Graduation season is upon us, and while, as a 2020 college graduate, I may not have had the typical celebrations associated with this accomplishment, I still experienced the excitement of beginning my public relations career mixed with the trepidation of finding a job that I would love.
It took me some time to find out what I wanted to do. I initially worked in marketing and social media, which I liked, but I realized that I didn’t want to do that forever. I was also concurrently in graduate school pursuing a degree in communications and noticed I was primarily drawn to the public relations courses I was taking. I learned that I cared about building trust through communication, rather than creating ads. I liked finding different ways to effectively write a pitch, rather than optimizing social posts. I accepted that it was okay that I wasn’t in the career I thought I was going to be in as a college senior.
Today, I’m thrilled I found a job that is the right fit for me – and that because of how integrated PR, marketing, and social media are these days, the knowledge I gained in those fields has made me a stronger public relations practitioner. As college seniors get ready to graduate, and I reflect on my path since my own graduation, I’ll offer here a few key reasons I chose a career in PR in the hopes that this will be helpful to those coming up behind me.
In PR, you flex many different muscles throughout the day
When people ask me what my day-to-day looks like, it’s hard to give them a concrete answer. There are so many facets of public relations – media relations, client relations, influencers, public affairs, and crisis communications to name a few – and the fact that my job can encompass any combination of these in one given day is incredibly exciting. Additionally, being on multiple client accounts at one time means I could be pitching renewable energy in the morning, hopping on midday meetings to discuss upcoming client fundraisers that we’re planning, writing an op-ed on the power of community colleges in the afternoon, and preparing to be on-site support for a TV shoot the next day. I know this way of working isn’t for everyone, but I’m someone who thrives in a quick-moving environment and can feel stagnant if I’m stuck doing one thing for too long. Being able to pivot and be exposed to new work daily makes PR a great fit for me.
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Creativity is Critical
In reflecting on my jobs in PR, social media, and marketing, I identified two threads that I loved doing that wove throughout all three fields: storytelling and being creative. I gravitate toward work that allows me to tell a story.
It’s no secret that reporters are inundated with pitches daily, which means I need to be creative to ensure that what I’m sharing with reporters catches their attention. This creativity also spans to tasks like brainstorming proactive pitches and coming up with different initiatives when creating longer-term plans. I am grateful to be in a work environment that fosters creativity and encourages us to share ideas, which ultimately make us better storytellers as well.
Learning is a Daily Deal
I’ve had the opportunity to work in PR for a number of different industries over the years, like consumer goods, education, B2B tech, cybersecurity, and now nonprofits and socially responsible companies. It’s exciting to dip my toes in fields that are so different than my own, and I’m appreciative that doing so has helped me identify which fields are the best fit for me. I like doing PR for purposes and causes, and raising awareness for companies that are actively creating change in the world. I enjoy working with organizations in my community rather than larger, more global businesses. I love that I was able to figure this out by being exposed to so many different clients, and I know that all those experiences have made me a more successful PR professional – and I’m so happy I found my way here.
To new graduates: once you are in your first job, say yes to as many experiences as you can. And, if any of these experiences excite you, don’t be afraid to work toward making that the main focus of your career, even if it isn’t what you thought you wanted to do right after graduation.
