Name: Sarah Kilbourne Graduated: Spring 2012 Course of Study: Dual degree in Communication (PR) and French PRSSA Involvement: Years active: 2009-2012 Firm Director 2009/2010 and President 2011/2012 Current Employment: I currently work as an au pair in France, and spent the past year teaching English at two primary schools over here. What does a day at work look like for you? Since my current job isn't relevant to PR, I'll speak to the internship I did with Edelman in the summer of 2012 before leaving for France: I was a digital intern on the RIM account and did a lot of monitoring of social pages and crafting responses to consumers. I created content for the social networks and developed a daily internal newsletter for RIM developers. I spent a significant amount of time on Google Reader monitoring the tech space and had allotted times where I was logged onto the monitoring program for the BlackBerry Facebook page. How did you originally learn about where you are working? I learned about Edelman just from being in the PR field. They're a name that always pops up. I was interested in working for them since they are a top international firm. What tips do you have for the application and interview process? Landing an internship with a big firm can be tricky and it takes networking. I originally reached out by sending in a question to their website and from there asked for an informational interview. Persistence is key, but don't be pushy! A PR student can best prepare themselves for a career in PR by: Getting a wide-range of experience. Do internships or take classes that offer you a variety of skills. Having a well-rounded resume will put you ahead of your competition. What other advice would you give PRSSA members in preparation for postgraduate work? Don't stress too much about finding a job right out of college. Travel first :). Do you mind being contacted by PRSSA students with questions, etc? Not at all, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Words from a VT PRSSA member (Cat Goergen, President 2013-14): "Sarah is a free spirit. She had fun with meetings and she never acted like she was above anyone in PRSSA just because she was president. She talked to me all the time. I remember in a meeting about social media she introduced us all to Pinterest. I blame her for my obsession." See Sarah's LinkedIn profile here. #ThrowbackPiece Written by Melanie Ford, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2013-2014 Edited by Katharina Elberti, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2014-2015
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Name: Virginia Hyer Graduated: Spring 2013 Course of Study: Communication (PR focus), international studies minor and a marketing cognate PRSSA Involvement: I joined during my freshman year, and became firm director, vice president, and president over the three following years. Current Employment: I am currently working as a public affairs specialist in the media relations branch of the US Census Bureau What does a day at work look like for you? Each day is different, which is the awesome thing about PR, you can work on a variety of projects even if you're working for just one organization. But, there is some consistencies. Typically I am working on a few projects which include promoting statistical briefs (I just worked on a brief on the Centenarian, 100+, population), technological innovations at the Bureau or promoting specific surveys we conduct. I start with a campaign plan (pay attention in the Campaigns class, it helps) and get approval from my supervisor to start working and coordinating on the pieces of that plan. I write blogs, press releases, manage and create content for social media, talk with and pitch reporters about the project, plan radio and satellite media tours and many other campaign tactics. In between all of that I answer media calls from national, local and regional outlets. I help reporters find statistics for their stories and also lead them to additional resources on our website. How did you originally learn about where you are working? I learned about the Census Bureau through the PRSSA intern center. I put my resume on the site and selected locations I was interested in working in and they called me between my sophomore and junior year. They were interested in my involvement in the Bateman competition which is sponsored by PRSSA. During the school years I kept in touch with my supervisor and continued as an intern during breaks from school until I graduated and was offered a permanent position. What other advice would you give PRSSA members in preparation for postgraduate work? Soak in all you can from your classes and PRSSA. Issues management, communication campaigns and public advocacy were the classes I pull from the most in my professional career. Also, measuring success has become a big part of PR. Learn as much as you can about metrics: whether it's social media, news stories, website analytics, etc. If you can show an employer you not only know how to promote but measure how your promotions do, that will help A LOT. Do you mind being contacted by PRSSA students with questions, etc? What is the best way to contact you (current email address, Facebook, etc.): Please feel free to contact me either via email ([email protected]) or Twitter @virginiahyer. You can connect with me via LinkedIn but I'm really bad a checking it so either email or Twitter works best if you want to chat. Words from a VT PRSSA member (Cat Goergen, President 2013-14): "Virginia was one of my best friends at Virginia Tech. PRSSA was a huge part of her life. As president she fostered a friendly atmosphere among our group. I credit her for getting us on track to win the Star Chapter Award. She was an absolutely fantastic president." See Virginia's LinkedIn profile here. #ThrowbackThursdayPiece Edited by Melanie Ford, Webmaster and Editor-in-Chief 2013-2014 |
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