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So you got a job at a PR firm—great! Congrats!

Image from Tamarack - An Institute for Community Engagement used under CC license.

But be advised, working at a PR firm is challenging. It’s a demanding job that requires creativity, multi-tasking and technical know-how. Why do some survive and thrive from day one? Here are five tips to ensure your future success at your new PR firm:

Image from Niuton may used under CC license.

After 20+ years in public relations, I still have trouble explaining what I do to my family, friends, and others among the un-initiated. Yes, Don Draper and MadMen helped, but that awesome TV series was about an advertising firm, not a PR firm. I tell my parents—yeah, it’s sorta like that…

Unlike so many students starting out today that plan careers around becoming a PR person, I did not—I kind of discovered it along the way. I had never even heard of the term “public relations” in high school. My guidance counselor suggested that I look into becoming a forest ranger.

How long have you been working at PAN?

Five and a half years 

Where do you get your news?

Mostly Twitter. I follow all my favorite publications, influencers, reporters and analysts there. I scroll through Twitter on the mobile app on my train ride into work and keep it up all day on my screen for regular updates. I also tend to read the Wall Street Journal’s CMO Today blog, and lots of other industry trade sites for client-specific trends and news.

What is a typical day at PAN like?

I start my day with a train ride in, catching up on emails and news. Then of course there is coffee. Every day has some amount of client calls for regular weekly updates on activity, or a press release intake call, or a touch-base on an upcoming event. There are usually a couple of internal team touch-base meetings as well to brainstorm pitch ideas and synch up on weekly priorities.

Wonder what Vantage’s Account Coordinator Dana Hershman is like outside of work? Find out in the post of our Inside Vantage’s Tech PR Team series!

Image by Dtiet used under CC license.

Years before I stepped into the role of PR professional I spent my nights behind the bar slinging drinks. While I believe that everyone should work in the service industry at some point in their lives, I never thought I would learn so many lessons that would be applicable to my career in PR. Below are the top five things I learned behind the bar that I use every day behind a desk.

Personalization is important to avoid creating the same drink (or message) for everyone

When crafting a cocktail you need to make sure you tweak it to that customers specific wants. There is a reason that a martini order has a lot of elements: gin, vodka, up, rocks, dirty, dry, twist, shaken, stirred. It’s the same when it comes to drafting a pitch - fine-tune your message depending on the reporter. Take the time to read what the journalist has written, figure out what they are interested in, and change your angle to appeal to their personal style and opinion on the topic at hand. Tailoring a pitch to a reporter based on their beat is just as important as adjusting a drink to a customers tastes. When bartending you risk having a drink sent back or not being tipped if it’s made wrong – in PR you risk a writer passing on a story or not answering you at all.