Top 10 Things Learned

Check out my top ten memories and learning experiences from my first three months at Articulon.

1. Rosetta Stone Needed. There is PR lingo (within each agency) that is not taught in college. Whether it is client names, web data-bases, charities, organizations, publications, or a type of coffee, there needs to be a Rosetta Stone for the PR language!
2. Prioritizing needs to become a priority. This may seem to be an obvious and an easy task, but it’s not. Especially in agency world, there are numerous things that need to be done at that exact moment. Now, multiply that by a dozen clients. Sometimes it can get interesting.
3. I need a heater. Some Articulon team members (not naming names) like to keep the air conditioning at -100 degrees, others do not.
4. Laugh at yourself. On the most stressful days, it is best to get up from my desk, walk around and talk about things apart from the PR world for a bit. It doesn’t take long for me to get refocused and reenergized.
5. Work, and yes clients, can be a blast. MoonRunners Saloon Bar Rescue has been my biggest project to date. It is incredible to get to work with such an awesome group of people and spend time with a client that is scheduled to be on NATIONAL TV (no big deal). From developing creative, making up press kits, doing interviews, and having a wildly successful event, it was such a rewarding experience. Definitely one I will never forget.
6. Coffee quality matters. Some days require coffee that is provided in the office. Some days require Starbucks or Jubala. There is a big difference.
7. I don’t play on Facebook all day. A new found pet peeve is when people see that my title has “social media specialist” in it and without fail, I get “must be nice to play on Facebook all day.” I always want to reply, “Mark Zuckerberg plays on Facebook every day, and he seems to be doing alright.” Regardless, there is a rationale and plan for every single post, reply, picture, link, and event published in social media. If you haven’t read some of the research discovered in the past few years about social media’s value for companies, I suggest you do so sooner than later. Ok, sorry, rant over.
8. Media recaps; you don’t have to like them, but they have to be done. Same goes for meeting and conference reports too. And time sheets, of course.
9. Agency work is AMAZING. I don’t say that sarcastically one bit. It is nearly impossible for work to get bland when there is a constant opportunity for new business and projects. It seems that just when a week starts to become monotonous, some kind of new prospect or conversation gets me excited and motivated for the future.
10. It’s the people. Out of my past three months at Articulon, my best memories have been with my favorite office buddies, Cindy, Mike, Lisa, and Kathy. Not only did they throw me a surprise party for my one month workiversary (chocolate cake included), but they have been amazing and patient teachers. It’s a great feeling knowing that I get to work alongside such experts.