Most important thing is to understand your role well and have conversations with peers to understand that how we add value to our clients as well as the ecosystem as a whole. One thing that i realised much later in my career is that we are not just a bridge between media and our client rather a consultant to both the parties. One big no is mindless media calls and pitching just because we are given a media list. Rather we should spend considerably amount of time to understand the interest and writing style of every journalist and then connect it back to our pitch and how we can enhance it. This is key to building relations!

As someone who recently started, I spent the first few months talking to senior PR folks.. who have been at it for years. These conversations help me set some clear ground rules and get a sense of where things can go wrong. You will be surprised how kind people can be...

Be clear about the work you're willing to take on. Clients usually want you to give your all, and while exceeding expectations is admirable, it's crucial to establish clear limits for your work to maintain a healthy work-life balance and avoid burnout.

This process requires more than just casual interaction; it necessitates a dedicated effort to develop trust, respect, and a meaningful rapport. Effective PR practitioners must be proactive in their communications, demonstrating responsiveness, politeness, and a genuine interest in the perspectives and feedback of these stakeholders. Acknowledging and valuing their contributions is essential. Consistent follow-ups and adherence to the principles of etiquette are vital. Such relationship-building efforts are instrumental in establishing and maintaining a strong professional reputation and expanding one’s network within the PR industry.

Story trumps relationship. Whilst building connections is important, I believe the story still comes first. Personal connections only get you so far if your story is not strong enough. A good story will always get coverage, but your personal connection may change jobs, specialty or interest.

From my personal experience, this is absolutely critical. In order to secure jobs, numerous entry-level applicants opt to exaggerate their skills, power, and network. If you are an entry-level communications professional and you want to succeed on the long run, avoid doing this. The nowadays` world is hyperconnected: everything and everyone can easily be checked. Moreover, sooner or later you may need to showcase your skills: you may be in real trouble if the skillset is initially presented in a misleading way.

Trust is the foundation of PR. Being dishonest can damage your reputation and erode the trust of clients and the public. Transparency and integrity are non-negotiable.

Honesty and transparency should be non-negotiable in all aspects of public relations. Stories and ideas move too quickly for there to be ambiguity or a "hidden agenda" attached to any communications, and you will lose credibility for yourself, your brand or client's brand, and your colleagues if you operate with anything less than full transparency. Make sure you know that once you start engaging on a topic, pitch, story idea, etc. that you are prepared to be honest and transparent, and have rules or guidelines in place to prevent over-sharing or fabrication of details.

Be open to work in all industries. Too often, younger staff get too focused on working for a client in a "fun" industry. In my career, the fun has been in helping solve business challenges for my clients, regardless of industry. Clean energy, medtech, private banking, hostels -- all industries I knew little about but found great satisfaction in working with clients in those areas. The work is rewarding -- don't worry about the industry focus.

This field is characterized by rapid changes and demands a high degree of flexibility. As a PR professional, it's essential to embrace continuous learning, be open to new ideas, perspectives, and feedback, and remain agile in adjusting plans, strategies, and tactics to suit the evolving needs and expectations of clients, media, and stakeholders. This adaptability not only fosters innovation and competitiveness but also equips you to effectively manage stress, uncertainty, and the various challenges that come with the territory in public relations. Embracing change and staying versatile is vital in ensuring your strategies remain effective and impactful.

Being unable to adapt can be synonymous with unrealistic expectation setting. A lot of elements can feel glitzy and glamorous - working with high-powered individuals, luxury events, interesting topics - but none of those come without late nights, early mornings, and oftentimes, weekends. Knowing that a career in PR will inevitably mean hard work - which can take many forms - will set you up for success.

It is vital to be a team player, including pitching in to help out with whatever task might be necessary to complete a project for a client. It is also vital avoid being a "clock watcher" who thinks that your day ends at the close of business hours. Showing dedication to your job goes a long way toward ensuring that your manager and supervisor have a positive view of your work and your work habits.

This in response to Randy Savicky. You’re joking about watching the clock??? Right? I heard all that in the 80s. Wake up. Do not make people feel like they need to sit at a desk until 8:00 pm. They don’t and should not. With technology today young responsible PR professionals are able to work anywhere at any time. If they want to leave at 509 or 530 and have something due the next day then they can do it from home, a cafe or even a bar. Those days Thank God are long over. Now if there is a client crisis which can happen sparingly and they need to be with the team to address it, that’s one thing. Ok I am done.

Avoid chasing early success and instead concentrate on following and trusting the process. For example, cracking a story in a top-tier publication is the outcome of the process, whether it's outstanding writing, picking and speaking with the reporter, and then seeing it through till it's published. While it may seem cliche, it has been really beneficial to me since the beginning of my career.

Measuring results and showcasing impact are crucial for assessing success in this role. It takes weeks of effort to create a successful article, so it is important to document the steps and effort involved. I write detailed monthly reviews and share them with the wider department to provide visibility into my work.

PR efforts should be measurable. Ignoring metrics can lead to a lack of accountability and an inability to demonstrate the value of your work. Regularly assess and adjust strategies based on results.

It can be very hard to track everything you do as a busy PR professional, especially when going from one crisis to the next. However, if you don't track, then you don't have the means to show your value internally to leadership or to lobby for more resources. You also don't have concrete numbers to include in your portfolio when looking for your next role. So add in a block of time to your calendar daily or at least weekly to note down what you and your team worked on and accomplished if you do not have tools that automate and track that for you already. There are plenty of free tools out there to help you keep track of all that is bring accomplished.

Writing matters. In PR, it's all about the story, and being a good writer can move a story idea from bland to intriguing. Most conversations between publicists and journalists start with some type of written communication, and being able to succinctly and clearly tell a story is invaluable.

Empathy and kindness matter. Not in the "everyone gets a hug and a trophy" kind of way... instead, think of empathy and kindness as superpowers that can help you communicate more clearly with colleagues and clients, and media. Empathy can be flexibility in a storytelling pitch or campaign that reflects the realities of budgets, social changes, political changes, etc. Kindness can be pulling aside a colleague to have a hard conversation about performance, not as a critic, but as a coach.

Avoid choosing a specialisation right away. Often young PR professionals set their mind to an industry they want to work in. More often than not, it is counterintuitive. Expose yourself to a few sectors and how each works - even if you go back to what you had your heart set on initially, you’ll be a much more well-rounded professional in your approach and counsel.

Thinking you need a PR degree to be a successful publicist. While my journalism degree did have a module on PR, I learnt far more on the job.

As an ambitious PR professional at an agency, you need realize that it's not all about you (or PR). PR is only one small thing that senior leaders at your client companies have to worry about. Learn to be patient, and gently nudge when you need their input or time. Also, you can make them look good when you showcase the results of their efforts!