Below is my keynote from the May 2023 Central Michigan University PRSSA banquet.
Welcome PRSSA students. Today we celebrate your achievements this school year and your bright future in public relations.
As you prepare to launch your career, I want to help you build on the foundation you constructed here at Central Michigan University.
And parents … I bet you came here today to get two answers:
One, what is public relations?
And two, will my child make enough money so they don’t have to move back in?
I’m sure you have big plans for their bedroom. And I’m here to assure you that you can move forward with boxing up their stuff and building that home gym, craft room, or reading nook.
There is so much you can do with a solid foundation in public relations. Reflecting on my years at CMU, my time in PRSSA and the trajectory of my career, I can assure you that you made a wise choice in pursuing this degree and becoming involved in PRSSA. I earned my bachelor’s in integrative public relations with minors in journalism and communications in 2010. And I was a PRSSA member for all four years of college.
Since then, I’ve interviewed, hired and mentored students from universities across the U.S. I’m a national PRSSA awards and scholarship judge, an adviser for the MSU PRSSA chapter and a mentor through the Association of National Advertisers. I’ve coached, advised and mentored hundreds of students and young professionals. And of 30+ interns I’ve hired over the years, I can count on one hand how many came from a university other than CMU.
That’s because CMU students stand out. They are a step ahead because of the three Ps: People. Passion. And pathways.
First, the people are truly exceptional at CMU. From the faculty who will guide your education to the alumni who will support your career, you will be surrounded by some of the brightest and most talented PR professionals in the country. They will guide your education and support your aspirations. And, they will open doors for you, connecting you to professionals and jobs.
Second, the passion of the PRSSA students and CMU faculty is infectious. When you immerse yourself in the world of PR at CMU, you will find that everyone around you is driven by a deep love for this field. This passion is what fuels the creativity and innovation that are essential for success in PR. A few weeks ago, we hosted a town hall for IPR alumni, where we discussed the curriculum and the future of this program. There are over 10 pages of notes from this one-hour meeting. That’s because our alumni are so passionate about helping each of you in this room succeed.
Finally, the pathways that are available to you with a degree in public relations are virtually limitless. While the market right now is uncertain in many industries, let me assure you that the outlook for a PR career is strong.
Here are a few examples of jobs held by some of our alumni:
PR specialist at Amazon
Brand Partnerships Manager at TikTok
VP of Communications at Planned Parenthood of Michigan
Brand Communications Manager at McDonalds
PR Manager at Visit California
Director of Communications at Big Machine Label Group
Our alumni work at PR agencies, big brands, small businesses and nonprofits. And, if you decide to pivot in another direction, there is so much flexibility in how you can use your degree. We’ve had alums go on to leverage their degrees as entrepreneurs, corporate recruiters, philanthropy leaders and more. The skills you learn in this program — from communications and critical thinking to strategic planning and execution — are transferable to virtually any industry.
Beyond the practical benefits of a PR degree, I want to emphasize the importance of this field in today’s world. PR professionals are the ones who help organizations navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of media and public opinion.
We are the ones who tell the stories that shape our understanding of the world. We bring brands to life with creative ideas and we help organizations develop strategies to make a lasting impact.
Whether we are up at 4 a.m. to be on the morning news or in the boardroom helping executives communicate the impact of layoffs, our jobs play a big role in the success of corporations, nonprofits, government entities and more.
Fifteen years ago, I was in your shoes — listening to another CMU alum share what PR was and how I could succeed in my career. I want you to have confidence that you’re already equipped with the foundational skills you need to start your career.
But there are a few things you don’t learn in the classroom.
And that’s what I’ll leave you with today. After you graduate, your life is no longer punctuated by semesters. You will not be given a syllabus for your career, a rubric to set expectations for each project or a grade to measure your success. You have to learn to ask the right questions to get feedback and embrace the excitement of uncertainty. This is the time to choose your own adventure.
There’s no wrong choice here, so take a leap — whether you choose to take a post-grad internship at a PR agency, backpack through Europe for the summer or start climbing the corporate ladder. Each experience gives you unique lenses to view communications and will help you build your career – no matter where you end up.
Second, your relationships — with your friends, colleagues, professors and bosses — should be your top priority. Trusted relationships and your reputation among your peers and leaders will help you succeed throughout your career. I can’t tell you how many times a CMU faculty member like Jim Wojcik has opened a door for me or how many times I’ve messaged a college classmate to ask about a job opening.
Quite honestly, I think this is the main benefit to group projects. Those experiences in class allow other people to see the quality of your work so they can vouch for you. The relationships you’ve developed these past few years will carry you forward.
But your work isn’t done yet. You should now start to build a personal board of directors. You need:
- Managers who will challenge your skills and help you grow.
- Mentors who will give you sage advice — sometimes the feedback you don’t want to hear.
- Peers who will serve as your sounding boards. They’ll cheer you on when you succeed and pick you up when you fall…
- And lastly sponsors, who will put their professional name on the line to help you get ahead.
If you’re not sure where to start, write my name at the top of your list. You can email, call, text or message me on social media at any point in your career for advice.
Third, be flexible. When I graduated from college, I wanted to run a PR agency. Since then, I’ve led communications for a foundation, overseen social media and PR at universities, launched a fashion brand, advocated for policies that protect the environment, managed major crises for cities and corporations , built a marketing team at a software company and I’m about to begin the next chapter of my career as the vice president of content strategy at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
I’m not doing what I thought I would be when I walked across the stage at commencement and I couldn’t be happier about that. As you build a career in PR, you’ll find yourself off the beaten path or moving in directions you never expected. Sometimes you’ll take a stepping stone role to build your skills or move laterally to find a better work culture.
Ultimately, choose to do what’s best for you at that point in your life and career – not what your 21-year-old self thought you would be doing or what your peers said you should do.
Lastly, remember your ABCs as you build your career:
- A: Ambition: As an ambitious young professional, always shoot your shot. Job descriptions are just a wish list and you should apply if you can make a case as to why they should hire you. As a manager, I always choose to hire the less experienced person with a bit of fire over the more experienced candidate who thinks they know everything.
- B. Bravery: Take calculated risks and embrace the possibility of failure. Learn from every experience. Ask for feedback. And own up to your mistakes. Some of the best experiences for growth in my career came to fruition because I was OK with the possibility of rejection and failure.
- C. Curiosity: Ask good questions. Learn not just the “how,” but the “why. Never stop learning. The great thing about PR is the field is constantly evolving. I always like to remind students that I met my college roommates on MySpace. The way we communicate is constantly changing and the PR professional who stays on top of the latest trends will always have job security.
Students, I hope this gives you confidence as you launch your careers.
And parents, I hope this helped you finally get the answer to the question every parent asks: What can you do with a degree in PR?
Thank you and enjoy this night with your friends and family.
I’d now like to invite up one of the IPR program’s dearest professors, Will Anderson, to present the winner of this year’s IPR scholarships.
Interested in having me speak at your conference or banquet? Learn more.