I went from a smaller high school with not a lot of opportunities to gain experience from a public relations standpoint. I was a cheerleader, and that was about it. We had photography clubs, but no social media, no writing, no club that would give me direct experience for what I want to do for a future career.
Since I was a little girl, I knew that I wanted to have a career in sports, specifically the NFL. I then learned about public relations and being able to have a job where it was basically about knowing people’s business. Yes please.
I knew that Public Relations for the NFL as a whole, a specific team or just one athlete is what I came to Penn State for.
When touring Penn State, going to New Student Orientation and Admitted Students Day, Penn State makes a big deal about how many clubs they have and the amount of experience you would be able to gain, especially in the College of Communications.
Hearing all of this and looking into different things myself, I finally felt like my dreams were achievable. However, when I got to college and started applying to different clubs and opportunities, I kept getting more and more rejections. At the time when applications were opened, I had no idea how to get involved in THON and the public relations media management committee, which I see now can be a stepping stone.
After getting more and more rejections, I started to believe that the reason I wasn’t gaining the experience was that I came here with no prior experience. Her Campus at PSU was the first “yes” I got, and I could not be more grateful for having this chance to write, which I love to do, and I get to be creative.
I have learned that rejection has made me want to work on my dreams so much harder. I have gotten more involved in different Penn State Public Relations clubs to get my name out there.
I still feel like no matter what I do and how I do it, I am not moving any further in the industry, and it is so frustrating. I see so many peers involved and saying to get involved, but it is hard to get involved and gain experience when no one will allow you to.
The sports world is hard to break into, and I feel like I am falling behind. However, not everyone has the same path.
I have talked to a girl who went to Penn State, changed her major a bunch, didn’t know what she wanted to do, and didn’t get involved until her junior year. She now works for the Denver Broncos in the public relations industry.
My advice is, when people say it is about who you know and not what you know, the industry is hard to get into, believe them. Everyone’s path is different, and this is important to remember.
Moving forward, I am going to continue being involved in clubs and applying to different opportunities to show that I am interested in learning and gaining experience. I also want to take the chance and get involved in THON. Not only is it an amazing opportunity, but I would feel so grateful to be involved in such an amazing cause.
If you are still in high school, get involved. If you want to get into the social media and public relations world, join your photography club or ask around about different teams and different clubs to see if they need any social media help. They don’t tell you, but coming into college with experience is important.