Advance like a pro

In the most recent edition of PRSA Tactics an article caught my eye. It was entitled "Skip the brownnosing: How new pros can advance by thinking like leaders." The article outlined several tips that new professionals entering the field can do to put themselves on the fast track to advancement while maintaining credibility and professionalism. They are:

1. Be seen: If you wait around for someone in upper management to notice you, you will be left behind.

2. Do more than you need to do: ...You need to carry yourself as a higher-level professional than you are to help those above you to envision you in that role.

3. Think smarter: No one wants to replace one person who does the work for three by having to hire and pay three people when they can keep you. Avoid that trap by thinking smarter, not just working hard.

4. Demonstrate leadership: Be the person on your team who always has a vision or solution.

5. Pay attention to the bottom line: If you want to get ahead, you have to be willing to deal with the bottom line, because face it-- those that make the gold, make the rules.
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All excellent tips. Are there any others that people can think of? Any contradictions or arguments about those above? How do students go about getting and demonstrating these skills to potential employers or internship possibilities? As a student I think we rely heavily on our teachers personal experience and the "non-class" related material they tell us to understand these principles including stories and personal philosophies. Students also have to rely heavily on their own moral and ethical compass to work towards advancement.

I look forward to reading responses from everyone!

Respectfully submitted:

--TJ McMahon

Do You Trust?

I recently downloaded the Edelman Trust Barometer 2007 from their Web site. If you haven't had a chance to do so, please take a minute. This is a research report they sponsor. I'm interested to know facts around how the public perceives messages from varied sources. You can find it at www.edelman.com. As the Puget Sound chapter ethcis officer this year, I find this to be an interesting overlay to the discussion about ethics and PR. What's your opinon about the concept of public trust in the marketplace? And, how does the current state of the PR practice nuture or hurt this public trust?

Enjoy, Erika