Experience

I have been working with Relay For Life since last August as there Public Relations Chair. Now this Friday, the big event will be here. I am excited to see the success of my hard work come to life. At times the job was extremely difficult because of communication issues, but overall Relay has given me my first real experience with public relations. I could not be more thankful to have worked for the fight against cancer. Especially now that my grandmother is dying of pancreatic cancer.

My experience with Relay has taught me the basics of public relations. Probably, the most important thing I learned how to do was to communicate with the local media. The city of Milledgeville is a great place to build a relationship with the media because it is a small town with limited media outlets. The main outlet I communicated with was the local newspapers. I had to understand their deadlines and formatting. They helped me get vital information out to the public about Relay with efficiency.

Among other skills, I can crack out a press release in no time thanks to Relay. I have gotten extremely comfortable with writing them and obtaining quotes. This basic skill is necessary in the PR world, and now I have lots of experience with writing press releases.

I have also learned to understand the dynamics of a committee. I had to find out the hard way who was the best to get information from and who was not the best communicator. Luckily, the committee was willing to help me with anything and everything. I know this experience will help me with future employers.

Relay For Life was a great starting point in my public relations career. I was able to build my portfolio with press releases, newsletters and published work. The experience I received with Relay will benefit me for years to come. I am hoping my internship this summer will add onto my experiences; so, I can better market myself for a job when I graduate. After being denied from an internship, I truly know the importance of experience!