1. Relations, a word that brings
 Public
about many meanings. Image
management, marketing, advertising,
social networks and more. This semester I
learned that Public Relations is more than
just these words, it is a series of actions
that one must know and be able to do.
Here is my list of the top ten things I
learned this spring…

2. Being a PR professional, you must learn to be a team

player. Working in groups is a way of life when working for
a PR firm or department so you must be able to take and
give constructive criticism, realize your way is NOT always
the right way and that two, three or twenty heads is
ALWAYS better than one. Perfect example: WKRP
CINCINATTI: Turkeys Away episode.

3.  The PR world is one that requires you to be
able to deliver a pitch or message to several
different groups. A closed mind will get you
no where in this field and if that is what you
have, YOU’RE IN THE WRONG MAJOR! I read
a great web site from the Council of Public
Relations firms that explains just how
diversified the PR world is. Check it out!

4. Yes, ladies that’s right! It is said that this field is

one where women excel. It is a field where
strategic thinking meets relationship skills and
where creativity meets analytical reasoning. Not
to say men don’t do well either, it just helps to
be a women who knows how to market to a male
dominating business world!

5. We now live in an age where technology is not just

something fun and exciting, it has become a way of life
and without it, we are lost. Especially in the PR workforce,
you must be up to date on the who, what, when where and
why of everything going on. Blogging, email, video news
releases, twitter and more have really taken a hold of PR.
Make sure that you start a blog now, employers will look at
what you have done to see if you are current with the
social media world.

6.  Thispoint was made extremely clear after
learning of the Domino’s crisis in class. I did
some research and found a website on how
to handle a crisis in the business world. It
further explained PR Crisis Management and
what to do in the time of a crisis. PR is a
field that is constantly being judged by the
public and their opinions so being able to
handle a crisis and fix it promptly is of
utmost importance. Check out my blog post
for more information!

7. When you get out into the work field, it is

absolutely vital that you are able to write well.
PR is all about news releases, designing
brochures, creating presentations and more. If
you can’t write, or you make simple grammatical
errors, a company will assume you either don’t
care enough or that you are well, to put it
harshly not well educated. Taking writing classes
in college seriously is probably the best way to
prepare yourself for the work force. I know that
taking more writing classes instead of electives
may be killing me now, but in the future will
help me so much more.

8.  Yes,maybe this point seems ridiculous but
let me tell you, I can’t begin to stress how
many connections you can make just by
being on and keeping up with Twitter. Like I
said before, PR is all about the social media
world these days, and by getting on Twitter
you are already making connections and who
knows maybe even finding somewhere you
want to work. To be honest, I found this
concept stupid at the beginning of this
semester, but now I realize how helpful it
really is!

9. When I think of ethics, I think of someone I would want to

do business with. Having good ethics is key when dealing
with companies or individuals in the PR world. No one
wants or will deal with a firm that has a reputation of not
keeping promises or not performing the duties they need
to fulfill to get the job done the right way. So be smart and
be honest! It is the only way to be if you plan on getting
anywhere in the PR world.

10. In terms of being professional, it is more than

okay to be old school. Yes, the business world is
all about new and hip but when it comes down
to it, companies still want employees who have
a good work ethic, look professional, are
prepared for the day’s work and most of all
reliable.

11. “There are no failures, just your experiences and your

reactions to them.” –Tom Krause.
 The more you do, the more you will learn.
You can never have enough experience.
Companies look for the future employee by
what they have done and what they have
accomplished, not whether or not they had a
4.0 GPA or graduated top of their class. Being
able to handle situations is essential and if
you’ve got that, you’ve got it all.

12. semester has flown by and I
The
can’t believe that it is already
over. I want to thank Dr. Nixon
for everything she has taught me
and thank the PRCA 2330 class in
general for making it enjoyable
to come to class everyday. Good
luck to everyone!