In a new series of columns, each week an alum of USC Annenberg will share stories of their time at the school, discuss their career, and offer advice to students.
Companies spend millions of dollars and plenty of time with the goal of getting possible customers to “raise their hands,” to show interest in learning more or starting a relationship with their brand. One of the elements that I can attribute much of any academic and professional successes I’ve enjoyed is having a penchant for raising my own hand when it comes to my career path. It’s amazing how an action so simple can prove so powerful.
- A professor asks for help with a side project? Raise your hand.
- A regional manager looks for assistance with a major new business proposal? Raise your hand.
- A nonprofit board in a category of interest to you has an open seat? Raise your hand.
What’s equally amazing to me is the number of people who don’t raise their hands. In today’s so-called “skills gap,” what’s often missing are the intangible soft skills that come only by instinct or practice — those such as tenacity, strong work ethic, thoroughness and being proactive. Some of these qualities lend themselves to what Dean Ernest J. Wilson refers to as the Third Space — a rare and specific skill set. Raising your hand not only shows you are proactive, but also often puts you in situations that advance your personal interests or professional goals.
As a junior in college at USC Annenberg, I recall coming across an opportunity to join a small research project led by a professor. I decided to join the research team — an immersion in LexisNexis that was meant to analyze and rank media stories on marquee brands for tonality, depth and other reputation-driving factors. I formed strong relationships with my fellow researchers and our professor. I was also able to get hands on with key corporate reputation topics that catapulted what would be lots of work (and even numerous awards) in the space.
Little did I know then that this base of knowledge would help me when it came to helping build reputations for the likes of P&G and Aflac years down the road.
Beyond that, even more than a decade after graduating college, that professor’s research organization became among my first dozen clients when I founded my own PR shop, M Public Relations.
Raising your hand is not meant to be an exercise in stretching yourself too thin. The idea is that these opportunities align with areas of growth or interest for you. And while you don’t do it with the sole purpose of gain, such opportunities just happen to come back to benefit us, days, months or even years down the road. Raising your hand often raises your profile and can help raise your professional career to the next level.
