- Brea: Tell me about yourself.
Sarah: I am a Public Relations Account Executive at
Zehnder Communications in New Orleans, Louisiana. I’m in my third year
at the agency with clients in food and beverage, health care and banking
industries. I am a proud graduate of the journalism school at the
University of Missouri.
- B: What do you like most about PR?
S: I love the versatility of
the industry. Public relations is a career that requires adaptability
and agility because the landscape of communications is always changing.
My career keeps me motivated to experiment with and evolve the ways I
try to accomplish my client’s goals in a way that allows me to combine
my technical skills and my creativity.
- B: How did you land your current position at Zehnder Communications and what are your responsibilities in that position?
S: I
decided I wanted to move back to New Orleans, my hometown, after
completing a 6-month internship in Dallas. I always considered going
back there so I knew of a few companies I was interested in and admired.
I cold emailed a handful of people with my resume letting them know I’d
be moving back and would love the chance to meet with them. It was a
big gamble because I’d never taken that approach before, but I was
pleasantly surprised by the responses!
I started with the company as an Account Coordinator and am now a public
relations account executive. I serve as the day-to-day contact for my
clients and I execute the PR plans and strategies I’ve developed with my
supervisor and team members.
- B: How has being a member of PRSA helped you in your career?
- Brea: Tell me about yourself
Elise: I’m a soon to be graduate from Wayne State University in Detroit with a degree in English. I’m a fashion and beauty obsessee but I definitely was not always that way. I grew up a science geek (and somewhere in my heart I still am one) and one day picked up an issue of Teen Vogue and it changed my life. The fashion industry inspires me every day, and it spans beyond clothing. I love the designers, the seasonal strategy and the concepts of merchandizing.
Oh! And I’m a caffeine addict. My preferred modes are slurpees and iced lattes, extra shot.
- B: Congrats on your upcoming graduation! What advice would you give to students just beginning their undergrad journey in PR?
E: Thank you! I am so excited (also a bit scared!). Most people would say networking, which is so true—it’s never too early to start. But, I think that students just starting in any field, but particularly in PR, need to sit down for a couple hours and think about their decision and ask themselves a few reflective questions.
1) Is PR something that you want to challenge yourself with every day?
2) Why PR? Because it’s glamorous (because take it from me, it is not glamorous every day)?
3) Are you going into this field for the right reasons?
Making a pros and cons list and taking time to reflect on your decisions will help you grow, and hopefully motivate you to take the next steps in school, such as joining PRSSA.
- B: What area of PR are you interested in and why?
E: I’m most interested in fashion/beauty PR. There’s something so intriguing about an industry that is as quickly paced and competitive as fashion. It definitely helps that I have a complete obsession with the goings-on of the fashion and beauty industries. It’s a faction of PR that is both beautiful and calculated, tactical and glamorous at times. Most importantly, it’s the area that exhilarates me and pushes me to wake up each morning ready to work.
- B: What is your dream job?
- Brea: Tell me about yourself
Maggie: I am a junior at Illinois State University majoring in Public Relations. I was born and raised in Chicago. I am a coffee addict and not afraid to admit it. You can always find me on my iPhone checking social media sites and staying up-to-date on the latest news!
- B: What do you like most about PR?
M: I like how there are so many directions in public relations. I love that it requires you to write, network, use social media, be creative and work with others. I love to write and I love social media, so being able to combine those two into a profession is what really attracted me.
- B: You recently rebranded your blog from PR Girl Maggie to imPRess PR, what was that process like? Did you learn anything new about branding?
M: I decided to create a brand that wasn’t so much about myself, but more about everyone I’m reaching out to. The process wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be because I had the help of Kayla Hollatz, founder of exPRessions PR! She really helped me with the visual aspect of my blog and after conversing with her, it helped point me in the direction of where I wanted to go.
The idea of rebranding had been a thought of mine since November of 2013 but I just didn’t have the time to commit to it yet. Using Weebly also made the process painless. Weebly gives you so many options to switch your look and idea without wiping out all your content, which was a plus! I also couldn’t have done it without the support of my Twitter followers spreading the word of my rebrand and following imPRess PR’s Twitter account!
- B: As Director of Relations at your university’s chapter of PRSSA, what are some benefits of joining the organization?
