By Amy Clay
December 2025
It’s a difficult concept for me to grasp (considering I’m still 25 years old in my head), but recently I was ruminating on the fact that I will soon be the mother of a college graduate. While my daughter’s degree is not in communications, it got me thinking about the advice I would give her if she were going into the field I’ve spent 30 years in. While there’s no question that much has changed since I began my first job in 1995, much remains the same – not least of which are the best practices for making a great first impression on your new employer. Whether you’re starting out in a bustling agency, a nonprofit or an internal comms team, the transition from classroom to workplace can be both exciting and overwhelming. While your degree and your internships give you a great foundation, there’s a whole new kind of learning curve ahead.
Read on for five timeless tips to help you navigate your first communications job with confidence, curiosity, and professionalism.
1. Get to Know the Audiences Your Employer Serves
Before you can communicate effectively, you need to understand who you’re talking to. If you want to hit the ground running in your new job, invest time upfront to learn about your organization’s key audiences, whether they’re clients, customers, community members or internal stakeholders. Read through recent reports, case studies, campaign results or social media comments (pro tip – ask your new boss for her recommendations on materials to review before your first day.) Check out what’s worked (and what hasn’t). If you’re joining an agency like Rasor, take a look at the client roster and put some thought into each one’s needs. The more familiar you are with the people you’re trying to reach, the more thoughtful and effective your ideas will be.
2. Be the Person Who Catches the Details
One of the fastest ways to earn trust early on is by being meticulous. Double-check spelling. Learn your company’s style guide (if none exists, you could even gently help create one). Channel Santa Claus and check your list twice – confirm dates, verify sources and ask questions. In communications, details matter and there’s nothing more embarrassing than an unfortunate typo. You don’t need to know everything, but you do need to be someone who cares about accuracy.
3. Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions
No one expects you to know it all from day one. In fact, most managers would rather you ask than guess. But make your questions thoughtful; listen first, reflect and come prepared. And always keep a notebook or digital doc with what you’re learning. You’ll save yourself (and your team) time when similar situations come up later.
4. Develop a Thick Skin
In communications, feedback is part of the job and your feelings can’t be easily hurt. Edits to your writing (oh, the edits! So many edits), critiques of your pitch, even shifts in strategy that override your ideas – don’t take any of it personally. It’s the nature of the work. Even after three decades, I still feel a tiny stab to my heart when someone changes my writing, but I’ve learned that the goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress. Stay open, don’t take things to heart, and treat every bit of feedback as a step toward getting better.
5. Build Relationships—Internally and Externally
This field is all about connection. Take time to get to know your teammates. Ask colleagues about their work and listen to their insights. If you’re in an agency setting, build trust with clients through responsiveness and a service mindset. Relationships are the currency of communication—start investing early.
Bonus Tip: Offer a Hand
I know I said I had five tips, but there’s one more that may be the most important of all: ask how you can help and be ready to do whatever is needed. The fastest way to endear yourself to your new colleagues is to offer an all-call of assistance. Somebody needs something proofread? Be ready with your AP Style Guide. Nametags need stuffed and alphabetized for an upcoming public meeting? Get on it. Your team lead needs recent data for a story pitch? Get your Google on. The point is, make it known that you’re here to be a team player, and you’re happy to tackle tasks of all sorts. Make your coworkers’ lives easier and they’ll make yours better.
Your first year in the business is going to stretch you, challenge you and help you grow faster than you think. Keep showing up, stay curious and remember: you were hired for a reason. You’ve got this!