I had come to the last day of work at Gevents Solutions. That day I submitted the final proposal and I was to get ready to come back for school. I had lunch with my supervisor and his co-worker. I have learnt a bunch of things during the attachment and on that day I thought that was it, but that was the day was the day I got another valuable lesson. As we were chatting through lunch, Mr Katundu (head of marketing) said; “good luck on your final semester and your future endeavours. My advice to you is, do not ever get rid of that smile; always wear it; and that approachable personality and aura you have. Those are your weapons. There are so many qualified people around looking for jobs, use those to set yourself apart from the rest. They are good characteristics for a Public Relations practitioner.” I was very pleased by the comment/ advice/ compliment. His word reminded me of what we learnt in one of the lectures in International Public Relations- Characteristics of a good Public Relations Officer.
· Intellectual curiosity
· Passion
· Dedication
· Integrity, authenticity, and transparency
· Humility
· Generosity
· Respectful and cautiousness
· Ability to embrace change
· Ability to embrace service mentality
These are the kind of things we forget sometimes, but they are the things that define who we are. It is important thus to always make sure our character is in check no matter what the situation. As public Relations practitioners, it is dire for us to have characters that represent us well for our own good, and ultimately for the organizations we will represent. Let us not forget to keep in check the little things that matter.
Good Luck everyone on your future endeavours in Public Relations and other professions.
For elaborations on the characteristics of a PR practitioner: http://michellesullivan.ca/2009/07/top-10-qualities-of-a-pr-practitioner-in-the-digital-age/
2 comments:
A good post all in all. It is important to remember to who we are and always act with integrity, something Im sure we forget in times of panic and crisis. Also something that we should take with us into our professional careers as PR professionals where how we act will be under constant scruting and can possibly shape our future. Thank you for the reminder!
Comment by Valerie Lange, 14462173 (Singapore)
I think that in the world where there are so many PR practitioners, all with degrees and other fanciful certificates, it is essential to set yourself apart in order to stand out from the crowd.
For example you have a great smile and personality as mentioned, and that is your competitive edge. I think that quality in really important in PR as you meet many clients and we, as PR Practitioners have to do well in first impression. This will work to your benefit when pitching for new business and meeting clients for the first time.
I remember in PR corporate where one of our assignments was pitching for a project from a real life client. All the group’s presentations and ideas were equally outstanding. My lecturer went on to say that most times, in the real world, it is the chemistry, the aura and the vibes that the team portrays to the client that wins them the business.
Thus, I feel that it is important for each of us to search ourselves and tap on out strengths in order to market ourselves in this highly competitive world.
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