What I've Learned - PRSSA Communication Career Workshop

This year, as VP of Professional Development for PRSSA - SMU chapter, I had the honor of planning our annual Communication Career Workshop. When I first discovered what my job would entail, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I have to tell you that I now have a new respect for anyone who has ever had to or will ever have to plan an event. There is a lot more that goes into it than I could have ever imagined. From the small details of table linens, and food donations, to the gathering of professionals and key note speakers, this was a job that I definitely could not have done without the help of my wonderful exec board. 

But as much work as it was, it was probably the most rewarding experience I have had in a long time. To be able to work at something for months and finally see it all fall into place is such a rewarding feeling. Through this experience, I have made connections with students, professionals, and faculty members that I would never have had the chance to meet. 

I also got to see how much of a help this workshop can be to students. We had a great turnout of both professionals and students this year and to stand back and watch them interact and learn from each other was incredible. One of the best parts about being in college is that as a student, you can pretty much ask any question you want without coming off as stupid or ignorant. You can introduce yourself to a professional and ask for their advice in any area of life and they are so happy to help in any way they can. 

I am so thankful that our Communication Studies Department at SMU offers students opportunities like this to network and learn from professionals in the community. It is so nice to hear from someone who's been through exactly what we are going through right now. By learning from people already out there in the working world, we are all becoming better prepared to head out with confidence that we too will be able to land that job, and once we get it, know how to do the job well. 

Perseverance

"Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful." - Brian Tracy


When Wednesday night's speaker, Gail Chandler, APR, first began her career in Communications she was told by a man that she would never make it in this business as a woman. He told her that if he was her father he would never have allowed her to major in Communications. Gail not only proved this man wrong, but she went above and beyond anyone's expectations through perseverance and determination and is now one of the most successful women in the PR world. 


Gail mentioned that there was no set path for getting where you are supposed to be - everyone will have their own unique way of finding their dream job. Gail has worked in a variety of industries, from a job at the Goodwill Industries, to working for the Dallas Park Department and DISD to where she is today at Texas Instruments. If she hadn't worked for DISD she would never have gotten her dream job at Texas Instruments. 


That thought suck with me long after we left the classroom that night. Gail knew what she loved and stuck with it through a variety of jobs and ended up working in her dream job. Gail made the decision to stick with her job at DISD even though she knew it wasn't quite right, it was a stepping stone in the right direction and that was all she needed to know. Texas Instruments was and still is a huge supporter of Education and the Community. Gail's experience working in the Education industry put her a step ahead of her competitors. 


As I make my way into the working world, I have a new found confidence that I will end up where I am meant to be. I may have to persevere through a number of jobs before I get there but that's what life is all about. Living each day to the fullest and learning from and taking advantage of every single opportunity that comes my way. The beautiful thing about life is that we don't have to have it all figured out magically over night. We can make mistakes and then learn from them and we will always have our perseverance to push us to the next level, to keep us striving to be the best we can be.


I hope to follow in Gail's footsteps and take any opportunities that come my way, knowing they are all leading me to reaching my potential and guiding me in the direction of my dreams. 

Confidence

     “What are your strengths?” “Why are you qualified over everyone else out there for this position/job/role?” … For as long as I can remember I have had the biggest problem answering these questions. In a world where it’s all about getting bigger, better and faster – where a college graduate is now expected to have had a substantial amount of work experience before evening entering the “real world”, it’s hard for me to see myself as “ready”. But Ken Fairchild pointed out that each and every one of us has the tools to go out there and work in any job in the Communications field. All we need to have is confidence.

     Confidence can often times be mistaken for arrogance. But Ken Fairchild set the perfect example for us on what true confidence looks like. Ken has had such a successful career and has made such a difference in his field of work yet you wouldn’t know it by looking at him, or by taking a moment to have a conversation with him. Humble, I believe, is the word that fits Ken’s demeanor to a tee. And it is a character attribute that seems to be rare in the working world where the competition is high.

     Confidence is not selling yourself short, confidence is believing in yourself and confidence is having faith that you really do have the tools to succeed.

    At the start of his lecture, Ken told us if we took away nothing else, he wanted to leave us with confidence. As far as I’m concerned I am always and have always been a work in progress. I can always do better, learn more and work harder. But having confidence doesn’t mean I have to be “finished.” It doesn’t mean that once I jump off the cliff, just like the lemmings, into the real world that I have to know anything and everything there is to know. It just means that I am ready. I am ready to say I can try that, or I will learn that and to have the confidence to know I will be able to get it done.