4 unconventional tips to advance your PR career

Keenan J. Emery is an account director at Method Communications.

You know when you land your first job and it seems like just about everyone in your life is giving you career guidance, whether you want it or not? While at that moment in time you may not be looking for your aunt’s advice on how to move up the corporate ladder, things can sometimes change when you realize how rewarding career progression can be.

There’s a smorgasbord of excellent resources online that can help you meaningfully progress in your PR career, with some experts advising networking and mentorship and others championing the idea of intentionality, but I’ve always done things a little differently.

Here are my unconventional tips to stand out and make meaningful progress in PR:

Get faster

There are several ways to be a more efficient PR pro, but the first step should always be to get your technology dialed in.

If you’re rocking a single laptop with no monitors, keyboard, or mouse, you’re going to be painfully slow. At that point you may as well just use a typewriter and embrace carrier pigeons to send your messages (it might be faster!).

Try connecting a monitor, or even two. Invest in a good wireless mouse and keyboard and get your company to pay for it, if you can! You’ll be surprised by how much faster you can write, respond to urgent client messages, strategize with your coworkers and pitch reporters.

Additionally, don’t underestimate how much more productive keyboard shortcuts can make you, and consider taking online typing courses if you’re a slow typer.

Find your spinach

Spinach gave Popeye his renowned super strength, which made him near unstoppable. As you grow in your career, you need to find your” “spinach.” In other words, what makes you the most productive version of yourself? 

I’m not ashamed to say that my spinach is coffee. It’s the source of my power and I’m nothing without it.

For you, maybe it’s taking a walk. Maybe it’s working in an office and socializing. Maybe it’s endlessly scrolling on TikTok every hour (unlikely). Incorporate whatever makes you the best version of yourself into your daily work routine.

Write it down

You know that waiter who takes your order without writing it down and uses their spectacular, flawless memory to convey your preferred dish to the kitchen? Then your food comes out horrendously wrong and your friend’s dish doesn’t show up at all? Don’t be that waiter.

Write things down instantly as they land on your plate (pun intended), and it will be much easier to remember what you are responsible for. To-do lists are everything, and they’ll make you more reliable so people will want to work with you.

Stop procrastinating 

Finally, my most conventional piece of advice – don’t procrastinate. It’s easy to say things like “that’s a problem for me tomorrow” — but don’t betray your future self! 

Do the things you least want to do first.  You’ll often find they weren’t as daunting as you originally thought and then the hardest part of your day is finished.  

Set yourself up for success, and watch as you become an overperformer admired by colleagues and clients alike.

These tips all come back to one core theme – effort. I’ve found that the most successful PR professionals are usually the ones who are trying the hardest. Following this advice is a great way to show that you care about your work and are willing to do what it takes to stand out.