Issues to manage at work.

As I have already mentioned in a early post, I have grasped the concept of different PR categories (In-house, Consultancy and Freelance) and have decided that a career in a Consultancy appeals to me most. Now, in preparation for my departure from ‘Studentville’ into the big wide world, I’m going to recap on the paramount issues to manage when working in PR. I revise best by writing out what I’m learning. So welcome to my revision session right here on the Blogosphere!

Firstly, it’s essential I manage myself and my time- nobody likes the late comer. When working so closely with a number of different clients, communication is paramount. Regardless of whether they are conference calls, video calls or face to face, consistent communication requires precise time management. Microsoft Outlook has tools to book meetings efficiently, identifying time, location and attendees. The software provides a database to store all contacts clearly. I have used Microsoft Outlook in practise during work experience and found it remarkably useful.

Plan, plan, and plan- this is key! It’s important to plan how long tasks are going to take, not just for a future in PR, but for general day to day activities. Planning campaigns is essential to ensure all aspects are completed, with time to spare for all eventualities, as hiccups often occur.

It’s important that the budget is constantly considered throughout the planning process. When completing my assignment on behalf of ‘Fusion PR’, the budget acted as a barrier restricting many of our ideas.  It’s important not to get carried away and plan effectively to cater for the budget given.

Now for the serious stuff; the contract and legalities. The contract is the legal document that states and explains a formal agreement between two different people or groups. All contracts must adhere to the Code of Conduct. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations highlights the principles, values, standards and rules of behaviour that guide the decision, procedures and systems of an organisation or professional person. The CIPR Code of Conduct is a scary looking document, but essential to the PR agency. Take a look...

Any other important points, please feel free to comment, every little helps!