Winn Maddrey ’91 (history), Senior VP at Fleishman-Hillard, a top global PR agency and full-service communications firm, visited campus in February during Wildcat Career Week to share tips with students about breaking into PR. He talked a bit about the four different PR branches—government, corporate, non-profit, and media relations–and benefits and drawbacks to working at each one.
Mr. Maddrey mentioned the below four skills necessary for a career in PR that liberal arts students bring to the table and should emphasize in their applications and networking efforts:
- The ability to sift through and “boil down” a lot of information
- The ability to ask insightful and inquisitive questions
- Critical thinking
- The ability to effectively share information within and across groups
If you land an interview with a PR firm, he suggests the following:
- Read the local paper – in hard-copy form – and understand both the content and how it is organized.
- Know how the PR and advertising worlds function by reading publications such as PR Week and Ad Week.
- Do your research and get to know the company’s clients so that you will be informed during the interview.
If you are actively looking into a career in PR, make an appointment with us to talk about additional tips and alumni resources!
Thanks to CSA Morgan Orangi ’13 for contributing to this post.