Summer is a time for growth: tips for being intentional about career growth
Posted by admin on Jun. 2, 2023 / Subscribe 0
By Chantal Boeckman
Well, friends, summer is upon us. Graduations are complete. Kids are out of school, giving parents some extra free time. And the long, hot days give all of us a reason to slow down before the rush of the latter part of the year.
In our work lives, the slower pace of summer makes it a great time to review our annual objectives, ensure that we’re on target to meet them, and adjust or change some of them since (as we all know so well) our jobs in public relations are predictably unpredictable.
It’s also a good time to reflect on your career and what steps you need to take to reach your next goal or milestone. Whether you are a student about to start an internship, a new grad looking for a new job, a mid-career professional at the top of your game, or a master of your craft wanting to keep your career path fresh and challenging, the only person who is 100 percent committed to your growth is YOU.
Here are some tips to help keep your eye on the prize of career progression:
Understand how your organization invests in professional development
In public relations, we are fortunate to have so many avenues to grow our career – agencies of every size and specialization; any corporation in any sector; government; healthcare; education – you name it, they need PR and communications professionals.
Every organization worth working for will have processes and programs focused on growing its employees. Employee retention is a steadfast priority for companies, so it’s important to know what is available to you to help you continuously growth. This can be training, mentoring, job exchanges and more.
Many companies have budgets set aside for each employee’s professional development. Use it! Don’t be shy in asking your manager about professional development opportunities (like a PRSA membership!) and telling them that you are interested in growing. If you see a conference you want to attend or a training you want to participate in or you’re finally ready to start your Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), make the time to talk with your manager or your HR partner to see what the possibilities are. They won’t always be able to say “yes,” but they should be able to help you find opportunities to learn and grow.
Get to know what motivates you
Everyone’s goals are different – some people change jobs and/or companies every two years, others stay at the same company for 20 years and find new challenges by taking on new projects and teams. Some people are motivated by titles and money while others place more value on life balance and wellness, and still others want tangible proof of their impact on the company or even the world.
We’re all motivated by different things, and it’s important at all stages of our careers to know what inspires us and keeps us engaged, which oftentimes can change depending on our stage of life.
Check in with yourself, and as you gain a good understanding of what motivates you, share that with your manager and colleagues so that they can support you. The better you can articulate what motivates you, the better equipped your work community will be to ensure it is providing you with growth opportunities.
Find a coach or mentor or just invite smart people to coffee
In the vein of “if I knew then what I know now,” I would have been more intentional earlier in my career in seeking advice from the exceptional people I was so fortunate to be surrounded by. But when I was younger, I probably thought that I’d be wasting their time. Which was OK to feel, but essentially naïve.
Now that I have 20+ years under my belt, having a mentor (and being a mentor) is extremely important to me. I found myself at a career stage where I really needed to learn from a mentor’s wisdom and experience, so I reached out to a former manager, and she’s been such a blessing and one of my biggest cheerleaders.
One of the great things about PRSA is that we have a whole network of fellow members who are potential mentors, coaches, or simply new contacts who would be willing to meet for coffee to help you grow and learn. In April, PRSA Dallas Young Professionals hosted a session on Demystifying the Myths of Mentoring, and those committee members are available to answer questions and make connections.
And every month (except July!) PRSA Dallas hosts events that people attend to network. As daunting as networking can be for some of us (me included), members are there to support each other, and we all love talking about the ins and outs of public relations! In the name of your professional development, challenge yourself to attend an upcoming event and meet one person and invite them to coffee to learn more about what they do and why they chose PR just like you.
Chantal Boeckman is VP of Marketing, Membership and Sponsorships for PRSA Dallas. She leads corporate communications in the Americas for Amadeus, a travel technology company. She serves as a mentor at Amadeus and with Menttium, a program that offers mentors on a volunteer basis to corporations. She has worked in public relations and corporate communications for over 20 years for both global agencies and corporations.
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