Thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog and to Dr. Russell for giving us the assignment. I found blogging incredibly difficult when I first began, but have actually come to like it! I hope someone can benefit from my little insights into breaking into Atlanta PR. Who knows, maybe I'll keep it up!

Agency v. Corporate PR

I have known for a while that I wanted to start my career in an agency PR setting. Besides being highly recommended by almost EVERY practicing PR professional out there, I find agency life and having a variety of clients very appealing. I did the non-profit thing, I worked in a corporation, and now I want to move on and find my niche.

As I consider this transition, I become even more satisfied with my choice to start out with an internship. I know some of my skills need some real-world brushing up, but I know the basics and I know them well. Coming from a corporate background however, I do not have any experience billing my time, managing multiple clients and being accountable to multiple people, i.e. other than just my boss.

I really liked the ideas posted on the PR Girlz blog on how she learned to manage her time in the agency setting. In my crazy busy last semester I began making notes as the blog suggests. I make a column for each class, work, Creative Consultants, Campaigns (because this needed its own column), my job search and any errands I need to complete- say the laundry that's been piling on my closet floor. These lists kept me sane through March and April when I was probably busier than I had ever been in my life. It's good to know that I can apply my fabulous list-making skills this summer too.

What should I know?

I am very excited to begin my internship, both as a way to get my foot in the door at a great agency and also as a way to round out the PR experience I have gained in school. When it came to the option of going straight into a full-time position vs. an internship position I began to wonder, am I ready? After going on several interviews it was apparent to me that I was lacking in media relations skills. I think that all PR graduates from Grady would greatly benefit from a class related to media relations.

I found this blog on the Growth Path of a PR Professional very interesting. The blog lists out the order in which a budding PR professional should master specific skills. I think the list is very relevant to employers expectations. After looking over the list, I feel very comfortable with tasks 1-4 which involved studying the media, understanding clients' needs, basic reporting documentations and PR writing. Step 5 is, of course, media relations. It will be interesting to check back in on this list as my career progresses to see if I am following the path they have laid out.