The post-grad PR persuasion

So, where did I leave off? Oh yes, the internship.

Lucky for me, I got the big envelope this time. What a relief, for both me and my parents.

I start May 31, just 10 days after I walk across the stage.

Landing a job post-graduation is something I have been losing sleep over for many, many moons. Now, however, I drift off before those sheep can even think about trotting into my subconscious pasture.

Change is good.

I have, in the past month, encountered a new phenomenon surrounding my post-grad plans...how to explain to people what exactly my new job IS.

Conversations go a little like this:

Well-meaning friend, acquaintance, co-worker or family member: So, Cait, what are your plans after May 21?

Me: I got a great summer internship, I’m totally excited. It’s with a public relations agency in Sacramento, and they work with mostly food and wine clients. It’s going to be a blast.

Right after the words “public relations” leave my lips, my co-conversationalist’s eyes glaze over.

Well-meaning friend, acquaintance, co-worker or family member: Oh...that’s nice.

<---------------------long pause---------------------------->

Well-meaning friend, acquaintance, co-worker or family member: What exactly does that mean?

Fact #1 of life as a public relations practitioner: the general public has little to know idea about what we do, aside from the “whole Charlie Sheen thing”.

The ironic thing about this profession that works so hard to make its clients transparent is that PR itself has an image problem.

Often, the general public views the gatekeepers of reputation management as purely damage control. The superhero’s that rush in when Lindsey gets arrested (again) or Britney drives-thru with her kid on her lap, sans seatbelt.

First of all, aforementioned people are publicists, which represent a teeny, tiny portion of those in our profession. The general graduates of PR programs across the country will never defend Paris Hilton’s honor or manage Zach Efron’s Twitter account.

Most of us will lead quiet lives of media outreach on behalf of our clients. The majority of the class of 2011 will spend our days meeting with our clients, doing everything we can to get the positive things they are doing covered in the media.

Public relations professionals are very much storytellers. We package our clients so the general public can see what they are all about. We build media lists so we can pitch stories to local papers, news stations and these days, bloggers.

Basically, we get people not on our client’s payroll to vouch for our clients--tell the community who they are and what they do. We aren’t advertisers. We are the liaisons between our clients and the public they serve.

At least, this is all what my education and internship with Tehama Group (see below) has lead me to believe my chosen career will entail.

A week from today, I’ll find out if it’s true. I'll keep you posted.

Lessons Learned

Everything I know about the real world I learned from Tehama Group

You’ve seen those shirts, right?

“Everything I need to know about life I learned from my cat...” Stuff like that.

Well, I’m here to say that after the culmination of six years, two schools, two study abroad programs and countless classes, the real thing that prepared me for life post graduation, was Tehama Group.

Here’s my top four:

1. How to work with a team. Like, for real.

I know, I know, everyone loves a Chico grad because we are so social. But working on a group project for a teacher is a totally different ball game from working with a team that truly wants to be there, is qualified for the job and is working for a paying client. Sure, you sill have to deal with missed deadlines and over-scheduled consultants, but the work is quality and you can rest assured the whole project won’t fall on you.

2. How to manage time.

And with that goes how to not manage your time. Taking on too much is something I am classically known for, and this semester has been no exception. Learning to say no is a talent I have yet to master, but it’s something I know is applicable in the work place. For this semester I can successfully say: lesson learned.

3. How to be a better communicator.

I am professional communicator, so how could I need help? Trust me, I did...and I still do. I have always been the group leader and so learning to work on a team where I was simply a consultant was part relief, part balancing act. I had to learn how to “communicate up,” which basically means keeping my account lead informed on all my movements concerning our account. Since I was used to being the one who was communicated to, this was a lesson in learning to keep my team leader updated.

4.How to be a creative problem solver.

When you are in class, your future is up to you, so far as your grade is concerned. You can always turn to your teacher for guidance and ask if something is right or wrong. However, being plopped in front of clients and being expected to produce something that is worth their time and money is a different ball game. Knowing how to quickly field questions and think on your feet requires preparation, knowledge and a general ability to perform under pressure.

So there you have it folks. My life lessons, learned in the four walls of Tehama 310.