By: Natalie Batten
Here at Central Michigan University we are very lucky to have a variety of opportunities to help us grow in our careers as future PR professionals. One opportunity I’ve taken this year is joining our student-run PR firm, PR Central. Over my few months in the club, I’ve already received many benefits. Here are the top three benefits I’ve gotten out of the experience.
1. Real work experience
One of the biggest benefits to joining a student-run PR firm is gaining real world experience. As a younger student, it can feel intimidating trying to get your first internship when most jobs prefer you to have prior experience. By joining a firm like PR Central, you can create this opportunity for yourself and have work to show for it. The work you produce is a great resume builder and interview talking point. Potential employers like to hear that you took initiative and took advantage of these opportunities.
It also is a beneficial experience to work with real-world clients because you get a better idea of what it is like to work in the PR field. The more you develop the skills you need for successfully working with clients at a young age, the better off you will be in the future.
2. Learning to work in a group/agency setting
Another important benefit of a student-run PR firm is that it is set up similar to a real-world agency. This means we work in client groups, with different levels of leadership. It is a great way to develop the skills for working in groups that the majority of PR professionals will use on a daily basis. It has given me a better understanding of how an agency works and how to navigate that successfully. It also provides leadership opportunities which are a great addition to your resume.
3. Develop new skills
Working for a student-run PR firm is not only a great way to practice what you’re learning in classes, but it also provides a great opportunity to explore new areas of PR and develop your skills. Sometimes people come into PR Central without much social media experience, but it’s an area of public relations that they’re interested in. Or they may want to enhance their writing or practice pitching stories. PR Central gives us a supportive place to branch out and practice our skills.
I highly recommend that everyone looks into joining a student-run PR firm if you have the opportunity. It is a great way to gain real-world experience, learn to work in an agency setting and practice new skills. I am enjoying my experience and I think you will too.