…Continued from Dr. Joyce Aryee’s nuggets for young PR Professionals (1)
- Be a PR advocate
In Ghana, PR continues to suffer from an image problem. Due to this, professionals are either overlooked at times, their contributions trivialized or delegated to the background. In some organizations, PR does not even have a seat at the management table.
Young professionals must therefore be advocates for the profession and the best way to ensure that this is possible is by being an outstanding PR professional. Added to this, you must ensure you dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about PR practice in the country.
- Learn how to build quality Relationships
PR is not adversarial communication. Our profession is all about building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
As a professional, you must be able to establish and nurture relationships before you ever need them; especially with Journalists. You must also be able to network with professionals from other professional backgrounds.
- Be intellectually curious
Reading and becoming intellectually curious should become second nature. Young professionals should develop the habit of seeking to broaden their scope on different subject matters and not just what they do.
Always seek to acquire new information; as this helps you keep up to date with trend.
- Have a passion for the Profession (Be dedicated)
For many young professionals, the thought is that PR is an 8-5 job. That perception is erroneous because the profession demands a lot of dedication. So, young professionals should be ready to go the extra mile; sometimes leaving work very late or sacrificing their weekends.
Again, in their quest to stand out, professionals must seek to be relevant and make their organizations the best.
- Integrity, Authenticity and Transparency is key
Concepts such as Integrity, authenticity and transparency have become very key in modern day PR.
With emergence of the internet and social media, you can spin or lie all you can and it will come back to haunt you. As a professional, always dare to be on the side of truth and be transparent in the discharge of work. Truth is not always palatable but it endures.
Again, you must be authentic as a professional. Know your strengths as a professional and leverage them. No matter what you do, remember you will not be like the other person.
- Have a Servant’s heart
Professionals should be effective and efficient. They should be a resource that people can come to for information and someone who supports others. This doesn’t mean you should be a door mat but you should develop a servant’s attitude towards work.
Additionally, be generous with information and give back to your immediate community when necessary. You must learn to share. After all, they say sharing is caring.
- Develop a Personal Brand (don’t forget proper grooming)
The business of influence will demand that you represent you organization most of the time. So, whatever you do or say to a large extent impacts on the organization.
Young professionals must therefore ensure good grooming and etiquette at all times. You must develop a personal brand and this should often be in direct relation to what your organization you represents.
