Agency Tour to Truscott Rossman — GVSU PRSSA – Grand Valley State University Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

GrandPR and PRSSA members visiting Truscott Rossman's Grand Rapids office

This past Friday, Grand Valley’s GrandPR and PRSSA members had the opportunity to tour Truscott Rossman’s Grand Rapids office and meet the people who keep things running smoothly, Senior Account Executive Amy LeFebre and Vice President Tim Dye.

After hearing about each professional’s background, we were able to ask questions and get advice from these two PR pros. Here’s what they passed along:

Intern
You’ve probably heard it before, but they confirmed it: internships are essential. The pair stressed the importance of getting experience before graduation, especially during the last semester of your college career. You never know, that final internship might lead to a permanent position after graduation.

Volunteer
While volunteering is a great thing to do in general, it can also lead to a job you’re after. If you have a specific place you want to work in mind and there are no open positions, volunteer there so you get to know people within the organization. That way when you do apply, they’ll already know you.

Writing
We all know writing is a huge part of PR, so it’s no surprise they stressed the importance of it. Kate, Truscott Rossman’s intern, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in communications and said her English degree has really helped when it comes to public relations and her writing skills.

Networking
No surprise that this was brought up. Networking is important when going into any field, but especially PR. Specifically, we talked about networking with media so you positive relationships when you need to get a story out. It’s not about what you know – it’s about who you know.

Thanks again for having us!
-Kayla

Kayla is currently a senior at Grand Valley State University with a major in Advertising and Public Relations. As Media Director, she keeps up to date on the biggest news stories in PR and updates all GrandPR social media and manages our blog. She is currently a student writer for Grand Valley's University Communications and is also a member of the blogging committee for Grand Valley's PRSSA chapter. Kayla plans to graduate in April 2015 and would love to travel, as well as start her career right away.