Out of all of the benefits of becoming a member of PRSSA, the one I’m most grateful for was the opportunity to participate in Titan Public Relations, CSUF’s student-run PR firm. It was an experience that taught and challenged me, whilst introducing me to colleagues that I now call my friends. For that reason, if you’ve heard about TPR and are on the fence as to whether you should apply, I encourage you to join. Take a leap of faith. Give it a shot. You won’t regret it.
And if my word alone wasn’t enough to persuade you, I’ve outlined four reasons why you should join Titan Public Relations below.
1. Hands-On Experience
One of the hardest things about starting a career in any industry is getting your foot in the door. Many entry-level PR jobs require that you have years of experience to qualify. This can make your first job-search a nightmare, and it’s the reason why some of my colleagues had to spend over six months after college looking for a job before they got their big break. This is also why TPR is so valuable: no experience is required to join.
For me, this was a game changer. Prior to TPR, I had no experience other than learning about public relations theoretically in a classroom setting. After I joined, however, I was dropped right into the PR industry, doing actual work for real clients that depended on our team. Though it might sound like a lot of pressure, the experience that I got gave me confidence in myself and my resume moving forward.
2. Make Your Resume Stand Out
This point heavily relates to the last one. That’s because I really wanted to hammer home the fact that: Employers want their employees to know what they’re doing. The more experience you have prior to your first job search, the more competitive your resume will be. The more competitive your resume, the quicker you can score a well-paying job and start paying off those pesky student loans.
During my internship interviews, all hiring managers I talked to wanted to know the extent of my past experience. Had it not been for TPR, I would have been stuck telling them solely about projects I completed in my classrooms. Now, this isn’t necessarily the worst thing. School projects are valid experiences, however, TPR is on another level. It gave me experience in drafting PR proposals, crafting and sending out media pitches, and running full-blown social media campaigns for actual businesses. These experiences are what made me stand out from the crowd and are the reason I have the internship I have today.
3. Networking
Sometimes, living in the virtual world can make it seem as though networking is impossible. Though that isn’t the case, it sure is a lot more difficult to form those deep bonds with colleagues when you aren’t in person. This is part of what makes TPR such a great opportunity: it’s an environment that facilitates the creation of personal and professional connections.
When you are working in a team of proactive students toward a common goal, it’s hard to not become friends by the time you finish. The best part is, I’ve found the more rapport I build with my team, the more motivation I have to produce quality work, and the more fun I have doing so.
4. Leadership Skills
If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, I recommend you apply to be an account executive. This role requires that you head communication with your client, set deadlines for your team’s goals, and delegate tasks to the account coordinators working under you.
Prior to TPR, I had zero experience when it came to being a leader. Becoming an Account Executive changed that. I had to oversee everyone else’s tasks, keep them on track, and make decisions to pivot our goals when necessary. For me, being in charge was a challenge, but it was also the most rewarding experience I received from the firm. I highly recommend that any CSUF student interested in owning their own agency or freelance team one day starts by applying to be an account executive for TPR.
