What I learned at the 2018 prssa national conference

          Once a year, Public Relations Student Society of America hosts a national conference where students and professionals gather for a weekend filled with public relations, networking, and keynote speakers. Austin, Texas was home to the Art of PR: 2018 National Conference, and boy did we learn a lot.
            From keynotes by Southwest’s communication team, to the event planner for HGTV, to the head of communications at HomeAway, there was something for everyone to take away.
            Here’s a list, in no particular order, of what I learned in Austin, Texas (A lot of isn’t just public relations based):

• Ask for what you want with your job. Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself, and if you aren’t satisfied, don’t settle.
• If you want something, make sure you stand out from others who want the same thing.
• If you want your internship to turn into a job, don’t half-ass your work. Make sure you put your best foot forward and make yourself indispensable.
• You can further your education without going back to school, like with a certificate in Public Relations through the Plank Center. Go to prcertificate.org for more information.
• But with that, a degree is necessary, but you need to differentiate yourself with courses, skills learned (both hard and soft). What you learn in a course is also more important than the title of it.
• Know your words, whether that be for an interview or selling yourself at a networking event. Always be prepared with points from your resume and cover letter.
• “There is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow” by Jeffery Selingo is a book everyone should read. So is “Knock ‘em Dead” by Martin Yate and “The First 90 Days” by Michael Watkins.
•  Non-Profit work is some of the best work you can do. Whether it be for a career, for experience before landing your first job, or just to make the world a better place.
• Non-profit communications make a difference; you have a direct impact on the bottom line.
• Even if you’re volunteering, you are a PR professional; you need to tell people how you want to be treated.
• There is a lot more that goes into an event than what everyone initially thinks. Staying within budget, accommodating the talent, meeting your needs as well as collaborators needs, creative marketing strategies, vendors, location, and supporting services.
• Your brand, whether it be your personal brand or a professional brand, will always need work, and to be changing and evolving.
• There are a lot of tools for digital analytics: Klear, Talkwalker, Meltwater, analytics.twitter.com.
• The three most popular networks to be on are Linkedn, Instagram, and Twitter.
• Public Relations utilizes a lot of different skills and professionals wear a lot of different hats, and therefore, we can hold a lot of different jobs and positions.
• Our degrees prepare us for a vast range of jobs, and we are therefore highly coveted professionals.

 
       Outside of the keynote sessions, we also learned a lot through networking events. I connected with many PRSA Colorado individuals, who explained the benefits of continuing on in PRSA after graduating college and PRSSA. They also told me about the many opportunities to get involved with our state’s chapter of PRSA.
 
       I also connected with a lot of other students, such as a group of members from Hawaii, Illinois, Alabama, and California. From this, I gained connections and valuable insight to the ways in which their PRSSA chapters are run.
 
       Lastly, the national conference taught me that there are a lot of different careers out there for me with my degree, and that I’m not just limited to writing press releases and calling news reporters with story pitches. Public Relations can encompass marketing, event planning, advertising, strategic communications, social media, branding, and campaign creation.
 
       My experience at the 2018 PRSSA National Conference was one to remember, and has showed me that public relations is where I want to be when I graduate, and that there are many different directions I can choose to go. I made friends and learned valuable lessons that will stay with me for the rest of my college career, as well as my future career. I would encourage every PRSSA member to attend the national conference.

Contact:
Courtney Thomas
cmarie26@rams.colostate.edu