BY: LEIGH GUNNELS

I LEARNED MANY LESSONS IN BARBARA NIXON’S INTRO TO PUBLIC RELATIONS

CLASS, BUT IF I HAD TO NARROW IT DOWN TO THE 10 MOST IMPORTANT,

HERE IS MY LIST:

The Top 10 Most Important Things I learned in PRCA

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#10: Professional Organizations

Becoming a member of PR groups help you connect with other PR professionals and develop ethical standards for the profession.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and The International Public Relations Association (IPRA) are great organizations to get involved in.

#9: Be Ethical and Professional

PR practitioners should be honest at all times, convey sense of business ethics based on your own morals and strive for a balance between loyalty to the organization and duty to the public.

#8: Public Relations is a Process

The acronym R.A.C.E can help in running a successful PR campaign

ResearchActionCommunicationEvaluation

Research

Action

Communication

Evaluation

#7: Be Prepared for Job Interviews

Always research the company, dress conservatively, and ask appropriate questions.

Always follow up immediately with thank-you notes.

#6: Keep Up With Current Events

Listening to PR podcasts, watching the news, and keeping up with social media sites is crucial to staying ahead in your PR career

#5: Resume’s and Portfolio’s Standout

Your resume should only be one page coming out of college and it should always have strong action verbs. But resume’s only get you an interview.

Bring a portfolio of your work to the interview. The portfolio should include writing samples, press releases and showcase your achievements.

#4: Writing a Press Release is inevitable

As a public relations professional knowing how to write a good press release is essential

You need to know the inverted pyramid writing style and the structure of the press release

#3: Communicate Clearly

As a PR professional you have to communicate clearly to get the message across to audiences

avoid jargon, cliché’s, and discriminatory language

Use symbols, acronyms, and slogans

#2: Social Media Sites Are a Must

Networking by using social media sites like twitter, facebook, wordpress, and Propenmic is great way to get connected and stay updated with the latest PR news

#1: EXPERIENCE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!

The most important lesson I learned is to take as many internships as possible to gain work experience.

Motivation and experience stand out to future employers.