Lisette Paras

PR can be stressful because there are so many things are outside of control (e.g. breaking news means your company's story may not be covered, a major announcement may need to be pushed back), and we work with so many stakeholders (C-Suite, investors, partners, customers, employees, media, influencers), with different goals, expectations, personalities, etc. BUT I always say, we work in PR, not ER. And shifting my mindset over the years has made a huge impact on how I tackle my work. For example, while things can happen at the last minute, it's the variety of work that keeps our days interesting. And while we work with many stakeholders, PR is one of the roles that truly spans the breadth of a business.

Many years ago, someone said to me, "We work in PR, not ER" and I never forgot it. PR can be a stressful job because a) so many things are out of control (breaking news means your company's story may not be covered, a client may have a sudden crisis that means all hands on deck, etc), and b) we work with so many stakeholders (C-Suite, investors, partners, customers, employees, media, etc). It can be easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer volume, intensity and variety of work that a PR role needs to cover. So it's always important to put things in perspective on what you CAN do and control, and do your best in these areas. This is what can make our work feel less stressful and be more exciting as well.

Finding the right job can also vary, depending on where you are in your career. For example, after I graduated, my only experience was working in nonprofits, but I wanted to branch out and work at a PR agency. I was offered a role at a consumer agency, but the CEO of the company, after reviewing my resume and speaking to me, was very candid in saying that the sector may not be to my liking. He was right - turns out that I was less interested in doing PR for cereal and more interested in technology (a sector I still work in today). Overall, I've appreciated the breadth of work that my career has given me, and one of the things I enjoy about working in PR is the variety of work, clients, challenges and programs each year brings.

PR in many ways is about "thinking one step ahead" - whether that's to demonstrate leadership skills, or looking at what's next in a PR program. As someone who has hired, managed, mentored and promoted teammates, I've always encouraged my teammates to speak up, make suggestions, and find ways to solve challenges or come up with new approaches to doing things.

In PR, you'll face rejection (e.g. reporters not able to cover your client's story), you'll need to switch gears because company timelines changed, and you may need to manage issues/crises. A positive attitude - in this industry and in so many facets of life - makes a big difference to how you tackle the job. Years ago, someone said to me, "We're in PR, not ER." It's a helpful reminder that despite the unexpected or challenges that PR brings, that we've just got to focus on what we can control, and be pragmatic, patient and positive in what we do.

Read and analyze each reporters' coverage. One exercise I've done with my team is when we see a story picked up by multiple publications. We'll pick 2-3 of these articles and pick them apart in terms of how each covered it. Then we'll create a pitch tailored to each publication based on what we've read. This way, folks are gaining a deeper appreciation of what makes each publication unique, and practicing how to create highly tailored pitches.