This past semester of college, I have been writing blog posts about every week. Not only have I been writing blogs, but in class I have been regularly practicing all types of public relations writing, including press releases, media advisories, fact sheets, and more. These activities have taught me a lot and really prepared me for my next steps after I graduate. I knew all of these pieces of a press kit were important to PR, but I wasn’t very familiar with writing them myself. This class taught us what each piece is, how it is used, and how to put it into practice. The repetition of writing these different materials according to AP style has ingrained itself in my mind way better than any PowerPoint lesson could have. I plan to enter PR after I graduate, and while I’m not yet locked into a specific role, I’ve developed valuable skills to take into my career. From events to brand management to social media, the professional writing and public relations education I gained will set me up for success. Not only were we regularly practicing our writing skills, but we were also following organizations and watching their brand voice closely. Every week, we picked up different notes from press releases, social media posts and media kits. Watching brands we know and follow actively involved in the PR world was such a great experience. Not only did I learn about an organization’s identity, but also the different ways an organization can express that identity clearly. My classmates and I noticed both good and bad examples throughout the semester. Our attention to detail grew so much and helped us not see content as just another social media post, but to instead to view everything through a PR lens. Every action an organization makes contributes to its identity. I learned a great deal about brand identity, which made me reflect on my own social media and written work. What kind of voice am I putting out there? How can I improve my self-branding through social media, LinkedIn or a portfolio? Today, I am much more conscious of what my own posts say about me, as well as how every movement of an organization is contributing to their brand for better or worse. Exercising this PR lens muscle has taught me how to be a good professional not only on the clock, but in every moment of my life. Getting used to viewing things the way a PR professional does has helped me have a higher attention to detail and to not miss what is happening right under our noses.
Blink and You’ll Miss it
