Quick Advice for PR Students

As a franchise PR student, it is great and important for you to read. Read and study journalists and PR professionals and learn what styles are out there, which ones are successful and which ones are not so successful. That is one piece of advice for students looking to join a franchise PR agency after college.

The whole point of this is to become as great of a PR professional as you can be. Of course, to be great in PR after college, that is not the only thing that is worthy advice for a student of PR. Here are several other things to know.

The college life (fun): 

• Be involved in groups, clubs, & associations. groups and associations will be great for helping to supplement your classroom learning with experience. Things like PR clubs, the school newspaper, be part of the school's radio station, or even the PRSSA (Public Relations Student Student Society of America). It helps with putting classroom knowledge into practice and it looks good on a résumé. 
• Play sports. This is not only just to have fun but it also helps you learn how to function as part of a team. Discipline, teamwork, being competitive, and mental toughness. 
• Meet & greet people. Make friends and establish connections with current professionals and people that will be good connections in the future. This will also teach you a helpful aspect for the professional world. In the franchise public relations world, you will be meeting people all the time. 

College life (learning):

• Learn. Actually pay attention in class and take assignments and projects seriously. You're paying big bucks for that degree, don't throw it away or scrape by. If you go to a smaller university where you can actually get to know the professors, do so. 
• Get at least one internship. If your school doesn't require an internship before you graduate, get one anyway. It looks good on a résumé and it can lead to opportunities, such as landing that first job; even if your first job is not with the place you intern at, you might have a connection at the agency you intern with that knows somebody. 
• Write. Have a journal, a blog, writing for the school newspaper, etc. Something that allows you to hone your writing skills; if that something can be added to your clip file, even better, which leads us to the next point… 
• Build a profile. All those assignments that were mock press releases, brochures, pitches, press conferences, other writing samples. 
• Get in public speaking. If you can find a public speaking class, great. Otherwise, find a club or the speech team. 
• Know social media. Social media is a big part of business these days so learn to love it and use it. 

Enjoy those big years of your life and let them lay a great foundation for your career. At the same time, make some memories and have fun. Email All Points PR with any questions!