You’re in Public Relations; You’re not an Accountant

Next week I will head to New York City to find out the results for the PRWeek Student of the Year competition.  I always thought that this experience would be one of my defining moments as a student, but after tonight I found out its true value. 

When Ashley Maddocks from Edelman commented that the field of public relations “places value on experience over traditional education.” It finally struck me that the experiences I have accumulated over the past few years mean more for this career field than in any other.  She continued, “After all, you’re in Public Relations, you’re not an Accountant.” 

Though traditional communication provides the key to getting into many jobs, it is the experiences that we have that allow us to reach our true potential.  At the start of this semester I wouldn’t necessarily have agreed.  As an individual who placed high value on grades and organizations it shocked me to find that when individuals were looking at my resume they didn’t really care about my GPA.  What they wanted to know about was my involvement in PRSSA, what internships were on my resume, and what work I did I while at those internships.