As a college student, I was involved in our university’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America. Many professional development sessions I attended over the years had a similar message: networking and volunteering are the keys to success! In other words, it’s not beneficial to simply attend meetings or events – take advantage of opportunities to volunteer and meet new people. In most situations these steps are not required, but certainly help you to stand out in a heaping pile of resumes.
I recently moved to the Windy City in pursuit of a career in public relations. My time in PRSSA taught me that an internship (or even a job) should not be the stopping point. It was important for me to spread my network beyond coworkers.
I began attending events through Chicago PRSA’s Young Professional Network where I learned about upcoming volunteer opportunities. I immediately signed up to assist with this year’s 2012 Chicago PRSA Skyline Awards Gala where I was asked to help the communications committee produce press materials and social media content. This experience put me in contact with top public relations professionals in the area while honing my public relations skills.
The awards gala is Tuesday, June 5 and will be another great chance for students and young professionals in the Chicago area to network with varying levels of PR professionals while learning about the best campaigns and tactics implemented in the past year. Registration is still open so don’t miss out on this opportunity to stand out from the rising pile of resumes.
This is a guest post by Katie Heck, Account Coordinator at Ketchum Public Relations. She can be reached at: katielheck@gmail.com or @kheck
Katie, Thank you for that valuable post. I would love to add that while networking and continuing to evolve as PR/Ad professional, always remain inspired. Recently, I was given the task assisting in Gagen MacDonald’s Let Go & Lead program and was amazed at the ‘diamonds in the rough’ that were featured on Letgoandlead.com. I have utilized the interviews provided by Gagen to assist me in setting goals, comprehending our complex industry, and realizing the real-life impact that a ‘leader’ has in our always developing global society.