PRSA New Professionals

New Pros Week is Coming: Here’s How to Get Involved

PRSA New Pros Leave a comment

Celebrate PRSA New Professionals Week Aug. 1-7, 2016

Each year, PRSA New Professionals Week (Aug. 1-7, 2016) encourages new public relations professionals to share resources and advice with fellow new professionals across the country as we celebrate current members and encourage new members to join.

During this week, we encourage local Chapters to host events focused on providing networking and career development for professionals new to the industry.

Here are a few ways PRSA Chapters, new professionals and employers can get involved with New Professionals Week.

PRSA Chapters

Plan a New Pros Week event

While the PRSA New Professionals Section provides national programming, each PRSA Chapter can host an in-person event of its own. Here are a few ideas:

  • Ask a new professional in your Chapter to help plan an event
  • Arrange a mentor meet and greet in which young professionals are paired with seasoned mentors
  • Sponsor a networking mixer at a popular happy hour location
  • Host a “What I wish I knew as a Young Pro” panel featuring seasoned public relations professionals; invite students and recent graduates
  • Host a viewing of a PRSA New Professionals webinar over coffee, lunch or drinks

Once you set a date, be sure to register your event here.

Recruit new professionals to join your Chapter

New Professionals Week is the perfect opportunity to plan a membership campaign targeted at young professionals. Use this week to target your communications to new professionals who are not members.

New professionals

Participate in national programming

During PRSA New Professionals Week, we will provide national programming such as a Twitter chat, webinar and blog series. Stay tuned for more details, and continue to monitor our website for upcoming dates.

Organize an event

If your Chapter isn’t already planning a New Professionals Week event, volunteer to organize one. Once you set a date, be sure to register your event here.

Employers

Work with PRSA to host an event

If your company has a lot of new professionals, consider working with a PRSA member to organize an event to recognize your company’s newest hires. Here are a few ideas:

  • Promote your local PRSA Chapter’s New Professionals Week event to employees
  • Invite a PRSA member to host a training for new professionals at your agency or corporation
  • Write letters welcoming your new professionals to the company and thanking them for their work
  • Sponsor your new professionals’ PRSA membership and use the code AM16 to get a free New Pros Section membership

PRSA New Professionals Week 2016 will be here before we know it. How are you planning to celebrate?

AAEAAQAAAAAAAAl1AAAAJGM5NWQyMTZkLWFlZTAtNDU1OS05NDZiLTgxYTU2ZDNjZGJmNgHeather Harder is the PRSA New Professionals co-programming chair and an account executive at Capstrat in Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact her with questions about getting involved with New Pros Week.

New Pros Spotlight: PRSA Charlotte

PRSA New Pros Leave a comment

Connecting with other new pros is an important benefit of PRSA membership for many members. PRSA chapters across the country have organized groups within their chapter to help them connect on a local level, like the New Professionals section does nationally. We will feature a q&a each month to showcase chapters’ new professional groups. This month we spoke with Seth Kingdon, PRSA Charlotte’s New Professionals Committee Chair.

PRSA Charlotte’s New Professionals group works to plan events and workshops to help Charlotte’s young professionals gain a deeper understanding of the PR industry. The committee is made up of nine members, led by Seth.

“We, as a committee, want to cultivate great PR professionals in Charlotte. To make this happen we strive to offer helpful resources and one-of-a-kind opportunities for our members so they can blossom into successful public relations practitioners,” Seth said.

According to PRSA Charlotte New Pro member Justin Taylor, “Being part of PRSA has not only expanded my network, but has given me a great amount of support as a young professional. This support ranges from when I was a recent college graduate on the job hunt to building important skills to be successful in both my professional and personal life.”

Here are some of the questions we had for Seth about PRSA Charlotte’s New Pros group.

The Edge: Could you tell us about the programming and resources you put together for your members?

Seth Kingdon: Our committee initial began by establishing a shared vision for providing professional development opportunities for New Pros and students. We planned a networking event because we saw the value of meeting other new professionals and students in the Charlotte-metro area. We scheduled professional development workshops throughout the year because we all need tools to do our job better. Our committee’s future endeavors include establishing a mentorship program with local PRSSA chapters and pro-bono campaigns and projects.

Overall, we offer networking events and workshops. However, on a deeper level, we recruit new professionals to come to monthly PRSA Charlotte luncheons where they can meet experience PR practitioners from organizations like Duke Energy, Bank of America, Food Lion, Luquire George Andrews and Taylor. We believe mentorship drives a successful PR career, so we encourage our members to find a mentor and to be a mentor.

TE: How many members/participants do you have?

SK: It’s hard to know how many New Professionals are scattered throughout Charlotte, but approximately 20 professionals and students generally attend our meetings.

TE: How do you engage new or potential members?

SK: We each personally reach out to students and meet people at other networking events and invite them to PRSA gatherings.

TE: How does your group fit into the bigger picture of the chapter?

SK: Our New Professional section brings a unique perspective to the overall PRSA Charlotte chapter by offering millennial insight, inventive concepts and an energetic atmosphere for success.

TE: What is the best way for New Pros to get involved in the PR community?

SK: First and foremost, attend events so you can meet professionals. Second, it is important to continually build your skill set and be self-taught on important PR topics so you can offer knowledge and insight. Third, establish relationships with two or three professionals—your age and older—who are your “go to” for questions. As you do these things and progress through your professional career, you will consistently learn and be a marketable public relations professional.

TE: And finally, what advice do you have for New Pros for using PRSA to their best advantage?

SK: Meet and develop relationships with as many PR professionals as you can. Build a strong network you trust to contact with questions or advice. Especially connect with those who have more experience than you—even if it feels intimidating.

Is your chapter doing great things for New Pros? Do you know a New Pro doing great work in and outside of PRSA? Let us know!

New-Pros-Chapter-Spotlight-Charlotte

Carving Out Time For Hobbies

PRSA New Pros Leave a comment

Juggling your many responsibilities as a new PR pro probably leaves you wanting to curl up on the couch with your Seamless and Netflix to recharge before you face another day. Set that remote down though, because research has found that engaging in a hobby is a much better way to decompress and re-energize yourself.

According to a 2013 study by Concordia University, people who have hobbies are generally healthier and have a lower risk of depression and dementia as they age. Similar research by a team at San Francisco State University noted that professionals who engage in hobbies, particularly creative activities, are better able to conceive creative solutions for problems in the office. Seems like hobbies are all-around good for you, but what can they do to improve your day-to-day life as a new pro?

Hobbies

Hobbies give you time to clear your mind.

Focusing on a task or project that requires your full attention gives you the opportunity to disconnect from the world around you. The more difficult your hobby, the better. Concentrating on one task for an extended period of time allows your brain to reboot. Just like shutting off your computer every once in awhile is good for it, giving your brain a chance to restart can bring you back refreshed and with a new perspective.

Hobbies boost your confidence.

Think about the last time you were really excited about something you accomplished. That rush of adrenaline, the joy of completing something you’ve been working towards, the pride you felt knowing your hard work had paid off – it felt good right? Maybe like you were on top of the world? Mastering a hobby or a skill can have the same confidence-boosting effects. Whether you’re learning to knit, working on your golf game, cooking your way through Chrissy Teigan’s Cravings or learning to code, conquering your own mountains can make you more confident when approaching other obstacles.

Hobbies relieve stress.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been struggling with the same problem for days or if your roommate is the source of your angst, spending time on something that is solely for you can wash all that tension away. Concentrating your time and energy on a hobby can put you into a relaxing meditative state. Your brain only has a set amount of room and if you fill it up with fun things, there’s no room left for whatever was bothering you. Plus…

Hobbies ignite creativity.

Zoning out a bit and doing something out of the ordinary can get your creative juices flowing. Spend a little time using your brain in different ways and you’ll start to find new ways to connect the dots of your everyday life. Creativity is just like muscle or math, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Hobbies create a balance.

Everything is good in moderation. Work, sweets and Netflix are just a few of the things that should be balanced with other things. Every hour of every day shouldn’t be spent on work, work, work. Making time for things you’re interested in is a way of giving yourself a break that you shouldn’t feel bad about. Hobbies aren’t wasting time or frivolous; they’re life-enriching ways to explore new interests and learn new things without feeling like you need to dedicate your life to them. Balancing work and play makes doing things you’re not-so-excited for not-so-bad.

Robyn Rudish-Laning (1)Robyn Rudish-Laning is a member of South Carolina’s PRSA chapter and is communications coordinator for the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness. Robyn is also a member of the New Professionals executive committee. She is a graduate of Duquesne University and is currently located in Columbia, SC. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter or read her blog here.