Education is More Than Academics

With my anticipated graduation around the corner, one could easily assume I know everything necessary to successfully enter the field of public relations. This is not the case.

What I have discovered is the success of a public relations practitioner stems from the makeup of a person just as much as traditional knowledge.

To survive in the public relations field, one must be sharp and hard working. The individual should be open to any challenge and have the determination to conquer it. Sometimes solving a challenge involves remembering what you learned in that class from junior year. Sometimes it involves working your way around Google.

Education is valuable; however, I propose that 50 percent of the value comes from academics and the other 50 percent from lessons of due dates, missed classes and teamwork.

My greatest moments in my internship did not involve theory or how Tylenol handled their 1982 public relations scare but rather my ability to think “on my toes” and use common sense.

Education is not just academics and a job is not just a title. Just as important as that A is in Writing for Public Relations is the lesson learned from preparing for an interview. Public relations is real life communications and strategic planning. To be successful in this field, some experience must be had outside of the classroom.