Diversify
As I was waiting for my turn to speak, I wondered what I could possibly say that would be insightful to a room full of senior public relations professionals. The question: What do you do every day that helps you in your PR work? Some talked about making lists, setting goals, re-prioritizing, following trends, news, and scholarly work. Others centered themselves, drank coffee. Since I'm not working right now, what could I possibly say? When it came my turn to speak, I nailed my thoughts down and said, "Diversify my reading." I explained that I read about things I don't know, to which I've never been exposed. We can glean so much from other disciplines, and often we learn things that can apply to challenges in our own organizations. For several months, I've been preparing for interviews at organizations that do things I've never done before. Each cover letter is a practice in applying my experience to a new field. Each interview involves imagining myself i...