Meet Brittany Greff, a senior double majoring in Public Relations and International Studies with a minor in Spanish. She is the Director of Chapter Development for Penn State Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), an Account Executive for TEDxPSU for Happy Valley Communications (HVC) and the Director of Communications on the Executive Team for TEDxPSU. And, as if that weren’t enough, she is also a lifeguard at Penn State Aquatics. Interested in learning more about her responsibilities and the Public Relations field? HCPSU has the scoop.
HC: What is Happy Valley Communications?
Brittany: HVC is a student-run public relations firm that exists to offer professional public relations services to the community of Penn State and to national campaigns. The firm was established in 2009, and its members pride themselves on maintaining professional standards when working with clients in order to create a model business environment. HVC seeks to benefit students, faculty and the community as its members strengthen the relationships between the firm’s clients and the general public.
HC: What do you enjoy most about Public Relations?
Brittany: I chose to pursue a career in Public Relations because there are so many possibilities. As a PR professional, I could work for a corporation, an agency, a not-for-profit organization or for a public figure.
HC: How about HVC and PRSSA?
Brittany: HVC is an amazing organization. It gives Penn State students the opportunity to create and implement campaigns while operating in a professional atmosphere. Students in HVC work on national campaigns and we see our campaigns making a difference for our clients. The account teams in HVC are diverse; public relations, marketing, broadcast journalism, advertising and business majors are all represented in our staff.
PRSSA is also a great organization for PR students. PRSSA is an international pre-professional organization for students who are interested in PR and communications. Penn State PRSSA is formally known as the Lawrence G. Foster Chapter of PRSSA. Through PRSSA, students are able to enhance their communications education and broaden their networks. PRSSA is great for networking. I love attending the PRSSA National Conference because I am able to network and build relationships with other communication students as well as with PR professionals. National Conference really helps PR students launch their careers and make connections
HC: What is the most challenging part of all your jobs?
Brittany: The most challenging part of my job is finding enough time to do it all. I am full-time student above everything, but I also work part-time with Penn State Aquatics and I put in more than 12 hours of work per week for HVC and PRSSA. Time management is one of my strong suits, but it’s tough with only 24 hours in a day. I have to say, the greatest thing I’ve done is to purchase a smart phone. I am sending out pitches while walking to class, and tweeting through all of my meetings. I try to utilize every second of every day.
HC: Once you graduate, what and where is your dream job?
Brittany: I would love to work in public affairs in a job that allows me to travel. To me, it is really important to work for a company that represents something that I feel passionate about. I am from a small town in New Jersey, and after attending college in central Pennsylvania, I am ready to move to a city. Right now, Washington D.C. is the most attractive because there are lots of public affairs opportunities and the city is beautiful.
HC: What advice would you give girls trying to pursue a job in Public Relations?
Brittany: Get involved. It is so important to start building your resume as soon as possible. When I graduate in May, I will have had four internships, worked on three different campaigns for HVC and held two leadership positions in PRSSA; believe it or not, I still feel like I could have done more. The job market is tight, and if you want a chance at your dream job, you need to set yourself apart from others in the applicant pool. Also, you better be able to write.
To learn more about how to get involved with these organizations visit their websites.
PRSSA: http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/prssa/, HVC: http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/hvc/, TEDxPSU: http://www.tedxpsu.com/.