Vice President of Outreach
by Rachel Mayhew
Are you the type of person who always volunteers to speak first in class? Do you have no trouble adding your name to the top of the karaoke list? Is speaking in front of crowds something you enjoy doing? The VP of Outreach is the perfect position for you!
Don’t get me wrong, a year or two ago these things all terrified me. I used to panic at the idea of speaking in front of a small group, let alone a lecture hall full of 200 students. However, after taking my first public speaking class, I knew that it was something I could learn to be good at. Naturally, the Outreach position really enticed me, and I saw it as an opportunity to really push myself and perfect my speaking skills. Being the VP of Outreach really helped me learn to speak eloquently in front of a crowd, not be nervous to pick up the phone and call someone, and gave me awesome networking skills.
So what does the VP of Outreach do?
One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to speak with new and potential PRSSA members. I am really passionate about the benefits that PRSSA has to offer all students, and getting to share that information with others gives me a lot of joy. You have to be very familiar with what PRSSA is, what we do, and how it helps people enhance their education, launch their networks, and broaden their careers. Also, it’s important to know the answer to everyone’s favorite question, “what is Public Relations?”
Another big part of Outreach is… well…. outreaching. A classic method is classroom pitches. This may be disappointing to some, but you have to be able to feel comfortable talking in front of a crowd to thrive in this position (and all board positions, really). It’s super important to be able to delegate to other members of the Executive Board and the Outreach Committee because it is impossible to reach all the important COMM classes on your own. Having a strong sense of leadership is important for this position. You have to make sure to teach everyone your pitch, and make sure they know it to a T. Consistency is a must!
Outreach isn’t all public speaking though! You are also in charge of choosing and ordering all the outreach materials for the Chapter. Who else can say that they got an order of 300 bottle opener fidget spinners sent to their home? It’s a lot of fun getting to research popular trends and choose what awesome SWAG to order for the Chapter.
Overall, being the VP of Outreach is a really rewarding position. Walking into Kick Off and seeing a huge crowd is an amazing feeling, knowing that all of your hard work paid off. Who else can say that they successfully recruited nearly 250 members for their organization?
If you can speak well in front of a crowd, have a creative eye for outreach materials, and have a strong handshake, Outreach may be for you.
If you’re interested in learning more, feel free to contact me with any questions!
