Being a student at the University of Oklahoma definitely has perks. Not only is it a premier university, it is also home to the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, one of the nation’s leading journalism colleges. As a public relations major, I am part of the terrific Gaylord College. I am also minoring in enterprise studies within the College of Arts and Sciences. My major and minor require me to take public relations, advertising and marketing classes. Some people may argue these three sectors are identical; however, through experience, I’ve come to find how different they truly are. My Tuesdays and Thursdays consist of three back-to-back-to-back classes: Introduction to Advertising, Introduction to Public Relations and Introduction to Marketing. Although each class goes hand-in-hand, the three courses could not be more different. Already I have learned to distinguish them, a valuable skill as a future PR practitioner. Here are my definitions, based on what I have learned in my classes thus far:

Public Relations: Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. (This is the official definition of public relations as outlined by PRSA. Learn more here: http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/PublicRelationsDefined )

Advertising is a means of persuading a target audience using mostly paid media such as television, radio, Internet and print publications.

Marketing successfully develops, communicates, sells and delivers products and services based on research and planning a budget to promote a product (marketing also includes using both advertising and public relations for promotion).

Next semester, I will join OU PRSSA for its annual NYC Agency Trip. I will blog about the many things I will learn during this journey as well as describe my day-in-the-life experience as an adaptable student. I am very excited to be on board with OU PRSSA and blog about all my adventures this year!

Hi, my name is Dea Pennington and I am a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma. When I began college, I knew public relations was the right major for me. Ever since then, my passion has grown. I joined PRSSA this year in hopes of networking and learning even more about my major. I am currently involved in my social sorority as well as countless other organizations from Campus Activities Council to Camp Crimson, as a counselor. I plan on blogging about current events, topics I learn in my classes and our very own PRSSA New York City agency trip in the spring, which I have been blessed to aid in planning. I am very excited to blog about topics I love and I hope y’all enjoy!

We’ve all been there: going home for the holidays and your family members ask, ‘have you decided on a major yet?’ ‘When are you graduating?’ Maybe you’ve switched careers, transferred from a different college, or moved to a school in a new city. Having that pressure is one thing, but not knowing how to choose a profession or understanding how to get involved in it while in college can hurt you when you graduate and try to join to workforce. The good news is you’re not alone, and you CAN get a head start on important skills.

Student organizations are networks of students who come together to improve themselves personally or professionally. On-campus organizations provide members with a support system that aides in gathering and sharing ideas, taking initiatives and acting with purpose outside of the classroom.

More often than not, we focus on those who are already involved. Today, I’m taking the time to talk to those of you who aren’t yet involved with PRSSA and other great professional development organizations on campus. If you’re not sure whether on-campus organizations are for you, here are five reasons why you should consider joining one.

1. Networking
The obvious plus of joining a professional organization is to network. Groups with large memberships, like PRSSA, can provide more opportunities and diverse ways to grow for your future career. Whether it helps you pick the best classes, score an interview, or introduce you to friends and mentors, networking is pivotal at any stage in your career as a student. For instance, PRSSA holds workshops, shadow days, and other events around campus to provide you with skill building and career advancement. This helps to make networking a constant part of your routine instead of something to do when you’re just looking for a new job.

2. Support
Knowing that someone has your back is always comforting. Imagine an entire professional organization standing behind you. Whether it’s through mentors, committees or “plain old conversations” with students like you, there’s always someone who can offer advice and feedback on your ideas, thoughts and plans based on their own experiences. PRSSA has mentoring programs that pair new students with experienced ones. This is a great way to establish a strong support system. In fact, you can download the application at the “mentorship” link in the tabs at the top of this page!

3. The Benefits
Like any group, membership has its privileges. Many organizations coordinate annual and bi-annual conferences, sponsor workshops, speakers, training sessions, and even forums. There are also the educational and professional development opportunities that are accessible exclusively to members who meet the requirements (volunteer requirements or dues).

4. Influence Your Organization
If you join an organization, you can be instrumental in improving the team by becoming an officer, joining a committee or just being a vocal participant. You’ll learn how valuable your experience and time really is once you get the opportunity to share it with others. Thanks to the time I devote to OU PRSSA, I’m gaining experience blogging!

It’s not often an OU college student is able to spend a week in Los Angeles meeting some of the most knowledgeable women in the field of Public and Media Relations. But, this past summer, my family members in California gave me that such opportunity.

At the Sundance Institute, I met Elizabeth Greenway, the Director of Foundation & Government Giving and Sarah Eaton, Director of Media Relations. When visiting with Sarah, she explained her journey from job to job. For over a decade, Eaton was Senior Vice President of Communications for Sundance Channel. Later, she left Sundance to be a freelance public relations consultant. After a short amount of time, she returned to the Sundance Institute to her current position. Although she enjoyed trying something different, she said she wanted to “get back to indie art,” and again use her planning and team management skills. By not being intimidated to go out on her own, she enhanced both her resume and life experience in the field of Media Relations.

For a person hoping to have a career in marketing, Eaton has the following advice: develop personal interests, hone your writing skills and keep up with digital trends. Social media plays a huge role in marketing, and keeping up with digital trends is important. As far as classes go, Eaton recommends taking some extra journalism courses because strong writing is a necessity. Taking advice from someone of Sarah’s experience is a good way to get a head start on being successful in your own career.

I’m a junior with a passion for writing and a tendency to overcommit. (Partly because I’m easily bribed with vintage clothes, combat boots or tea.) This is my first year as a member of PRSSA, but I’m looking forward to being part of a great organization. As part of my involvement, I’ll be writing about internships, studying abroad and my other experiences as a PR major.

    Who you should be networking with right NOW!

So, it’s time for a really awesome announcement! I got     another internship! How did it happen? Completely by accident. In the short amount of time I’ve spent in the world of internships and PR, I’ve found that many things, as they happen in life, aren’t planned, and happen by chance.

I applied for a regular ole’ job at a local newspaper, not thinking I’d get a call back, and ended up being sent right to the communications director of the publishing company the next day! It was very sudden, and I wasn’t exactly sure what they wanted me to do, but I entered the interview ready for whatever they might ask of me. Before I knew it, I was asked to be their PR intern! It all started when the person I initially sent my resume to (regarding the job) took the initiative to read through my resume and decide to forward it to the PR department for a different (better) opportunity that wasn’t even being advertised!

It is thoughtful people like this that are virtually indispensable in your professional life! This woman, who I have since met in person, thanked, and added to my “network”, had absolutely no obligation to help me out! She could have just printed out my e-mail attachment and tossed it in the stack of resumes without a single glance, because it wasn’t her responsibility.

As always, the little stories of circumstance from my life have a purpose. This week, it’s to bring you a very important message about networking! You might want to just network with the most popular faces, aka the “cool kids”, but most of the time, they will not have time to help you out. If they can’t form a professional relationship with you, you’re going to waste your time dwelling on a weak connection. Weak connections don’t give you good recommendations on LinkedIn or make for good reference individuals on resumes.

Instead, hone in on the people who are genuinely helpful, the ones you can tell work their butts off, and the ones that you click with, just like you click with friends. This way, you are not only making a connection, you are investing your time, their time, your interest, and their interest into something that has value! That being said, you should mirror these traits so that your connections will be able to benefit from you as well!

Just like normal friends, networking partners should be chosen based on more than just their popularity, good looks, or other surface features. Yes, in the PR world these things are important- they’re part of a person’s public image! But that is all the public will see. We will more often work on the internal side of the industry, and therefore, as cliché as it sounds, what will count the most in the long run is what the people in your network are like on the inside. Who you network with reflects who you are becoming as a professional. When you network with hard workers and just plain nice people, you are putting yourself in a very productive environment that, if utilized correctly and often, will result in an accomplished career! You will establish a dedicated work ethic, as those who surround you have, and your positive attitude gained from them will rub off onto your daily tasks, interactions, and long-term progress.

Before all the wonderful benefits of meaningful personal-level networking can be sown, you have to find those people who will form your network in the first place! Since everyone’s situation is very different, below is a general list of people that, if the opportunity arises, you should most definitely begin a professional relationship with. These people will most likely be as I described: hardworking, friendly connections! Again, this is just a list to get the gears turning in that genius brain of yours!

1. The professors you got to know through frequent office hours visits.
2. Your university college AND major-specific advisors.
3. ANYONE in the Career Services department here at OU.
4. Your old boss (surprising to most, they can be trusted allies).
5. The person you ended up chit-chatting with for 20 minutes at an on-campus or networking event.
6. The other Gaylord majors you met in your Writing for Mass Media class.
7. Student assistants you got to know in gen-ed courses.
8. The secretary/ receptionist at your current or previous job/ internship.
9. (the most obvious of them all) Your PRSSA mentor, new chapter officers [including me!] and other members of PRSSA, including Pritch!