Why every young professional should say YES
How the power of yes will kick-start your career
I never expected to be here. I went to school for journalism. That was always the plan. I grew up telling everyone I wanted to become a writer. How I ended up in public relations is a similar story to how I ended up starting my own consulting business: I kept saying “yes.”
The pandemic began during my sophomore year of college, and by that point, I was already becoming disillusioned by the journalism industry. I knew I wanted to play a role in the media, but I also knew that journalism likely wasn’t my path forward. I found public relations by saying “yes” to a series of internships, freelance work, and mentorship relationships that led me to my eventual career.
As a young PR professional, it’s easy to feel pulled in a dozen directions—juggling tasks from multiple supervisors while still trying to find your footing. It can feel overwhelming. Trust me. I get it. But, your greatest asset right now is to keep saying “yes.”
Yes to networking coffees. Yes to sitting in on an extra meeting. Yes to taking on a new client or project. Say “yes” emphatically, eagerly, and often.
Before I launch into my sermon, I have to give credit to the woman who inspired me to start saying yes: Shonda Rhimes. I read her memoir, “Year of Yes,” the summer after I graduated, and it changed my life (I highly recommend it). In it, she says, “I am not lucky. You know what I am? I am smart, I am talented, I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way, and I work really, really hard.”
Shonda probably wasn’t the first person to go on an “Eat Pray Love” style journey, but she is the one who inspired me. And she is one of the reasons why, straight out of college, I moved to Washington D.C.
How the power of yes can kick-start your career
In Fall 2022, I moved to D.C. to work for a public relations firm that offered me a fellowship. I remember on day one I virtually onboarded, and my direct report asked me to research how to fix something on the backend of a client’s website. Let’s get this straight: I’m not a computer scientist, but I am a self-proclaimed Reddit aficionado, so I said “yes” and spent a full day researching code.
A few weeks later, one of the directors asked if I wanted to sit in on an internal meeting for a client I wasn’t working with. He’d heard I had some personal interests that aligned with their mission, and he wanted me to shadow the team. I said “yes,” and, within the week, the agency added me to the client.
I said “yes” so often those first few weeks that my fellowship turned into a job offer within a month and a half of me starting the position.
My tips for success
Now, as a young business owner, I exercise this practice in networking. I am always happy to take a coffee date, whether in person or virtual. If the person I’m meeting with offers to connect me with someone, I say yes, because there’s always a chance it could lead to a new client.
There are obvious caveats to the rule of saying “yes.” Be mindful of burnout. Do not overload yourself to the point of exhaustion. Assess your boundaries and then set them. Communicate when you need support and prioritize what must be done always over what can be done. Saying “yes” should be an exercise that piques your intellectual curiosity, not one that drives you insane.
That being said, the greatest benefit from this exercise will be defining who you are, what you like, who you want to work with or projects you want to work on, and why you care about what you do. These are all elusive concepts that can seem overwhelming when you’re first starting out. Unfortunately, the answers won’t materialize out of thin air. You’ll have to search for them.
The best way to make sense of your career as it stands is to say “yes” and see where it takes you. If you’re anything like Shonda, you’ll end up just fine.
I’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, ideas, or questions in the comments below and join the conversation.
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Meet Sloan
Sloan Wyatt is a strategic communications professional based in Austin, TX but originally from Atlanta, GA. She is also the founder of Sabra Strategies, a strategic communications consulting agency. Sloan graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Journalism degree. Prior to founding Sabra Strategies, she worked at New West Communications and Rational360.
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