Feature Friday: Hope Frick.

        

• Brea: Tell me about yourself

Hope: I’m Hope Frick. I graduated a semester early, in December, with a degree in Public Relations from Waynesburg University. I live in Elizabethtown, Pa. with my family and my dog (who steals the spotlight on my Instagram). I’m a huge movie fanatic (so sad awards season is over), I’m a sushi lover and I check People.com before I check my Facebook and Twitter every morning. Also, my mom likes to call me Elle Woods because I’m obsessed with small dogs and my wardrobe mainly consists of varying shades of pink.

• B: What do you like most about PR/Marketing?
  

H: In high school, my parents said they’d send me to college to do what I do best…talking. That being said, PR/Marketing lets me feel “me”. I love writing and social networking, so PR/Marketing lets me combine all my interests. It’s a really creative field so I feel inspired everyday and can really think outside of the box. Plus, I’m awful at math and there’s very little math involved.

• B: I noticed you are currently interning with Tower Marketing, how did you land that position?
  

H: I’ve been interning with Tower Marketing since December. I was graduating early from college and I was a bit (probably too much) obsessive about finding a job after graduation. I was really eager to get into the field. I stumbled upon the job listing on LinkedIn and applied on a whim. I just really clicked with the team who interviewed me and was ultimately offered the job (I found out in the middle of class and screamed during a lecture, I was so excited!) I made sure to include my best writing samples and social media snippets in my portfolio and also made sure my resume was the best reflection of my educational and professional experiences. Hard work really pays off; it’s such a rewarding feeling!
Sadly, I’ll be leaving Tower next week, but I’m happy to share that I accepted a full time position as the Social Media Coordinator for Fresh Creative Inc., a digital marketing agency in Lebanon, Pa. I’m so excited to start this next chapter of my career and I’m completely convinced my work at Tower helped me land this new position.

• B: What does a typical day look like for you?
  

H: Intern life is exciting in that it’s different everyday. As my boss at Tower likes to say, “I’m like an octopus, I feel like I have my hands in everything.” That’s exactly how I feel! I work 12-5 Monday through Friday at Tower and each day holds different challenges and projects. I usually take some time once I get to work to check my favorite webpages like Mashable, PR Daily and Adweek; and social media sites to see what’s trending and what’s going on in the field. I’ll then check in with my intern supervisor (shout out to Samantha Eck, the best intern supervisor around) to see what projects she’d like me to tackle, which can include anything from optimizing website copy for SEO purposes to researching new client leads to writing press releases for our client’s new products. I usually write blog posts for both external client accounts, as well as for the Tower Marketing blog. It’s been great experience and has really helped me strengthen my skills and portfolio.

I’ve really been collaborating with Tower’s social media coordinator (shout out to Alyssa Dodson for all your help) to learn more about mastering social media. I’ve also been helping with content calendars, analytics and social media advertising.

• B: What have you learned from your internships that you would not have learned without first-hand experience?

H: Internships are so critical! I was really blessed to attend a school whose communication program strongly encouraged internships, whether it be as a student or as a graduate.

Tower has helped me find my niche in the field. I realized I’m really interested in social media and Tower presented opportunities for me to grow and hone my skills. While college classes are great to learn theory, internships let you put what you learned inside the classroom to work. It’s the best of both worlds – in a way, you’re still a student and learning first-hand how the field works, but you’re granted responsibilities and are seen as a young professional.

• B: What is your dream job?
  

H: I want to be Olivia Pope, duh! Seriously though - anyone who knows me knows that I’m obsessed with People.com and all things celebrity and entertainment, so I would love to be a publicist in LA or New York City. I’d even consider doing PR for an awards show, like The Grammy’s or The Academy Awards.

• B: As a post grad, what do you consider the most challenging aspect of PR?
  

H: I know I seem a bit social media obsessed, but I’ve found one of the most challenging aspects of PR is switching gears from using my social accounts for “personal” to using them in a more “professional” manner. I love getting 15 likes on my sushi lunch on Instagram and 10 favorites on my tweet about my celebrity crush on Jonah Hill or how I hate the gym, but because there is so much power behind social media, I should be using it in a more constructive manner.

As a young PR professional, I should be using my accounts to showcase my work in the field or as a platform to share my opinions on industry trends. There’s nothing wrong with tweeting about Scandal though ;)

• B: This month is Women’s History Month! Is there a woman you look up to/ have has a mentor?
  

H: I’ve been so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by amazing women. I need to recognize my sister and my mom – they’re absolutely incredible!

Elizabeth (Yorio) Poirer has been a great professional role model for me. I was fortunate enough to work with her for an event in the oil and gas industry while I was an intern at Quantum Communications in the summer of 2012. She’s so fierce and her confidence is infectious – she’s a walking billboard for girl power. She’s an absolute public relations pro and I’ve been so fortunate to have her on my side.

• B: What song best describes your life right now and why?
  

H: What a coincidence! I was just thinking about this the other day because I heard Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun” and thought “this is so perfect for my life right now!”

The song talks about being in the “real world” and the “joys” of adulthood. I’m a recent college graduate, so I’ve been adjusting to being out of school and being a real “adult”. Plus, the song is super fun and I like to belt it out on my way to work!

• B: Anything else you’d like to add?
  

H: Thanks for being such an advocate for young professionals – it’s inspiring to find someone else who believes being young is an advantage, not a disadvantage!


Connect with Hope: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Issu/Portfolio | Email= frickh10@gmail.com

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