For those who may not know, my degree is in journalism - emphasis on the photojournalism part of that statement. (?!) Exactly. So how does a photojournalist, who didn’t want to go into newspaper photography, end up as a public information officer (PIO) for county government?
Well, grab that cup of coffee my dear, and have a seat.
The short version: life’s detour, necessity turned opportunity, and finding my Yoda.
So peel back the layers of this onion, we shall.
Life circumstances meant l needed to leave my graphic design and photo-production freelance business to find a steady paycheck and health insurance. So with my photojournalism degree and my graphic design skills, I started applying for jobs: four jobs looking for a photographer or graphic designer, and one job looking for a community relations specialist for a district attorney’s (DA’s) office. I applied for all five jobs and only got an interview with one - the one for which I felt least qualified.
After I interviewed for the position at the DA's office, I was asked for my writing samples. Now remember, for the past l0 years I had worked in photography and graphic design. I had managed a photo agency and photography workshops. I could write, after all I had a degree in journalism, but I hadn’t written anything in years that would be worthy to leave as a writing sample. So I fessed up and said I hadn't written anything of length in some time, but I could write one hell of a photo caption.
Fast forward - I got the job at the DA's office and came face-to-face with my first PC. I had only used a Mac up to this point, and let me tell you, there is a big difference. I didn't know how to find the programs, how the file structure worked - I didn't even know how to turn the damn thing on when I got there my first day. And I sure wasn't going to ask since I had the feeling I barely got the job in the first place.
To say I felt overwhelmed and doomed would be an understatement: a computer I couldn’t work with easily; a subject matter (judicial law) I knew nothing about; and a boss who was good but also very demanding.
That's when I found my first mentor. My Yoda. Ms. K I will call her.
Now, Ms. K was the communications director at another DA’s office, and Ms. K was also a former journalist. Ms. K understood me and was the first of many mentors I’ve had, but no doubt she was my most impactful. She did two things for me. First, she invited me to her office and gave me the rundown on “the job"; the dos and the don’ts; the things to know about legal cases; the things to never say about legal cases; ways to work with the media regarding legal cases; the good and not-so-awesome reporters (yes, we talk about that stuff); and so much more. She offered her help, her guidance, her knowledge, her ear to listen and her shoulder to cry on, and above all, her kindness.
Second, she introduced me to other PIOs and a great PIO organization, where I found people from all different backgrounds and all different agencies working together sharing ideas, frustrations, training opportunities, lessons learned, and more.
What I learned from these two things should be no surprise.
The PIO community brings in people from different experiences and backgrounds, so do not feel like you have to be an expert on day one. Chances are most PIOs started their job not being an expert in their agency or the position. I know there are lots of new PIOs for lots of different agencies and the feeling of inexperience can be overwhelming. Find your Yoda. Find your people. They’re out there, and they will help.
While the job titles may be different and the duties may vary, the issues you face and the concerns you have as a PIO are the same for every PIO. There are no dumb questions - especially when it comes to communication - so find a person or people you can trust to not only ask the question to but also to trust the response and guidance they will give.
There is strength in numbers. Find a group, and participate in that group. Your agency will think more highly of you if you have a network of people around you to assist when needed than if you go solo all the time because you think asking for help is a weakness or indicative of you not “really” being able to do the job.
I’m still part of that PIO group Ms. K introduced me to all those years ago. And even though I am now one of the senior members (and I mean that in both work experience and age LOL), I still learn from these amazing people and am better at my job because of them.
"Always pass on what you have learned." - Yoda
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