Just about a year ago I moved to the Washington D.C. area to work at a boutique PR firm. Obviously, a great network of communications professionals exists in the city and I decided to join Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) so I could meet more people. I was hell bent on finding my way in this industry and in this city, and I knew I had to branch out beyond my 9-6 job to do so.
As a Millennial (or Gen Y’er), people assume that I’ll only work hard if I’m being sufficiently rewarded. However I’ve found a balance between working hard, having a life and networking outside of my j-o-b. Most of the time, professional organizations have meetings during lunch or happy hour so you don’t even have to request time off to attend. However, sometimes I force myself to connect with senior communicators even when it’s not convenient with my social life, because I know I’ll enjoy it and I’ll learn something in the end. I think a lot of people starting off in their career forget that being successful doesn’t always mean working 9-6 then clocking out. You have to put in the effort to get your career on the track right.
After a few months of volunteering with WWPR I became a Board Member and now serve as the Marketing and Communications co-chair. In this capacity, I was given the freedom to explore social media options for WWPR and add the knowledge and experience I gained to my resume. I truly believe that this volunteer position was what gave me the relevant experience to become NMS’ next Online Analyst.
In addition to the great career advances you can make when you branch out and network, you also meet some amazing people and come across opportunities you just can’t turn down. WWPR member Mary Fletcher Jones and I started tweeting and commenting on each other’s blogs before she approached me to be a guest on her podcast titled “Conversations in Public Relations”. She wanted to share with her audience of over 2,000 subscribers the experiences I’ve had while working in a communications agency. The interview turned into three separate podcasts, you can check them out below:
Not every opportunity like this is right, but you’ll never stumble across these hidden gems and great mentors if you don’t branch out of your comfort zone. It will help your career, help your resume and more than likely help your company.