Starting out on the bottom rung of a professional ladder can suck; this is especially true in the communications industry, where business often operates with breakneck speed and intensity. Those at the bottom do the grunt work. That’s just reality (Unless perhaps you come from a family business).

We all remember those days and how difficult they can be. It can feel like you’re stuck in a cubicle doing boring work like building media lists, monitoring news accounts, writing activity reports, and scrambling to help with the latest crisis your boss throws in front of you. 

But do not despair. There are things you can do to move ahead and feel better about yourself. Here’s some advice from senior communications executives to help you advance your career:

  • First, always remember the next task in front of you is the most important one. Do your best – with a sharp eye and a positive attitude. 

[Related Story: One experience we had with an entry-level worker is that he complained he was taking too many phone messages for senior staff and was very cocky about feeling entitled to more advanced work. The only problem: He was a terrible notetaker, often writing down the wrong numbers and misspelling the caller’s names. He was shocked when we called him out on this. After that,  his notes were perfect, and he moved up over time.]

  • Offer to help with projects if you have free time. Ask if you can take a crack at writing a media alert, press release or blog item for a client. Or if you know the subject well enough and that nobody has started, take the initiative to get the ball rolling with an outline or first draft.
  • Hard work beats talent. Back in the day, new employees were hungry and said yes to every assignment – even if it meant working weekends or interrupting their personal lives. With all the criticism of millennials – justified or unjustified – you will immediately stand out from your peers.
  • Develop new skills. The way to make yourself more valuable is to become more valuable by building your skillset. With YouTube and online resources, you can learn anything you want. Here are some areas that provide a lot of value to PR firms you might want to acquire on your own time:
  • Canva Design
  • Create memes
  • Start your own blog to hone your writing 
  • Video editing
  • Podcasting
  • Building relationships with influencers and reporters who cover the issues/clients you are working with
  • Stay up to date with current trends and events
  • Be patient. Your time will come.