NETWORKING at the 2008 PRSSA National Conference
Getting a job in Public Relations depends on who you know…NETWORKING! This word is engrained into our minds from the first PR class taken here at UT. If you are a PR major and haven’t heard it yet, you better learn it now!
As I explained in my last blog entry, I am a senior PR major. I would like to share my networking experience at the 2008 PRSSA National Conference in Detroit.
I would suggest attending this conference or any similar opportunity depending on your major. Imagine 500 PR majors trying to get their names recognized by the national recruiters at the same time. Sound intimidating?? Well, multiply that by three.
The PRSSA conference gave me the opportunity to meet peers, recruiters, and other practicing professionals in every possible type of PR, such as public affairs, agency, corporate, consumer, etc. The special networking events during the conference allowed me to ask questions about what the professionals actually do from day to day. I even met a professional who graduated from UT in the 50s and used to work at this college!
Overall, the PRSSA conference assured me that PR is want I want to do!
Now, don’t misunderstand me. This conference was not life altering.It was, however, a chance to meet practicing PR professionals. I received valuable tips and practiced selling my “brand” to potential employers.
10 reasons to attend the PRSSA conference next year:
- Lots of business cards (aka Networking)
- 5 days of “vacation” in the middle of the semester
- A chance to view a different city! (next year: San Diego)
- Practice selling your “brand”
- Make new friends from UT and around the nation
- Résumé enhancement
- Learn the newest trends (instead of reading outdated textbooks in class)
- Free stuff!! (from employers and other schools)
- Catered food (no ramen noodles for 5 days!!)
- Keynote speakers!! (Mitch Albom was AMAZING!)
Here are a few tips from the professionals I met at the conference:
- Use your student status! This gives you the opportunity to ask questions about the field and the companies without looking like a stalker. It also gives you networking possibilities.
- Read and Write everyday!!!!
- Getting internship experience should be your priority. If you don’t have experience, it is nearly impossible to get hired.
- Don’t dismiss opportunities because something might take up a Saturday or an entire weekend. Use every resource available while you are a student to learn and make yourself stand out in a crowd of 1,500 students.
Why did I go to the Career Fair???
If I could share one word of advice as a PR senior, it would be to PREPARE before the internship and job fairs. I definitely noticed a HUGE difference between my two experiences at these fairs.
Last year, business casual didn’t mean business casual. Everyone wore suits, and I felt completely out of place. I felt like everyone knew something that I didn’t, and everyone seemed to one-up me! BUT…I was going to make the best out of the situation. I waited in the long lines for the three PR firms, and I really didn’t know what to say when I finally got a chance to speak with the recruiters. I didn’t think to research the firms and didn’t know what to say about myself. I left completely frustrated!
You would think that I would never step back into that ballroom. Like I said before, I am a senior, and I need a JOB! So, I decided to try again.
This time, I researched all the companies and picked the ones that looked the most appealing to me. I put on my suit jacket, since I was told that I can’t dress the part until I have been offered the job. Then, I walked into the ballroom with my revised résumé and confidently waited in the lines for the different firms. After I left the last booth, I truly felt accomplished because I had made valuable networking connections.
Here are a few things that I noticed and would like to share:
1. I was interviewed on the spot. The recruiter conducted every conversation with students as if we were in the actual interview.
2. Some recruiters wanted specific names of media that I pitched 2 years ago! I am glad I knew everything I stated on my résumé.
3.Some recruiters are nice and some are not……
4.Dress for success because it really will give you confidence. (It did for me!)
5.Don’t ignore a booth that is not looking for your specific major. I went up to a company that was recruiting CSD graduate students. I talked to the recruiter to learn more about the company, and he told me that they have a marketing department at each of their locations.
These are just a few things that I noticed as a PR student. Hopefully, if you actually read this entire posting, you will not make the same mistakes that I did!
