6 Reasons to Join the PRSA Greater Cleveland Mentorship Program
Posted on Aug. 18, 2023 / Subscribe 0
by Andrew Christopher, PRSA Cleveland Chapter, Mentoring Program Chair and Senior Integrated Marketing Pro, Progressive Insurance
Over the last two years, the PRSA Greater Cleveland chapter has started up a 1:1 mentorship program to give our new and tenured members an opportunity to connect, learn and grow. Whether you’re a PRSSA student approaching graduation, new to the profession, or a seasoned pro, our program has plenty to offer.
Read on to learn more about the mutual benefits of mentorship and consider signing up at the links below.
Networking & Connections
If you’re a new or young professional, you mentor has likely already acquired a network of other professionals in the industry. You’ll not only get connected with your mentor, but that connection might also unlock an entire network of possibilities.
Leadership Development
One of the most highly sought after “soft skills” in any line of work is leadership, but for junior and mid-level professionals, management experience can be difficult to come by. Mentorship offers a great leg up in lieu of formal experience by showcasing your ability to help coach and guide the future generation, even before your employer might.
For tenured pros who’ve been managing direct reports for years, mentorship can provide you the flexibility to lead in a different capacity and unlock opportunities and perspective to engage with those whom you manage daily.
Career Growth & Reciprocation
One of the biggest advantages of mentorship comes in the way of simply enhancing your perspective on the industry. As a mentee, you'll likely work with someone more senior and experienced who can exchange their knowledge with you. Whether it's soft skills such as time management or hard skills such as writing practices, your mentor can help guide you along the way with learned experiences.
The communications, marketing and PR profession is so wide-ranging, that simply getting a glimpse of the various roles, organization types and business categories can open doors and generate curiosity that you may not have initially considered in your career.
As a more senior mentor, you might also be surprised by what your mentee can help teach you. As the communications field continues to evolve and expand digitally, new professionals offer powerful insight into how companies and agencies are tackling new platforms, audience engagement and hands-on digital communication.
Resiliency & Adaptability
No matter how skilled we are, we all face challenges in our careers that leave us second guessing ourselves. A relationship with a trusted mentor can help build some of the necessary callouses that come with early career growth and development. When you’re struggling with a project, speaking with a mentor outside of your organization can help offer an unbiased and objective perspective that you hadn’t previously considered.
For tenured professionals, informal mentorship can help give you a leg up on finding ways to connect with your direct reports, and adapt to new ways of working, interfacing, and building comradery in your day-to-day role.
Goal Setting
When you engage with your mentor or mentee, being open about career development goals and desired accomplishments can help unlock fresh perspective and opportunities. As mentee, it’s an opportunity to share your vision, and as a mentor, an opportunity to reflect on your own path and help impart wisdom on how you’ve achieved your own success.
It's Free!
The PRSA Greater Cleveland mentorship program is free to all active members and senior-level PRSSA students in Northeast Ohio.
If you’re ready to sign up, fill out one of the two questionnaires below! We look forward to connecting you with some of the best and brightest communicators in Northeast Ohio.
0 Comments