Ease In or Jump?

Brittany Bales

 Whether I am relaxing by the pool or lying out on the beach, I always find it interesting to sit back and watch what method people choose to take the plunge into the freezing cold water ahead. Are you a jump-right-in/no-strings-attached type, or do you take the ease-right-in-until-completely-comfortable approach?

Personally, I go for the jump-right-in approach. I want to spend the least amount of time suffering and shivering through the uncomfortable cold as I can.

As a recent graduate of Mississippi State University, my intention was to stick with the same philosophy I have always had. But this time, it was not cold water I was delving into, it was the new, and sometimes cold, corporate world. By jumping right into a marketing/public relations internship directly after graduation in my hometown of Jackson, Miss., my head-first approach seemed to be panning out perfectly. However, three months of non-stop learning and preparation seemed like enough time for me, and I was ready for the “real world.” I wanted to launch into a full-time public relations position and that is exactly what I planned for. A few weeks later, I was fortunate enough to be offered the public relations director position at a well-known company in Jackson. Again, I was a little nervous but ready to jump right in to my new role.

Although this story may seem pretty predictable beyond this point, what you do not know is that in the middle of the interview process for my big job I got engaged to be married. As thrilled as I was to take the next step in my personal life, I knew this meant making a sacrifice in the career I was about to embark on. I now had a choice to make: jump into a full-time career in Jackson until marriage or ease into the public relations world once again in Memphis, Tenn., where my fiancé was in school and where we would soon settle down. After much prayer and support from friends and family, I decided to turn down the corporate world in Jackson for a public relations internship in Memphis.

As it turns out, easing into the Memphis corporate world through this internship was the best decision I could have made. Yes, beginning a second internship after college may seem like more of the ease-in approach but, the new city, state, company and friends that have come along with it has just enough of the jump-in factor I need. So, whatever your method of madness is, do not be afraid to try a different approach sometimes. You might just be surprised at the result.

You don’t know what you don’t know.

Kelli Eason Brignac

This month, I’ll have been in the workforce full-time for five years. And how that time has flown. I still learn something new every day. And when I look back, I realize how much of what I do didn’t even exist while I was in college. They certainly didn’t teach it in the classroom. 

This blog post is not a knock on academia. I did learn a lot from my professors at LSU. But not much can replace real world work experience. So, if you’re about to graduate (or if you’ve already graduated), and you’re looking for a job, what do you need to know? Here are a few things I value in our interns. 

Get an internship! Actually, get multiple internships.  

Last year, 62 percent of college graduates in the United States had completed at least one internship or co-op prior to graduation. That means they are entering the workforce with valuable real world experience that will give them a competitive edge over applicants without the same credentials. 

But, in my opinion, you shouldn’t complete just one internship. In many cases, you can be paid for your work, meaning you can dedicate more hours to it without having to worry about picking up shifts somewhere else. If you’re working toward a career in PR, I’d suggest interning at an agency or two, at a nonprofit and at a company or other for-profit association. Get as many internships as you can to diversify your experience. Believe me, the work is different everywhere, and more experience can only help you in the future! 

Ask questions. 

I’m not going to say there are no dumb questions. But, no matter what you’re doing or where you’re working, asking questions can only help you. This is especially true in an agency setting where clients may do things differently. 

Read. Read. Read more. When you think you’ve read enough, keep reading. 

In our business, we have to keep up with what’s going on. In fact, my husband makes a game of trying to tell me things that happened in the news. If he knows something before I do, he wins. But it doesn’t happen often, because I read SO much news! 

On top of the news, things change so rapidly that you have to keep learning. My mom, who has worked in higher education for almost 30 years, is continually frustrated by how long it takes for information to show up in textbooks. By the time something shows up on the radar, is sufficiently researched by the people writing the books and is finally printed…it’s out of date. Let’s consider social media in this example. If we relied on textbooks to teach us everything we know about it, we would probably just now be introducing college students to Xanga, AIM and MySpace, all of which are essentially obsolete for most marketers at this point. Now there’s a throwback for you. 

Adapt. 

Everyone does things differently. That’s why I recommend getting multiple internships at a variety of different companies. Working at an agency, for example, will help you learn to multi-task, balance your time and adjust to doing things five different ways for five different clients. But, working at a corporation, nonprofit or member-owned association may be different. 

Don’t assume that your way is better. You might have to change things in order to fulfill the needs of the organization you’re working for. Listen to the people around you and remember – you don’t know what you don’t know! 

The juice was definitely worth the squeeze

Kim Morrison

As I stood there in the middle of FedExForum about this time last year with my fellow University of Memphis undergrads and we all moved our tassels from the right to the left side of our caps, my eyes started to well up with tears and it hit me, “This is it!”

The road to that point was filled with oh so many obstacles for me. I chose to return to school as an older, non-traditional student. I quit a good-paying job to return to school to end up job searching for a year longer than I banked on. My father suffered a debilitating stroke. I experienced being cheated on for the first time. I had my own health issues by breaking one ankle, having a stroke, then breaking the other ankle, all in the name of roller derby. I moved three times. And, I went through it all while balancing work, school, the rebuilding of our PRSSA chapter and the joys of life in general.

All through this though, I kept my eye on the prize. I didn’t initiate this life path to be thrown off or get distracted by something else! I was ready to get my bachelor’s degree. That’s what I set out to do, and I was bound and determined to make it happen one way or another!

I wasn’t a perfect student. I worked hard, but of course, I had moments where I slacked off or I simply got overwhelmed and something had to give. However, I made sure my work and grades were in order before making such a decision.

And at the end of it all, I was so beyond stoked to be at that point, to look behind at the past several years and be able to say, “I dealt with that; I survived that; and despite life’s best efforts, I made it through.”

So, the lessons I took away from all that was: (1) Regardless of the situation, you always have a choice; (2) With perseverance, you can make it through any situation; and (3) College is hard, but in the end, it’s totally worth it!

After a year in the workforce, I look back on what I’ve accomplished and all of the wonderful clients I’ve worked with over the past year. I’ve promoted large and small scale shows; garnered morning show appearances; seen my photos appear in numerous local publications; arranged features for clients in TV, print and online outlets; and managed meetings with the heads of some of Memphis’ well-known companies and nonprofits. And, it’s all thanks in part to the degree I worked so hard for. So, I claimed it a year ago, and I’ll say it again today, the juice was definitely worth the squeeze!

School may be behind you, but the learning has only begun

Kerri Guyton

Graduation day is around the corner, and I know several college students who just cannot wait to be done with school! I remember those days, although they are further back for me than I can believe sometimes, and I know how exciting it is to be going out into the real world – to be able to earn a paycheck, to work for real clients and to produce campaigns that actually run in public mediums. I also remember quickly realizing how much more I had to learn in order to be successful at it in the real world.

I’ve been in the “real world” for 14 years now, and I think the most valuable piece of advice I could give to graduates would be to hold onto the good study habits gained in their academic careers. Not only is continuous education important to a successful career, but in some fields, it’s an ongoing requirement; and for those who look to climb the corporate ladder, consider each rung as books to be read, continuing education courses to be taken or conferences/workshops to attend. The more you know, the better you are able to serve your clients, your employer or your team, which makes you all the more valuable.

Another thing I have learned in my career is that things change quickly – technology advances, new inventions are deployed and different methods are adopted – and in order to stay on top of the trends in the industry, you have to study up on the new ways, figure out if they apply to your industry and possibly adjust your business practices to stay in the mainstream. I sometimes feel like I am doing this on a daily basis. As an account manager at a PR firm, I work for clients in multiple industries, so I’m always trying to stay on top of what’s happening/changing in those industries, as well as in our PR industry.

The good news is that the real world is full of stand-in professors – educators of all sorts ready to share advice, teach you tricks of the trade and guide you on the best paths toward furthering your career. You just have to approach them with an eagerness to learn and a willingness to listen to their advice. Learning from others and investigating the paths charted by leaders in the industry can be a great guide to success – once again, if you are willing to study it.

Also, the professional world is full of organizations and associations committed to specific fields and industries. Becoming a member and getting involved in those organizations helps in learning about new trends, gaining access to continuing education courses and connecting to others who can teach and inspire you in your career.

So, graduates, congratulations on completing your academic mission to this point! You are much more prepared for the professional world than those who didn’t pursue a collegiate degree. Just remember that your education has only just begun, look for opportunities to further your knowledge in your field or industry whenever you can, embrace advice and counsel from those ahead of you and commit to never being done with learning!