Last Tuesday was Public Relations Student Society of America, (PRSSA) annual Fall Mixer featuring five panelists from the public relations industry. Panelists included LMU alumni Janette Baxa, Marketing Manager at Live Nation, Courtnee LeClaire Westendorf Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Oakland Raiders, Darryll R. Harrison Jr, Communication and Public Relations at Volkswagen, and Kelley Kirkpatrick, Publicist at Fox Broadcasting Company. The only non-lion on the panel was Bachelor and Bachelorette host Chris Harrison, I know I was starstruck too. PRSSA LMU’s President Anastasia Rivera-Hackley moderated the event which has been in the works since September. “The panelists gave such insightful answers to the questions I asked, and really just left a wonderful impression on the students and faculty in attendance, in my opinion,” said Rivera-Hackley.
1. Public Relations can take you in so many different directions
- Panelist Courtnee LeClaire Westendorf has worked for Disney, Apple, and now the Oakland Raiders.
2. Internships are invaluable
- Reference the new Her Campus job board for PR, marketing, and journalism related internship and job listings.
3. Know how the write well
- Every single panelist mentioned this
4. Be patient but proactive
- Take whatever opportunities you can because there is something to learn wherever you go.
5. Stay humble
- “Put in the work and you will be noticed.” – Chris Harrison
6. Kindness and gratitude will get you far
- Write thank you notes and network, network, network!
7. The best advice Chris Harrison ever received was to quit
- He was working as an intern when his mentor told him that if he wanted to have a life, he should quit now. His mentor told Harrison he would never see his family and be travelling all the time. Harrison said this reinforced his passion for communications because he realized it was still something he loved doing no matter the downsides.
Don’t worry if you missed this mixer, another one is already being planned for the spring. You won’t want to miss it!