This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Public
Relations Student Society of America National Conference in Washington D.C.
Along with three other PRSSA members we left Thursday night for a trip filled with
fun, sightseeing, assemblies, break out groups, and an agency tour.
Friday morning we arrived at our hotel and then left for an
agency tour. The agency I visited was Burson-Marsteller. It was fascinating to
tour a public relations agency and talk to the employers about their daily
tasks and what they like most about working for Burson-Marsteller. They put us
in a conference room and had multiple presentations about their company and
sister companies. Keith Blackman, a Senior Director at Burson-Marsteller went
over his career path and how he ended up at Burson-Marsteller. I always enjoy
listening to people talk about their career paths and how they ended up where
they are today.
After the agency tour we had different sessions throughout
the weekend to attend about finding a mentor, chapter development, different
types of communication, different communication jobs, and a break session about
officer roles. I really enjoyed attending the break out session about student run firms. The Firm is a student run public relations agency that most PRSSA chapters offer
to students. I’m currently serving as the Co-Director of The Firm for Virginia Tech's PRSSA Chapter. During this
session I was able to talk to other directors about the challenges they face.
We were able to pick one challenge that we all face and come up with a solution
and tactics to solve this problem. This was definitely the most helpful session
out of the conference.
I am very happy that I attended the PRSSA National
Conference. Not only was I able to come back with ideas for The Firm, but I
also gained a stronger friendship with the three other girls that attended. The
Virginia Tech chapter of PRSSA also won the Star Chapter Award as well, and I’m
glad we were in attendance to accept that award.
Well I am glad that you definitely enjoyed your time at the PRSSA conference. Opportunities like the one you just described is great for students who have aspirations in that field. I am sure you learned a lot that will definitely help you within school and personally. I look forward to hearing more about your experiences and opportunities within PRSSA. It is like I am living through you. LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt is great to hear that an organization like PRSSA exists in a college environment. It sounds like a great way to get to communicate with others and businesses to get your foot in the door before college is over. Because of my other extra circulars I have never been able to join PRSSA because of time restrictions and I regret it because I think it is something that communications majors should be in.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such an incredible and valuable experience! One of my biggest regrets of college is not being more involved with PRSSA, but with so many other things going on I was so busy and had to prioritize. I am jealous of your experience though and I wish you the best of luck!
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