By Taylor Groce
Coming into college as an unsuspecting and perhaps naïve freshman there are many things I wish I would have known going into it. I started my freshman year at Ball State undecided and not having any real clue as to what I wanted to do with my life. I knew my strengths and I also knew my weaknesses, this helped me to decide what I would like to do with my major and my life. Public relations seemed to be a field I could have a successful career in while having a fun in an ever changing work environment.
So, before you make any kind of decision as to what you want to major in you need to first ask yourself what will make you happy and is something you can really strive to excel in. If you have strong writing and presentational skills then Public Relations is the major for you.
Some helpful tips to know while majoring as a PR student is to network network network. There are several job and internship fairs and even a super party each fall that Ball State’s College of Communication, Information, and Media creates to introduce new students to all their student media and organizations. Even if you are still undecided on a major, you can attend the gathering to learn which student groups you may want to join to get an introduction to their variety of majors. Numerous clubs and organizations go to these events that anyone can sign up for and one of the most prominent PR clubs is PRSSA.
Being a member of PRSSA is a crucial decision when wanting to not only connect with people in your major but with professionals in the field. Every meeting they have a different speaker from a certain company come talk about what their job entails and often times give extremely helpful tips. Other clubs such as Cardinal Metrics and Cardinal Communications also offer benefits in propelling you forward in public relations.
Once you get involved in clubs and organizations on campus it is important to start looking for potential internship opportunities. These will be the best bet for you finding a career not only with the experience an internship can provide but the connections as well. There is no such thing as applying to too many internships and positions the more you apply for the better chances you have and the more choices you have as well.
Starting off college can be intimidating but having goals, plans and strategies can make things less scary and bring some peace of mind.
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