Being a senior in college and seeing graduation right on the horizon line is an exciting time for most. For me, although it is quite exciting, it is also quite frightening. Now is the time that I'm supposed to be figuring out exactly what I want to be doing with my life and how exactly I am going to get there. In the midst of all my overwhelmed-ness, I was excited to hear that a recent UW Whitewater PR graduate, Amy Paul, would be coming to speak to our class about where she is today in the PR world and how she got there. As Amy prepared her presentation, I noticed her opening slide was titled "preparing for your future" and gave her my full attention immediately.
Amy began her presentation by discussing her background and where she's currently employed. Amy is currently an interactive account coordinator for a company called Ascedia. Here she works with digital marketing, website design, social media and more. It took a lot of hard work and dedication for Amy to get to where she is today though. Long before Ascedia, Amy was highly involved on the UW Whitewater campus especially in PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America). Amy always jumped at opportunities and definitely had a lot on her plate with being the insight editor, secretary, professional development chair, and regional activity coordinator for the organization. Along with her experiences involving PRSSA, Amy also had multiple internships that helped her gain even more experience. She has worked at the Children's Hospital as a fundraising/special events intern, Qdoba as a brand ambassador, the UWW development office as an intern as well as with the Milwaukee Admirals whom she still works with today. Following those internships, Amy has also worked at the Milwaukee County executive office as a PR assistant as well as Bottom Line Marketing & PR.
Amy gave us a lot of great advice and recommendations that I am going to remember when I am on the search for jobs/internships. Some of Amy's tips include starting your search for early, dressing appropriately, and not being afraid to ask for more responsibility. Amy encouraged us to network as well and how important it is to stay connected with professionals! She left us with a hopeful speech about putting ourselves out there, not giving up, and remembering to have fun. All in All, Amy's presentation put me at ease and made me remember that everyone else is going through the same thing and has the same nerves as I do. She reminded me that jobs/internships do not come easy, but with hard work and dedication anything is possible.
That quote "preparing for your future" also got my attention right away, at first I thought it was a little harsh to start a presentation, however I thought about it and realized it’s a hard truth I have to accept.
ReplyDeleteI am also very scared for what my future holds! But still, I cannot wait for all the great opportunities I will have after graduation. I agree that Amy gave us some solid advice. She has given me the motivation to start searching for internships and to never give up!
ReplyDeleteI think you present a lot of valuable pieces of Amy's presentation. The future is scary, but look how well she's done. If she can do it, we can to. I really liked your summation of her past work experience, and on a side note I love the set up of your blog!
ReplyDeleteI was another person in class reading the headline title "How to prepare for your future" for I believe I'm unprepared, yet it's probably just nerves getting to me like everyone else lacing up our graduation boots. I really liked her advice and how it related to where it's got her in her future. Quite insightful. P.S., I like your background.
ReplyDeleteLauren, I really liked how in depth you went into Amy's presentation, and it showed that you paid attention to what she had to say. It was most definitely overwhelming hearing about everything that she's involved in and how many internships she's had, but it doesn't mean that everyone needs all of that in order to be successful. I totally agree that it took a minuet to realize that all of us are in the same boat, and we can all stress out together haha! Keep up the good work! :)
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to how you felt about Amy Paul's presentation. With a class full of seniors that are hoping to be as successful as Amy, her presentation was both insightful and a little scary. I think she did a really great job on how to keep a positive attitude at any job or internship. I also liked how much she wanted to do/know about every job that she held and the resources that she used that impressed her bosses.
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