Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The Perfect Pre-Vacation Check List

With summer in full swing, everyone is packing their bags, fleeing the office, and headed to the beach. Many PR professionals work long hours, including weekends and holidays. Depending on the setting you work in, your clients may be used to having you on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While taking vacation time is necessary and more than anticipated, it’s important to make sure you leave your work in a state that you would be happy coming back to. Here is a checklist that you can reference before you trade your business suit for a bathing suit:

1. Let clients know you’re leaving: You don’t want clients to feel as though you are rejecting or ignoring them. Send each of your clients an email or give them a phone call letting them know when you’re leaving and for how long.

2. Clear your “To-Do” list: Don’t leave tasks with looming deadlines unattended while you are away. This will only make the first days after your vacation stressful and full of pressure. Make a list of everything you have to do and complete everything before you leave the office.

3. Make sure your co-workers know you’re leaving: When one person leaves the office, work often has to be redistributed among other employees. Be sure to let your co-workers know how long you will be gone so that they can make necessary adjustments.

4. Set up a contact plan: Even though this is your time to relax, there is always the chance that something will come up. Be sure to let people know the best way to reach you, just in case.

Once you’ve checked off all of these items, you can go on to enjoy a great, stress free vacation.

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