UFCJC Students Connect with PRSA Professionals at Annual Conference

By Linda England, Public Relations senior

Traveling more than 2,000 miles from Gainesville, Florida, 20 students from the University of Florida College of Journalsim and Communications (UFCJC) Public Relations program attended the 2024 PRSA ICON conference in Anaheim, California, the largest international gathering of public relations and communications professionals hosted by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

During the three-day conference, Oct. 15-17, these students experienced keynote speeches and networking opportunities among hundreds of attendees, enhancing their understanding of the industry and building connections to shape their future careers.

For Paula Lamus, a Public Relations senior and vice president of programming for UF’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the trip provided invaluable lessons in the power of networking.

“Networking is everything in this field,” she said. “Although some people view us as if we’re all competing against each other, that’s not really the case. We all need to work together to get to where all of us want to be, to reach our goals.”

While attendance can be costly, primarily due to travel expenses, international conferences offer students a rare chance to interact with top industry professionals.

“It’s the people that do comms for companies like Goodwill, NBCUniversal, Good Morning America,” Lamus said. “When you’re a student, never in a million years would you expect to talk to someone at that level.”

During the conference, Lamus forged a memorable connection with a public relations professional from Wendy’s who specializes in event PR, aligning with her own career aspirations. “In my internship this past summer, I specialized in PR for large expos and exhibits, and that’s what she does for Wendy’s headquarters,” she said. “I was able to talk to her about it, and we exchanged information. I’m hoping it goes somewhere.”

Marisa Greenberg, UF PRSSA chapter president, echoed Lamus’s sentiment on the value of networking but noted that her own journey has taken a different path. Greenberg plans to attend law school, so has limited need for professional connections in PR. However, her networking efforts within PRSSA have still been impactful.

“Networking helped me get to my position as president,” Greenberg said. “I met someone on the National Committee for PRSSA who told me a lot about the board and how to get involved. Through connecting with her, I became treasurer of UF’s chapter, which then ended up with me being president.”

While networking is often framed as a way to get ahead quickly, both Lamus and Greenberg emphasized that it’s about more than just job prospects. It’s about building long-lasting relationships and learning from others in the field.

“It is a big change coming from undergrad, where you’re used to talking to maybe a few professors, to talking to people much older can seem scary and out of your comfort zone,” Greenberg said. “I think if you come across as authentic, have an idea of what you want to say but don’t have a script you’re following, that can really help start those conversations.”

Mickey Nall, UFCJC Public Relations professional-in-residence and faculty adviser for UF PRSSA, highlighted the value of international connections.

“The connections made at an international conference are invaluable,” he said. “In the conference app, attendees could search for others who work in a particular area of public relations, perhaps from New York, Chicago, Atlanta or Los Angeles, and set up a coffee meetup. Now, they have a professional connection in the city they aspire to locate to after graduation.”

Public Relations Department Chair Myiah Hutchens believes conferences provide a broader benefit by connecting students to communications professionals and alumni across the country, particularly benefitting students looking to explore career opportunities beyond Florida.

“Networking is super important,” Hutchens said. “Anything you can do to make those connections and build that network is critical. The comms world is such a small place that having those ties will help you get your next job and move forward in the field.”

Citing an annual graduation survey by the Public Relations Department, Hutchens noted that in the last three years, around 40% of graduates expressed plans to move out of state, while 60% preferred to stay in Florida. For those pursuing national opportunities, networking across the country and beyond is crucial for building the connections needed to succeed in the broader communications industry.

“It’s important for all fields, but PR in particular just feels like a very small world,” she said. “The sooner you can make yourself a part of that world, the better off you’re going to be.”

Hutchens also stressed that students should not feel pressured to overwhelm themselves with conversations.

“Most professionals at these conferences are really happy to talk to students,” she said. “But just try to be socially aware. There’s an art to entering a conversation, and there’s also an art to exiting a conversation.”

To maintain connections, Hutchens encourages students to follow up on LinkedIn with a personalized note referencing specific conversations and to continue reaching out when appropriate.

“Just keep an eye out,” she said. “If you see that person you connected with post something, like they’ve gotten a new job or their organization won an award, reach back out to them. Make sure that you’re using those moments to continue that connection.”

Posted: November 22, 2024
Category: College News, Profiles, Student Profiles
Tagged as: MIckey Nall, Myiah Hutchens, PRSA