Maintain Career Momentum In Today’s Business World
Laura Kane, Chief Communications Officer, PRSA As technology and the media landscape continue to evolve, today’s communication professionals need to stay ahead of the curve. To stay relevant, professionals need to know about content marketing, social media, technology as well as the core competencies of our profession such as the ability to align communication strategies to organizational purpose, to proactively identify and address problems and to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns.Staying on top of the latest trends can be challenging, but professionals who are open to continuous learning and reinventing themselves to adapt to new business models will thrive. So, what can professionals need do to make sure they are able to make a career pivot?As someone who has navigated careers in television production, story editing, website building, advertising, marketing, public relations and corporate communications, I would like to offer a few tips that have helped me advance and adapt to new roles and challenges.
Learn new skills.When you are given an opportunity to take on a stretch assignment – give it a try. You might surprise yourself with what you can accomplish and how much you will learn even if you don’t fully succeed.If your employer offers you the opportunity to attend conferences or training classes – take advantage of it. Learn how to use new software, experiment with virtual reality and explore the latest social media platform to better understand how your audience connects with it.The good news is that investing in learning does not necessarily need to be expensive. Organizations like PRSA offer a variety of webinars and content that are free to members. So even if your employer doesn’t offer you opportunities on their dime, take advantage of free webinars and discussion groups to develop new skills.Focus on progress.Learning something new can be difficult at first, so be patient. Early in my career, I thought that I should be able to write an article or press release without going through multiple drafts. Eventually, I realized that drafts were just part of the process and I could relax and enjoy watching how the story evolved as I integrated feedback into my work. Success is about continuing to take enough steps in the right direction to get the desired results and not necessarily hitting it out of the park.Enhance your brand.As you gain new skills, make sure that people know about your new-found expertise. This can be achieved through updating LinkedIn profiles, speaking at local meetings, entering award competitions for that fall outside of areas of responsibility and writing blog posts that demonstrated knowledge beyond my core competence.In short, constantly tweak your brand to position yourself for the job you want by highlighting your own relevant skills and using key terms associated with the job you aspire to land. Expand your professional network.Equally important to gaining new skills and positioning yourself for success is building a network of people. My network of friends and colleagues has helped me stay enthusiastic about my job, acted as a sounding board on issues and kept me informed about job opportunities.I know it’s cliché, but it is not who you know, it is who knows you. I’ll bet most of your connections on LinkedIN don’t really know you and what you can achieve. That is why it is important to belong to organizations that enable you to get out and demonstrate your skills and enable you to meet people who will become your friends, mentors and associates. I am biased towards professional organizations, but equal important are local charities, the PTA or even a book club. The world will continue to innovate, and businesses will continue to respond. The trick is to approach managing your career as life-long job that requires constant attention. But, if you keep your skills current, stay curious and continue to meet and interact with new people you will be prepared, connected and ready to face tomorrow’s challenges.
Laura Kane is the Chief Communications Officer for the Public Relations Society of America. She is an acclaimed strategist, trusted advisor and creative problem solver whose achievements have been celebrated by numerous honors, including induction into the PR News Hall of Fame. Laura has helped companies of all sizes find their voice and generate meaningful stories that were widely covered and shared, significantly increasing brand value.
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