When I graduated from college in 2007, I didn't really have a job plan. Contrary to my extreme OCD notion to plan everything, I just knew I wanted to use my public relations and marketing degree. I was 21 years old and ready to take on the business world - build relationships, find contacts and advance myself. For me, though, a job was never just a job - it was a career.


Many of my friends in this economy are doing a job they hate because they don't want change, a different challenge or are scared of the unknown. When five o'clock hits, they are done for the day. Their brain shuts down and they don't think about work until the alarm goes off in the morning. For me, that was never an option. Working hard to advance my career and my profession was always one of my top goals. In this field, turning off your brain could be detrimental to your client/product or organization. Be imaginative. If we are advocating on a daily basis for a better profession, hard workers, etc. - then have we turned the field into just a job? Doesn't that seem like a lackluster approach to professional life?
As public relations and marketing professionals, we are constantly on the go. A smart phone is usually within radius so that we can answer an e-mail or phone call as needed. Sure, we get recognition internally in the field and our respective offices, and we network like crazy with those that are considered. The type of person this field attracts directly relates to how we act in both professional and personal life. It's not for those that need constant spotlight externally on their work. It's for those that are willing to work behind the scenes to get a product or client out there. In this field, it's not possible for it to be just a job. The dedication, drive and confidence that it takes to get ahead doesn't factor into a job, but a career.
So how do you make your job a career? Is it something that is a plus in the marketing and public relations field? Why or why not? Can a professional in these respective fields turn off their brain at five p.m.?