“So, what’s it like to make the switch?”

I’ve had quite a few journalists reach out to me for a conversation about “the switch” to a career in communications in recent months. Given the big changes we have been seeing in so many high-profile news organizations, it’s little surprise that some great journos are looking for advice on that next step that will take them out of the newsroom.

I remember well how it felt to be on the other side of those same conversations several years ago, when I considered (and ultimately made) this career change. Here are a few things I wish I had heard when I made the leap from journalism to communications:

Get ready to wear different hats. As a former journalist in the comms setting, your new colleagues will be calling upon you to share the skills and knowledge you developed as a newsperson. You might be asked about the viability of a news angle, or how a journalist might react to a pitch. These are valuable insights for your new colleagues – but remember that there will be additional value you will be expected to add if you want to thrive. Expect to develop new muscles in building narratives, offering high-level counsel, and providing excellent client service. You will need to be more than just the “resident ex-journalist” to succeed.

“Calling in a favor” is not a strategy. It’s a trap. A weak pitch will always be a weak pitch and trying to leverage a professional or personal relationship to get it off the ground doesn’t do anyone any favors – not your client, not your firm or company, not your reporter friend (who will no doubt feel awkwardly put upon) … and certainly not yourself. Expect this request, and to be prepared to suggest a better approach to your team or your client.
Maintaining relationships, however, is clutch. Thankfully, as a former journalist, you will know a good pitch when you see it – and the truth is that the difference between it stalling or succeeding may indeed rely on that journalist with whom you’ve worked. Nurture these relationships. Check in from time to time, even when you are not pitching a story. Your professional relationships with your former colleagues will change; it’s up to you to make sure they do not evaporate.

Feed your passion. A question I often get from journalists considering a career change is whether I miss journalism or not. The answer: Of course, I do – and you will, too. Whether it’s the adrenaline of the newsroom environment or that feeling of breaking the big story to an interested audience, that thrill is addictive, and it is impossible to forget. That’s why it’s so important to make certain that your role in communications is in the service of something that gets you excited, and that the nature of the work you will be doing will be stimulating enough to maintain your interest.

In my current position with The Next Solutions Group, I get to help great clients protect and advance their reputation, while working alongside a world-class team of former senior-level journalists, public relations veterans and government relations trailblazers, and former military and government specialists in electronic communications and cybersecurity. I couldn’t be happier with my job. If you are a journalist reading this because you are thinking about making the switch, my hope is that you land at a similar organization, which allow you to make the most of your talents while learning new skills along the way.

And how do you find the role that fits your interests, your skills and your goals? My advice: Confirm your expectations during your interviews for the job. To the best of your ability, interview with the people to whom you will be reporting and with whom you will be working. Help them understand the deep skill set you bring to the table and be open about the skills you want to develop. More than anything else, setting these mutual expectations and growing into your new career will make the difference between a job you will hold down for a few months and a career you will enjoy for years to come.