by Nicole Beilke
A few members of the University of Northern Iowa Chapter of PRSSA, including myself, recently traveled to Dallas, Texas, to attend PRSSA ICON 2022. This is an annual conference for students from universities internationally. to attend sessions and network with professionals. The last time it occurred was in 2019 due to COVID-19, so we were super excited to get the chance to attend this year! Real-Life PR Experience Right from the moment we arrived at the conference, we were exposed to a ton of fellow PRSSA students as well as PRSA members and workplace professionals. The conference consisted of multiple professional development sessions, general keynote speaker sessions, and networking events. The speakers of the development sessions were exceptional people with a plethora of PR and Communications experience. Some examples included the Director of Brand Communications for Frito-Lay, the Vice President of Global Employee Communications for Delta Airlines, the Founder/President of Publix, the Senior Manager of PR and Brand Engagement for Taco Bell, as well as associate professors from multiple universities. The insight and knowledge that I gained from these development sessions were invaluable. It was incredible to hear from a wide variety of people who have so much experience and advice for us as we are just beginning our careers. Each session concluded with a question and answer segment, where we got to ask them any questions that we had. All of the speakers were so open and answered any questions that were asked. They encouraged us to connect with them on LinkedIn and keep in touch. It was amazing to interact with PR professionals who were invested in our futures. There were two general keynote sessions, which were for all PRSSA and PRSA attendees. The keynote speakers were Katty Kay, a broadcast journalist for BBC, Emmitt Smith, a football icon, and Marlee Matlin, an Oscar-winning actress. Each one of these speakers gave insightful speeches, each one unique. Marlee Matlin lost her hearing at 18 months old, so listening to her perseverance to become an actress in a field where deafness is not widely represented was incredibly inspiring and touched everyone in the room. Katty Kay’s speech on women’s confidence in the field of journalism, a male-dominated industry, was insightful and something that a lot of women could relate to. On top of all of the wonderful speakers that we were able to learn from, we had many opportunities for networking, mingling, and career development. There was a career exhibition where companies and universities set up booths and we got the opportunity to discuss future employment, internship opportunities, and make connections. The mingling events were one of my personal favorite parts, because we got to meet so many students from universities all over the country. We also got to meet the members of the national PRSSA board! What I Gained from the Conference PRSSA ICON provided me with so much insight, knowledge, and connections that I will carry with me as I enter the working world. It was the first time I was fully immersed in that environment, and it opened my eyes to a lot of perspectives. My favorite part of the experience was meeting all of the amazing students and working professionals from all over. We met members of chapters from New Jersey, Texas, California, Ohio, Florida, and so many more places. Now, I have a ton of contacts in many different states! It was amazing to get to know them and learn about their chapters and their stories. I hope to get the chance to attend ICON again in the future, and I highly recommend that you also attend if you get the chance! Join PRSSA and become a dues-paying member to get the chance to experience opportunities such as these! Start by attending a meeting in Lang 346 on Mondays at 4 pm!
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by Alisanne Struck
Every semester I hear countless peers discuss the stress of finding a summer internship. Whether it’s the search for a paid internship or the lack of internship opportunities at their summer residence. Like many other college students, I was in search of a summer internship last year. Searching for the perfect internship can be extremely stressful, especially if you aren’t looking in a large city. I was searching for an internship in Sioux City, IA, which if you don’t know, is the opposite of a PR-centric city. Finding an internship (or a job) can be difficult, however I found some handy tips for anyone looking to land their dream internship. Finding what was right for me First, I had to narrow down my search, but not so narrow that I had strict limitations. My three “qualifications” that I set were: my internship had to be around Sioux City (where I lived), be something that I would truly enjoy, and something that would be paid. I was embarking on a search for an internship that would meet these expectations, and I stayed optimistic. As I looked, many employers were only hiring for remote or unpaid internships that weren’t accessible to where I was living during the summer. I did what some people thought was crazy and started “cold-emailing” businesses. Since “cold-emailing” wasn’t a typical way of sourcing opportunities, I had to use my knowledge of professionalism and electronic charisma. By entering the “hidden job market,” I learned that so many businesses will consider hiring college students! Sadly, finding an internship still had some challenges since I had limited experience. UNI values an experiential learning experience, and that was a point I made in each job inquiry email. Wherever I ended up interning, I wanted the opportunity to learn and grow. When applying for internships, get ready for some rejections. I haven’t heard of a single peer who got accepted to every internship they applied for. I reached out to over 30 businesses in Sioux City, and sadly, I only heard back from about ten. Over half could only offer me unpaid internships, and a few were for jobs that I didn’t feel I would enjoy. However, two offered me an interview for a paid internship opportunity. After interviewing and taking a tour of both their facilities, I ended up choosing the right workplace for me! My Internship and Advice This past summer, I was the Associate Events Coordinator Intern at the Sioux City Country Club. It ended up being such a great experience and I learned so much. I learned about event planning and event design, as well as the behind-the-scenes of a country club. I never would have gotten this experience had I not entered the hidden job market. By creating a position within the country club, I was able to snag an internship that didn’t even exist in the first place. My advice for others would be to put yourself out there! Looking for any new opportunity is difficult, you’re more likely to face rejection than not. However, by showing your skills and desire to use the education you’ve been receiving, you will land a great internship. So many of the professional skills I learned to use were skills I learned in PRSSA. Many of our guest speakers discuss what they look for in new hires, and I was able to apply that to my internship search. For more information on how to take advantage of these amazing opportunities through UNI’s PRSSA Chapter, visit uni-prssa.weebly.com. |