David RitcheyDavid Ritchey
Several years and careers ago, I worked in a large public relations agency. One day, the head of the agency decided we should host an employees-only dinner party for a new client. We reserved a special dining room in a posh hotel. Everything was designed to keep the client impressed and happy.

One employee, our secretary Kate, was in attendance. Kate gulped down martini after martini. At one point before dinner, she wrapped both arms around our guest of honor, hugged him and announced in a big voice, “You’re cute.”

If Miss Manners had attended the party, she would have sent Kate home without dinner. This was a prime example of personal PR on the fritz. We readily point fingers at the shortcomings and public crises of others, but how well are we apprised to our own personal public relations blunders?

Let’s take a quick test.

My name tag should always go on my:

A. Right shoulder

B. Left shoulder

The correct answer is A. If you shake hands with your right hand, it’s only a short eyeline trip from the handshake to your right shoulder.

At a party I carry my drink in my:

A. Right hand

B. Left hand

Carry your drink in your left hand. No one wants to be greeted with a wet paw.

My resume or portfolio is all I need to sell me to any employer (True / False).

You know the answer. I regularly get calls from employers asking for references. I clear the air by saying, “You want to know if xxx plays and works well with others?” This is exactly what they want to know.

My writing skills and public speaking skills deserve a grade of A, B, C, D or F.

If your writing earns less than an A, invest in a class. Likewise, your public speaking skills are necessary for job advancement. If you need help with your public speaking, join Toastmasters or check with your local college for a class. Don’t say you don’t have the time; this is your career we’re building. It’s important.

A typo, or an error in grammar or spelling is punishable by:  

A. Firing

B. Ain’t my fault. If there’s a buck to be passed, I’ll pass it.

C. A good proofreader

An error can cost you a promotion, job or a new client. You don’t want a reader who will tell you everything you’ve written is perfect. You need a quality pair of eyes that can point out your mistakes.

Etiquette via electronic media is important? (True / False).

Good manners are always important. Just because you’re not in the same room with your readers doesn’t grant you the opportunity to be rude, boorish or impolite. We miss out on key nonverbal clues when we’re online, so civility and cordiality is crucial.

Share all photographs on Facebook (True / False).

Careful with those cameras. Those racy photographs — you wearing too little clothing or doing something illicit — may come back to haunt you. Don’t turn social media into a permanent record of all the dumb stuff you’ve done.

A friend who’s attempting to hire a new staff member has lost several qualifying candidates because of photos they’ve placed on the Internet. When in doubt, don’t do it. Would you show those photos to the hiring partner of a PR agency? I don’t think so.

Previously, about once a month, one of my former colleagues would proudly announce: “Time for fiction writing.” She was referring to how she prepared her time sheets, which the agency’s accountant expected us to submit each day.

She argued, “So what if I make a mistake? It all evens out.”

I replied that we must be honest and record how many hours each day we work on a project. She insisted the client was wealthy (he was indeed) and could afford to pay for a few more hours of work that she hadn’t done. That’s dishonest. It’s bad personal public relations.

The need for good personal public relations extends far beyond what I’ve written here. But it’s a start. And, don’t be like our friend Kate. The rule of thumb is no alcohol while you’re working, and a dinner party for a client is definitely work.

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David Ritchey, Ph.D., is professor of The School of Communications, The University of Akron.