Networking, Internships, and PRSSA
Posted on Nov. 16, 2022 / Subscribe 0
Networking, Internships, and PRSSA
by Zack Zdanowicz
These three things are the contributing factors to how I was able to secure a job upon graduating from college.
I graduated from the public relations program at Kent State University in May 2022. Upon coming to Kent State as a freshman back in 2018, I was still trying to find my purpose. As an education major, I felt like I was in the wrong place. It wasn’t until I was introduced to public relations and the school of Media and Journalism that things began to make sense.
I initially chose public relations as a minor, and was told about a student group, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), during my intro class. I decided to take a chance and attend an event. I remember meeting the president of the Chapter at the time and she told me “By the end of this, I will make sure you are a PR major,” and she did just that – I had found my purpose.
My journey with the PRSSA Kent Chapter flourished over the years, where I held several positions on the executive board and ultimately was the Chapter president my senior year.
When talking with new students, I always stressed the importance of networking and the extensive opportunities to meet professionals that this organization provides. I firsthand experienced this - a speaker at one of our general meetings is now my boss.
During the Fall ’21 semester, we heard from the Director of Corporate Communications and Diversity & Inclusion for JOANN Stores. During this meeting, I felt that the brand had a lot of similar values as I did, and it encouraged me to seek an internship with the company in social media.
Fast forward a few months as I am embarking on my final semester, I discover that I had secured the post-graduation internship and JOANN would serve as the client for my senior capstone, Campaigns.
After a semester full of networking with the JOANN team and building a case-study on their brand, I graduated. Several weeks later, I begin my social media internship with the brand.
My first day as an intern felt different than most – due to my PRSSA Chapter’s networking opportunities and my capstone course, I felt familiar with my co-workers and the brand. I felt ready to bring ideas to the table and take full advantage of what my internship had to offer.
During my internship, I was challenged to think differently about how the brand manages their image and voice on owned social channels, particularly as it prepared to embark on TikTok. I was asked to present my findings to the brands president/CEO and executive team. Given my familiarity with the brand and its team through previous experiences, this felt more exciting than nerve wrecking to me. I felt as though my college experience had fully prepared me to succeed.
As the presentations and end of my internship comes around, a full-time position on my team as “community manager” had opened. Given my extensive work with the brand at this point, I was excited to apply. Through my internship and networking in college, the interview process felt more like open conversations with my teammates rather than a scary interview with a major corporation. I was more than prepared at this point to answer any questions and present new ideas.
Today, I celebrate my third month working full-time with JOANN and feel as though I have found my purpose within my career, and I have begun to get involved with the PRSA Greater Cleveland Chapter. I love going to work every day and feel like I have developed relationships with my team through all of the opportunities I have had to connect and network with them throughout this past year.
If there is any advice I could give to a student, it would be to network with others, find internships that mean something to you, and get involved with your PRSSA Chapter. These three things will help you find your purpose.
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