Ten Things They Don't Teach You (But You'll Probably Learn) in College

Over spring break, 13 lucky COM students (10 PRLab students!) were given the opportunity to tour New York City’s extensive PR scene as part of the 2016 NYC PR Agency Tours. Over the course of three days, we visited nine separate agencies, gaining insights about what it means to work in public relations at each agency.

One of the most notable presentations we received, at least in my mind, came from Michael DiSalvo of Ogilvy PR.

The key to his presentation’s success? Authenticity.

Michael began his pitch with an anecdote detailing one of the first student presentations he had ever given on behalf of Ogilvy. In his story, he begins his job at Ogilvy and, in one sense or another, forgets about a scheduled student presentation, is reminded of said commitment the morning of and, in a frenzy, frantically jots down “The Ten Things They Don’t Teach (But You’ll Probably Learn) in College.”

The result? The self-reported “best presentation he has written to this day.”

So here they are. Michael's 10 tips on how to be successful once you land that first job.

1. Writing; particularly emails

It's no secret that emailing is the bulk of a PR professional's job, especially starting out. But you'll be emailing way more than just journalists. A lot of your inbox will be full of emails from your coworkers ranging from topics such as leftovers, to favors, to scheduling meetings. Just remember, no matter who you are emailing, be concise, be professional, but above all, be yourself.

2. Managing time; logging hours

In an agency setting, logging hours is pivotal because your time is billable. Since clients are paying agencies on an hourly wage, it’s vital to keep track of your time and always be aware of what you’re doing.

Look at the clock the next time you sit down to start writing a press release or a pitch and jot down the time. When you finish, look back at the clock and see how much time has passed to get a sense of where the time goes. You'll quickly realize you get side tracked very easily as other, more time-sensitive objectives emerge, making it all the more obvious you need to track your time religiously.

3. Presenting your case; without sounding like a jerk

This can be hard, but also extremely helpful. Sometimes people need to know when an idea is a bad idea, and sometimes you need to be the one to speak up. At the same time, you need to master the art of shooting down an idea in a pleasant way. A good way to do this is to say, “I really like X aspect, but I think if we do Y we could achieve better results.” This way, you're taking their idea into account while offering another alternative.

4. Managing up

Don’t be afraid to ask your boss to do things for you. Hear me out, asking for timely feedback and providing your boss with your project timeline can be extremely beneficial for everyone in the long-run. This goes for clients as well.

5. Planning for spontaneity & random fire drills

There are certain things that you just can’t plan for. In preparation for random fire drills, plan out your month and make sure you allot plenty of time to make due dates, should “life happen” a week before the big event you’ve been planning all winter. Build some time in your schedule in order to have the ability to be flexible and prioritize.

6. Please clients; advise when necessary

If you order a black coffee at Dunkin Donuts and instead of handing you your order the barista advises you to drink tea instead, the transaction might not go over too well. But, if the barista handed you your coffee with a smile and said, “tea is a healthier option and contains nearly as much caffeine,” you might think twice about placing your usual order during your next visit.

The same premise is true with clients. They won’t always buy everything you’re saying—but you have an obligation to supply them with all the information they need in order to make the most informed decision. Sometimes that’s all you can do and you just have to hope for the best.

7. Work-life balance; DTH 24/7

Striking a work-life balance and being “down with the hang” all day every day, is exceptionally important in the world of PR. Due to the fast-paced, static nature of not only the job, but of real life as well, situations will arise where you’ll need to work during life, and others where you’ll need to live during work. You just need to find an agency that respects that work-life balance.

8. Friends…have friends; Culture matters

If you don’t like your coworkers, you won’t like your job. And if you don’t like your job, you won’t enjoy your life as much as you should. Company culture speaks volumes to the overall experience you have while working. Half of creating the ideal workplace culture is surrounding yourself with people that inspire you and make you better.

9. Master logistics; think strategically

Make yourself invaluable to your company by mastering the logistics. This can be as simple as knowing how to hook up laptops to the projector in the conference room or as complex as analyzing social data. Your job is to make your coworkers aware of your skills and strengths so that you become invaluable to them. Plus, once people start asking you for favors, that’s your opportunity to ask for favors in return.

10. Work will be fun, but it will also be frustrating. Make sure it’s fun first.

I think this one is self explanatory. If you genuinely love the work that you’re doing and surround yourself with a strong network of friends to help relieve some of that frustration, a career in PR will be fun. Stressful at times, sure, but fun in the long run.

And there you have it! Michael DiSalvo’s ten tips that will help you succeed at your first job.