Every fourth Tuesday, I meet with public relations professionals at our local coffee shop for a program we’ve initiated called “Coffee Talk.” The folks who show up each month range from current students and new graduates to seasoned pros and retired. When we started, we wanted to create an informal outlet for networking and casual conversation. Have a tough media interview this week? Tell us about it. Have a success story? Tell us about it. Need help brainstorming? Tell us about it.

It was a collaborative idea with our group and has blossomed into one of my favorite activities each month. Why? Not because I get to brainstorm answers to pending public relations issues, but because I get to sit side by side with the area’s finest communicators and learn. Each month, I soak up experiential storytelling that boasts real-life scenarios mixed with on-the-job solutions. We don’t talk about the academic text definition of public relations, or the latest social media trends. We talk about real life application:

• What do you do when you gave communications advice and leadership didn’t follow it, and now you are cleaning up the situation?
• How do you handle getting a sheet cake that is three or four feet in size to the venue, in the middle of a Mississippi summer, without it breaking or melting?
• Navigating the gap between the “formal” things we learned in college versus real life expectations on the job.

You can Google those scenarios, but the likelihood of coming back with a query of helpful results is low. What I have found from month to month, is that more than plan makers and box checkers, we are an industry of professionals designated as critical thinkers and solution finders. Even after five years of school and five years of working in this field, I still find that I crave more information about how to be better at my job. I don’t think you can go to work from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. every day and continue to learn all you can. There has to be external effort. You have to want more. Regardless of the niche (advertising, graphic design, public relations, marketing, sales, etc…), learning from the people around me continues to push me to make better strategic decisions when I approach specific situations with a client: 

• How can we strategically utilize the opportunity to push our messages forward?
• If this ad is targeted to 18-34, where can we place it to extend its shelf life and establish a return?
• What will it take to maximize a speaking opportunity for the best return on engagement?

Anytime a member of Team Focus speaks with students, we are often asked about that singular piece of advice we find to be the most important. Hands down, we’ll always say to never stop learning. Taking part in professional associations, reading, online discussions and more offer opportunities for growth. It’s important to keep your mind sharp, continuing to evaluate your skills and advance where you can – no matter your discipline.

As a student of life, how do you keep your skills sharp?

Samantha McCain
PR & Content Manager