The Success Secrets They Don't Tell You in Textbooks

I’ve heard rumors about the “old Polish wisdom” to look forward to on the last day of JRN 450 with Jim Wojcik, and today I got to hear exactly what everyone was talking about. Without spilling too many of Wojcik’s secrets, I’ve listed a few key points from this afternoon’s lecture mixed in with some of my own thoughts.

1. For budding PR professionals, don’t let your cell phone ruin your reputation. Get rid of your “I Kissed a Girl” ringback tone and make sure your voicemail message is both personal and professional. Inappropriate ringtones are also a killer when they go off during meetings or in the presence of coworkers, they are only appropriate in the right contexts. Also, don’t use an automated voicemail response that only gives your number. You want callers to know they are reaching the right person.
   

2. On a similar note, learn how to leave a good voicemail message. This includes remembering to clearly identify yourself, the purpose of your call and your phone number. When leaving your number, either speak slowly or say it more than once.
   

3. When using company resources, only write emails or text messages that you would be willing to disclose to the public. If you need any confirmation of the damage that can be caused by using company property for personal use, please Google “Kwame Kilpatrick” AND “text messages”.
   

4. Say you graduate and are fortunate enough to land a job paying $30,000 a year. Understand that you will never see that much money. After paying taxes, housing payments, transportation costs, bills, food and other unexpected expenses, you’ll be surprised at just how fast money can go. In most cases, take the lower salary option that includes health care benefits rather than opt for a higher salary with no benefits. As much as we like to think we are health gurus and that nothing bad will ever happen to us--it will. You don’t want to be stuck paying off a $25,000 medical bill because you chose a salary that payed $5,000 more per year.
   

In closing, I’d like to leave you with a great quote from the Polish PR master himself. “Never burn any bridges. You never know when you will need to cross over them again.”