If I knew it all, I’d already be the owner of my own firm, ahead of the curve and most likely on stage lecturing students about how to attain the same successful career I have. But I’m a student, and my version of success is getting over 40 views on my latest Instagram post. So instead, I apply for every internship I can. I do my best to balance school with work and PRSSA. And occasionally, I get the chance to be on the receiving end of some invaluable insight, which was the case at this year’s PRSSA National Conference in the historic city of Boston, Massachusetts.
 
This conference was an opportunity to exercise my mind and observe everything around me —  from the way that my roommate arranged his padfolio to the distribution strategies used in each speaker’s latest PR campaign. It was a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by so many people who have a thirst for learning, each willing to contribute their own ideas to a greater common knowledge. Although I could fill a novel with the wealth of material I took back home from Boston, I’ve pinpointed a couple prominent practices to add to my daily PR regimen.
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Always Be Watching
 
Much like you can’t expect to get results from the occasional half-hearted workout, you can’t expect to create good content if you’re not constantly observing good content. Not only is it important be aware of successes, but it’s also important to see what’s current. What’s trending on Twitter? What’s the latest hashtag holiday? What’s the most watched promo video on Facebook today, and how does the message relate to the organization?
 
According to Ian Cohen, global executive producer and president of content creation and innovation at Weber Shandwick, one of the most important principles for branded content success is to “make a news cycle.” And today, news is moving 24 hours a day. Observe the trends of the day, create a story with quality content based on those trends, distribute it to the appropriate outlets and repeat.
 
Quality Over Quantity
 
We’ve all seen it — the person at the gym that does four sets of 20 terribly executed repetitions on just about every machine in the building. And for some reason, they can’t notice a difference from the week before. Similarly, we all have at least one friend that blows up our feed on every social media platform. They go to a concert and record every song on their Instagram story. They post a photo of every meal as if we’re concerned about their diet. Every time I see this, the “unfollow” button seems to beckon the touch of my fingertip.
 
Nobody wants to see a million posts a day from the same person, company or even nonprofit. It’s overwhelming, mundane and unappealing. Instead, focus on appealing to emotion, and create thoughtful, less frequent content based on analytic review and creative storytelling.
 
Furthermore, keep in mind the 80/20 rule: only 20 percent of your posts should deal with your brand, while the other 80 percent should be interesting, shareable content that deals with your audience. Don’t advertise to your audience — create a conversation instead. In the words of Morgan Spurlock, “once you make it sound like a promotion, you’ve lost your audience.”
 
PR in the digital age is evolving at an ever-increasing rate. That’s why it’s important to come together to discuss new issues, exchange ideas and process new information with an open mind. But more importantly, we need to keep the momentum going from these meetings by implementing what we’ve learned into our daily agenda. Practice makes perfect and solid execution of proven techniques is the only way to bring out the best of your abilities.

This past spring, PRSSA National Assembly opened my mind to the passion and dedication of the PRSSA community. I had no expectation as to what was awaiting for me at National Assembly in Seattle, Washington. I only knew two things:

1. I was going to vote in the elections for the 2017-18 National Committee as the official delegate.
2. I was definitely going to try the famous Pike Place Market seafood chowder.

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During the first day, all of the PRSSA members who attended the assembly had opportunities to get to know each other during the workshops and sessions hosted. We also had ample time to explore the beautiful city of Seattle with each other while and just getting to know each other. We shared experiences and told stories because that’s just what us #PRSSbAes do. By the way, the seafood chowder from Pike Place was amazing!

I was excited to meet people from across the nation at the assembly. These were the people I probably would’ve never met in my life. My roommate was from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a southern California native who absolutely loves it here, when would I ever go to Wisconsin?

This was my first national experience and it blew my mind that everyone took the elections very seriously. We spent the first two days having fun and exploring, but once the election actually started it was all business. I thought it would be a bit like voting for the high school student body government. It was anything but that. The voting process wasn’t anything like voting for who’s popular. The official delegates asked questions that truly looked for who was the best fit.

Storytelling was a big component during the elections. The candidates for each role told their story for us to understand a little bit of who they are and why they are the best fit for the role they’re running for. It was fascinating to hear that we’re all so similar, but we all bring something special to the table. Most of us might have joined PRSSA because there was someone who reached out and connected with us but once we joined, we brought our special “something” to our Chapters and to the PRSSA community.

There were moments during the election that took longer than expected and it wasn’t very pleasant. However, it showed me how much care my fellow delegates put into the election. Everyone has their own Chapters to think about, but they put in as much effort into the voting process as they would in their own Chapters.

There were plenty to be gained from attending National Assembly but two things stood out to me:

1. The PRSSA members across the nation showed me their passion and dedication to the PRSSA community. They further fueled my fire for my Chapter and I’ll be carrying this enthusiasm throughout the upcoming year as president for my Chapter.
2. The seafood chowder from Pike Place was amazing! If you’re ever in Seattle, this is your first stop.

First and foremost, national conferences are a must. There is no other place a PR student will get the tips, advice and networking opportunities like the ones offered at the PRSSA 2017 National Conference. As a senior, I took advantage of these opportunities to add more tools to my belt and better prepare myself for life after graduation. I’d like to share some of the key takeaways and tips I learned from the PR professionals in Boston to help any other seniors who may be in my position and inspire more students to attend industry conferences.
 
Beyond the PR Stunt
 
Laughter and cheer filled the room when Michael DiSalvo, vice president of healthcare at Ogilvy, entered the stage. He was my favorite speaker at the conference; he not only captivated the audience with his humor, but also offered good tips to remember when pursuing a career in PR.

1. Build your PR muscle with internships. Getting hands on experience in the PR world is beneficial for all students. Whether it’s at an agency, organization or nonprofit, getting out of the classroom will better prepare a future practitioner for his or her day-to-day activities. It also looks great on a resume.
2. Experience gets you in the door, your personality gets you the job. Those internships come in handy when applying for jobs, but the important thing to remember is to just be yourself. You offer something unique to the table and embracing your individuality will help you determine if that place or organization is the right fit. 
3. You have a lifetime of work ahead of you. As PR students, planning becomes a skill and figuring out what comes next becomes a habit. DiSalvo reminded me that knowing what you want to do is important, so take your time and try to learn from your current responsibilities — whether it be at school or an internship. The amount of years spent working is far more than those dedicated solely to school, which is why it’s important to figure out your likes and dislikes to pursue a field that fulfills your interests.

7 Tips From New Professionals
 
Who better to hear from than the people who were sitting in our shoes not too long ago? Four PRSA New Pros gave great tips to those of us who will be starting out in our careers.

1. Know two things you want and stick to them. For example, I want to work for an organization that will allow me to travel and is also invested in sustainability. Those two things are my ultimate goals that I will make a part of my future.
2. If you move to a new city for a job, connect with the PRSA chapter in that region.
3. Learn more about a company or how an agency works by conducting an informational interview even before you apply.
4. After being hired, ask to talk to someone who also joined recently. You can get insight on how their transition into the company went or other information to know as newcomer.
5. Use real resume paper and tailor your resume to each job or organization.
6. Write handwritten thank you notes after an interview, networking or meeting a new client. Sending a thank you note is meaningful and can go a long way for another person.
7. Find a job that lets you shine in your niche. Become an expert in your field and people will know to come to you for your advice.

These are just a handful of the great tips I learned at the PRSSA 2017 National Conference. I highly encourage all PR students to attend a national or a regional conference to not only learn more about this industry, but to make connections with students and professionals around the country.

​ This post was originally published on our parent chapter PRSA SD/IC's blog.