The biggest challenge after graduating college was not moving back in with my parents or figuring out how to make my own food without the luxury of a cafeteria 100-feet away, but the extremely competitive job hunt. I thought to myself, “I have a degree, exceptional grades, even an academic award, this will be the easy part.” I was wrong and quickly learned the difficulty and importance of, “getting your foot in the door.”
To my luck I had become an intern at 451 Agency where I was introduced to the PR Club of New England. The PR club helped me build my resume, perfect my cover letter, and most importantly network. Networking is the key to finding a job in the field of public relations. It is a field that emphasizes the cliché, “it’s not about what you know, but who you know.” Maybe I should have figured that out since the main focus of PR is building relationships. What better way to find a PR job then implementing its practices in your everyday life. Here’s my advice – talk to everyone, everywhere. You never know who you will meet. Attend as many networking events as you can. (The PR club hosts 1-2 events every month!) Attending events and making connections will be far more effective than applying on Indeed amongst 10,000+ other recent college-graduates with the same credentials.
The PR Club was a significant contribution in helping to land my dream job. The monthly events and newsletters provided me with insights on the trends and tools that are driving the communications industry. Keeping up-to-date with trends gave me the knowledge necessary to hold valuable, knowledgeable conversations with the professionals I met. It showed I was serious about my career. The PR Club’s events also allowed me to network with PR professionals from all branches of PR which was crucial in deciding which path I would eventually choose for my career. I met people from agencies, non-profit organizations, in-house PR professionals, and freelancers from throughout the New England area. The club’s online job bank allowed me to search for potential job opportunities in my area, and a membership allowed me to meet the employees whose companies had job postings.
My PR Club membership helped me to secure a job after a long and tedious search and because I was a student, membership was only $25. Now I look at my PR degree with pride that after four years of hard work, I have a secure job in the field that I am passionate about. Don’t give up post-grads, keep on networking!
– Sarah Graham, Account Coordinator 451 Agency
