How "Getting in the Loop" Has Brought Me Full Circle
I have come full circle. Last April, I found myself standing outside a Chicago PR conference with a huge grin and a plan. After 5 years of college (I began in fashion design, before transferring schools to obtain a journalism degree), I was one month away from graduation and the 'real world' that I had been looking forward to for ages. I had just spent the day listening to multiple account executives, VPs and mentors speak to their thriving careers in Chicago PR. I was hooked. It was then I first knew I wanted to work in downtown Chicago - the hustle of the city merging with the hustle of the office, as I balanced multiple clients and campaigns.
Fast forward a few crazy months and I found myself with an internship-turned-full-time position at Weber Shandwick. I was in Chicago, living my dream and soaking up every second of it. Through it all, I have met innumerable people who have inspired me, taught me and encouraged me along the way. It is these people, with whom I credit all the knowledge I have gained in the past 8 months. To disclose everything I have learned about the industry and myself over that time would take days - and would likely rival a short novel. However, through it all, I have definitely come to the same conclusion as Alexandra Levit - while text books can lay out the fundamentals, they certainly don't teach corporate in college.
So how has this realization brought me full circle? I owe that to Alyssa Bronikowski, a senior at DePaul, who is well on her way to a fabulous career in PR. She recently reached out and asked me to present on a panel at the upcoming "Chicago PR: Get in the Loop" conference taking place February 12, 2010. Now, if you know me, you know how much I love to talk, so needless to say I was thrilled at the opportunity. However, it took me two weeks and a reminder from my good friend Liz, to realize that I am to speak at the same conference that I attended just a year prior - the one which had inspired me to pursue my career in Chicago in the first place. Ironic, yes? Excited? Absolutely!
I will be joining Bryan Blaise (Fleishman-Hillard) and Tricia Ewald (Dig Communications) in leading a session entitled, "Beyond the Books: The First Five Years in the Communications Business." I couldn't be more excited to share everything I have learned in the last year. There are definitely things I wish I would have known, and am happy to pass along to a new group of eager grads looking to land their dream job.
Are you a PR professional with advice for the next generation? Or a student who is eager to know more about life after college? Connect with me on Twitter or shoot me an email. I'd love to chat!
