ADVANCING THE PROFESSION AND THE FUTURE PROFESSIONAL

BY RACHEL MCLEAN

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Join us in Boston this October , the host city of the PRSSA 2017 National Conference , for a weekend of professional development , networking and exploring this exciting city . Come to Boston to learn more about how the revolution in our industry continues .

Boston is historically known for being a city of revolutionary thinkers and doers , and from Oct . 6 – 10 , more than 1,000 public relations students will gather there for the PRSSA 2017 National Conference . The Conference being hosted in Boston gives attendees the opportunity to learn about the evolving public relations industry in a place with progress in its nature .

Founded in 1603 , Boston quickly became a hub for industry and communication . One of the most famous Boston communicators , Paul Revere , served as an emblem of the American Revolution . His infamous midnight ride to alert the state “ the British are coming ”

BY SHEENA LAKHANI

CLIENT STAFF ASSISTANT , BURSON-MARSTELLER

Going from a student to a full-time professional can be tricky . You may not be used to the 40-hour work week or managing your time between multiple clients and projects . Internships are the perfect “ in-between ” time period to learn what it ’ s like to be a working professional .

Treat your internship as a job . If you did your research , you landed an internship at a company that gives you valuable work day to day . When it ’ s time for full-time employment , those day-to-day tasks will smoothly transition with you .

An internship is all about learning the ropes of the business , raising your hand as often as possible and being indispensable to your team . Moving into the full-time role , you ’ ll have new ( and more ) responsibilities , learn to be more independent and be expected to get the job done .

Here are five tips to succeed as you transition to a full-time employee .

Ask the Right Questions

Don ’ t be afraid to ask questions . When you ’ re given a new task or responsibility , it ’ s always better to ask those upfront questions and do it right the first time . Be strategic and only ask the questions that will help you better understand the direction of the assignment . If you still have questions once you get started on a project , try to figure out the answer on your own

and then present recommendations to your manager . Whether you are right or wrong , he or she will be impressed by your resourcefulness — a critical skill for success in any position .

Be Proactive

Proactivity shows that you want to be involved , that you ’ re eager to learn and demonstrates your value to the team . Ask to take the lead on an internal meeting as practice . Volunteer for projects that come up rather than waiting for things to be assigned to you . Stay on top of industry news and trends , and let your team know how they affect the business or your clients . Speak up when you have an idea . Going above and beyond will show your commitment to the team and may lead to future opportunities for growth .

Know When to Say No

Time management is a crucial part of being successful at a full-time position . You ’ ll work with multiple clients and juggle different projects with conflicting deadlines , and you ’ ll be expected to complete everything on time . Be honest about what you can manage and make sure you set expectations with your manager . When you ’ re feeling overwhelmed , work with your manager to identify the best approach for tackling your assignments .

Find Work-Life Balance

With all these new responsibilities , you might wonder how eight-hour work days are enough to get everything done .

Learn to master prioritization . At work , try setting aside blocks of time to finish different tasks . This will help you stay on track and finish everything that needs to get done within those eight hours . At lunch , step away from the computer and take a break . This will give you a fresh mind when you ’ re back at your desk and help you stay focused for the rest of the day . Make sure you ’ re leaving time for yourself after work hours , whether that ’ s spending time with friends or family , reading a book or exercising . You ’ ll feel more fulfilled and less fatigued with a better and healthier work-life balance .

to establish realistic goals for the next few months . Setting goals gives you clear direction and something to work toward . When you know what you ’ re working for and how it contributes to the overall success of the company , it gives you motivation . It ’ s also a way to evaluate your own performance . Doing a self-check of where you are in terms of the goals you set can help you prioritize tasks moving forward and identify what ’ s holding you back . When it comes time for advancement and promotion , achieving these goals will be the perfect proof points to why you should get the promotion .

Constant leadership turnover is a fact of life for PRSSA Chapters . In fact , it is prevalent in most student organizations . The reality is that students step up as defined leaders within their Chapters , most often for a year or two , and then graduate . Ideally , these outgoing leaders inspired and developed the emerging leaders they left behind to keep the Chapter ’ s momentum going . But how does a leader accomplish this ? To help answer that question , I ’ ll be using quotes of some of the world ’ s most influential leaders .

First , let ’ s outline the qualities of a great leader .

“ A leader is best when people barely know he exists , when his work is done , his aim fulfilled , they will say : we did it ourselves .” — Lao Tzu

The power of servant leadership is something I wholeheartedly believe in , and this quote describes the very core of that leadership

BLACK PR HISTORY MONTH The Museum of Public Relations kicked off the first-ever Black PR History Month

FAKE NEWS What it is , how to spot it and how the public relations industry can combat it

PRSSA 2017 National Conference to be held in Boston

FROM THE PRESIDENT ’ S DESK

inbound marketing combines SEO , data , marketing , community management and traditional public relations from industry professionals in the “ Inbound Marketing : Shifting From Push to Pull Communication ” session . Make the world a better place through public relations using the takeaways you ’ ll get from the “ Corporate Social Responsibility : Doing Well by Doing Good ” session . Also , remember to preregister for resume critiques , agency tours , and attend the PRSA 2017 International Conference General Sessions at the Boston Marriott Copley Place . These are just a few of the things on the Conference schedule you won ’ t want to miss .

Conference will give you the opportunity to explore a city of revolutionary thought , make valuable professional connections and learn a lot about the public relations profession . Make sure to take advantage of all that Conference has to offer this year and register today .

We look forward to seeing you in Boston !

Leadership as Told by Great Leaders

Quotes to Inspire a Successful Leadership Transition

BY EMMA FINKBEINER

PRSSA NATIONAL PRESIDENT style . Though I certainly hope your Chapter knows who its leaders are , those leaders should be approachable and genuinely want to dedicate their time to serving their members . Chapter leaders should help provide a vision for their members , but they should trust in these members to carry out that vision and feel accomplished at the end of the year .

“ If your actions inspire others to dream more , learn more , do more and become more , you are a leader .” — John Quincy Adams

We all know that saying , “ actions speak louder than words ,” but embodying it has real positive effects . Avoid a leadership style that requires you to say , “ do as I say , not as I do .” In order to earn trust and inspire your members to believe in your vision for the Chapter , you have to show them — not just tell them — that you believe in it too through positive forward action . Be the leader that others ask , “ How does he / she do it ?” Be the leader that offers to help when others are struggling . Be the leader that leads by example .

“ Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other .” — John F . Kennedy

Leadership is a journey . I like to say you should never be the smartest person in the room , because there is always more to learn . A great lead-

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TAKING OFF THE EDGE How the Syracuse University PRSSA Chapter is giving students real-world experience