What’s your major? Public Relations.
The look and responses I get after I mention this to someone I just met is always different. It’s interesting how more and more people know exactly what a PR professional does and the increasing awareness of the industry. When I just started college, I had somewhat of an idea what I wanted to do, but it wasn’t until I attended my first PRSSA National Conference that I really understood how broad pr was and the many fields I could be a part of.

Being part of a National professional society gives me the insight I need to be an ethical PR professional and obtain a network i would’ve otherwise not have. Not only is it beneficial to my career but also my personal life. All the advice I have gained from a conference, a meeting or even a mixer has made me realize all the ins and outs of the pr world and how to better prepare myself for my future career.

I had a phone interview for a summer internship last week and on the job description it specifically asked for PRSSA involvement. I couldn’t help but smile when I read that line. I’ve always been told professionals look at how involved you are within the industry and here it was before me, a preferred qualification I could certainly talk about. This experience made me realize that joining an organization is not only to put it as a line on a resume, they should be beneficial to your college career and get as much as possible. I will continue to be active in my PRSSA chapter and encourage others to do the same. After all, if you don’t know what’s going on in the industry or part of your own organizations, how do you prove you are serious about your career?

Meeting the PR manager for Disney World, Gary Buchanan

Keynote speaker at the 2012 National Conference- Twitter co-founder Biz Stone