By Sophia Krause-Huckleberry, Account Executive, Pavitra Reddy, Assistant Account Executive and Mo Fagan, Senior Account Executive
Last week, we attended PRSA Chicago’s “How to Human” roundtable, where we learned about the importance of relationship building as a key strategy for long-term career success. The roundtable featured industry pros, including confidence coach Ken Li, co-founder of Invisible Ink Partners recruiting Jacqualyn Laughlin and Fluent360 VP Mark Revermann.
We learned some golden nuggets of career wisdom from these experts – here are some of our favorite insights:
-
80% of PR professionals are “perfectionists”: Confidence coach Ken Li shared this fascinating statistic, along with the somewhat shocking belief that perfectionism is rooted in low self-confidence. He asked the room to reflect on moments where they may have overthought a task to the point of gridlock. Li urged us to let go of the nitty-gritty, embrace imperfection and keep things efficient.
-
Make coworkers your career-advancing allies by building meaningful relationships: VP of Fluent360, Mark Revermann has been in the business for many years. His #1 tip for professionals looking to advance their careers is to build relationships – especially in an in-person setting, when appropriate. While it’s nice to have a formal mentorship, there’s something to be said for having unofficial mentors in the office: listening to how higher-ups speak on calls, checking in on a project you know someone was working hard on and asking for real-time help and feedback are invaluable ways to grow in your career.
-
Your network is your net worth: Building strong connections isn’t just about finding your next role – it’s about continuous career growth, development, and even uncovering opportunities for future collaboration. A simple way to nurture your network? Schedule regular coffee chats – some professionals aim to meet with one person in their network every Friday to keep relationships fresh. Pro-tip: People love to share their experiences, so come prepared with questions about their career path, recent projects or industry insights. And don’t forget to follow up! Keeping those connections alive with regular touchpoints can open doors (like new clients or board opportunities) you didn’t even know were there.
Overall, the PRSA Chicago “How to Human” roundtable was a valuable reminder that an open mindset, confidence and networking are essential cornerstones for career advancement.