This agency is about to hit its 17th year (holy cats, where does the time go?!) and over the years we’ve seen all sorts of trends, but during the past couple of years I’ve been seeing something that troubles me deeply. Some of this may be a sign of the times and some of it is generational, but it’s raising a lot of questions for me. The agency business needs people who value a career within the industry. It needs people with longevity who bring strategic insight and experience to its clients. But where are we headed?

Let’s see how much of this rings true to you (perspective will vary according to your age and position

1. Agencies are the best training ground out of college.

2. Agencies are a good stepping stone to that secure in-house job that’s the real prize.

3. I don’t see a career at an agency. Corporations are for careers.

Based on recent conversations with former employees and many people in and out of agencies, it appears the above list is the “new truth” for young professionals. When I ask people in their twenties to be brutally honest they acknowledge that this is indeed what they believe.

Where are they learning this? Are colleges teaching this? Has an uncertain economy resulted in the belief that a big corporation is safer? What a crock!

Let’s look a little more closely at each of these beliefs.

1. Indeed, agencies are the best training ground. Let’s look at why. Agencies believe in growing their people. Agency employees know that they  have to be at the forefront of our industry in order to educate and lead our clients, so they continually invest in getting better, learning more and being on the cutting edge of what’s happening. That isn’t a two-three year experience. It’s what an entire career in an agency is about. Growing, learning, selling and using your expertise.

I have lost count of the number of conversations I have had with former employees who went in house, only to discover that not only does no one understand what they do, they don’t highly value it, yet everyone has an opinion about it. They find themselves silo’d and often concerned about how they will grow their skills.

Do you view agencies as a good post-college choice? What about in-house? Tell me about your post-college expectations?

2. My first job out of college was with a big multi-national corporation. You couldn’t have asked for a more blue-suit, solid, I’ll never worry about my paycheck kind of place. In my first year I was sexually harassed and watched the company scramble to cover it up and get that guy out of the building. Not out of the company, just re-positioned in another state, which didn’t give me a great sense of trust or value. A year later I watched a man who had given 20 years of his life to the company be summarily fired because he didn’t get along with our general manager. Just like that. Done.

I don’t believe that large corporations care more about their employees than agencies. Often, shareholders mean more and employees are viewed as an expendable line item. If you don’t agree, just read the headlines this month. Every December hundreds and thousands of jobs are shed as corporations adjust their new year’s budget. Security indeed.

Now I’m not telling you that agency jobs are any more secure. But I will tell you that agency owners will sweat and cry and do everything they can to keep you. Layoffs, at least in smaller shops with integrity, are not done lightly.

What is it about in-house corporate jobs that make them appear more secure?

3. I am a member of PRSA’s Counselors Academy, a section comprised of senior level PR/Marcomm professionals and it has been a revelation and delight to spend time with so many seasoned pros. These are people who saw a career for themselves in an agency and loved the energy, learning and ever changing environment so much that, like me, they’ve never left. Will your career trajectory be as fast or offer as many title options? Perhaps not, but you will be part of a community where people treat each other like family. A community that values creativity, learning and creating a place that is great fun to come to every day. Agencies are filled with people who love the fact that every day is different, who get to shape their culture, where clients change and offer new opportunities and the learning never stops.

Have you had a long term career in an agency? What made you choose that over an in-house job? If you’re just getting started, what do you think? What makes one choice more appealing than another?

Organization can vary by industry, by company, by job, and by person. I have mentioned in previous posts about the importance of organization, but what does that really mean in a fast-paced, full-service marketing agency? Here at Bailey Gardiner, there is no shortage of organization and everyone has their own style. I decided to check out different departments here on the advertising side and showcase some strategies for keeping things in order and running smoothly in the advertising world:

The Account Side: Camila

Our role at BG is to work with clients as the agency contact and oversee all the moving parts within the agency for an account. From client meetings to conference calls to internal kickoffs, the day is never dull and requires a lot of organization and time-tracking. Camila is one of the newer members of BG but has already come up with some crafty organizational techniques.

As a self-proclaimed organization-aholic, Camila creates her own daily to-do sheet and also tracks her time with a clever color-coordinated system. All of this lives in one binder with other important documents. Why so much detail? Projects and tasks shift from day to day, things get rescheduled, and it’s always great to go back and check where you spent your time for the week.

Camila’s advice: “Write EVERYTHING down. The important thing here is to keep everything central, though you may write it down on a random post-it or the back of a meeting agenda, writing it on the master to-do list is the only way you can keep entirely on top of your tasks. While this sounds like more work up front, it will make your life easier in the long run!”

The Project Management Side: Heather

While the Account team works with the client to bring the projects into the agency, once they are here – they are managed by Heather – the queen of organization and schedules. Heather manages the schedules of the entire creative team and makes sure projects stay on schedule to be released for deadlines. Everything Heather manages affects multiple departments within the agency, so it is her impeccable organization that sets the tone for the rest of us.

Because she has to manage so many team members, Heather relies heavily on iCal (she also has about 6 different calendars around her desk) and uses our project management system Workamajig to keep everything in check (including our 20-page “Hot List” of every project that gets distributed daily). Her methods have come mainly from trial and error as she adapts to new processes, new technologies, and our growing number of staff.

Heather’s advice: “Establishing your own method of keeping yourself organized is key. Once you have your process down, others will follow.”

The Creative Side: Susannah

Susannah is our Senior Graphic Designer and keeps us digitally organized and archived. If someone needs to reference a project from 2001, Sus can pull it off the server quickly and efficiently because she has our files so well arranged. Also, Sus manages all of our production, which means she is the last person to touch projects before they are out the door – all the more reason we are glad Susannah is a well-oiled organization machine!

Coming from a family of engineers, we think she has a genetic inclination for process and details. Susannah uses her own journal with her job list from Heather’s Hot List, and then works on our file server to design and output jobs. Her desk is always full of creative work and job bags, but each one is accounted for and follows the proper steps to make sure the jobs are done.

Susannah’s advice: “Throughout my career I have seen other graphic designers and creatives who appear to be or are messy and disorganized. This is where artists get labeled as flaky dreamers. I wanted to be professional – a good designer AND be organized. The combo is a money maker!”

The Media Side: Michelle

Our media department works closely together on every media project, so closely that they have a joint to-do list that they both tackle. They use a giant whiteboard on their office wall to keep track of all tasks and cross them out when complete. This board also attracts some doodles and quotes from visitors, but it is the main way Michelle and Meredith stay on schedule and on the same page. A lot of client money is handled in their department on a daily basis and it is their organization and communication on all projects that makes sure money is never lost, wasted, or misused.

Michelle’s advice: “At the end of every day, take the time to organize your desk and inbox before you leave. That way, as soon as you are in the next day, you are ready to start the day fresh and prepared.”

Now it’s time for your input – what is your position and how do you best organize yourself? I truly believe that organization is half the battle on the way to success, and I love picking up new tips, tricks, and pieces of advice… Let me know your favorites!

Sometimes, the agency biz feels like a highwire circus act. Not necessarily a bad thing.

The Bailey Gardiner team does some light stretching before a client presentation

At a recent TAAN meeting in South Beach (Transworld Advertising Agency Network), I had the opportunity to hear a presentation about creativity in the workplace from a senior executive at Cirque du Soleil. Jordan Fiksenbaum, Vice President of Marketing and PR, spoke to our gathering of some 50 or so ad agency owners from around the globe as we gathered together to share and learn from one another at our annual global conference. The story of Cirque du Soleil has been well-told and revered by many, and still I found much inspiration in hearing Jordan explain the company’s approach to creativity. Truth be told, their philosophy matches my own in the ways we try to encourage and inspire our marketing teams to forever top themselves.

You see, creativity both exhilarating and exhausting. It’s not a constant bubbling spring from which all great ideas flow – at least it’s not for me anyway (or any other creative person I’ve met so far). You’ve got to provide a nurturing environment, and atmosphere that breeds ideas – a place where creativity can grow and prosper. Cirque du Soleil has that going on, and then some.

Some things we can learn from their successful formula:

• Everyone’s a player – Every person in your company plays a role.  At Cirque, the behind-the-scenes creators of sets, costumes and soundtracks are treated with as much importance and respect as the performers.  Same goes for the admin staff, the janitors, the cafeteria ladies, etc – they are all playing key roles in helping the organization reach success. In the agency world, when was the last time you applauded for the accounting department, or the second account coordinator from the left?  Yep, you couldn’t do it without them either.

• Office environment – The Cirque headquarters in Montreal was custom designed for them as a creative playground. It’s their business offices and training center for performers from around the world, all wrapped into one. They do not separate the art from the commerce – they see no line drawn between the two. At your workplace, do the creatives sit in their own “department” or section of the office, walled off from the business side of the business?

• Individual workstations – Their offices literally look like a circus is going on inside (and it is). Each person has the freedom to customize their space with their own creations, surrounding themselves with their own interpretations of creativity.  Crazy colors and feather boas? Check. Wild masks and impossibly tall springy things made from god-knows-what? Check. Gray cubicles with standard issue manila folders and a 3-drawer file cabinet? Not so much.

• Work family – From the atmosphere in their headquarters, you can see the camaraderie and interaction between performers and business teams. All offices surround the performers’ practice areas, so at any time at your desk you can look up and watch some death-defying flyover or sweet balancing act. What a great melding of purpose, having everyone sitting together – creating. Doesn’t matter whether it’s columns of numbers on an excel spreadsheet or juggling fiery spears.

• Food – What’s creative inspiration without fuel? The Cirque offices have incredible kitchens, and a cafeteria serving the foods of the world for people from all around it. Twenty languages can be heard as people share their meals together – food serves as the great unifier. At our agency, we’ve found this true – ask members of the Bailey Gardiner Food Club about that.

Our accounting dept is extremely nimble.

• Freedom – Creativity is about exploring the boundaries and crossing them. This process requires freedom, and trust. Without it you might as well forget about seeing or hearing anything new. One Cirque example I remember was a story about a makeup artist and an eyelash fetish. She felt the performers in a certain scene needed to wear 14 pairs of eyelashes to get the desired effect. The bean counters could have questioned if they could get by on 7 pairs, or even 10 – this would save on production costs.  Management sided with the makeup artist, knowing this attention to detail is what makes Cirque a global sensation. Creative freedom.

We strive to do as many of these things at our humble little agency.  What’s working for you at your hive of creativity?

You have a great product, you’ve done your research and you’ve hired the best PR agency out there. The ball is in the agency’s court, but it seems to be taking forever to get that first placement. What’s the hold up?

There’s a lot that goes into this “ramp-up” period and it can seem long and discouraging, if this initial planning stage isn’t explained and expected beforehand. I hope to alleviate this misconception and shed some light on everything that goes into these beginning days and why it’s crucial to the overall success of any PR campaign or project. Hopefully, these tips will help speed things along for you in the long run.

Setting goals and strategy:

Your PR company needs to know what your goal is. Is it traffic? Sales? Awareness? Social media interactions? Are you just dying to be on Oprah or do you want to saturate one local market? Are you interested in being featured in the food section or the living section or the business section? Are blog placements more important than traditional media placements? Arm your agency with the answers to questions like these before they even have to ask and they’ll be able to put together a strategy you love on the first try.

On the flip side, if you’re at an agency and not getting the answers you need – then get the conversation going and ask those necessary questions straight out of the gate.

Getting to know the product and becoming passionate:

It seems simple but it can take time. A PR person needs to be as well versed as the client and there’s a good chance the client has spent years getting to know the product. In PR, we don’t just need the pitch, but we need to be able to carry on a conversation about your product and that doesn’t always come easily. Be sure to arm your PR agency with all the tools, information and experiences they could possibly need to be well versed – and passionate – about your product.

Successful PR pros will continue the learning process even after this initial start-up period. Keeping up with industry news and constantly monitoring what’s going on in the client’s world.

Sifting, researching, brainstorming and compiling:

Once you’ve sent all the info you can, realize that it’s going to take some time for the team to sift through it to find what’s most relevant to the media. If they’re really good, they’re going to do some brainstorming and maybe even some research to determine the pitch that’s going to best resonate with the media you want to target. They’re also going to do a lot of research to determine relevant trends, round up and stats that may add to their pitch to ensure that your product has a place in the media’s story. Fill them in on the industry details that they may not be well-versed on. Tell them what trends you’re seeing in the industry, stats that support your position and where you think your product stands out.

Drafting press materials:

The media moves fast. If we pitch a daily publication or TV station and they like the pitch, they expect that we can turn around all the information for tomorrow’s news. That said, all press materials should be ready to go and approved before any pitching begins. Press releases, fact sheets, bios and images, all need to be at the ready. Speed along the process by responding quickly to your agency with information and approvals.

Finding just the right media:

Keeping up with media changes is getting out of control these days. There are more blogs and websites being created every day. Freelancers are working for different publications all the time. Layoffs, buyouts and folding magazines complicate the process and no matter how well-established your agency is, their media lists will need to be refined before every use. On top of that, research should be done to find people at each publication that write about just what you’re aiming for. This may require trips to the magazine store, sifting through articles, blogs and TV segments to determine the home-run contacts that are going to love the pitch idea. Show your agency any media placements you’ve already secured or any example articles that would be ideal. Let them know if you have any already-established media connections and how they may leverage those relationships into quality PR placements.

Writing just the right pitches:

Once the media lists are in place, it’s time to write the pitches. Maybe we discovered that this product has an angle for family writers, food writers and feature writers – that’s three pitches to craft and a pitch is not to be taken lightly. This pitch is like a handshake, it must impress upon first impression. The subject line is a science, the first sentence must be strategic, just the right information must be included and each pitch must be catered to each individual outlet. If your product is especially complicated because maybe it’s hard to explain why it’s different, it’s name doesn’t quite explain what it is or it’s something that must be experienced to be understood, then it’s up to your agency to determine how to get heard through all the noise in somewhere between 2 and 15 seconds (the time the media will likely give you for that first impression).  This may require your agency to come up with a great visual, an event, a video or just a creative way of talking about your product. Let your agency know what you’re willing and not willing to do. If you can allocate funds to creating something to mail or deliver, if you have great video capabilities or if you’re willing to send products to media, make sure your agency takes that into consideration at the beginning.

Agency folks looking for ways to get creative with the pitch, start with a team brainstorm and don’t be afraid to step outside of those traditional media relation boundaries of an email pitch and phone call.

Been there, done that:

If you’re thinking, “we went through this when they gave me the proposal,” you’re right. We did. We probably asked you some of the same questions and gave you a great idea of what our pitches would be and who we would pitch but when it comes time to get things rolling, there’s much more detail involved. The pitch idea is one thing, the actual pitch that grabs the writer’s attention is far more developed. The media list likely included the outlets, not the contacts and their email addresses and phone numbers. The more information your agency digs up, the more successful they will be in placing your product.

So in sum, to achieve the best results for your product, plan ahead, allotting about a month for your agency to “ramp up” and prepare for great things to come. On the agency side, being clear about these ramp-up projects beforehand is key. Letting the client know realistically what your time frame is moving forward, is never a bad thing. After all it’s better to be thorough and successful, than quick and mediocre. If all goes as planned then, the PR placements should come rolling in.

Brainstorming is a way of life in our creative agency, and yet so many people find the process unrewarding. And after attending a Mirren seminar recently on Innovation by Mark Levy, I realize why. We all come to the brainstorm session with the expectation of great results, but we don’t prepare properly. Following up on KDay’s great post on brainstorming rules, I dive deeper here to share some advanced brainstorming techniques sure to set you up for maximum creative success.

First, a couple of mistakes (come on, we have all done these):

Mistake #1: You set a time for the brainstorm, send the invite to those idea mavens, and everyone shows up at the appointed hour ready to be creative. NOPE! Coming to the meeting prepared with ideas (like you would for any other meeting) helps the group by giving a starting point to ideas you’ve already germinated. Then the group brainstorm can help nourish them.

Mistake #2: You expect everyone to drop whatever they are working on, and flip their creative switch on. Instead, consider transitioning them into the session by shedding their distractions. Levy suggests asking them to take 5 minutes and write down all the noise in their brain that would keep them from “being in the moment”. Once it’s on paper, they can set it aside for the duration of your session and devote themselves to generating good ideas.

Mistake #3: We assume that people generate ideas in a brainstorm the same way we do – at the same speed, in the same direction, following the same paths. Not so – as evidenced from any disagreement on point of view you have ever had with your spouse or significant other. To counteract, set up a level playing field where normal leaders are not in charge, and those with more quiet voices are still heard.

Here are some ways Levy shared to accomplish this goal:

Brainstorm Questions First -

To get the creativity rolling, Levy suggests posing only questions first – dozens of them. Without the pressure of answering them, these questions can heighten participants’ curiosity and encourage them to think about possibilities.

Brain Writing -

Created by two professors, brain writing is a way to capture everyone’s contributions regardless of their rank or thought process. Each participant writes an idea at the top of a piece of blank paper, and when the group is done, collectively passes their papers to the person on their left. Then this person writes an idea that builds on the original.  From there, pass the paper and idea down the line 4 or 5 more times, until you have a group of ideas that have been fleshed out by a group dynamic without a single word being uttered aloud.

Mind-Reading –

Similar to Brain Writing, except after the participants write their idea on the page, they then imagine what they think the person to their left would write on the page next.  Then the person on their right, and so on. The concept here is that the ideas people have in their own heads are never as good as the ideas they come up with when they are in someone else’s head, and not stuck in their own thinking.

We’ve been trying these techniques with great success – I’d love to hear your stories if you try them too.

Back in January (seems like a long time ago), we held a one-day team building retreat with our friend Jeff Blum, Principal of TheTeamBuilding Company.

Team Building can be risky

We spent the day going through a series of exercises that taught us about teamwork and brought us closer together. We also spent a majority of the day laughing which was truly wonderful. All that oxygen! Here are some tips from Jeff on continually growing your team. Jeff’s advice is always spot on (he’s a former agency guy – he gets us).

Coaching Your Team Towards Greatness – Eight Simple Steps

By Jeff Blum, Team Facilitator

It would be wonderful if a one day team building event was sufficient to create the in-depth change in your group that you are hoping for.

Maybe the word miracle would be more appropriate.

Certainly, well facilitated experiential team building can be a powerful force that helps teams arrive at key discoveries and breakthroughs. However, effective team building needs to make the vital connection with the pulse of your team’s daily activity, its current objectives and immediate goals.

Experts say that 70% of the work we do these days is in teams and small work groups. If so, doesn’t it make good sense to regularly develop the best team skills possible? To improve the manner and the methods that can create the best collaborative work with steady effort?

Team building must be a part of the real time, day-in-day-out dynamic of the workplace.

So, team building ought not be confined to a singular event – but become a continual process.

Here are eight ways you can build a better team on a daily basis:

1.      Encourage and reward best practice team behaviors including: open communication, being accountable, meeting commitments, the willingness to engage in healthy conflict, reaching consensus and then cheerfully adopting the groups’ decisions.

2.      Model good team skills from your leadership position by being a good team player: listen effectively, delegate broadly and be willing to consider and accept the group’s direction over pushing your own dictates.

3.      Set up regular “Taking our Team Temperature” meetings. “What’s working?” “What’s not?” “What are we learning about ourselves and our team?” “What might we do differently?” “What’s keeping us from realizing our goals?”

4.      Use icebreakers to kick off meetings. This encourages playfulness, risk-taking and thinking creatively – all good team skills.

5.      Be willing to appropriately share some personal information about yourself. Ask the same of your crew. They will come to trust you and each other for displaying sincere vulnerability.

6.      Spend time brainstorming better communication methods for your projects. Brainstorm better ways of arriving at goals. Brainstorm everything. Brainstorm all the time. Encourage full participation. Ramp up the energy. Be willing to entertain even outlandish ideas so that great ideas have room to flourish.

7.      Debrief often, especially after a goal has been reached. “What worked?” “What might we have done instead?” “How can we avoid these mistakes in the future?” “How can we recreate this success?”

8.      Utilize a team coach or facilitator to work with your group on a periodic basis. The focus would be simply on the improvement of team skills. The best sports teams practice all the time. And, they all have coaches. Why don’t you?

Rather than thinking of team building as just a yearly event, you can create a solid team culture with your consistent daily efforts.

Improved team skills causes even a good team to work better together and become a great team, accustomed to regularly producing the very best of results!

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s What New PR Pros Need to Know series, which offers advice, insights and guidance to students and new professionals who want to learn more about the PR industry. Topics and suggestions are welcomed.

The key to success as a new professional in the public relations industry is staying on top of your to-do list. That said, time management plays a major part in survival of the fittest for anyone in the PR world. So, in order to keep your sanity and stay organized, I have a few tips and tricks for all my multi-tasking friends out there:

• Prioritize – You can’t do it all at once, so take a second to think about what’s most urgent and what can wait. Get it all out there, and then highlight the most urgent items on your list.

• Start ahead of time - Start projects early, and leave yourself time in case something else comes up. Try creating a time line for your task to keep yourself and others accountable to meet their deadlines. For example, do you have monthly reports due at the same time each month? Mark your calendar, and set a date every month for when you need to start.

• Divide and conquer – Everyone works differently, but I often create a tentative schedule for my day. For example, if I know I have a lot of pitching to do, I aim to get most of it done in one sitting. Also, when I’m writing I try to avoid my inbox so I can stay focused on my content and finish the task at hand.  There are always meetings and other projects that arise, but I try to fit this schedule into my day when I can to create a sense of consistency throughout the week.

• Stay organized – Personally, I aim to keep my mail inbox under 20 messages when I can. Clearly this does not happen all of the time, but it helps put things into perspective for me when I see my messages piling up. I also try to keep up with my emails as they come in, and mark action items that I can’t get to right away. If it’s a quick task, I try to knock it out right away so I don’t end up with a bunch of small to-dos at the end of the day. I also divide my tasks into email/call/do, and it helps me visualize the amount of time each task will take.

• Ask for help if you need it – Sometimes you just can’t do it all, and it’s okay to delegate or ask for help when you need it. I guarantee it’ll work out better than turning in work that’s not one hundred percent, or even missing a deadline completely.

It’s not easy keeping your schedule in check when you’re first starting out (it’s something I still fine tune on a daily basis) but I hope these tips can at least get you started. I’m curious to see how others organize and multi-task. Are there any key tips I left out that you enjoy? Spread the love…

There have been so many outstanding posts about being new in the PR industry on our blog- the New PR Pros Series, as well as tips from PR account coordinators have been great. But what about the advertising side of things? Why haven’t the new pros in advertising been represented on Don’t Drink The Kool Aid? Have no fear folks, the time has finally come. And what better time than with spring graduation on the horizon?

How do you manage being new in a fast-paced advertising industry? I have been at BG for almost one year and want to share a few tips I have found helpful on a daily basis as a new graduate, an intern, and an account coordinator.

1. Do unsavory jobs with a smile and a good attitude.

Whether it’s creating binders, making copies, or bagel fetching for a client meeting – some jobs are not as fun and exciting as others. It’s easy to work hard on the fun stuff, but your character and work ethic really show when you can make the boring stuff fun. Also, if people see that you’re excited for any and every job you’re given, they’re likely to give you better ones.

2. Put your downtime to good use.

When you start out as an intern or entry-level ad pro, not every minute is jam-packed action. If you have time to spare and want to expand your portfolio on your own, become a master of any social media platform. Familiarize yourself with online advertising. Start your own blog. There are dozens of ways to turn your downtime into productivity that will build your skills and your portfolio, while making you a more valuable asset to the company.

3. Keep your brain, your inbox, and your desk organized.

Advertising runs on deadlines, especially at every level – don’t waste your time or anyone else’s shuffling through eight heaps of paper on your desk. Disorganization is a time suck. I have learned that no measure of organization or filing is too extensive.

4. Take notes. Every second.

Anytime someone calls my name, I approach armed with a pen and notebook in hand. Any casual conversation can quickly snowball into a in-depth discussion of a project with infinite details that you will be expected to remember and execute. Patience will run out fast when people have to explain things to you multiple times.

5. Learn the lingo.

Pay attention to the words and abbreviations people use – there are enough abbreviations in advertising to make your head explode. Jot them down, look them up, figure out what they mean and how to use them appropriately in conversation. Before I send out an email that is chock-full of industry jargon, I don’t hesitate  to run it by more experienced colleagues to make sure I’ve used terms or phrases correctly. Someday I won’t have to and I will be able to write the book on Ad Slang, but until then- it’s a good precaution.

6. REPLY ALL.

Everyone will tell you that communication is key in this industry, but what does that really mean? I will tell you what I have learned it means, it is my new mantra- REPLY ALL. Any email or piece of correspondence? REPLY ALL. Any conversation you have? REPLY ALL. Include anyone and everyone who might be involved of what’s going on in a project because it only takes one fumble in a line of communication to drop the ball.

7. Anticipate.

Try to cover all your bases up front. Can you address a client question before they ask it? Can you provide someone with a report, information, or help before they even know they need it? This is what makes you a true superstar. Trying to anticipate what questions or challenges lie ahead in the process can save valuable time along the way. Always err on the side of caution and provide anyone you interact with the maximum amount of information in the simplest way possible to cut down on back and forth questions.

8. Personalize.

Don’t be afraid to show your personality and put your own personal touch on the projects you have. Also, let your personal interests show. What makes you unique? What makes you an interesting person? What sets you apart outside of your work?

These are the things I abide by and turn to on a regular basis that make my day easier and less stressful. What about you other advertising new pros – what are your own helpful tips that make you a superstar in this industry?

Nearly every profession and every title requires one to manage up and down the chain of command. It’s especially critical in a marketing agency where there are dozens of balls in the air at any given time and multiple people touching every project.

The following are some of my tips for managing up:

• As with most things in life, effective communication is critical. The form the communication takes should vary based on who you’re managing. Familiarize yourself with your boss’s communication preferences. Some people are better with information in written form, and even that can vary. Figure out if the person likes a lot of detail or just the facts in a bullet format. Other people want information verbally. If you think about it, it’s a lot like managing clients. You constantly have to make sure you are providing the right amount of information and in a format that is conducive to their style.
• Squash the fear. Don’t be afraid to manage up. Whether you’re the account coordinator or the account supervisor you must be comfortable with managing those above you. Trust me, they want and appreciate it!
• Be dependable by not making them second guess whether something has been managed or seen all the way through. As you progress, your manager’s trust in you will grow and so will your value.
• If you are unsure of something it is always OK to
  approach your manager with questions. I strongly encourage you to come in with an overview of the challenge and the possible solutions you are contemplating. Try not to come into their office without having thought through the potential scenarios.
• Be proactive. As the saying goes, do the job of the title you want, not the title you have. Take the initiative and your boss will take notice.
• We’re all busy no matter what title we have. Do the person you’re managing up to a favor and headline whatever it is you want to discuss with them. As someone who has an open door policy, I never mind when someone pops in, but it is extremely helpful to get the quick overview. By providing top line info first, it allows me (and the person you’re managing up to) to ask for more details if they want or need it. Pouring out a stream of consciousness is not the way to go.

At the end of the day, you want to make the life of the person you’re managing up to easier, not harder. When in doubt, ask them how you  can help, what you can take off their plate and how they prefer to be communicated to.

*This post is part of Bailey Gardiner’s What New PR Pros Need to Know series, which offers advice, insights and guidance to students and new professionals who want to learn more about the PR industry. Topics and suggestions are welcomed.

My most recent posts have been about what new PR pros need to know before starting their career. As I speak to students who are about to graduate, I find myself reading more articles about this topic so that I can help guide them in their preparation. One particular post intrigued me because it was specific to how PR students can ready themselves for agency life. Iris Dias was able to narrow the list down to five key insights- and I agree with many of them.

And, I  wanted to add one that I feel is a very important lesson to learn before you even begin your career. It’s an “if I knew then what I know now” anecdote.

It’s a small world. You really don’t understand this until you experience it for yourself, but believe me when I say it’s completely true. I would have never thought in a million years that the people I interned for 10 years ago would be some of my colleagues today. And, people remember. People remember your face, your personality and if you rolled into the office looking a little less sharp due to some overzealous social activity the night before.

For example, I interned at what used to be called The Townsend Agency in 2000, just a few months before graduating from San Diego State University. It was a large agency and I worked with many people on several different projects. When I left for another job, I never thought I would see any of them again. After all, I was a college graduate and the world revolved around me. Why would I ever come into contact with them again? Well, wouldn’t you know it. Two of the people I worked with are now my colleagues — one of them I work with every day. Talk about full circle.

Although people create their own paths, everyone seems to run in the same circles, attend the same events and network with the same people. You never know when you’ll be in touch with someone you met two years ago at a happy hour, to coordinate a television segment, or even find yourself reaching out to them when you’re looking for a new job.

The moral of the story. Always put your best foot forward. People you meet along the way may end up becoming your future coworker, boss or even business partner. Remain professional and remember relationships come in many forms so maintain them online AND in real life.

Do you have any stories to share about how you discovered your own small world?