Taking control of your career at a PR start-up
Working at a PR firm is challenging. Anyone who has worked at an agency knows how fun — and difficult — it is to be an expert on all topics and responsive to clients at any given moment. We chose this career because we are ambitious people that care about what we do.
On top of the foundational demands of working in PR, Washington, D.C. can also be one of the most fast-paced, competitive, intense marketplaces where business is cutthroat and politics extend well beyond Capitol Hill. Those of us who are employed in D.C. — scratch that — employed in the PR field in D.C., know that it takes not only hard work and dedication, but also grit to win new business, consistently make clients happy and on top of that, be a place where people actually to want to work.
So, if working at a PR agency wasn’t already difficult, and working at a PR agency in D.C. wasn’t even more difficult, then why would anyone want to work for a PR firm in D.C. that’s — oh wait — also a start-up?
I joined Clyde Group when it was months old and remember when it was just three of us huddled around a conference table with our laptops going through action items for our two clients. Throughout my journey — from a part-time junior associate, to associate, to senior associate to manager — I’ve learned countless lessons, skills and tricks from hands-on experience and observations of my peers. Not all of them are intuitive, and not all of them are teachable; however, my hope is to be a role model for those who are going through a similar experience to my own. Here are my top three tips for surviving a start-up PR firm in D.C.
Confidence is key
At a small PR firm, you will be thrown into projects, presentations and meetings with no prior knowledge of the subject matter, and you’ll have to present your work from a leadership position in a way that makes you look like a seasoned expert. The first step in accomplishing this mammoth task is to believe in yourself. You — yes you — can do this. If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t expect others to do the same. Ask questions, but do not doubt yourself. You would not be in this position if you were not capable of doing it in the first place. And sometimes that leads to failure, but it is failure that forces you to grow faster and stronger.
Strive to Stay One Step Ahead
When interviewing candidates at Clyde Group, I often get the question: “Who is the ideal person for this position?” And my answer is always the same. What I believe makes myself and others around me successful, is constant proactivity. It’s about getting your boss the research, strategy plan and deliverables before she asks you. It’s about going above and beyond and getting your clients what they want without them actually asking for it. It’s about taking on a task early so that you have time to fix your mistakes later. The easier you are to manage (read: not manage), the more likely you are to be promoted and given more responsibility.
Own it
What I’ve realized for the past three years at Clyde Group is that you must own your career and take charge of your advancements. You will never progress if you aren’t pushing yourself past something you think you cannot accomplish. Watch other successful individuals around you to see how you can start implementing their skills into your daily work life. It’s not always about doing what is expected of you — at Clyde Group it’s about doing what isn’t expected that makes our people, and our firm, so successful.
