PRSSA National Conference

On Thursday I will packing my bags and road-tripping from Eastern to Washington D.C. for the PRSA/PRSSA (Public Relations Society & Student Society of America) National Conference!  I am overwhelmed with excitement but at the same time can't help but be a little bit on edge...

I joined PRSSA last year as a way to start building my portfolio so I could at least demonstrate that I was somewhat versed in the ways of PR when I start interviewing for jobs, but going into it I am not really sure I am as prepared as I should be.  I mean, this is a HUGE networking opportunity!!  By now, I should have some sort of agenda developed regarding what I am going to do when I get there.  All I can say though is I know what kind of job I want and the skills that I have... should I just walk around, attend random presentations of interest, and get my name and intentions out there?

I attended a career fair here at Eastern a couple of weeks ago.  Aside from the fact that the entire event catered to business students, it wasn't all that terrible.  I was thrown back by one of the employers however, when, after I had told her what I was looking for and what my interests were, flat out said to me, "Um... you are not talking about public relations and you might want to consider changing your major..."  WHAT!!!?  You have got to be kidding me.  You mean to say that everything I have been studying in all of my classes for the past 2 years isn't actually public relations?  Why is it then that the track I am on is considered PR?  For the present, I am going to consider her a lunatic and will start heeding her advice when I have heard it from a few other mouths...

I think at my age and experience level it is normal to be feeling all these emotions.  Especially considering public relations is nothing if not ambiguous.  It is clearly definable, yet almost impossible to wrap your head around since it has such an endless variety of applications.  It is not all writing, placement, negotiation, planning, strategy, etc. but a big glob of everything.  So, I am holding my head up and going into this conference with my ideas of what it means to practice public relations and if it doesn't add up with someone else, at least I can know that there has to be another person out there that might agree with me.  Is there a clear line between advertisement, marketing, and pr?  I don't think so.