By: Miranda Kulp, THON/Philanthropy Chair
When at a school as large as Penn State, there are countless opportunities to help build a professional career as a student.
In the field of PR, it’s essential to enter the working world with not only good grades, but also plenty of experience.
With so many clubs, organizations, honor societies and internship leads, it’s easier than most would think to kickstart your public relations career.
Even as a typical busy college student, there are plenty of opportunities to build your PR portfolio while in school.
Get Involved
There are hundreds of organizations or clubs to get involved in that will not only provide you with new friends, but will also give you something to put on the resume.
With nationally-recognized organizations such as PRSSA, employees will be excited to see you spent time being involved in communications-related activities that will help your future career.
Additionally, there are also many student-run organizations including Happy Valley Communications PR firm, Valley magazine, Onward State and plenty of radio or TV stations that you can join.
Joining groups like these will give you valuable communications experience while letting you meet people trying to get a job in the same field as you and help you network at the same time.
Pursue Internships
With such a great alumni network who are always willing to help, there are new internship leads sent to communications students every day (literally, all you have to do is check your email).
Most students find themselves using these Penn State connections to help them find an internship during summer or winter break. You can even maintain an internship while in school if you choose.
There are plenty of on-campus internships that are university-affiliated or located downtown, so students can easily walk to work when they don’t have classes.
Additionally, there are plenty of online internships that are easy to manage while being a full-time student.
Stay Updated
Part of being a PR major is staying updated on all the news.
It’s vital that, as students, we stay updated on not only Penn State news, but also news outside of school.
Luckily, with today’s technology, it’s super easy to stay updated. Utilizing the internet and social media, you can constantly read the news on your phone while walking to class or during other daily activities. Additionally, all students get free newspapers on campus using their student ID cards.
Staying up to date on the news will allow you to always have something to talk about during networking events and interviews, and it also helps you build your personal brand by sharing your thoughts on current events.
Image credit: mwisd.net
