By Savannah Puccinelli
Erin Krug is the general manager of the Portland office of Quinn Thomas, a PR Agency in Seattle and Portland. Erin has been involved in strategic communications in many different fields and has a diverse range of experience. In her spare time, she enjoys staying active and a work-life balance.
Two most important aspects of Erin Krug’s presentation involved storytelling and research. But, how do both of these things help media professionals succeed in the business world?
As media professionals, the root of our work is in storytelling and it doesn’t matter which particular field you are because everything that has to do with communication involves some form of story telling. Whether that is journalism, PR, Advertising, or Media Studies.
Storytelling goes beyond just telling a story about a band or client, but also media professionals should be able to tell a story about themselves. This can be done in many ways that Erin Krug summarized in her presentation.
One of the key responsibilities Krug has at Quinn Thomas is researching clients and new hires. For those of us approaching post-grad life, and are setting out into the real world to find jobs, many of us are doing interviews and are interested in learning how to be prepared for becoming a media professional.
I have compiled a list of tips to be successful in future media profession endeavors inspired by Erin Krug’s presentation.
How to Succeed in the Professional World
1. Know yourself and know how to self brand.
Be aware of your online presence and also stature to yourself on social media. Companies want to see you for who you are in order to gauge whether or not they could see you as a part of their company culture, which benefits both the employer and the employee.
Krug talked about an “elevator pitch”- but for yourself. This elevator pitch should highlight you who are as a professional to put your best foot forward.
2. Show your confidence to future employers!
This comes from doing research about the company so you can first find a job that you are interested in, and second to show your interest in a particular job. She also advised us to ask questions (and good questions!) because it shows your interest, confidence, and that you did your research.
3. Building relationships
Build relationships with your future clients, your co-workers, and people you network with! Relationships are the key to any media profession. Develop them for the long term, not just when you need a job.
