Q. I just began my freshman year of college. My parents told me to concentrate on studying and not get involved in sorority rush or other student activities this first year. But I attended a campus-wide student activities fair last week and met students who said joining PRSSA or SDX would be an easy…… Continue reading Q & A: Why Extracurricular Activities Matter for a Future Career in PR or Journalism
Category: Advice from a Pro
Going Back to College: Use A.I. the Right Way
When I first started teaching 15 years ago, I made good writing a personal mission. I soon realized it was Mission Impossible. I gave a writing assignment each week, which students hated and I grew to hate, too. One weekend, I asked my son, an excellent writer, to share his reaction to several of…… Continue reading Going Back to College: Use A.I. the Right Way
PR Leaders Will Master AI, Not Let it Master Them
Log inSign up for free I was on a brainstorming call last week with a PR organization’s program committee when one person said: “It’s time to move beyond discussing AI. What’s the next big thing?” My automatic response was that AI is and will continue to be the “next big thing.” A day later, a…… Continue reading PR Leaders Will Master AI, Not Let it Master Them
How Students and Young PR Pros Can Stay on Top of Important News Events
I’ve been a news junkie since publishing my own mimeographed “newspaper” when I was 10 years old. But I admit now to having increasing difficulty keeping up with the blur of news fighting for our attention 24/7. But it is a fact of life that PR students and young pros must figure out. If…… Continue reading How Students and Young PR Pros Can Stay on Top of Important News Events
Your Writing Isn’t the Job. Understanding the Business is What Matters.
By Vanessa DeGier Imagine being a 20-something communications professional sitting across from a Nobel laureate, trying to understand a groundbreaking research discovery well enough to explain it to the public. It was intimidating. But it taught me a lesson that has shaped every role I’ve held since: If I don’t understand something, I can’t…… Continue reading Your Writing Isn’t the Job. Understanding the Business is What Matters.
Your Boss Isn’t Grading on a Curve
You spent four (or more) years doing the work, earning the grades, and building a resume. Then you started your first real job — and suddenly “good effort” doesn’t appear anywhere in the feedback you’re getting. Welcome to the adjustment many new graduates claim they were never warned about. Grade inflation is real. Studies have…… Continue reading Your Boss Isn’t Grading on a Curve
What Students & Young Pros Need to Know: Future of PR Consulting
By Kevin Oates The recent announcement of Golin Ketchum marks another significant moment in the evolution of the communications industry. For communications students and professionals early in their careers, this announcement is significant because Golin and Ketchum have been two of the most celebrated agency brands in the industry for decades—often competing against one…… Continue reading What Students & Young Pros Need to Know: Future of PR Consulting
How Young PR Pros Can Thrive in Remote Jobs
During recent conversations with more than a dozen early-career professionals, I asked about their work routines—home-based, fully remote, or hybrid. While many firms are trying to get workers in the office more frequently, it is clear that the PR world will remain largely remote or hybrid for the foreseeable future. Many of us have…… Continue reading How Young PR Pros Can Thrive in Remote Jobs
How to Handle a Negative Performance Review
Around this time every year, I hear from students and recent graduates about how they love or hate their internships or first full-time PR jobs. Thankfully, most are loving their jobs and work teams during those first six proving-yourself months. But a lot of others have a hard time handling any critical feedback. One…… Continue reading How to Handle a Negative Performance Review
6 Things You Can Do to Turn Internships into FT Jobs
Students and recent graduates throughout the country are starting summer internships this month and next with high hopes of landing coveted full-time jobs. Over the past 17 years, this blog has provided lots of internship advice. This year, I’m updating what I’ve heard from recruiters and hiring managers about what they expect from their interns…… Continue reading 6 Things You Can Do to Turn Internships into FT Jobs