Make a Successful Transition from College to Career

For many of us, graduation is around the corner. That final day in spring is full of excitement, happiness and fear. The monumental transition into the real world can seem daunting, so, here are tips to help you along the way:

Make goals. As public relations professionals, we know a lot about the importance of planning. Pretend that you work for an agency and the client is yourself. Make a plan with long-term and short-term goals. Ask yourself reflective questions to help you plan your future, but always leave room for change and opportunities you don’t expect. 

Land that first internship or job. Landing a job right out of college can be overwhelming and discouraging, especially when you don’t get a job you thought you were qualified for. The trick is to stay optimistic and keep your options open. Apply for jobs that could lead to your dream position. As a young professional, you have time to try out plenty of options and you never know which experience could lead your ultimate goal.

Manage your money. Now that you have a new job with a real salary and expenses, you need create a budget and stick to it. iReconcile, Expenditure, MoneyBook and Mint are great apps to help you track your budget.

Continue to network. Building a strong network is about surrounding yourself with people who inspire you and will vouch for your character. A professional network will help propel your career forward and strengthen your resume. Personally, networking can connect you to your new community and help build a balanced life.

Keep learning. College may be over, but knowledge is still out there. Ask questions, this will demonstrate passion and commitment to your employer. Seek out new experiences to bring more to the table – personally and professionally.

Hopefully these tips will help ease your anxiety. Just remember that every executive started out as a scared recent graduate just like you.

Continue this list of tips or comment with your own concerns for the transition from student to professional.

Ruby Hillcraig, external relations committee member, is a senior at the University of Oregon studying public relations. Ruby hopes to pursue a career in fashion and beauty PR when she graduates in spring 2014. You can reach Ruby at rubyh@uoregon.edu.

The Importance of Reading PR Blogs

As a young public relations professional, it’s important to stay current on everything happening in the industry. Reading PR blogs will aid you in this goal and teach you many invaluable tools along the way. You will:

  1. Learn from the experiences of other professionals and peers in the industry.
  2. Be informed on new techniques and theories.
  3. Track PR’s changing landscape.
  4. Find inspiration for your own future.

When it comes to PR blogs there are so many to choose from, so you may wonder how to limit the scope. Find PR blogs that focus on what you’re passionate about. Search for PR blogs that write it a voice you connect with, such as humor or numbers. Here’s a list of top rated PR blogs to get you started:

  • PR-Squared
  • Spin Sucks
  • Brain Solis
  • PRDaily
  • Danny Brown

Once you’ve found PR blogs that speak to you, it’s important to read blogs in your daily routine. Maybe you’ll read while you’re drinking your morning cup of coffee or during your awkward 20-minute break between classes. If you stay informed on PR news it will only add to the knowledge you can bring to a future internship or job.

Use apps and programs that organize all the sites on one page to make blog reading easier! Bloglovin’ is a great site to keep track of the blogs you follow and let you know when new posts have been added.

The PR world is full of knowledge that you can access at any stage in your career. Take advantage of PR blogs and tap into the insights that surround you.

Ruby Hillcraig, external relations committee member, is a senior at the University of Oregon studying public relations. Ruby hopes to pursue a career in fashion and beauty PR when she graduates in spring 2014. You can reach Ruby at rubyh@uoregon.edu.