31st Aug 2016 by Lauren Wilden

10 Yetis Insight Blog - What I’ve Learnt After Three Years as a PR Yeti

When I started here at 10 Yetis Digital as a fresh-faced 21-year-old on June 17th 2013 (that’s right, I am cool enough to know the exact date I started here) - I don’t think I was fully aware of just what was in store for me as a newly graduated PR professional.

Here are some of the most important lessons I have learnt over the past (approximate) 1,169 days as a Yeti.

Never be afraid to ask others for help

Sure, I’d spent time as an intern in a PR agency for 2 years for my work placement year and during my final year of University; but it was for a very different company to 10 Yetis with very different clients and overall approach to securing coverage, so I was pretty much thrown in at the deep end when I started here as a PR Account Executive; and I am so grateful that I was.

During my very first week at the company, our Head of PR Shannon (who was then Senior Account Manager) announced that, during the holiday to Majorca she’d just come home from, her boyfriend Dave had proposed. Seeing how happy and congratulatory the entire office was that week following the good news helped me feel instantly at ease with everybody else, which made the initial work I was set a lot easier as I wasn’t too afraid to ask questions or go to any of my brand new colleagues for advice.

To this day, us Yetis ensure that any new starters, as well as those of us who’ve been around for a while, never feel embarrassed or wary of asking others across the agency for a guiding hand if they need help.

You will never stop learning

One of the most refreshing aspects of working in this industry is seeing how fast-paced and constantly evolving it is. A PR method or tactic that might’ve worked really well in securing your clients coverage back in 2013 is now considered to be extinct amongst your peers. Whilst this can be annoying, it also means that as PR professionals we can never get complacent or risk adopting a ‘know-it-all’ attitude, because we simply won’t.

At 10 Yetis we are always taking on board new ways of working with clients, developing SEO building tactics, and working with other teams in social media, web development, video production and graphic design to build on and improve our knowledge and skill-set.

Don’t take yourself too seriously

Whilst of course it’s important to ensure that you take pride in your work and complete assigned tasks and jobs to the highest of standards; one thing I was guilty of when starting out at 10 Yetis was worrying too much and sweating over the small stuff- and it wasn’t a great idea!

Yes, as PRs we are under a lot of pressure from our managers, colleagues and various clients, but one of the best pieces of advice our MD Andy ever gave me was to act like a duck (stay calm and focused above the surface but move like crazy behind the scenes to ensure everything gets done). Sometimes it can be extremely frustrating in this industry if you’ve put your heart and soul into a campaign that just doesn’t generate the expected results, but that’s just something that we all have to deal with from time to time. If I ever get down like this nowadays, I just remind myself that what I do isn’t life or death; there are always lessons to be learnt if a project doesn’t go according to plan, and there will be plenty more chances to prove yourself.

If you ever get bored, you’re in the wrong job

It’s been three years since I became a Yeti at the agency, and in that time I have worked with all manner of clients on all kinds of campaigns, from PR stunts for huge national companies right down to announcement releases for one-man-band start-up ventures. Some weeks, when you’re sending over a weekly client report that contains 20 follow links across national publications, this job will give you the biggest buzz.

Similarly, there will undoubtedly be times when you’re faced with stressful situations or pressure – yet I can guarantee you, if you are truly meant to be in this industry you will only see these ‘low’ points as opportunities to improve your output and make sure you learn as much as possible for the next challenge ahead.

One more thing; the day you find yourself clock-watching and wishing for the day to end sooner, is the day you either need to think about a change of career or ask your manager/boss for more work!

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