A friend who teaches a graduate-level course in public relations recently asked me to come speak to her students about what it takes to break into the industry. One of the first pieces of advice that came to mind was to remember the importance of human connections.
It’s cliché, but in a world of instant communication, lightning-fast news cycles and artificial intelligence, we don’t always take the time to build relationships. Not only are people critical in developing your career, but your work life is a lot more fun when you can share an inside joke or a meaningful moment with your coworkers.
I told the students about Chris Robinson, whom I met in 1996 when I was working for an advertising agency in Baltimore. He was one of my very first clients and I worked on his business for nearly five years before moving to NYC in 2000. About a decade later, he once again became a client but this time at my own firm. A person I met when I was the age of these students was still very much part of my professional life until he retired late last year, in 2018!
A second connection I shared with the class was with one of my first bosses. I worked for Sandy Hillman from 1994-95. While I decided to leave to pursue a better opportunity after just a year, I learned a great deal from her and we always remained in touch. A couple of years ago, she contacted me to tell me she had an intern who was looking for a job in New Jersey and wondered if I had an opening. I was impressed that this person was working a contact at such a young age and Sandy’s endorsement meant everything. She introduced me to great new talent, a woman at the same stage of her career as I was the day I walked into Sandy’s office for an interview nearly 25 years before.
When clients hire us, they often say it’s about who they want sitting at the table with them when they’re trying to figure out the right strategy or the way to respond to a crisis. They want to work with people who care.
We deal in analytics and algorithms all day long. But when I stop and think about what drives our business forward, it always comes back to people.
Are you taking the time to make lasting connections?