How PRSSA’s ICON and P&G shaped my public relations journey: 5 key takeaways
By: Grace Mullin
Dec 2, 2024
Category: What's new
As a college student, I balance many activities in and out of school. In addition to my position as a public relations intern at Piper & Gold, I am also the director of member communication on the executive board for the University of Delaware’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
Last month, I had the opportunity to attend and represent my university and our chapter at PRSSA’s ICON, an international conference that brings public relations and communication students and professionals from around the world together for professional development and networking.
The professionals, speakers and other students at the conference provided me with an abundance of advice I will carry with me throughout my career. However, I realized a lot of it was familiar because much of the advice I received I had also seen in action during my time at P&G.
Here are five eye-opening insights I learned from ICON and P&G:
1. Build a network based on authenticity.
At ICON, I heard from a multitude of professionals during general sessions and networking events, and every single one of them had the same advice: build a strong, authentic network. At P&G, we embrace authenticity. It’s even one of our core values. We understand the importance of being authentic in our everyday interactions. Being authentic means showing others our work is not just about business — we genuinely care about you and others.
During an informational session called “Marketing Yourself as a Content Creator” with Lauren Burger, CEO of Intern Queen Inc., I learned the importance of being authentic in your relationships. Berger stressed the importance of contacting your connections three times per year. Even if it’s just to wish them a “happy holiday,” showing them you care and are thinking of them matters.
2. Embrace your passions.
This advice came from a keynote session with Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. Whiteside told us to embrace our passions, especially as students. This is the time to be a sponge, be curious, and learn as much as possible. He said anyone can succeed if they communicate what they are interested in or passionate about and seek out those opportunities.
Whiteside’s advice reminded me of my internship — I actually wrote down in my notebook “Just like at P&G.” P&G allows me to embrace my passions and seek out the things I am interested in; all I have to do is ask. I set growth goals at the beginning of each quarter and communicate them with the team, and when a project I may be interested in comes up, they ask me to help.
My current growth goal is media relations skills and a team member reached out and asked me to assist in building a media list and drafting a pitch for a new client. In my downtime, I can work on my growth goal by taking online courses, watching webinars, or reading articles about what I’m interested in. I can truly embrace my passions and try new things at P&G. Many of the speakers said to constantly be curious by staying up to date with current trends. They recommended to take free courses you can find online and constantly read the news, even if it is only for five minutes. Taking those five minutes everyday can help you growth your skills exponentially.
3. Be open to new opportunities and challenges.
This is another piece of advice I heard from multiple people at ICON. Many speakers said to embrace challenges and different perspectives, step out of your comfort zone, and stay curious. In a general session, Crystal Washington, a technology trends expert, said, “Adopt a culture of curiosity like children.” Being open-minded and curious about new opportunities leads to learning experiences you might otherwise not encounter.
A growth mindset is about being curious, open to new opportunities and embracing challenges. This is something each team member at P&G aims to do every day: live with a growth mindset. I recently learned a lot about this topic when I revisited it in a blog post with Cassie Cotton, president of P&G (you should check it out!).
4. Be the best “yes” person you can realistically be.
Always say “yes” even if it’s something you have never done or are afraid of. This advice also came from Lauren Berger, CEO of Intern Queen Inc. She spoke a lot about internships (hence her company, “Intern Queen”) and the importance of embracing every opportunity you receive. Even when you don’t know how to do something, you can figure it out by asking questions or doing research. She said that to be the best “yes” person ever, you should always say yes and do the best work you can do while knowing your boundaries. Know your limits as to how much work you can take on while balancing your other work and outside priorities. When you say “yes” you may learn something you otherwise would not have.
I’ve also come to understand this through my experiences at P&G. I say yes to every opportunity given to me because every opportunity is a learning experience. At the beginning of my internship, I had no idea how to write talking points — a list of possible questions and answers for someone to reference during an interview. I was asked to write talking points for a client, and while I had never done it before, I embraced the opportunity and learned how to do it. I am now confident in my skills to write talking points and have done so for a variety of clients.
5. If you’re a good golfer, you can play on any course.
During the Connect with Champions Breakfast, a networking event between professionals, Public Relations Society of America members and PRSSA students, I had a conversation with a public relations professional and a few other students about our future careers and how to know if you are in the right place. He told us that if you’re a good golfer, you can play any course. He explained that every golf course is slightly different, but if you have refined your golf skills, you can adapt to each course. When you’re in the public relations field, every client you work with and the agency or corporation you work for is different. If you refine and continuously grow your basic skills like writing, pitching and staying current with trends, you can adapt to any workplace setting. He assured us that while you may not know where you will end up in your career, your refined and continuously growing skills will always stay with you.
P&G has provided me with the opportunity to elevate my skills by giving me a variety of tasks. I have touched upon many aspects of PR and worked with many clients, and I have had to adapt to different styles. Throughout it all, though, I have been able to learn and grow by receiving feedback from my colleagues. I have learned that mistakes are not failures; they are an opportunity to better myself and my skills.
