Mentorship Begins with a Single Conversation

Mentorship matters, even if it’s just a single piece of advice or a motto that stays with someone throughout their career. It’s reassuring for students or someone new to the industry to know that a professional they meet or reach out to for an interview is not just a name on a class project or a business card, but someone they can reach out to for guidance and potentially look to for mentorship in the future.

One of the most rewarding parts of working in public relations is the opportunity to share what we do with those who aspire to enter the field, or even those discovering it for the first time. Through informational interviews, often completed as class assignments, students have the chance to pull back the curtain on our industry and truly learn what public relations is. They may have heard the terms “PR” or “public relations” before but never fully understood what they means or how strategic communications are present in the world around them. These conversations may even spark the beginning of a future career.

What ethical challenges do you face in this job?

What skills or tools are essential in your everyday work?

How do you stay aware of cultural and diversity issues in your work?

What advice would you give to someone new to public relations?

These are just a few of the thoughtful questions I have received and appreciate that allow us to reflect on our work and reaffirm what is evolving in our profession and what remains constant.

Informational interviews give us the chance to share our story: what we do, why we do it, and the impact it has. So don’t pass up the opportunity to connect, the conversations you have today may be much more valuable than you realize.