Hobbies to Grow your Marketing and Public Relations Career

Those who get to the top of their fields are always thinking of ways to grow their career. One common factor of these elite performers is that they have hobbies that also further their career. Here are three such hobbies for the marketing and public relations professional.

Reading

Developing a thirst for knowledge is key to growing your career. To be the best you need to stay up on new trends within your industry. This is especially important in marketing since the Internet and social media have revolutionized every aspect of the industry. You should read in any subject that relates to your field. A good option for both marketing and public relations is Psychology. Understanding the way buyers and public figures think and behave is essential to doing your job effectively.

Attending Conferences

Attending conferences in your field serves two purposes. The first is that it keeps you current on new trends within the marketing and public relations industry. While this is important, the same information is available to be read on the Internet. The real value of attending conferences comes from networking. The large conferences have some of the best marketers and public relations specialists in the country in attendance. This is a great opportunity to pick their brains and find out how they got where they are. This type of initiative makes a lasting impression. You never know when these connections can lead to opportunities to advance your career.

Watching commercials and celebrity gossip programs

For many people watching television is a complete waste of time. There is no value for them keeping up on the latest celebrity gossip other than entertainment. For the public relations specialist; however, these shows can be a gold mine of strategy. Pay attention to which celebrities have positive images in the media and which have negative images. Look at the celebrities who persevere through negative publicity to get tips on how to handle bad press for your own clients. Commercials provide the same sort of opportunity for marketing professionals. Make not of which advertisements actually make you consider the product and which fail at getting their message across. Use the effective strategies as a swipe file for your own campaigns.

Reading, attending conferences, and watching commercials and celebrity gossip programs are 3 hobbies that are sure to increase your chances of growing your marketing or public relations career. Incorporate career development into your leisure time and you’re sure to be at the top of your field in no time.