Five things I didn’t learn in PR class

I graduated from Ottawa's Algonquin College in 2011 with a diploma in public relations.

I’ve never been a big believer in luck. If you do your homework, and put yourself in the right situations at the right times, good things will happen. Outcomes, after all, are not random; they are games of probability – carefully plotted intersections between the frequency of an event and how prepared you are to capitalize on it.

I believe the same philosophy reigns true in one’s career. Success, especially in the competitive realm of public relations, is determined by more than just a good education. It takes natural ability, character, foresight, and a thorough understanding of the factors in which you cannot control.

Granted, college taught me a great deal. But, after my first full year back in the workforce, I realize there is so much I’ve had to learn on the fly:

#5: The most valuable skill is knowing when other people are better than you.
Nobody is good at everything – it’s the reality that makes the team dynamic so powerful. The key to effectiveness however is being able to acknowledge when another person is, in fact, better than you at a particular task, and then having the strategic insight to leverage those abilities to meet a common set of goals. This is perhaps the most difficult skill in itself to master, but one that will solidify your network and make you indispensable to employers.

#4: Reporters do more than report.
Little known fact: journalists are actually people, too. And despite how many times they pass over your e-mail pitch, they’re not cold-hearted sadists. At least not most of them. In college, the almighty news release was hailed as the be-all and end-all for communications professionals. While I agree that writing for the media is an essential ability, it is trumped sevenfold by being able to establish and nurture relationships. Don’t use reporters; learn from them. Get to know their interests – what they tweet about, what beats they cover, what their deadlines are. Help them excel at their jobs, and they will help you excel at yours. And note: beer is a universal language.

#3: You cost money to employ.
This was a sad truth to stumble upon. Remember when you were a kid, and you blissfully believed money just happened to grow on trees? Yeah, it doesn’t. In fact, some people find it’s rather hard to come by. It doesn’t matter what area of PR you’ve decided to pursue – not-for-profit or corporate, government or agency – keep in-mind there is an element of business to everything. And if you do not help your employer make or save money (and I’m talking a real, tangible difference), you won’t be employed for very long.

#2: Great ideas don’t change the world – initiative does.
Anyone can come up with a good idea. Hell, most people can come up with a brilliant one. But that idea has absolutely no value unless it is implementable and you take the initiative to implement it. As manager of national communications for Canada’s largest industry association, it’s a mentality that has been ingrained in me by our members: Invention is good; however it’s innovation – the application of an invention – that has the power to change the status quo.

#1: Being efficient is not being effective.
I once read a fascinating analogy: You can be an efficient vacuum salesman and speak with hundreds of customers in a day. They can like your product and like you. Yet, if at the end of the day, you only sell one vacuum, you are no more effective than the salesman who shows up late, takes a long lunch, and sells a single unit to the last customer in the store. That’s not to say don’t be efficient in your job. But deliver results. That is what you build your career on. Don’t worry about putting in the nine to five or clocking your coffee breaks to the minute – no one cares, so feel free to take as long as you like. Think outside the box to produce more answers than questions, and you’ll never be looking for work for very long.

You can reach me at derek.lothian@cme-mec.ca or on Twitter at @dereklothian.